Last weekend 4-5th Feb

So... this was definitely a girly weekend. Just Femke and me. Awesome really just to talk, talk, coffee, talk, talk. Saturday we had a breakfast of pancakes. Femke has to taste the pure maple syrup. Sunday we had a Spanish omelette...potato slices and chorizo.
Saturday was the day for the big white Belugas.... Vancouver Aquarium in the rain. Stanley Park was closed so we had to get off the bus and walk from Denman Street. Too many trees had to be cleared. The otter was a favourite. Femke is a sucker for them. This one was lying on its back cleaning itself, which basically looked like it was scratching its head. We saw the dolphin and beluga whale show. We also saw a huge dark pink octopus. Really gorgeous.
Then we went home and got ready for dinner out with Donna, Dave and Dan at the popular must do while in Vancouver restaurant - Stepho's. We then walked all the way to Tinseltown to watch Brokeback Mountains. I liked it. And of course there was coffee on the way there at Cafe Artigianos, which is a must for anybody visiting Vancouver.
Sunday started slowly - we went to Deep Cove. Femke really liked it there. It was the first proper clear day. So we could see Mt. Seymour and the entire ski slopes rather well, we could see the islands in the bay. We had coffee there too...but not before we sat on someone's really steep driveway, looked at the view before us and ate our Terra bread. We talked our way to the Raven pub, which isn't a microbrewery as some else had said. But the beer was fine...and the Super bowl was on...and of course we missed it. We did take bets on it though with the pub. I was afraid to ask what the superbowl was exactly. Well it's a North American thing.
Sunday evening we were too full from the chips and beer so we lazed around and then took our salad to Dan's. There Dave and Bill cooked the steak and Dan did the sweet potato (with the pepper and rock salt...yummo) . The sweet potato was a first for Femke as well. We then watched the movie The Castle and also Bill's choice of Robin Williams' Stand-up show. Man it was funny.
After that we went home to bed...another long day bit the dust and left us feeling really pleased to have such wonderful friends. Those to fly long distances to see you and those you pick up at Orphans Dinners in hostels.