Visitors, from the outside

Claire and Eavan came to visit from a small country just to the south of us.  Vancouver welcomed them in the traditional manner: a downpour of biblical proportions that led even the Brits to look heavenwards and wonder "how much more water can there be up there?"  Luckily we had nice raincoats, but (though pre-warned) our guests came with outerwear that only Californians would describe as weather-proof.

But you know where it doesn't rain?  Inside restaurants and coffee shops, so that's where we took them after a brief and drenching stroll along the waterfront.  And Claire is pregnant, so we made sure mummy-and-daddy-to-be got plenty of practice with feeding, changing, book reading, bathing etc.  It's been a quiet weekend for me!

Luckily the rain ran out today and we had a nice walk down to English Bay, a ferry ride out over the water, then fish and chips for lunch, carrying on the themes that the weather had started.  It was a flying visit so they left this afternoon and emailed to say it took them 90 minutes to get through the border crossing.  Everyone holidays in Canada and returns south for Monday morning.

The stash of contraband they managed to sneak across the border.

Welcome to Vancouver, here's your complimentary umbrella!

The steam clock, because you have to.

If the pregnant lady wants a nutella and banana crepe, the pregnant lady gets a nutella and banana crepe.

Pete is educated in the art of the selfie, and Claire kindly guarantees that Hannah and my phones are never safe again.

Practice is needed.

Meanwhile, I beat Eavan at the real version of pool.

Relaxing in a coffee shop on Sunday morning.

Our cruise ship sails in.

Eavan's on a boat!

So is Pete.

Fish and chips don't seem to cheer him much either, although things improved when someone gave him ketchup for the first time in his life.  Suddenly (and predictably) food became a reusable ketchup delivery system.

Walking it off afterwards.