Vancouver British Columbia, Canada in 1996 and back again in 2018

A long time dream of us, was to go once back to British Columbia, Canada for sight seeing.

We did work in the Vancouver area, Fraser Valley in 1996.

Driving our rental car from the Vancouver airport to the Sheraton hotel in Surrey we fell in love with the surroundings.

This photo is from June 15, 1996...

The Province of British Columbia, Canada has a very special meaning to both of us.

After all, Pieter's adopted daughter Liz is born there!

Pieter did mail a beautiful card from the snow covered Rockies, to Liz in Horst.

You can read more about her in a previous post, link you find below.

For the 12th North American Mushroom Conference held in Vancouver, husband Pieter got invited as a speaker.

So here we are in July of 1996, back in Vancouver once more!

Staying at the Vancouver Hotel which is now the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Pieter's lecture went very well and it was even called the Highlight of the Conference!

On the final day, I checked as usual the telephone book for any VandenMunckhof or Vedder names.

No VandenMunckhof here but as usual several Vedder names.

Then I checked for the biological father of Pieter's adopted daughter, his name was Jeurissen...

There was but ONE Jeurissen T and we presumed that would be Tony, her Dad...
See name at bottom above.

Pieter made the call around 6:00 PM and was quite surprised to hear a woman's voice: Thelma... Liz's biological Mother.
She was long presumed dead because all searches through Rotary International and the Red Cross, never yielded any result.

She kept her married name, even after the divorce - just in case any of her 3 kids would ever look for her!

She came to the hotel, by Skytrain and we met.

Here she is holding Pieter's arm, in the lobby of Hotel Vancouver.

Mama Thelma is part Scottish and part First Nation (her Mother's side).

These photos are not the best but still they remain very special memories to both of us!

Biological Mom meets Step–Mom who together with Liz's Dad put her through the Royal Academy.
We talked a lot, over a cup of tea in the restaurant, with some dessert.
For a good ten years we stayed in touch, mostly via phone calls and letters.
Mama Thelma passed away in September of 2006...
All the above text, I've written on her Birthday, October 6 - coincidence?!
~
Recently we did go on September 23, to the Atlanta Airport to spend the night at Hyatt Place Airport North as our plane to Vancouver would be departing at 7:25 AM and for driving from home on a Monday morning with heavy traffic was a no-no.
Now we just got up at 4:00 AM, had some home baked waffles with maple syrup that we had with us and we left with the hotel shuttle from 5:00 AM to the airport.
Via Minneapolis/St. Paul on Delta Airlines, we arrived in Vancouver.
We only had carry on, no checked luggage so it was light and easy traveling.
Just as Mama Thelma had done to come to our hotel in 1996, we too took the Skytrain...
Click on it below to see the 43 second video from the Skytrain ride and our 300 m walk from the Downtown station to our Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Click on below image for actually viewing our walk.

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Relive 'Walk from Skytrain to Fairmont hotel 900 W Georgia St in Vancouver BC Canada'

  

      Here is Pieter standing with his carry on in front of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, just outside of the Skytrain station downtown.
Crossing this street and walking only a total of 300 m.

Here we are! Back again at the very same hotel after 24 years...

The weather in Vancouver was sunny and rather warm!

16ºC or 60.8ºF on Monday, September 24, 2018
We did enjoy a delicious, romantic dinner at Notch8 Restaurant & Bar...
The down pillows and duvet on the bed in room 357 at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver were HEAVEN!

Here I am at 6:30 AM on September 25... in the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver where we met with Mama Thelma in July of 1996...
Wearing my Kipling backpack and my hiking boots.

We are checking out - stay tuned for more... to read more about our trip via Canada Rail Vacations.

Related link:

{Our Daughter Liz} | previous post by me