We’ve been home for 5 days. Laundry unpacked and done. Groceries are stocked. Meals have been cooked. At least one book has been read.

We’re glad to be back in British Columbia near our grandkids for a while, but – besides food, drinks, lectures, friends, and constant pampering – what we’re missing is excursions!

So, today we took a walk in the park.

When people think of Vancouver‘s parks, it’s Stanley Park that comes to mind. Rightly so, since it is the city’s biggest and best known, and is located right on the waterfront – but the city is full of many other wonderful green spaces.

Queen Elizabeth Park is a 3.6km/2.25 mile walk from our home base in Vancouver’s Marpole neighbourhood. That’s a decent walk on a lovely spring day, as long as we take a coffee break on the way home.

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The park is considered to be Vancouver’s horticultural jewel for its 52 hectares (129 acres) of arboretum, quarry gardens, Japanese garden, flowering plants, and sculptures. At 125 m above sea level, it’s the highest point in Vancouver, which makes for spectacular views of the city and mountains on the North Shore.

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It is also home to Bloedel Conservatory, a domed lush paradise featuring birds, koi fish, and over 500 exotic plants in a temperature-controlled environment.

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Constructed through a very generous donation from Prentice Bloedel, the conservatory was dedicated at its opening in 1969 “to a better appreciation and understanding of the world of plants.”

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I knew that Prentice Bloedel must have had something to do with the giant pulp and paper company MacMillan Bloedel, but didn’t know exactly what. In the absence of a well-informed Viking tour guide, I had to do my own research. 

Prentice Bloedel, who lived from 1900 – 1996, was something of a pioneer in the timber industry. He led the industry’s forest conservation efforts, and in 1938 began a reforestation program of planting seedlings that was an industry first (and ended up being responsible for  70% of all the reforestation carried out by private industry in British Columbia).He and his wife bought abandoned logging lands and transformed them into botanical gardens, and were patrons of the arts. Despite the fact that they were US citizens and their home was in Washington State, in recognition of the importance of their Canadian logging ventures they donated $1.4 million for the construction of the conservatory here in Vancouver that carries the Bloedel name. 

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Many of the plants were ones we’ve just seen in Polynesia, Indonesia, and Africa. Ted quipped that it would have been much cheaper to visit the conservatory at the $6.50 entry fee than cruising all the way to Madagascar to see a pandanus palm tree.

The conservatory is home to several tropical birds. From Bloedel Conservatory’s website: “All of the larger perch birds are rescues that had their wings clipped. They were saved from poor living conditions or even dangerous situations, had outlived their owners, or could no longer be cared for by the people who had purchased them as pets. Bloedel Conservatory works directly with local bird sanctuaries, and many of the larger perch birds have come from these non-profit organizations. These birds have never been in the wild and lack the necessary skills and instincts to survive in the wild. The Conservatory and other organizations provide a loving and safe environment, ensuring they are not left without a home.”

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We expected to see the birds. We didn’t expect to be charmed by mice!

These little guys weren’t planned for or invited, but they clearly knew a good thing: ideal climate and readily available food and water. There are signs at the entrance about them having become part of the conservatory’s biodiversity; they haven’t reproduced unchecked, although there was no explanation as to why not since they have no natural predators inside the dome.

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On the way out of the park, monkey puzzle trees!

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Our walk back from the park was blessedly downhill, although even after a break for coffee we were still exhausted when we got back to home base – and there was no one greeting us at the threshold with a cold cloth, or a mimosa, and no beautifully plated meal waiting for us.

It was a lovely “excursion”, but we miss the Viking Sky crew!