After trouble comes joy - Welcome to Vancouver

Today, I don't even know where to start and how to fit all my impressions into one post. Well, let's do it step by step. Originally, the plan was to start from Toronto to Vancouver by plane around 7:30 pm. Due to the time difference, I would have landed around 9:30 pm after a 5-hour flight. Unfortunately, there was an extreme storm in Toronto yesterday, which I already noticed with my rental car on the way back from Niagara Falls. This storm caused the ground staff at the airport to be unable to work and all flights were significantly delayed. My plane couldn't dock at the gate due to the delays and stood at the airport grounds for about 2 hours with the people from Vancouver on board. Okay, so it was all about waiting, waiting, and waiting. Around 10:00 pm, it finally happened and the boarding started. The flight went smoothly and I landed in Vancouver around 12:30 am. After I had my luggage, I walked to the Skytrain to take it to my accommodation. I arrived there around 12:58 am, only to read that the last train had left at 12:56 am and the next one would not leave until 5:55 am. What a feeling after such a day. In the end, I ended up taking the night bus with the help of Google, as a taxi was simply too expensive, and with the help and explanations from some people at the airport, I managed to arrive at the accommodation around 3:00 am. What a trip :/ When I woke up in the morning, all the trouble from the previous day should have disappeared like magic. A look at the Kicker app told me that FC Schalke 04 had become vice champion a few hours ago and will play in the Champions League next year, the first time in eight years. In addition, we not only became the derby winners this season, but will also finish the season ahead of the "Zecken" (nickname for Borussia Dortmund). Mega! But that shouldn't be the end of the positive feelings. A bit remorseful and with dark circles under my eyes, hidden behind my sunglasses, I made my way towards downtown Vancouver around noon. I got off at Waterfront, right on the waterfront, and then it happened. Vancouver achieved something that only very rarely happens to me in a city. I felt incredibly comfortable from the first second. What a ridiculously beautiful city this is! Everything just fits together here, the architecture, the waterfront location, the sea air, the nature, the mountains in the background, and the nice and relaxed people, wow! Today was one of the most beautiful days since I arrived in Canada, despite all the trouble last night. After I had seen enough at the harbor, I just started walking. I didn't really have a destination in mind. Along the waterfront promenade to Stanley Park. This park is like a peninsula and is separated from the city by water. It is Canada's largest urban park and absolutely beautiful. A total of 200 kilometers of hiking and cycling trails run through the park. From there, you can also enjoy a beautiful view of the Vancouver skyline. I strolled in the sun and took breaks in the sun, enjoying the view over to Vancouver. On the other side of the park, you can see North Vancouver, which is connected by a bridge. While looking out over the water, I spotted a little seal head popping out of the water. What a highlight! I'm already looking forward to tomorrow as I'm writing these lines here. Tomorrow, the Vancouver Marathon will take place, which is probably why it felt like all hotels and accommodations were fully booked. Luckily, I managed to get a room at Wayne's apartment through AirBnB for this weekend. Tomorrow, temperatures in the double digits and plenty of sunshine are forecasted again, and I'm looking forward to it! Because I enjoyed it so much today, I took significantly more photos than usual. It was really difficult for me to sort out the pictures, so there are a few more today. I hope you're excited :) I could still write so much more today, but I think I've included the most important things here and the rest is revealed in the pictures. I wish you all a nice Sunday!