Vancouver:  Day 6
Today, one week out from Canada Day right on the 150th birthday, when there's  3 major events on in the city and 3 cruise boats in, we decided to do the other day of our hop-on-hop-off  bus tour of the city. The events drew 30,000 people into the city and created an Auckland type gridlock.
We disembarked at Granville Island with its exciting markets. Peter decided he could just manage a crepe with his mouth, so crepes it was. As good as Paris? Close. 😗 Rather than fighting our way through the crowds we chose to do the ferry trip on the cute Little Toot boat down False Creek to the Maritime  Museum .  No crowds  there and so interesting .  It's built around the sailing ship St Roch which made its way through the North Western Passage and is the only ship to have sailed right around North America. So interesting seeing a collection of exhibits on the exploration of the Arctic Regions.
Hopped on the bus again and got a driver we could understand 😃 We drove slowly through the darker areas of Vancouver and heard all about the initiatives of trying to solve the drug abuse and homelessness which is worse than in Auckland. We were asked not to give any money to any of them as they are cared for and only spend the money on drugs.
We disembarked altogether in Gastown which is comparable to Parnell - certainly the major tourist mecca. We could see the crowds thinning  and the shops emptying  and by the end of the day we had Canada Place to ourselves again with no trace of the dreaded cruise ships. Oh bliss! Time to settle in to our spot by the float planes and enjoy the peace and quiet with an excellent meal washed down with Irish pear cider. After the 12,000 steps we had clocked up we decided to conquer the bus to get us back up the hill. The driver took one look at us and waved us on for free. Do we look that old? 🚸