I hate it when people say "literally" when they usually mean "figuratively". Funny, it never happens the other way: "You know at the play last night, Bob figuratively died on stage. It was awful!".

Yeah, anyway.

I set off on my bicycle the other night -- the sun has been setting around 10:30 in the evening and the scenery gets even more stunning as the sun sets. It is well-known that the best light for photography are at dawn and dusk (literally!) and I don't see that much of dawn -- but its great to get out toward the sunset. People are out relaxing after their work (or school) days; the sun is warm but not so intense, and the pace of life is just... slower.

Vancouver is a truly bicycle-friendly city (it also seems fond of pedestrians and roller-bladers). The part of greater Vancouver that's usually called "Downtown" is roughly rectangular and about 2 miles long by 1 1/2 wide -- maybe 7 miles in circumference. "Attached" to it, though -- is a giant park (Stanley Park) -- with an almost 6-mile circumference of road -- a large part of which is either reserved for non-motor traffic -- or otherwise protected. There is almost as much parkland (in this one park alone) -- as in the entire downtown part of the city. And there 200 parks, all over the city, for a city with not much more than a half-million inhabitants.

But Vancouver carries "bike friendly" to a whole 'nuther level. One can ride almost the entire perimeter of the city -- with stunning views of False Creek, English Bay, Stanley Park, and Coal Harbour, without ever encountering a car (ok this is an exaggeration -- but of a 360 degree circle around Van, a good 275 degrees are car-free -- even to the extent of providing tunnels for the cyclists and pedestrians. Elsewhere, some streets are "one way only except for bicycles". Bikers can get off the main roads, and "spawn upstream" where cars are not permitted. Sure, Canada's taxes are high -- but it is nice to see some of them go to quality of life.

Breathtaking. Figuratively? Absolutely. Literally? That too. This isn't flat land.

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