After two years here in Vancouver I'm now forced to go back to my native country Sweden. I have more international plans for this coming fall, but it still feels terrible to leave this city and this country and all the memories and friends I have here.

Here's to you, wonderful Vancouver, a tribute in pictures that I've taken this year. Most of them are of the ocean/beach, because that's where I've spent a lot of time:



(click for bigger picture)

View of the dowtown area from my neighbourhood:



From the top of nearby Cypress mountain:



A heron watching his own reflection on Wreck Beach:



Sunset on Wreck Beach:



The Chinese New Year's parade in Chinatown:



The beautiful walkway along the seawall by English Bay:



Wedding on Jericho Beach:



Volleyball on Spanish Banks:



Jogger in the morning mist:



Restless sea in January:

JoeyMFinCoco said:

Vancouver is beautiful. I enjoyed it there when I visited there one time.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

It is. I feel more at home here now than I do in the city where I was born and raised. The hardest part is to leave my friends. Even though I'm sure we'll stay in touch it will be completely different.

I know the pictures are a bit cheesy, but since that's part of the nature of nostalgia, I felt that it was appropriate. Melancholic/nostalgic is a dead on description of how I'm feeling right now.

Besides, I didn't want to post pictures of people here since I haven't asked their permission (and probably wouldn't want to do that anyway).

Those are nice photos, retina. I enjoy seeing pictures from other places. It reminds me that I have many places to go see when money isn't tight and travelling is more of an option.

I used to date a fellow from Toronto, and he'd go back periodically and always brought me back some of the best pictures from Toronto and Montreal when he went there on business.

Nero said:

So the cheese factor wasn't too much for you?

I usually don't like pictures of sunsets and such, but when you're in this kind of mood you're sort of drawn to them...

I really wanted to go to Toronto and Montreal but never found tickets for a good price. I'm quite pleased to have been to three provinces though (plus Alaska). Some Canadians haven't even seen that much of Canada.

retina said:

No, the "cheese factor" wasn't too much. In fact, I hope you'll send me more sometime, and some from Sweden and such.

I used to love pictures from China Town in Toronto. In fact, the Canuck I dated used to bring me all sorts of stuff from Chinatown. I still have most of it, where I threw most of his things away.

Nero said:

I will.

retina said:

Excellent.

Oh. . . Vancouver is so lovely. . .

retina said:

Being deported for selling illegal prescription drugs across the border to America?

Gotcha.

2the9s said:

9s....
i'm not sending you the next shipment of viagra now


retina... beautiful pictures - you will have to come back for the big fun in 2010

Fantabulous picz

luv4u said:

Even though I'm south of the border, it's the nearest major city, and I think it's a very nice place. I wouldn't mind living there if it weren't for immigration and professional hassles.

It's interesting, BTW, that I have enough "points" to get the Canadian equivalent of a green card as a "skilled worker," yet I'm told that I'd be unable to use those skills without going back to school for a year and then "articling" (apprenticing) for another year.

2the9s said:

That's right. How's the Viagra working out for you?

emm said:

Whoa, I just read that now. Great minds think alike.



Thanks, and I definitely will! I'll probably be back again before that even since I've fallen in love with this country. I just need to save up money or get a distance work gig in Sweden first.





You tease...have you found that x-mas toque of yours yet? Pictures please!

lilmissmissy said:

Thanks!

2the9s said:

I found a way around that issue... I had the Canadian drug (flu shot) injected into me before I headed south back to the border.

beautiful pics !