Ok it's now official - we love Canada!!

Hello Friends,

You know what with summer upon us here in Sunny Vancouver (note not one hint of irony! We've now gone past 20 days straight sunshine hooray!!) it just feels all wrong hunched over the computer blogging when one really ought to be outside enjoying the super long summer days and generally having fun.

So there you go - my apologies for the long hiatus but there's a summer outside to be had and besides, I'm sure all of our parents have at various points implored us all to get outside and stop mooching around the house so you can't blame me for following such timeworn advice. What with jazz festivals and mountain climbing and beaching and sunset admiring and Frisbee tossing and all those other wonderful summery things to distract oneself...well you get the point! Too much fun is being had to get on to the blog so my apologies.

But we have been having a grand old time with 16+ hours of daylight per day and the beach just around the corner. Seems downright criminal not to be at least trying to teach these dozy Canadians a thing or two about summer lovin'. Though to their enduring credit these locals don't seem to need too many pointers. Strange how drinking beer on the beach, frisbees and BBQs seem to go together no matter where you're from. Third beach at around 8pm watching the sun slowly sink into the Burrard inlet - my God I think I have my new favourite spot in all the world - for a long time it was the St Lucia reach of the Brisbane river, or any part of the Northern NSW hinterland, then it was Fitzroy gardens (anywhere therein) but now I think we have a new favourite comrades.

To top it all off it has been just super this last week having two grand Melbourne chums (Rama and Graham) around to share the beer-drinking responsibilities! Well surely one is entitled to a little amber refreshment after tackling the grouse grind!! I'm going to try to load Graham's video of the descent in the gondola which should give you some good sense of the sheer stupidity that is climbing Grouse Mountain just outside Vancouver on foot rather than the more customary (and far more comfortable) Swiss gondola. Those Swiss sure are clever people - mass transit for mountain ranges! No walking for me thank you Hans - how about we just build some unique motorised contraption to do the walking for us! Outstanding idea my good man! Except being young and full of the northern sunshine we decided to climb that damn mountain on foot.

Now 1400 meters doesn't really sound too bad does it?! On paper of course you would be right but straight up!? No this is sheer insanity best left to mountain goats and English backpackers (naturally we saw our fair share of the latter). I think panic set in for our amiable walking party once we hit the 1/4 way sign! Already set within an inch of ignoble exhaustion (and sensing that we must, must, must be at least half way by now!) the sight of this damned indictment so early into the walk was unsettling to say the least. With calves and thighs burning and vertigo (or altitude sickness) distinct possibilities, we pushed on with much trepidation. Graham pulled ahead at one point and so it was left to Rama, Andrea and I to bring up a truly sterling rear effort. With regular long pauses to enjoy the stunning vistas on offer (see exemplary photos!) and much grumbling we finally made it to the top!

At what a sight awaited us!! Views right out to Mt Baker in Washington state, on to Vancouver island and the entire lower mainland as we locals call it. Joy upon joy with a sunny viewing platform, comfortable chairs and plenty of shady umbrellas to lie under as one quiety regained feeling in one's lower extremities.

The irony of course is that earlier in the day whilst we were visiting the truly stunning Lynn Valley suspension bridge (see photos!!) two wonderfully gracious elderly dog walkers informed us that even those two dogs weren't stupid enough to attempt the grouse grind. Dog walker A then added the obvious codicil that the grind must be done once so that one might from that moment forward tell anyone foolish enough to ever suggest such madness again to very politely get stuffed!

I also think that the successful completion of the Grouse Grind is one more of those "becoming a local" loyalty tests! I'm thinking of changing the blog name to reflect this looming reality!

OK fair country-men - I'm off to enjoy the sunshine. The city is literally swarming with rapturous Italians following this morning's game.

Can you believe Zidane's brain meltdown - pub thuggery at a World Cup final! There's only a couple of billion people watching you buffoon!

The Italians deserved it.

Cameron