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Lots happened this week, and most of it fun. Brianna's good friend Alessa came for a trip to Vancouver, along with her parents, and Brianna was a great tour guide.

Over a few days Brianna and Alessa went to, did or ate these things:

Lynn Canyon suspension bridge and little walkies

Vancouver temple

Metrotown Mall (souvenir shopping)

Crystal (Asian) Mall

Poutine (chips, gravy, cheese curds)

Tandem biking in Stanley Park

Granville Island

Seabus to North Vancouver

Vancouver Library

Tried on expensive hats

Vancouver Art Gallery

Chinatown

Dr Sun Yat-sen Gardens

Jazz Night at Fairview (most of the people there were about three times as old as Brianna and Alessa)

Hiked the Grouse Grind

Fish 'n chips

Got ferry to Vancouver Island

Celebrate BC combo from White spot (fast food chain)

Walked around Victoria (Empress Hotel, BC Parliament Building, historical presentation)

Fisherman's Wharf (lots of brightly-coloured wooden shops built along a wharf, and a pirate ship)

Scenic drive round Victoria

Butchart Gardens

Pita wrap from place in Burnaby

Pita wrap from Donair Dude (after the one from Burnaby was subpar)

Start of the Grouse Grind. Since arriving in Vancouver people have recommended we try it. Recently named one of the world's 10 most dangerous hikes, "Mother Nature's Stairmaster" involves a 2.9km non-stop climb to the top of Grouse Mountain. Elevation gain 853m.

Some joker spray painted "3/4" on a tree a couple of hundred metres earlier on the Grouse Grind trail than the sign pictured here. Dan thought he would be a hero and try and run it, but started walking less than 1/4 of the way through. The world record time for an ascent is around 23 mins. For novice hikers it's recommended to allow 2 hours.