Moving on

We applied, many months ago, to trade our frequent flyer points for an upgrade of the trans-Pacific leg.  24 hours  before departure this was confirmed : no notice to us, so we discovered the good news in a final check of the booking. .

The Qantas upgrade gave each of us a mini-suite and more personal attention from the stewards than we are wont to receive. .However despite the splendid isolation I was able to entertain a charming companion for lunch in my suite.

No such luck with the LAX - YVR economy sector flown with American Airlines. After finally getting access to our codeshared booking on their website we paid an extra USD $30 each for "leg room".

LAX provided the usual level of tedium endemic at this  airport, but always a new experience or 2. . Each of us was selected for a maxi- security search , item by item , of our hand luggage. The searcher donned rubber gloves and carefully tested each item for explosives and other noxious possessions. Our  connection gate was Terminal 5 gate 52I. This required a jaunt up the street from landing Terminal B to departure terminal 5 with all luggage. After some searching In terminal 5 it became apparent that gate 52I was not in Terminal 5, but accessed from Terminal 5. We queued for a transfer bus across the Tarmac to a temporary shed, and eventually embarked for  YVR. However Qantas had made an error (probably because it had no access to its Code share airline,) in issuing the boarding pass for the seats with leg room and American seemed not to have retained its record and issued another boarding pass, and since the plane was fully (double) booked there was a moment of tension, successfully resolved by our production of the American receipt citing our roomy entitlements.. The spice of travel is such incidents.

A train conveyed us from airport almost to the door of our hotel. As we arrived and looked out from our room window a boat, presumably laden with tourists, was departing. The departure terminal on our left has the look of a set of sails.

This evening we dined at a very trendy waterfront restaurant Cactus Club Cafe at Coal Harbour- had to wait an hour to be seated, but was worth it for the meal and chat with our waiter, a moonlighting school teacher who had spent a year or so relief teaching in Melbourne, giving him experience of both State and Independent schools, especially with children with special needs.

At the end of the evening a night snap shows how successfully Coal Harbour has left behind its dusty origins but still retains an industrial look.