Vancouver is, as I commented to a friend, a city of contradictions. It takes the the shape of both old and new, and is clearly influenced by both Europe and America. It's worldly, and yet very comfortably suburban. For the most part it's a very friendly and safe city. Still, I have to admit I've never had as many panhandlers aggressively try to bum the odd loonie off me as in this city.

Howe and Georgia

This is another one of my favorite shots, and it just sort of happened. While crossing Georgia street at Howe, I faced northwest to see the brilliant clouds and the stark silhouette of the buildings. I took a second to fuss with the shot while standing in the crosswalk, and voila. I like how the sky is caught in the reflections of glass and polished stone of the buildings, too.

This is one of many goofy reflection shots I took. There's a lot of reflective glass in downtown Vancouver, and it's fun juxtaposing different buildings in those reflections.

Two Tier Architecture

Modern Colosseum

This building caught my eye right away. From the first glance, the building leaves you with the impression of being a modern interpretation of the ruins of the Colosseum in Rome. No raucus circuses here, though, as it's strictly hush! That is to say, it's the Vancouver Public Library.

Okay, maybe not completely hush! The library proper is a rectangular space (left side of photo) set within the elliptical colosseum-like facade, the difference being devoted to related interests, such as stationery, gift items, and the ubiquitous cup of coffee.

Inside the VPL

Old among the New

Not all of Vancouver is glass and highrise. Many of the streets mere blocks away from the heart of downtown boast turn-of-the-century houses, like this bed and breakfast.

Euro-Tech glass and steel towers stand as a backdrop for Craftsman-style houses nestled amongst the trees. My last day in Vancouver and, yup, the clouds were rolling in. Much more typical sky, I'm told.

Euro-American