Rain, rain rain…….it’s been virtually constant and chilly too lately with windy gusts that make holing up inside with a good book and a coffee/tea/glass of wine (take your pick) more appealing on days off than getting out for a ride or run or just a walk. It’s not the way to lose a couple of extra winter pounds though so when finally a momentary lull in the daily downpours and a hint of sunshine lurking behind heavy clouds broke out we were enticed to run the bikes out into the chilly air and take off for a ride.

There’s a decent route to take in Vancouver for a good enough workout and some vistas of the mighty Fraser River (the longest river in BC and the 10th longest river in Canada for those who like to know those kind of things). We cycled to SW Marine Drive – a busy road but with a wide, mostly debris free cycle lane that distantly follows the shoreline of the river as it flows into the Georgia Strait – and headed west, ducking off at one point to enjoy a view over the  water.

Carrying on the road will ultimately take you to the beginnings of the campus of UBC (University of British Columbia) perched on the peninsula that is home to Pacific Spirit Regional Park. There you can either wend and weave your way past the university  buildings or circumvent the campus and fly down a steepish portion of road (now NW Marine Drive) adjacent to the sea until it spits you out to sea level where you ride past several beaches – almost deserted now except for a few  joggers, dog walkers or cyclists like ourselves – en route to perhaps a coffee in any one of several nearby neighbourhoods, there to enjoy a guilt-free pastry – an hours ride allows for that!

Cherry blossom and even magnolias are starting to show, and as some warmer air and sunlight hit the trees a faint perfumed scent could be discerned coming for the burgeoning flowers. But then the rain returned to remind us that winter is still with us as we shivered our way home. Spring and renewed energy will return but only when it’s ready. Like many good things, sometimes you just have to wait patiently.

Canelé pastry – a little burst of sunshine