The letter Y and the letter IJ in Dutch

Kinderdijk is Children Dike, where the windmills are.

Long ago the letter IJ  used to be the 25th letter of our Dutch alphabet, but it had to make place for the foreign Y which we call i-grec ( pronounced as ee-grec) and the IJ or ij had to be listed onder I or i. However we have so many names beginning with IJ or ij that  we cannot ignore this letter and have to treat it as one letter.

Introducing the most difficult letter of the alphabet!! The X

The X is always considered to be a letter, but it's more. It is a number in Roman arithmatic. It's a multiplication sign in our arithmatic. It represents a whole word like in xoxox at the bottom of a letter, and sometimes it is as good as a signature.

It also represents an instrument of execution like the Saint Andrew cross.

A paper-knife

W is for Wadsworth's Words

It is just one week until we celebrate Christmas Day, the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. I decided to bring you the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that has been arranged as a modern Christmas song called "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."  The story behind the poem and song are extraordinary and its story continues today.  Jesus came to bring peace and love to all nations and yet we still war with each other.  There are wars between nations. There are wars between people of the same nation.  There are wars waged against children, women, and those who have different perspectives on life.  It is so sad!

As we rejoice in the company of family and friends this holiday season, partaking of sumptuous meals in our warm and cosy homes, may we remember those war weary souls who have fought and are still fighting for freedom - freedom of religion, freedom of individuality, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and association and so much more. 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his poem at the time of the Civil War in the USA.  He was heartbroken over the loss of his wife and the injury sustained by his son in the war.  He heard the church bells ringing on Christmas Day, yet he could not understand why we continue to wage war.  He writes:

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men."

This poem and song is my Christmas gift to all the ABC Wednesday contributors.  I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

***

V is for Vroom!

Vroom-vroom!  Zoom-zoom ABC stars,
How we wonder where you are. 

Posting here each Wednesday,
From near and far and faraway..

Vroom-vroom!  Zoom-zoom you amazing peeps  ,
How we love you heaps and heaps. 

***

U is for UNDERSTANDING

As we get near the end of Round 13, I'm regularly struck by how Denise Nesbitt's UNDERSTATEDLY modest experiment, ABC Wednesday, has achieved a goal beyond its UNDOUBTEDLY simple intention in the beginning.

It has reached across the world with a sense of UNITY. We can each take a UNIQUE take on a given letter, yet the post touch on some UNIVERSAL themes. This is far too UNUSUAL in this world: note how the words UNITED and UNTIED share the same letters, and while some seek to UNIFY, others find more pleasure in taking UMBRAGE, UNDERMINING the effort.

(When I type in UNDERSERVED in my computer, it suggests UNDESERVED.)

Still I feel UPBEAT about the UNDERSTANDING that has been UNLEASHED in this little corner of the UNIVERSE the last six and a half years.

Time for T

Of course, it goes without saying that my favorite T word is "Troy"

But after that it becomes less clear. 

But one T word I do NOT like is "Time"

Now, owning an herb business, I hear more than my fair share of Time/Thyme jokes.  And I even make a few myself. But although I love Thyme, Time leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.

It makes my hair grey, (what little I have left that is)  gives me wrinkles and creaky joints, and contrary to popular belief, it does NOT heal all ills.

It teases, taunts and torments, then slips away and hides.  I can never find time.  And that is because Time flies, and I do not.

So, Time has been flying along, and it is already time to reveal the logo for the next round, round 14.

But before I do, I just want to explain it a bit, and I confess, I can do it better if I don't focus on T words, so please forgive me in advance.

Now this will be a longer intro than usual, please be patient with me.

The upcoming round is 14, so I wanted to do something that represented the number 14.

Numbers are funny things, because they mean lots of different things to lots of different people.  But the number 14 has some fun symbolism associated with it.

S is for SENSELESS

November 22, 1963, Dallas, Texas, United States

John F. Kennedy, Assassinated

Some of you will remember this day of infamy.  Some of you had not been born yet, but most likely will have learned of this horrific incident in History class.  This year marks the 50th anniversary and I can remember the day as though it were yesterday.  I was home from high school sick in bed when my mother rushed in and told me to "Get up! President Kennedy's been assassinated!"  Even though we're Canadians, we both knew the significance and possible ramifications it could have on our own country, let alone on the United States of America.  There is no point in going into the details of the event or the consequences since we're all aware of them.  Suffice to say that we should remember him and his family and what he did for his country and beyond.  

Some of JFK's famous quotes:

"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty."

"Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind."

"Let us not seek the Republican or the Democratic answer, but the right answer.  Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past.  Let us accept our own responsibility for the future."

"Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air.  We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal." 

November 11th is called "Remembrance Day" in Canada and "Veterans Day" in the USA.  Perhaps November 22nd should be called something other than the day Kennedy died.  Your thoughts?

It just might behoove the current leaders of the world's nations to stop and remember not only John F. Kennedy's assassination, but also to recall his perceptive and discerning wisdom.  Remembrance Day (Canada) and Veterans Day (USA) was November 11th when we stopped to remember our fallen warriors.  Perhaps November 23rd should be called something other than the day Kennedy died.Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_f_kennedy.html#3mQoSMqJmqzs8CCg.99

Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_f_kennedy.html#3mQoSMqJmqzs8CCg.99

***

Introduction of R

The R of Rotterdam where I was born. I learned Reading in the Remote colony of Indonesia. I Remember the Revelation of new worlds created by my books. I loved " Rupert the Bear" and Read the books about him when I was ill. I was almost sorry that I Recovered .
After a couple of peaceful years the war broke out. We lost everything and went to a concentration camp. In August '45 we could leave the camp and go to Surabaya. We were Rescued by the British and taken to Singapore. From Singapore we were Removed to Europe and Repatriated to Rotterdam, which lay in Ruins. We felt no Resentment and the Rotterdammers started to Rebuild the City.
On Remembrance Day we Remind the free world that Resistance to a barbarian Regime is always Required.
There were 70,000 brave Germans and Austrians, who  fled their country to Britain in order to fight alongside the British against the Nazis. They were called the "Friendly Enemy Aliens".

This building is called "The White House ", and was left undamaged, when the city was bombed by Nazi Germany.

 

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt,  who created ABC, and Roger, who took over from her. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with R

***

Q - like Quotes

 

Now that we arrived at the letter Q, I thought "Quotes" would be the right word. At least it starts with a "Q".

But what is the meaning of a quote ?

I googled and here is the explanation :

According to the free Dictionary a quote is :

1. To repeat or copy the words of (another), usually with acknowledgment of the source.
2. To cite or refer to for illustration or proof.
3. To repeat a brief passage or excerpt from: The saxophonist quoted a Duke Ellington melody in his solo.
4. To state (a price) for securities, goods, or services.

And if you need quotes to show how intelligent you are then go to the Quote Garden choose what you want and pretend that it is from you !

I choose "Quotations" : I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself. ~Marlene Dietrich  Gattina

Gattina
***

"P" IS FOR PROTECTIVE VESTS FOR POLICE DOGS

 Perhaps a pumpkin would be more perfect for "P" but that would be too obvious and too pedestrian.  Instead Protective Vests for police dogs would be more pertinent.  Recently a combined demonstration and fund raiser to get more money to buy these vests for Twin City metropolitan police dogs was held in our neighborhood.  Because some of these loyal and hardworking canines have been seriously injured (some have died) by criminals with knives and other deadly weapons, protective vests are essential.  The purchase price is costly. . . $950.00.

A wonderful young man, Jim, a beautician at Euphoria arranged for the demonstration and the Salon donated yummy snacks and refreshments as well as a silent auction, and a raffle for 6 hair appts. Jim donated 5% of his income that day toward the purchase of a vest(s). Patrons were generous and the result was fantastic.  If you  would like to learn more about this national effort and to make a tax deductable donation go here. .  .  . PRONTO!

DEMONSTRATION OF WORKING POLICE DOG ATTACKING A CRIMINAL

Partners 

***

O Oh

"Eyes open little lambkins"  said Mrs Sheep - "and stop looking in the other direction Otilie" she added officiously.
"What's occurring" queried the ever alert Oona" 
"OK I'll be concise" replied Mrs Sheep, "I want you to be at optimum alert for observing no ordinary occurrence"
"What?"  the lambkins chorused, overcome with curiosity.
"Oh I'm overjoyed, look -  here it comes now..."

The letter O...

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Time to add your O word and see other unique and original entries for the 15th letter of the alphabet:
***

N is for NAUTICAL NEIGHBOURHOOD

Welcome back to N week at ABC Wednesday!  I thought I'd combine this introduction with my own post about my "neighbourhood" of Greater Vancouver, British Columbia. Some of the floating homes along the south arm of the Fraser River in my village of Ladner are called “Canoe Pass” and use the river as their personal street. It’s located in rural wetlands across from Westham Island near the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, which is surrounded by a wide variety of wildlife all year round. This photo was taken on April 15, 2012, around 6:30 pm with my Olympus SP-800UZ camera and dedicated to my daughter who had come along with me on a spontaneous photo safari when we spotted them.  This photo was featured on Red Bubble's "Nautical" group and was a top 10 winner in the Street Scenes Challenge in the "Canadian Artists & Art" group.

So be nimble and navigate your way over to see not too numerous photos of one of the niftiest areas in the northwest part of the world.  Also, have a nice week and be a noteworthy neighbour.  Also, be sure to nip over to others' posts and add your own noble (not naughty) comment there.  But before you do this, leave a note and tell us the nicest thing about your neighbourhood.
13N

M is for Meme

Maybe you're happy

Maybe you're sad.

Maybe you're good

Maybe you're bad.

Maybe you're feeling on top of the world

Maybe your day is yet to unfurl.

However you're feeling do say hello

Introduce yourself just before you go.

We see you posting week after week

We admire your posts, your expert technique.

To get the ball rolling "Hi I'm Denise -

I keep hens and dogs I've even kept geese.

I am from Yorkshire, in the UK

I do hope you'll have a really good day!"

Off I now go to get ready at great speed

for the wonderful posts we so love to read.

L of Leaving

Good-Bye Australia! Good-Bye loved ones

"They  lived and laughed and loved and left." -James Joyce
Let loose the lovely letter L.

For those who have to take leave among us:

Loosen your hands

Let go and say good-bye.

Let the stars and songs go.

Let the faces and years go.

Loosen your hands and say good-bye.

by Carl Sanburg from "Heartfelt Ways to Say Good-Bye"

K is for Kinship

Raymond A. Foss's words sum up the kinship found over the years, continents and rounds of ABC Wednesday.


Far flung, around the world
pieces of our hearts
held within the hearts,
the souls, of the ones we love
some oh so near,
others far off, in places
I have not known
wandering the world,
living their lives
but held fast to my heart
by blood, by kinship,
friendship too, an equal bond
part of my heart is there with them too
because they touched my heart
and took a piece of me with them
to those far off places
where I now live

J is for JOKES

Okay, since everyone has probably had to get back on track and into their routines after summer holidays, I thought we needed something to amuse us.  So ... to give you a jolly for each day this week, here are seven corny JOKES:

1.  "Doc, I can't stop singing the 'Green Green Grass of Home."  "That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome," said the Doc.  "Is that common?" I asked.  "It's not unusual," he replied.

Note from moi:  He just keeps getting sexier every year!  Right, ladies?

2.  I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any.

3.  I rang up the local telephone company and I said, ''I want to report a nuisance caller.''He said, ''Not you again!'' 

4.  A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. ''But why?'' they asked, as they moved off. ''Because,'' he said, ''I can't stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.''

5.  A three-legged dog walks into a bar and says, "I'm lookin' fer the guy who shot my paw!"

6.   Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly. But when they lit a fire in the craft, it sank, proving once and for all that you can't have your kayak and heat it, too.   

7.  and finally,

 

 

 And with all those groans I can hear all the way through my 'puter, have a  
JOLLY JOKEY week!
***

I is for..........The Incredibles!

The Incredibles is a world wide group of super humans directed by Roger Green released by Blogger and the thirteenth edition created by Denise Nesbitt.

The story follows a family of superheroes named Roger, Denise, Leslie, Rose, Linda, Carver, Gattina, Nathalie, Troy, Joy, Pheno, Wil, and Kate living in a quiet world of blogger, displaying their powers as the ABC Team

Follow their actions each week in the Block Busting Movie better known as ABC Wednesday.

Whatever you throw at them, be it a picture, poem, thought, song or video they will zap back to you and boldly continue on their mission – to bring good people of the world together for fun, frivolity, fact and fiction.

All aboard......we're off!
***

H is for HELP!

This is true: I have conned my preteen daughter into liking the Beatles because *I* like the Beatles. Even though I have lots of their albums on CD, I bought for her that #1 collection - one of the best selling albums of the first decade of the 21st century - so if she lost it, I would not mind as much. And now that she's grounded in the hits, I've gotten a CD burner to make copies of other albums I have.

One of her favorite songs is the title song of one of her favorite albums, and the title of the group's second movie, HELP!

She even knows most of the lyrics:

When I was younger, so much younger than today
I never needed anybody's help in any way
But now these days are gone I'm not so self-assured
Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being 'round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me?

And now my life has changed in oh so many ways
My independence seems to vanish in the haze
But every now and then I feel so insecure
I know that I just need you like I've never done before

Here's a live version:

John needs a little help with the lyrics in a couple places!

As administrator of ABC Wednesday, I need HELP visiting all of the participants and writing the introductions. Thank goodness for our mighty team. Also, I can use the HELP of all the participants in spreading the word about this blog, because we "do appreciate you being 'round." If YOU would like to HELP us, if you can, please e-mail me at ROGEROGREEN (at) GMAIL (dot) COM

Letter G : to google

A new verb moved into all languages : to google ! When Prince Philip of the UK asks something, his royal wife answers : Google !! I heard this in an interview about the Queen.

So if you have a question about why your dog scratches himself all the time ... google and you will get hundreds of reasons ! You don't find your glasses, just google but don't mix it up with goggles ! A typing fault arrives very quickly. Your husband or partner forgets to put the trash bin outside, google and Google will tell you why ! Everything in life from finding a new partner to how repair a car just google the answer is on your screen ! And to help the other members I just googled




and here is the answer

Gattina
***

F is for FUN

So, are we having FUN yet???  I am!  I think it's fantastic that I've been doing ABC Wednesday since the beginning of Round 2 and that's over five years now.  Anyway, since it's summer, I've had a famous fun song from the 60's going around in my head lately.  I'm sure you know it. Just click on the video and start singin' along!

       
                 Fun, Fun, Fun with the Beach Boys

                    Songwriters: Love, Michael Edward / Wilson, Brian Douglas

Well she got her daddy's car
And she cruised through the hamburger stand now
Seems she forgot all about the library
Like she told her old man now
And with the radio blasting
Goes cruising just as fast as she can now
And she'll have fun fun fun
Til her daddy takes the t-bird away
(Fun fun fun til her daddy takes the t-bird away)
Well the girls can't stand her
Cause she walks looks and drives like an ace now
(You walk like an ace now you walk like an ace)
She makes the indy 500 look like a roman chariot race now
(You look like an ace now you look like an ace)
A lotta guys try to catch her
But she leads them on a wild goose chase now
(You drive like an ace now you drive like an ace)
And she'll have fun fun fun
Til her daddy takes the t-bird away
(Fun fun fun til her daddy takes the t-bird away)
Well you knew all along
That your dad was gettin' wise to you now
(You shouldn't have lied now you shouldn't have lied)
And since he took your set of keys
Youve been thinking that your fun is all through now
(You shouldn't have lied now you shouldn't have lied)
But you can come along with me
Cause we gotta a lot of things to do now
(You shouldn't have lied now you shouldn't have lied)
And we'll have fun fun fun now that daddy took the t-bird away
(Fun fun fun now that daddy took the t-bird away)
And we'll have fun fun fun now that daddy took the t-bird away
(Fun fun fun now that daddy took the t-bird away)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the t-bird away)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the t-bird away)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the t-bird away)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the t-bird away)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the t-bird away)
(Fun fun now that daddy took the t-bird away)

                    Have a great week everyone!

***

E is for...

Welcome to ABC Wednesday—Week E.

What will your E be…………….

Exciting ?

Educational ?

Exceptional ?

Entertaining ?

Environmental ?

Encouraging ?

 

Whatever your Effort we Encourage you to join in and take part in our Exceptionally Entertaining meme ...Encore please!

 

 

13E

D of Dutch

I am Dutch, but I don't sing like a Dutch nightingale  and my choir doesn't sing   a Dutch concert. I was, however suffering from the Dutch disease in the eighties.

I had a Dutch uncle, who stroke a Dutch bargain, after screwing up his Dutch courage. It was a Dutch consolation that he got a prize wrapped in Dutch gold.

He dutched his life , for he always spoke Double Dutch, when he and his friends went Dutch. He got a Dutch treat and after that he committed the Dutch act by putting his head in a Dutch oven.

 During the late 17th century, the Dutch system of producing these cast metal cooking vessels was more advanced than the English system. The Dutch used dry sand to make their molds, giving their pots a smoother surface. Consequently, metal cooking vessels produced in the Netherlands were imported into Britain. In 1704, an Englishman named Abraham Darby decided to go to the Netherlands to observe the Dutch system for making these cooking vessels. Four years later, back in England, Darby patented a casting procedure similar to the Dutch process and began to produce cast-metal cooking vessels for Britain and her new American colonies. Thus the term “Dutch oven” has endured for over 300 years, since at least 1710

If you take part in this game:

1 please use the letter D in a photo, or in a poem, a story...whatever,

2 and refer to the founder of this meme:Mrs. Denise Nesbitt and Roger who took over from her.Or show the logo of this meme in your post, or (like I do) in the sidebar.

Don't forget these two conditions !! 

See you my friends, 

Wil, ABCW Team

Dutch oven.

13D

C is for Carver

My mother's father was always known by his middle name which was Carver. He died when my mother was 2 months old so she and I never knew him. Below is a photo of my Grandfather Carver probably taken not long before he died.

I was named after my Grandfather and although Carver was also my middle name that's what everyone always called me. I ended up dropping my first name, since I had never been known by that name, when I got married in 1980 so Carver has been my first name since then. Below is a photograph of me when I was little Carver as opposed to now when I'm aging Carver.

Of course carver is also what someone is when they carve a turkey or roast but I've never been very good at that kind of carving. Come on in and join the fun with the letter C.

13C

B is for having a Ball

The Free Dictionary definition of the idiom To "have a ball" is to "enjoy oneself greatly." The example: "We had a ball at the party and didn't come home until 2 AM."

Well, I don't usually stay out, or even stay up THAT late. But you might find me some Tuesday night around 10:30 pm, US Eastern Time, having a ball reading what BODACIOUS things you have submitted to ABC Wednesday.

So have a BALL visiting your fellow contributors. Not only will you have a BLAST; you might even learn something from someone halfway around the BIG BALL we call Earth.
***
Oddly, the couple songs I like with the phrase "have a ball" are a bit melancholy.

One is Come Dancing by the Kinks [LISTEN], from the early 1980s:
Come dancing,
Come on sister, have yourself a ball.
Don't be afraid to come dancing,
It's only natural.

The other is Is That All There Is? by Peggy Lee [LISTEN], from the late 1960s

Is that all there is?
If that's all there is, my friends, then let's keep dancing.
Let's break out the booze and have a ball,
If that's all there is.

A is for Alpha

In the beginning, or some time thereafter, DARPA created the Internet. Now the Internet was not formless and empty, but there WAS a lot of darkness over many of the sites therein.

And Denise Nesbitt said, "Let there be ABC Wednesday,” and there was ABC Wednesday. Visitors from all over the world saw that ABC Wednesday was good, that it attempted to avoid the darkness.

And Denise said, “Let there be simple rules and guidelines about people participating with ABC Wednesday linking to ABC Wednesday, following the alphabetical theme for the week, and visiting others." And it was so. Denise saw that it was good.

But Denise said, "It is not good for me to do this all of this organizing and visiting alone. I should seek out helpers, a team to share responsibility for these visits." And it was so.

Now, the ABC Wednesday meme is starting its lucky 13th round, starting with the letter A, and you are invited, not only to contribute to ABC Wednesday, but, if it would please you, to visit others, and even scribe some of these introductory essays.

Z-o-o-ming through this Round!

Before you catch your zzzzzzzs, let me zip right through  here real quick as we end  this ABC Wednesday round.  Whether you are enjoying your zero calorie drink, doing some zigzag drawing with your pen, or in the zone for  reading your zodiac, please enjoy some of these zooming  action  photos  taken  from the WildLife Ranch, one of the Popular zoo in San Antonio,  Texas.
b


Thank you to our zealous team who never fails to  visit our blogs every week.

Y: Sesame Street - A, You're Adorable

Y is for YOU, yes YOU!
It's fun to skip through the alphabet with YOU!







12Y

X is for most eXcellent badge

This is the week when we at ABC Wednesday eXalt in the design of the new badge eXecuted by the most eXcellent Troy.




It's also when we start getting eXcited by thinking of another round. Now is the time to eXclaim to your friends, "Hey, there's this eXpansive blog you might want to try out." Oh, and if you want to eXpend energy by writing an introduction or three and visit other sites, we would accept the eXtra help.

Hey, if you're new here, check out the eXamples the other folks have set. Well, this is an eXceptional week in that, for purposes of eXpediency, we're not really fussy that the word start with X as much as it sounds like the 24th letter, or looks like it. We still eXpect you'll mention ABC Wednesday on your post, though.

W for Wow Wednesdays

Welcome !! Today brings another theme.Being a W Week, I would like to personalize this theme to all you bloggers. What did you or plan to do this Week?

Wifey and I Went on a trip to this quiet and peaceful lake which was also known for its Wildlife and birds (no maneaters of course)After an hour of Wows and sighs and photography this took a turn for the Wacky when a couple of forest officers came and chased us out With all sorts of Warning. It was a place frequented by elephants and apparently the lake was their Watering hole.  Who Would have known? Weird because there was absolutely no information and no WARNINGS in the area.

Well what can I say When the going gets Wild, the Wild can get Weird: Wise man saying

For a While now this song has been playing in my head repeatedly and no its not because of the theme !

I can hardly Wait to see the Witty, or Wise blogs that you all come up With. What's keeping you?. Let's get started and get to Work. Link your blog below. .... On another note, please remember to link to your particular post for this Week and not to the blog itself.  Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee  

We

V is for VANCOUVER, BC

Am I not one of the luckiest people alive?  I was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and have lived here most of my life.  I do love to travel, especially to Great Britain, France, and Italy. But when I fly home and come in over the Pacific Ocean with the mountains on my left, I can't help but wonder why I ever left, if only for a vacation.  I found this online at http://www.hellobc.com/vancouver.aspx:

Vancouver was recognized as the Top City in Canada in Condé Nast Traveler magazine's 2012 Readers' Choice Awards. The city was also named the Top Destination in Canada in TripAdvisor's 2012 Travelers' Choice awards, and was chosen as the world's "Most Liveable City" in 2010 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a title it has been awarded eight times since 2002.

Vancouver offers travellers both outstanding opportunities for outdoor adventure and the sophisticated amenities of a world-class city. Take advantage of the city's oceanside location, with plenty of green space and many recreation opportunities in the mountains 20 minutes north of downtown. After a busy day, linger over a glass of BC wine and a locally inspired meal, or unwind at one of Vancouver's unique spas. 

While this sea-level port city is known for its temperate climate, the surrounding snow-covered slopes are perfect for winter sports and breathtaking views of the city twinkling below. Vancouver is one of the few places in the world where it's possible to ski in the morning and sail in the afternoon.

I realize that every place in the world has its special and unique features, but who can argue with a place that has mountains, beaches, and scenery galore.  Yes, we get rain in the winter, but our rain is soft and sprinkly, not a hard and driving rain like you get in other rainy locations!  I seldom even need an umbrella!  Vancouver is a very welcoming city so come on and visit!

12v