Crid's 1999 Grand Tour of Canada

3 weeks travelling by train from Toronto to Vancouver

Day 19 (Wednesday) - Vancouver (Penny Farthing Inn B&B)

Walked to the Space Centre and got the tour bus to the Science Centre.  The Science Centre has a large kinetic sculpture outside.  Pool balls on tracks going in various directions setting off various noises along the way.  There are various mechanical switches which the balls trigger, which then route subsequent balls a different way.  I love that sort of thing.

The Science Centre in Toronto has one too, although this one is completely enclosed and a motor transports the balls to the top of the machine.  The one in Toronto allows the viewers to set the balls running themselves.

The sculpture was originally in a shopping centre, but they donated it to the museum.  Perhaps they got fed up with all the noise it makes.  The only disappointment was that you couldn't see the top half of the machine very well.  I suspect when it was in the mall it was put where people could stand on a balcony and watch the upper half.

The Science Centre was fun.  There's a 3D laser show, which was very good.  I've seen 3D movies before, but never a 3D laser show.  This one combined film and lasers in a show largely about flight.

The top of the Science Centre houses an Omnimax cinema.  The film format is IMAX, but instead of being projected onto a flat screen it is projected onto the inside of a dome.  The film was about ancient Egypt and it was very good.

One exhibit which particularly caught my attention was a working beehive, sandwiched between two panes of glass.  The hive had an exit to the outside world and the bees were busily going about their work.  Fascinating to watch.  I've seen the "bee dance" on television, but it was still fascinating to see it for real.

From the Science Centre I walked to the railway station with a view to buying some VIA merchandise, but they didn't have any in stock.

Caught the tour bus from the station to Canada Place and then went walking around the shops.  Eventually wound up on False Creek (so named because it's a large bay which goes a fair way into the city, but doesn't lead to the river).  From there I decided to walk around the bay (instead of going across the bridge).  Walked past the Science Centre again (pausing to watch the kinetic sculpture still doing its thing) and eventually ended up at a seafood restaurant called Monk McQueens.

Very nice view of the bay from the restaurant.  I sat outside since it was a nice night.  I had Prawn and Beef Stir Fry - a combination of flavours I have never had before.  Very nice, although a bit pricey.

From the restaurant I walked back to the B&B and arrived back around 7.30.  I was pooped.  What a tiring day!

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