A quiet week in Vancouver
Jane and Simon went back to work on Wednesday (2nd) and I started my routine of sleeping late and doing small jobs in the afternoon.Josh had to go on 3rd so we all went to the airport to see him off. He was sad to go – not because he would miss his family but because Lady GaGa arrived the following day! She is appearing at the Stadium across the road from the apartment. Rowan and I went to the bullion and currency exchange on Thursday – best rate of exchange – 1.574$ to each 1 pound (no pound sterling sign on Canadian computer). All seems good when you get it but also disappears quickly as things are so expensive. Alchohol (a subject close to my heart) is very expensive and would cut down my drinking if it cost so much at home – small glass white wine about 5 pounds! We posted a pair of trousers back to Landsend in Canada and it cost me $13 – about 8 pounds! Postage stamps are $1.80 for international ones. We then went for pizza slices at a place called Scuie’ – an Italian place where you chose your slices from long ones on a counter, they were weighed and then heated for you – we had 3 smallish slices each of different thin crust pizza and a fruit juice each = $24. We came home to wait for delivery of the parts for Rowan’s new computer – missed them by 10 mins! Stayed in Friday and did cleaning and washing and reading the book I have borrowed from Zoe’s house in Tofino – The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney. We went out for tea to a fish and chip restaurant over the Lion’s Gate Bridge (beautifully lit with white lights) called C-lovers. Wonderful food! Had a cleaning day today in case anyone wants to come and buy Jane and Simon’s apartment at short notice. Josh has now gone back to London so his room is now back to ‘the solarium’. Tonight we are going for drinks with Susan, her partner and parents who have come over from Germany – I met them in 2004 so been a while! We are going to a place called Cloud 9, a revolving restaurant with spectacular views over Vancouver. See you soon! X 
Freejan