I had met bald eagles twice before in captivity and have even had them perch on my shoulder, but to see these majestic creatures in the wild was truly something else.
I would have had loved to have had time to catch some pictures of this beautiful pair in one of their natural habitats, but as I was frantically dashing to get a ferry to Vancouver Island (more of that later) I had to just keep the vision as a treasured memory as perhaps the highlight of a wonderful stay in British Columbia.
The plush bedroom at the Paradox Hotel
That’s the amazing thing about the vast wilderness of Canada, you never know what you’re going to encounter next.
On my previous trip to this boundless country just over a decade ago, I similarly spotted another native animal grazing in scrubland in Ontario while leaving the outskirts of Toronto — a giant moose. On that occasion I had time to ask my driver to stop and captured some great snaps.
Many tourists who travel to Canada go to seek out wildlife, be it whale watching or maybe see its large variety of bears — polar, grizzly and brown.
My base in British Columbia is the gleaming metropolis that is Vancouver city.
Most Irish people who travel here are either using the port to go on a cruise to Alaska or further south to Washington state, or come as students to work during the summer.
But this bustling town, founded in 1886 and which is slightly bigger than Dublin with a population of just over 700,000 (2.6 million in its metro area) has so much to offer tourists on a city trip.
The city centre is bristling with spectacular skyscrapers, some of them in unusual shapes.
It’s appropriate, then, that my home from home will be in the sparkling 60-storey Paradox hotel, where I’m greeted by a fabulous suite on the 22nd floor.
The view is truly spectacular from the Arthur Erickson designed building (the second tallest in Vancouver, completed in 2016), with a floor to ceiling window allowing sweeping views of the towers in the vicinity and the pretty harbour beneath.
The colourful totem poles at Brockton Point
The room itself has a large comfy king bed, and a freestanding Victorian style bath as well as a walk in rainforest style shower.
The hotel boasts a well-equipped gym and spa with a small indoor pool and a steaming outdoor hot tub.
Meals are generally served in the Karma restaurant, which has a variety of cuisine, while there is also an Asian eatery onsite offering a tasting menu.
There is also a large nightclub on the premises which attracts partygoers from all around, and which I sampled one fun Saturday night there (admission is free for hotel guests, about €16 for visitors).
It might be worth your while if you want to get a good feel of Vancouver to buy a City Highlights pass, which allows you to visit about six attractions for around €100.
The Gastown steam clock
I took a near four-hour bus ride with Landsea Tours and Adventures, which offer a variety of trips, and I chose the shorter option. This half day excursion took me through cosmopolitan neighbourhoods before reaching one of Canada’s biggest attractions, the enormous 1,000 acre Stanley Park.
Appropriately, there was a flock of Canada geese in the lush vegetation during my trip there, with a magnificent view of the city skyline in the distance from the sea wall.
While the park also houses Canada’s largest aquarium, it is also home to lots of other wildlife besides the geese, including beavers, blue herons and even coyotes.
There is also a collection of colourful totem poles at Brockton Point, representing several tribes of indigenous people, which are the most visited attraction in Vancouver.
Vancouver is the third biggest city location for movie filming in north America (after LA and New York) and doubles for spots south of the border. I was a big X Files fan back in the day, and that was shot there.
Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol had its finale filmed in the scenic Granville Island, which is teeming with cafes, good food stalls and craft stores.
The Gastown area is known for its ornate whistling steam clock, located in a buzzing Victorian section of downtown.
The neighbourhood is also near the 40-storey high Lookout tower, which allows you to have a panoramic view of the city and its environs from its top.
The impeccably clean city centre is easily accessible by walking, but also boasts a superb metro.
Eugene at the Lookout tower
One of its speedy trains brought me to the McArthur Glen Designer premium outlets mall near the airport, which has an international collection of brands ranging from Tommy Hilfiger to Gucci and also some Canadian outfitters.
Clothes, food and booze costs in Canada are pretty similar, if not cheaper, than Ireland, and certainly not as pricey as in nearby America.
After a couple of days touring Vancouver city it was time to explore some of what Vancouver Island has to offer.
Be warned though, it’s a big of a trek to get to and certainly took a big effort for the day trip I decided to take.
It would probably be better to spend at least two days there, and take in some whale watching and a visit to the famous Butchart Gardens.
My Uber from the city centre to the port at Tsawwassen took about 40 minutes and cost €40.
I then took a ferry for about an hour and a half (it’s about €50 return), before reaching the island, and another hour journey by bus to its capital Victoria. You could take a seaplane, but it’s a steep €500 for a return fare or €300 one way.
The ferry ride allows you to enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains sweeping down into the sea.
Victoria itself is quite pretty around its harbour area, where you will find the British Columbia houses of parliament building as well as the historic Empress Hotel.
There are a few nice pubs in the small city, including Bard & Banker, Friends of Dorothy, and a ubiquitous Irish pub, the Irish Times.
The centre has a small mall which also contains the Hudson’s Bay department store which has branches across Canada, including in downtown Vancouver.
On the return leg when we docked in Tsawwassen I opted to get a bus connection from the port back to a metro station, with a train ride back to the city and a short walk back to my hotel.
It was then time to check out the nightlife in the Davie section of the West End of the city, where after a long and thirsty day and a worthwhile whirlwind visit, the local tasty pints found a welcome home.
FACTFILE: VANCOUVER
■ Eugene flew return from Dublin with Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) to Seattle (there is a direct flight from Dublin to Vancouver with Air Canada). He then took a two-and-a-half hour car journey to Vancouver. Remember you will need a visa to visit Canada, which costs about €6 online. ■ On the return trip back to Seattle he travelled by bus (about three a half hours — the train takes longer at four hours, while flying from Vancouver to Seattle takes about an hour). ■ Eugene stayed in the five-star Paradox Hotel, which has 147 rooms, mostly suites, as well as 217 apartments. ■■ For up to date reservations at the Paradox check out paradoxhotels.com/vancouver/offers ■ Further info on Vancouver at destinationvancouver.com