We enjoyed our stay. The flat was well-appointed and conveniently located, with a comfortable bed, cable TV, kitchen appliances, etc. Short walks took us to the shops on Commercial Drive (east), Chinatown and downtown (west) by way of the cute Strathcona neighborhood, and stops at major bus lines (the #14 stopped nearby on Hastings at Glen and went all the way to the Univ. of British Columbia). La Casa Gelato (the "pink palace") is only two blocks away, with over 200 flavors of ice cream; fortunately, vacation ice cream has no calories. Also, Birgit and Andrew were excellent hosts. In particular, we had an accident (our fault), but Birgit was very gracious about it and also did all the arrangements for the repair.