Back to the grind (Le Velo on the ferry again)

Yesterday's rest period with no cycling was perfect.  But today I should really get back to Vancouver. There are 6 days of pouring rain in the forecast, starting the day after tomorrow.  And I don't really trust the weather forecast that much.

Someone's view

A small part of what they see 

So I hop onto the bike at 11 am to catch the 12:20 ferry, even though ice is present where ever I look (although not too much on the roads thanks to salt).  The early departure proved unnecessary in retrospect; it takes me 45 minutes to get to the ferry terminal.

Q of S arriving

The ferry is surprisingly full; the cafeteria has a line-up until 10 minutes before arriving in Horseshoe Bay.  I try to hang out on the sundeck to take some pictures, but the wind cuts into my already cold fingers with icy determination, so I quickly abandon the idea.

Add some false-colour and one of the Group of 7 should have painted this

almost in Horseshoe Bay

While on the way West, Google Maps displayed a bike route that included the highway for a bit, for the way East they send me all the way along Marine Drive in West Vancouver.

The usual views from West Vancouver

 Yes, true, there is a lot of up and down and up again, but I am in my hotel at 13:55.  That is 3 hours door-to-door travel time in total and really only 2.5 hours if one subtracts the 35 minutes waiting at Langdale (once I know end-point-to-ferry travel times, I can start cutting it closer ;-).

2.5 Hours door-to-door?  Why would I do this in a car again? In a car one always has to allow for traffic, overflowing ferries, etc etc. and consequently has to leave much too early. Not so on a bike. The ferry never fills up and car traffic does not really affect bike travel time.  Oh right. This is Vancouver.  There is the rain to consider ;-(

As for Vancouver:  When I get back to the motel, my room keys don't work anymore.  I to the office and have them re-keyed. They still don't work.  I go back to the office and get new keys.  Finally I get into my room !
Then my car doesn't start.  The battery is too weak.  But I can't really blame this one on Vancouver because this is the car's (A 2002 model) FIRST battery.  This battery worked for 12 years !  Thank you, battery !