North Shore Road Trip

Allied Shipyard, North Shore

I met up with an old friend to hit the road in search of adventure today. And so we crossed the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge to the North Shore. We stopped in some random industrial area just off the Dollarton Highway then proceeded to Cates Park before entering Deep Cove. I figured it would be picturesque. Instead it was kind of dull and vaguely unwelcoming. We forged ahead to North Woodlands, which I only knew about from messing around with Google Maps. Turns out this remote community was even less welcoming than Deep Cove—virtually every vantage point was blocked by private homes. We snapped a few photos from the wharf and called it a day.

Riding the Seawall in January

Stanley Park On Ice

One of the pleasures of living in the West End neighbourhood of Vancouver is that I can easily cycle out to Stanley Park and ride the seawall. I have been doing so regularly, several times a month, despite the deepening cold. Wintertime in Vancouver is toothless compared to what I’ve endured for decades in Toronto. I suppose not everyone feels this way, for the seawall—particularly the far side, beyond the bridge—is virtually empty most of the time. I like it that way.

Today I set out for the seawall despite the light dusting of snow on the ground in the West End. I toured the seawall just a few days ago and encountered frost after passing the 9 O’Clock Gun but nothing I saw on that trip prepared me for what I discovered beyond the foot of the Lion’s Gate. Here, rivulets of meltwater cascaded down the cliff-side beneath thick sheets of wind-sculpted ice. Massive icicles dangled precipitously from concave depressions in the rock, occasionally breaking free to clatter down to the thin strip of roadway below.

The murky haze and freezing drizzle made shooting photos somewhat challenging. Then again, grey skies are a blank canvas for a Lightroom ninja like me! All but one of the photos below were shot today. The one exception is the final photograph—I captured that one on my sunset ride a few days ago. It might not fit the theme but I can’t restrain myself from sharing it here—Siwash Rock looks beautiful in the dying light.

Capilano Canyon

Cleveland Dam From Above

Seeking to break up the monotony of the work week I took advantage of a supposedly rare dry spell during the Vancouver wet season to voyage down the Capilano River trails from Cleveland Dam. Access to the park is effortless; a city bus crossing the Lion’s Gate bridge delivered me to the park in less than an hour. The lake you see in the photos below is the source of nearly half of the drinking water in the Vancouver region. Presented below are some of the photos I shot on this brief jaunt to the North Shore.

Riding the Seawall in November

Riding the seawall at sunset

I recently moved to the West End neighbourhood of Vancouver. Not long after I began taking advantage of the proximity to Stanley Park to engage in a long-standing Vancouver tradition: riding the seawall. Here are a few photos from my first trip around the park.

Rain City Wandering

Outward bound

It rains a lot in Vancouver but I don’t mind. It isn’t great for taking photos (hence all the washed out grey skies) but I enjoy the ambience just the same. Here are a bunch of photos from my wanderings around Mount Pleasant and the False Creek area of Vancouver in the fall of 2012. It may not seem as if this is a beautiful city but it truly is; I just happen to be drawn to the more run-down things I see in my travels.

Exploring VGH

Jack Bell Research Centre

My first sublet in Vancouver after the move was located next to the Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) complex. Since I was regularly cycling through the hospital grounds I figured a short mission to photograph some of its more intriguing structures was in order. Below you will find a few external shots of buildings and the steaming vents at the VGH power plant.

Final Thoughts About My First Trip to Seoul

Heungnyemun

This post collects my final thoughts about my trip to Seoul, South Korea, in April 2012. To write these posts I have been working from a series of letters I sent home to family and friends as well as some notes I jotted down while still in Seoul. Not everything fit into previous posts but there are a few things I still wish to share. Expect to read an assortment of anecdotes and fleeting impressions from the remainder of my stay in the South Korean capital.

Seoul After Dark

Gwangjang Market after dark

I spent a great deal of my time in Seoul wandering around after dark. Here are some of the images I captured in that time, invariably a mix of glowing neon lights and empty alleyways.

Bongeunsa Temple

Bongeunsa Temple

Bongeunsa 봉은사 (Hangul: 봉은사; Hanja: 奉恩寺) is a Buddhist temple in the Gangnam (yes, that Gangnam) of Seoul immediately across from COEX Mall, supposedly one of the largest in Asia. Towering skyscrapers on the horizon are a stark reminder of the modernity outside the temple grounds. Inside, many of the structures show their age, particularly the antique bell house (depicted in the last photo below). Still, little remains of the original Bongeunsa. As with other historic sites in Seoul it has undergone many renovations and improvements over the years. The results are pleasant enough to walk around but one does not feel the weight of history in this place.