Good Times

It's hard to believe the the trip has come to an end and I am already back in Toronto. The past couple of days have been spent doing little more than chatting with Tom, eating yummy food, and sitting at the beach. We took the ferry boat over to Granville Island, popped into a couple of restaurants, but otherwise sat on either a bench or a log to people watch and read at Kits.

If anyone is keeping up with the food journal, we also discovered some ridiculously good Vietnamese salad rolls at Granville and udon soup at a sushi place in Jen's neighbourhood. Tricky to eat at the beach, but I'm pleased to report it can be done.

On our last day, we spent almost 12 hours at the beach and weathered any number of weather systems as they rolled in an rolled back out. Wind, rain, sun, cold, hot, it was a Vancouver sample platter of wacky summer weather. Laura and I finished our night under umbrellas with a couple tasty beverages.

The time has passed quickly this trip, but when I look back it is amazing how long I have been gone and how much I have squeezed into that time. I have had three legs to my journey and have been very fortunate to have loved ones at every step of the way. I'm extremely lucky to have a mother and sister that I genuinely enjoy travelling with. I'm lucky to be from a family that not only enjoys each other, but can laugh no matter how things are going. I've seen Canada's diversity from the train, rocked out at Pemberton, broken my camping drought, braved my fear of bears, tried surfing, finally seen Tofino, fell in love with the PT Cruiser, watched whales, walked amongst trees, and eaten more good food than should be allowed. Not too shabby for a summer holiday :)

This trip has also confirmed my instincts about Vancouver. My first impressions weren't overly generous, I love this place. People are friendly, the ocean is at your doorstep, boys are cute there, nature activities are easy to access, and there are mountains everywhere. I feel a stay in Vancouver is in my future, I'm just not quite sure when or for how long at this point. I think the trip has solidified for Laura that this is true for her as well and that in her case it should happen sooner rather than later.

Right now, it is nice to be home and have a chance to catch-up with friends and family before the school year kicks into overdrive. Thanks to everyone who has been in touch and has been playing along with my blog. I look forward to seeing you shortly :)

I Don't Want to Live Where Animals Aren't Welcome

With only four days left, we decided to do some apartment browsing, checking out our two favourite neighbourhoods and browsing the classifieds.  The Vancouver market is super frustrating, as apartments are rarely listed and most will not allow animals.  Where Ontario has made it illegal to refuse animals, Vancouver has allowed bylaws making it almost impossible to find housing that allows pets.  This is particularly strange, given I've seen more dogs in Vancouver than in any other city I've travelled to.  Where are they all living?  Plus, most buildings don't list a superintendent or manager to contact and/or don't post vacancies.  After a day of looking, we had seen no actual apartments and had no real insight into average costs.  We did, however, have a better sense on where apartments were densest and whether our two favourite neighbourhoods would be safe, friendly, quiet, and clean to live in.  

Mid-way, we stopped at the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company to have some dinner.  I had passed by it when returning the car and thought it looked like a great little place to grab a bite.  Now I know I've talked a lot about food lately, but generally speaking I'm just not that into it.  Eating is something I do because it is required and occasionally I really enjoy it.  When I really enjoy it, look out.  This place was frickin' fantastic.  Seriously.  I actually googled it, just to see if we had any franchises open in Ontario.  We had a bocconcini pizza that was ridiculous and a brownie that could kill.  Plus, it's almost all organic and they have a carbon tax on their bills.  The waitress was super helpful and gave us some insight to the Kits area and rental strategies.

We spent a bit of the late afternoon at Sunset Beach, camped out on the mats we purchased at the Coombs market and reading a bit.  We then took the ferry over to Kits and grabbed some dinner at Vera's.  We finished the day with the tail end of the sunset, perched on a log at the beach.

I'm On Top of the World

Laura and I headed back to the car rental place, only to discover that we had lucked into yet another PT Cruiser.  I'm really loving this car.  Plus, the car rental guy is totally cute.  

We loaded up with coffee and headed for the highway.  Traffic was decent, but the 50km zones for construction are brutal along the Sea to Sky highway right now.  My last trip, I was less vigilant in keeping with them since there weren't really workers around.  This trip I used the cruise control to keep within the limit as workers were all over the mountain.  This really adds a lot of time to a trip that usually takes just 2 hours.

Porteau Cove had been cleaned up after its recent rock slide, so Laura and I pulled in for a quick visit.  I love this place.  There is almost nothing to it, but it has such a lovely view of the water and mountains that it is simply too good for your heart.  A bit further up the way, we also stopped in at Shannon Falls to have a bit of a stretch and see the falls.  It has some of the clearest water I have ever seen.   You just want to drink it.

Whistler was fantastic.  We found a nordic shop that would rent a walking stick for Laura and headed straight up the mountain in the gondola.  We navigated the tricky path down to the chair lift and were up at the peak in no time.  There is a tiny, jagged, path at the top that leads to a great rock to sit on and look out at the horizon.  We spent a long time sitting there, so we squeezed in a quick version of the Carpenters "Top of the World."  After the long walk up from the chair lift back to the Roundhouse, we grabbed a burger just before the restaurant shut down for the day.  Our timing has really been bang-on this past week!  A good burger is a treat, but it doesn't get much better than eating a good burger while looking over mountain tops.

It took even longer to get back to Vancouver from Whistler, but we made it in time to drop off the car, pick-up some Flying Wedge pizza, and catch the end of the sunset at the beach.   

Dim Sum, Dr. Sun Yat Sen, and an Aquarium

One of Laura's clients introduced us to a great dim sum restaurant called Floata the last time we came to Vancouver.  We dream of their colossal har gau often.  It is a huge restaurant above a mall in Chinatown that seems to have evaded discovery by anyone outside of the Chinese community.  We arrived just in time to catch the end of their morning special and snagged some BBQ pork buns, har gau, steamed sticky rice, steamed pork dumpling, and bean curd.  There aren't words.  

We then rolled our way over to the coffee shop to recover and rest before going to the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden.  Recovery took some time, it was an epic meal.

The garden is small, beautifully designed, elegant and peaceful.  If I lived in Vancouver, I would have an annual pass.  The entire garden is designed to reflect yin-yang elements.  The stone tiles have also been done in light and dark patterns, as well as smooth and sharp contrasting patterns.  It is a great place to take off your shoes and let your feet rest on warm stone.  It is a very balanced and calming place to be on a sunny day and I have been told it is also quite nice on a rainy day.

Our next stop was to pick Tom up to go to the Aquarium.  He's got a mini-van equipped with a chair lift and after a short tutorial we were all in the van and on our way.  

We couldn't have timed the Aquarium much better.  We arrived in the middle of a dolphin presentation, so we bypassed that and got to the front of the line for baby beluga viewing. The beluga nursery shuts down super early, so we really made it just in time.  The nursery is the underground viewing area where you get to see the mom, grandmother, and little one.  That is one cute baby whale.  After our time was up, we went to see them from above.  A baby beluga surfacing to take a breath is really ridiculously cute.  We also spent quite a lot of time with the otters.  I think an otter life is a pretty good existence.  Fun swimming paths, napping while floating, cracking food open and eating off your tummy.  Top notch.  The aquarium also has a number of seals and sea lions, a temporary frog exhibit, and tons of underwater displays with alligators, fish, sharks, anemones, etc.  Laura and I finished the trip by buying an environmentally friendly shopping bag from the gift shop.  This is our new souvenir favourite.  Most places are selling them, they're totally cheap, and you actually use them.

Post-aquarium, we drove around to the west side of Stanley Park and enjoyed the early part of a sunset before heading back to Tom's place to devour some of the best sushi I've ever eaten.  This was made with brown rice, which I was skeptical about, but ended up being delightful.

Lovely day :)

You Can Take The Girls Out Of The Cruiser, But You Can't Stop Them From Cruising

There are two different ferry companies that run tiny ferry services between stops along False Creek that separates downtown Vancouver from the south end.  They're happy little boats and seem to be popular with tourists, some locals, and new couples looking for dating activities.  You can take one trip for the same as a bus would cost, buy blocks of tickets, get a mini-cruise of the creek, or sign-up for a day pass.  It was cloudy and a bit rainy, so Laura and I decided a mini-cruise would be a good way to start the day and see some of the inner city from the water.  

We bought a day-pass and hopped off at Granville Island to find food at the local market.  Vancouver does public markets up right.  Cheese, meat, fish, produce, flowers, maple syrup, you name it.  It's very St. Lawrence Market, only brighter, cleaner, and less hectic because there are more of them.  We were stopped in our tracks by a pie shop that also specializes in pot pies of all different kinds.  We snagged a couple of clam chowder pot pies. Several people actually stared at them as we walked by and asked where we had found them.  So good.  We ate them on the patio, while watching kids feed/terrorize some pigeons.  What genetic coding makes children so fascinated with pigeons?  Totally captivating.

In a chowder haze, we grabbed some tea and headed off for our "cruise."  It's a fun little tour and a nice way to spend a hour.  Vancouver is in a pre-Olympics building frenzy and is succumbing to the Toronto condo blitz.  There is a sizable development going in for the athletes at the end of the creek and evidence of other buildings popping up all over.  Still much less dense that at home, but they're clearly on their way.  Tom told us that 20% is being dedicated to low-income &/or subsidized housing and 80% is being called high-end housing. That kind of money flooding into an area tends to change the dynamic.  I wonder what impact this will have on Vancouver leading up to the Olympics, but even more after them when much of that money moves on to a different city.

Done our cruising, Laura and I beetled it over to the UBC campus to check-out the Museum of Anthropology.  Guide books have it posted as free after 5pm on Tuesdays, but this has since changed to $5.  It is about all I would pay to go and see this museum.  Guidebooks tend to spend most of their time discussing the architecture and it really is phenomenal.  It is also the primary selling feature to those not heavily invested in anthropology.  The museum is quite small and the main source of information comes in a room filled with pull-out display drawers and catalogues with descriptions.  As a student, this would be a phenomenal resource!  As a tourist, not so much.  The museum does, however, have a lovely collection of totem poles and other Native carvings.  It is a very small space and was easily done in the hour we had available.

UBC is connected to the public transit system with community shuttles.  These are also run in smaller routes within the downtown.  They are cute little buses, with super comfy seating, and complete wheelchair access on all of them.  Really a lovely way to service the university and smaller communities within the city.  

On the subject of wheelchair accessibility, we have come to the conclusion that businesses in Vancouver neither answer their phones, nor return phone calls.  We called the ferry and the theatre to see if they would be accessible for Tom and neither returned our messages.  For a super-accessible city, it seems surprising that calls aren't returned and information isn't posted on their websites.  We've called several other places for a variety of different reasons and those calls have not been returned either.  Strange.  The beaches are very busy mid-week, perhaps they're all there?

We finished the night with a trip to Commercial Drive to see The Pineapple Express at the Rio theatre.  It's a great old theatre in an alternative little neighbourhood in Vancouver's east end.  It seemed like an appropriate movie to see while in Vancouver and it couldn't have been in a more appropriate setting.  Plus, it was stupid funny and James Franco is a totally hot stoner.  I take no pride in saying it, but it doesn't make it untrue.  Admit it :)

Tom's Garden

We started the day with Laura taking a very bad fall on the way to Tom's place.  Being a trooper, she got herself dusted off and we kept trekking to Tom's, but her whole body took the force of it and was bound to be quite sore later.  If there is an upside, her face didn't hit (which I thought it did at first) and it confirmed our need to scrap plans for the Oakanagan/Nelson holiday and just sit back and relax.  When will we ever have free beach-front accommodations in Vancouver again?

Tom took us to see his plants at the community garden.  Vancouver has quite a few of these gardens that have been planted along unused railroads.  Several seem to be squatter gardens, but this one has rent paid to CP for use ($10/year seems reasonable!).  He has planted some great sunflowers, mini-corns (on huge stalks), purple carrots, tomatoes, & peas.  It's a beautiful garden and a lovely place to sit on a bench and chat.

We then headed down to Kit's Beach and saw some areas and grabbed a surprisingly fantastic hamburger from the concession stand there.  I don't generally spend a lot of time contemplating food, but I've had some unexpectedly great grub on this holiday!  We had sat for a while with a great view from two points on the beach and then walked back up to Broadway with Tom.

Laura and I were considering going to see the Pineapple Express, but got waylaid by a patio that offered views of a super-fine looking man and some tasty frosted beverages.  Seriously hot.  Stop in your tracks hot.  Nice to know it still happens once and a while :)  The man left, but the beverages stayed and we decided to scrap the movie for the night and have an earlier evening.

Our trip home was slowed by our bagel-crises.  There are surprisingly few things open in Vancouver at night and almost none supply bread products.  In the end, Safeway saved the day and our crises was averted.  I love holidays where the quest for bread products rank as a crises!

Can It Still Be Double D-Double Decker Tours If They're Done In a PT Cruiser?

We had the PT Cruiser for another day, but the weather in Whistler was too cloudy for the trip we had planned.  Instead, we decided to take a day, have a great breakfast at Denny's,  and use the car to tour through Vancouver.  I'm no BigBus, but we covered a lot of ground.

Post-tour, we met-up with our friend Tom and spent the evening at his place getting caught up and eating some yummy Thai food.  

Surf Is Up, Gern is Down

We woke up to a dreary Tofino day, but the sun was making an effort.  We got ourselves packed back into the PT Cruiser and grabbed another of these fabulous breakfast sandwiches at Breakers.  Soooo goood!  

By the time we got to Surf Sisters, it was positively pouring rain.  After some brief instructions, we trucked off to Chesterman Beach to get ready.  Now getting into a wetsuit isn't the easiest (or most graceful/dignified) thing to do ever, but soaking wet in a parking lot takes it to a whole new level.  Our friend Tom was telling us about the new Speedo swimsuits they're using in the Olympics that take a half-hour to put on.  This cannot be a fun way to spend a half-hour.  All things considered, I got into the wetsuit fairly easily, but struggled with the little boots for quite some time.   The human foot simply does not bend that way.   At the beach we had a rainy lesson on tides, boards, and positions before heading into the water.  Now let me be clear on two points.  One, I had a really fun time.  Two, I totally got my ass kicked.  Hard.  It is rare that you have so clear a view on how you can simultaneously be oblivious and painfully aware that you have reached your mid-30s.  Made more difficult by the fact that I feel better now than when I was the age of most of my surf-mates.  In a nutshell, there was a wet suit, there was a surfboard, there were soggy pigtails, there was tremendous water up the nose, and there were some really fun waves.  I will do this again and it will improve.   Oh yes, it will improve :)

Laura had been a trooper watching from a rainy beach, so we headed to Long Beach to fulfill her sand requirements.  The rain had stopped and we had a lovely time for beach walking.  After some debate, she finally came to terms with the fact that she really needed to be in the water.  The ever cold-loving Laura put on her swimsuit and marched herself straight into the waves, while the rest of us were in sweaters on the beach.  The surfers kept a good eye on her and she giggled and crashed into the waves for a good half-hour.  Long Beach is pretty much nirvana for Laura.

(Meanwhile I took the opportunity to devour a ridiculously good sandwich we had picked-up from the breakfast place.  Seriously, you pay too much here but don't mind so much when it tastes this fantastic...)

We then hit the road for Cathedral Grove.  It is a beautiful forest of Douglas Firs and Redwoods, located in MacMillan Provincial Park.  It has a lazy path that takes you through a section of forest on either side of the highway and is a truly spectacular place to walk among huge, old, beautiful trees.

From there we headed back to Nanaimo to pick-up dinner and catch our late ferry back to the mainland.  It was a great day, full of things that Laura and I have always wanted to do.  The life lists just took a big jump forward :)

The Bears Have Tuckered Me Out!

Our first day in Tofino was a pretty typical Tofino day.  The skies were grey and overcast, the early morning stoners were on the street, coffee was on offer all over, and rain was imminent.  We grabbed a couple of coffees (and perhaps the best breakfast sandwich ever) and headed for the Pacific Rim National Park.  The park has a series of phenomenal beaches, as well as a number of trails through different types of forests.  We made it to Long Beach and almost stopped there.  It is a massive beach, with smooth sands, very little seaweed, a great surf, and sweater weather.  I thought Laura might lose her mind with delight :)  

We eventually tore ourselves away from Long Beach and drove a bit further to the Rainforest Trail.  It is a, two-part, 3km trail along a wooden boardwalk that takes you through a lovely rainforest.  

Our next trail was through the Shorepine Bog.  It was a shorter trail, through a series of bonsai-like pines.  Very Tim Burton.  Very cool.

Now, somewhere between Long Beach and the rainforest, we saw a fair-sized black bear trot across the highway.  Very cool.  Also very disturbing, as it was clearly in the vicinity of where we were going.  Don't get me wrong, I love bears.  I'm in a very "go in peace" place with them.  They're cute, they're powerful, and I like to see them from my car.  I do, however, have a deep fear of encountering them in person.  The prevalence of bear-alerts (ranging from sightings to bears frequent here), combined with very vague instructions for an encounter, don't really help matters.  Also, being a sometimes new-age type, I fear that what you fear often comes to you.  This equates to a long day of being scared of bears and somewhat certain that this very fear will lead you directly to one.  It's all very tiring.  

Free of bear sightings, we headed south to check-out Uclulet.  It is a much smaller place than I expected, but it looks like a really nice alternative to staying in Tofino proper.  We took a quick tour and found a little restaurant for lunch.  No sooner had we ordered, than the rain that had been threatening let loose.  We couldn't have timed it better.  Lunch was the best seafood chowder I've had so far on this trip, and a huge salmon burger.  Yum.  

After a little souvenir browsing, Laura and I headed back up for Tofino.  Just outside town, we remembered the little botanical gardens we had wanted to see, so we pulled in to do a rainy tour of them.  It is a small garden, tended by locals, and filled with wacky sculptures made from different materials.  The back paths weren't for us, as the rain had made the boardwalk quite slick and the darkness falling/bear watch combo wasn't for us.  The gardens had clearly posted that bears frequent them, so we chose to steer clear.  Of course, they had also posted signs for alligators and deadly pot holes...  It was a short stop at the gardens, but a nice place to see.

Once back in Tofino, Laura and I continued our souvenir browsing and got some fantastic coconut shrimp at an outdoor fish hut.  We finished our night with a walk down to the docks.  

I'm so glad to have finally had a chance to see Tofino.  I can certainly see why some people are sucked into the lifestyle and enjoyed the local colour.  It's a quirky little town.

Sometimes It Takes Just Exactly As Long As It Takes

Alert Bay to Tofino was a bit further a trek than either of us expected.  We grabbed a morning ferry to Port McNeill and set about some errands to improve the quality of our road trip.  I resolved some banking issues, we found some coffee, and tracked down an elusive, but well worth the quest, audio cable that would connect our ipods to the car stereo.  Vancouver Island has some lovely scenery, but a drastic shortage in radio stations!  

Those things resolved, we spent the day driving down the island to Parksville and then across to Tofino.  A slight detour for an Information Centre lead us to the ocean front of Qualicum, which turns out to be absolutely lovely.  Seriously, Nanaimo has nothing on these great little ocean side towns.   

Our next stop was in Coombs to check out the local market that has a grass roof and a goat family living on it.  I'm not kidding (groan).  There is a mother, father, and three ridiculously cute baby goats.  A plus is that the market is actually quite a good one and not just a cheesy gimmick the locals suffer through.  

We then drove through Cathedral Grove en route to Tofino.  We really wanted to stop, but the nightmare tales of the road to Tofino seemed to emphasize a need to be off them before the sun sets.  The road itself is actually not that bad, with surprisingly accurate speed limits.  I can see, however, why you wouldn't want to be on it for the first time in the dark.  We had asked the woman at the hotel in Alert Bay how long it would take to get to Tofino.  In true island style, her answer was "well if you've already decided to go, it will take as long as it takes."  A 6.5 hour drive ended up taking about 9 with pit-stops and sightseeing, but it was a beautiful drive and certainly took just as long as it took :)  

Mid-way across the island, we found a group of cars pulled to the side of the road.  We slowed down to discover that there was a mid-size black bear picking berries along the side of the road.  We watched for a bit while he lumbered around and eventually disappeared into the trees.  Only slightly further down, we found a baby black bear picking berries all by himself.  At one point he took a small run down the road and it was about the cutest thing ever. 

We arrived in Tofino about 9pm and found our last minute hotel to be in a fantastically handy location and in fairly decent condition.  We took a stroll down to the dock, listened to some drunk kids play the guitar, and grabbed a yummy pizza to take back to the hotel.  Trees, ocean, lakes, goats, pizza, Pomtinis, cable tv, my sister, and Tofino - a banner day!

We Be on Island Time & Everyt'ing Be Ire

Incidentally, I started talking with an island accent as soon as we arrived at the ferry.  Not all the time, just randomly.  It adds a certain something to a long car drive, no?  If you're not sure, ask Laura :)

A Whale of a Time

From Campbell River, we headed further north to Telegraph Cove.  This is a tiny town (with a population of 20), that is built on stilts along the water.  I'm sure it has historical significance, as there were plaques everywhere, but Laura and I had come for the whale watching.  

Stubbs Island Tours took us out on a four-hour tour of the area, giving us the opportunity to see Orca whales, dolphins, and porpoises.  We were warned that it would be cool out, so Laura and I trucked out in every layer we could find.  It was freezing!  I was seriously wearing three sweaters and a hat.   We were on a great little boat, with less than 30 people, and a really friendly tour guide.  For a little boat, there was lots of space, some shelter from the wind and sun, a bathroom, and warm beverages.  It was a good little set-up and far nicer than the bigger boat that left at the same time.  First car-camping and now this.  How civilized!

We started our tour by following a group of spotted dolphins.  They were in a little group, just swimming along together, popping above and below the surface.  What a great way to start a tour.  Both Laura and  I were hoping for dolphins, but they seemed less likely to find than the whales.  We then spotted a family of three whales, made up of a brother and sister who take care of their baby sister.   The tiny little fin would follow the arc of the brother orca, at times nearly glued to his side.  Adorable.  Next up were some porpoises that were traveling at quite a clip.  You can just see their tiny fins flying by in a little group.  Apparently very little is known about these guys because they travel so quickly.  Our tour ended with a male orca swimming up much closer than they would usually encourage.  As a result, we killed the engine and let him swim around us for quite some time.  The fin is huge on an adult male and arc is very graceful.  All in all, a beautiful way to spend an afternoon.

From Telegraph Cove, we headed further north to Port McNeill to catch ferry over to Alert Bay. In planning, neither of us quite realized how far north this would be or how in the middle of nowhere we would find ourselves.  Port McNeill was another super friendly small town.  We got our car into the ferry line-up and walked back to get some of the best fish & chips at McNeill's.  So tasty :)  Our ferry ride was forty minutes and got us to the Nimpkish Inn with just enough time to grab an adult beverage and see the very last of the sunset over the bay. Strangely, we also saw a perpendicular moon set shortly after.  Seriously.  We both decided to sit out and watch the moon rise and instead watched it fall behind the fence.  I don't begin to understand this, so if anyone has any insight, please let me know.  Following this mystery, we walked a short distance on the boardwalk, then tucked in for a beverage and some Flight of the Conchords.  

The Best Thing About Nanaimo is The Bars

Our departure for the island started with a very confused car rental.  It started when I called for a pick-up in an hour and they asked me to call them back in 30 minutes to remind them.  Hmmm....  Then I said to pick me up on the side street and found the guy blocking traffic on the main road.  It turns out it is his first pick-up on his very first day of work.  He, it would seem, was quite nervous but trying really hard.  

We eventually got everything sorted at the rental place and I left in a shiny red PT Cruiser.  This is Laura's dream car, so I was quite excited to get her into it.  She has since spent a lot of time in it and has determined it is even better than she hoped.   

We loaded up with luggage and caffeine and hit the road for the Horseshoe Ferry.  I've decided that there is just as much variety with the BC Ferry system as there is with European trains.  You simply never know what's going to show up for you each time.

Our first stop was Nanaimo.  I don't get it.  I hear so much about this place and it really holds very little appeal for me.  We were only in Nanaimo because of the ferry, but felt we should see it while we were there.  We stopped in a couple of shops, found a few used books, Laura scored some 50 cent antiquities, and we ate some yummy fish & chips on a floating, dock-side, restaurant.  This is also where the car company phoned to tell me our PT Cruiser had been sold and they were wondering if they could swap it back.  I explained we were on the island until Saturday and that it simply wasn't an option.  Have I mentioned this was a very strange rental experience?  That seemed about it for Nanaimo.  Nice harbourfront and plenty of strip malls, but nothing quite like I was expecting.    We met with really helpful and friendly people, but not much for tourist activities.

We then headed up to Parksville, which has both a great name and a lovely beach.  Laura and I finally made it into the ocean and spent quite some time in surprisingly warm water looking at snow capped mountains in the distance, the ocean around us, and the island.  We didn't expect to find swim-able water so soon, so it was a happy surprise.  Fantastic.

Next we headed out for Campbell River's Rustic Motel.   It was a quiet small town, frequented mostly for its ferry services and fishing (it's Canada's Salmon Capital, don'tcha know).  We arrived in the evening so dinner in the Wendy's parking lot was about as much activity as we saw there, but the people we spoke with were very friendly and helpful.  

It was a good day that saw a lot of changes from town to town and a wide variety of services. Things clearly work according to "island time" here, but everyone seems quite happy to chat and help at their own pace.  A good day :)

This Little Light of Mine...

So, in the spirit of the West Coast (and our quest for quirky travel), Laura and I spent her first Sunday here at The Centre for Spiritual Living.  Laura had read about this is a Science of Mind magazine and thought it might be interesting to see.  We started the morning with a very tiny group meditation, lead by a lovely grandmother type.  Not a meditation I could get into, but not a bad way to spend half an hour either.  We then went upstairs to peruse the books and step out on a gorgeous patio that looks out to the mountains.  The service itself was interesting.  Lots of positive readings, some lovely music (with hand clapping!  I love services with hand clapping!), and an awkward moment of handholding.  Also, I heard "This Little Light of Mine" four times.  Lovely sentiment, but that is a whole lot of light shinning...  The lady playing the guitar was leading a chakra tuning workshop in the afternoon, so Laura and I decided to give it a whirl, naturally.

The chakra tuning was actually a really nice experience.  Lots of chanting in Sanskrit and some good old sit in a circle guitar singing.  Not something you'll often find me doing, but when in Rome...  Corrine Champigny has worked with Deepak Chopra for quite some time and leads yoga retreats in India.  She has a lovely voice, is cute as a button,  and provided a really relaxing two hour seminar.  Laura and I both felt a bit recharged afterward.  I was ready to take-on the third leg of my travels and Laura was a bit more able to leave the stress of Toronto behind and immerse herself in Vancouver.  Lovely.

Downtime on the Beach

Laura and I spent Saturday through Monday reaquainting her with the loveliness that is just sitting at the beach.

Transition day went really well with the pick-up/drop-off switch at the airport. It was fantastic to see Laura and nice to have a quiet night in with pizza and Big Brother :)

Saturday morning we set out "just for coffee" and spent the day walking along Kits Beach, had a huge burger at Vera's, and wondered up to 4th for groceries. The evening was spent at the beach, enjoying a great fireworks finale.

Sunday was a very "West Coast" day. More on that to follow...

Monday we spent the morning planning our Island Adventure and then took a bus over to the downtown area. We had lunch at a diner we like on Granville Street and headed to Sunset Beach for some reading and reclining. We took the tiny tugboat back and walked home from the Marine Museum. Then, you guessed it, sunset at Kits Beach. Have I mentioned I love it here?

We're on the island now - until Saturday - so I'll post more details when I get back :)

Random Thoughts on a Lazy Day

I miss my cat. That puts me uncomfortably close to becoming "that girl," but it's true. I think maybe staying in a domestic environment and spending lots of time alone (plus being in a city chalk-full of puppies) makes me notice it more than on other trips, but there you have it.

It is delightful to be in a city full of attractive men who smile at you on the street. Altogether too rare in Toronto and a very nice little treat. I realize to further avoid becoming "that girl" this point should have come first...

I was walking home yesterday in the rain and my sidewalk came to an unexpected end. In order to get over to where the sidewalk had diverged to, I had to climb through a big steel barricade. I got one leg through the middle, bent over to duck through, and was reminded abruptly that I had my backpack on both shoulders. There was a very funny/humiliating moment reminiscent of Pooh-Bear getting stuck in Rabbit's hole. Fortunately, I forced myself through and may have escaped without witnesses.

Finally, another rainy day has saved me from myself. I picked up some groceries, made a return trip to fix a mistake on the bill, and spent the rest of the day reading in a Starbucks and on the beach. Flipping delightful :)

Life at Lilfred Lodge

Monday I headed out for an afternoon at the UBC Botanical Gardens. Bus connections proved a bit tricky, but I've finally purchased a copy of the ever elusive transit map for Vancouver.UBC is a beautiful campus and has been filled with housing available for sale to the public. Apparently, the university leases the land and the buyer owns the home. Bit strange, but it is a lovely community of diverse neighbourhoods, still handy to everything but a bit off of the beaten track. The Gardens were a lovely place to spend a quiet day walking. Not as lush or jam packed with flowers as Butchart, but lots of tall trees and Asian themed gardens. I had a peaceful walk in the woods, had my pick of quiet benches, and walked a lovely labyrinth in the company of a giant wire Minotaur and his tiny hare (you read that right). The solo dwellers needed some space, so I left Jen to spend some time with her boy and headed for a sushi dinner and to see Mama Mia! at the local movie theatre. The day ended with some hot tea on the beach after sunset. Lovely.

Tuesday was rainy and a bit dreary, so I took the SkyTrain for the loop and saw a bit of suburban Vancouver. Then I took a SeaBus to the market and bought us a bit of dinner. I cooked some yummy mushroom raviolis, which unfortuantely seems to be the one food Jen absolutely hates. She had a date with her little sister, so I headed up to the Wired Monk to watch the open mike night. Jen joined me later in time to see her boy's set. It's a funky little spot and had some really talented (and really not-so talented) musicians playing.

Wednesday was cold! I took a walk along Kitsalano Beach to Granville Island and grabbed some clam chowder to eat on the dock. I hopped on the False Creek Ferry and crossed over to the Sunset Beach side. They're tiny little ferries, that are actually quite fun for the short ride and the same rate as a bus (http://www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca/). I found a little bench and read a bit, but it was too cold to stay out for long. I took another little ferry back to the Kits Beach side and walked back to Jen's place. In the evening, Jen took me out kayaking along the coast of Jericho Beach. It was really nice to have a chance to be out on the water and have a chat about how things are going for her out here. It was a nice night to be out and kayaking on the ocean didn't prove to be anymore difficult than what I have attempted before (although it was quite calm out). At the end of the night, Jen took on her pre-trip laundry and I headed to the Beach for another great set of fireworks. Tonnes of people filling the beaches and a harbour full of sailboats out watching the show. My dad would have loved this place.

Thursday was a highlight for the week. Jen had passed-on a gift card for a local spa located near her work. On another rainy day, it sounded like a delightful way to spend some time and they had the exact appointment time I was hoping for. I headed downtown and spent a lovely afternoon sitting in a eucalyptus steam room (great for clearing out the rest of the Pemberton black lung), having a fantastic shower, and getting my feet done. These are really pedicures done right! I had a curtained off room with a massage chair, glass of red wine, some tea, magazines, and a lovely asethetician. I was very pleased to find out that the spa provides its employees with two weeks of paid vacation. This should happen way more often than it does. After the pedicure, I relaxed in a very calm lounge area and had a fantastic hot beverage made from rooiboos tea, a splash of apple juice, a wedge of lemon, and a sprig of mint. Write that down, it's fab! I then went to have a quick tour of Jen's office. It's a great space, with an even better view. She looks out over the harbour and out to mountains. I might not get any work done there... I then walked back to Jen's place in the rain. It was a long trek, but it felt like a good day for a long walk. We finished the day with a fantastic dinner at Abigail's Party (http://www.abigailsparty.ca/). I had a pulled pork sandwhich, but this version had a pomegranate and maple marinade. Just when I thought a pulled pork sandwhich couldn't get any better, maple showed up!

Now it's Friday and we have another transition day. Jen will be flying out for her Great Malaysian Escape and Laura will be flying in from Toronto for her West Coast Adventure. As luck would have it, they're both at the airport at roughly the same time, so Jen's brother is going to drive us out and pick Laura up while we're there. A good old-fashioned hug-&-run :)

Pemberton - Day Three: Hatch-Back Drivers Tail-Gate Too

The third morning was actually the easiest. I'd got my camping legs back, had a great concert experience the day before, and new running water and fresh pjs were in the near future. We had to be out of the camp ground by 11 am, so we ate another yummy breakfast and got packed up. Yogurt, granola, blueberries, and coffee - have I mentioned this "car camping" thing keeps you well fed?

Once out of the campground and cleared by the ultra-efficient/hyper-vigilant German campground guy, we headed for the free-day parking lot at the Festival Site for our pre-arranged tail-gate party. Now I can't seem to find anything in writing, but it seems that (to truly be accepted into B. C. culture) one must own both a hatch-back and a headlamp. I've seen evidence of people who would seem to own neither, but I suspect they stay home a lot... So, in the pouring rain, four hatchbacks backed up to each other and engineers and architects alike got roping tarp together to create a covering. The rest worked to install tent polls and crack open coolers with the weekend's leftover beer. No such thing, it turns out. Added bonus? A Coleman stove and smokies cooking for lunch. By far the most civilized tail-gate party I've ever witnessed.

In an unexpected turn of events, I am 33 and sporting a red-rover scrape on my arm. I simply don't know what to say about that, but find myself shaking my head periodically over it.

It was a short day at the Festival, as Joerg and Jen decided to head out pre-traffic mess. The rain had dealt with the dust situation again and the crowd were pretty mellow, festive types. Vampire Weekend was a fantastic surprise, as was Wintersleep, and Matisyahu. We headed home pre-JayZ and Coldplay, but were rewarded with clear roads and a warm shower. I fear there was a bit of a face-plant...

All-in-all it wasn't at all what I expected, but it ended up being a nice weekend. Our co-campers were good fun and very inclusive and my camping skills seem to have not deteriorated entirely. The Festival experience may be a one-off for me, but I'm looking forward to figuring in some camping and water time back home. Plus, what's better than a weekend full of music and dancing in the middle of a mountain? Please :)

Pemberton - Day Two: The Mojito Jar

Day Two started with another fantastic breakfast. Bacon and egg English muffins, cheese, blueberries, and coffee. Yum!

The headache continued, so I relented and took some Advil. By the time I had returned from soaking my feet in the lovely river, I was feeling like a new person and ready to rock. Good news as it turned out, as the morning's tasty beverages were Ceasers and a mojito jar. In an effort to nurse my noggin, I took a pass on the awesome Ceasers Jen mixed up, but the mojito jar was unmissable. The girls had brought a huge jar, into which they mixed fresh mint, limes, brown sugar, and a bottle of rum. Once mashed up, the jar was rolled into a towel and everyone had to take turns shaking up the mojito. The jar was then passed around the circle until it was finished. With twelve people it was mighty tasty, but not toxic. From what I hear, a smaller group is a bad idea (or a terribly good one, depending on how you feel about getting plastered).

I then headed out to snag a shuttle bus from the camp ground to the Festival Site. The others had decided to hitch, but I am a desperately practical city girl and just can't get my head around hopping in a car with people who have very likely been drinking both coming and going from the site. B. C. is rife with car accidents and tales of impulses gone wrong. As a result I missed Sam Roberts, but met a very lovely woman who was driving the shuttle and living in Pemberton. Very interesting lady and totally worth a slow drive to town. Naturally, half-way to the site both the driver and I had to hop out and make use of the less rustic port-a-potties. More info than necessary, but it gives you a sense of how slow traffic was moving. Remember, we're only going 3.5 km!

Day 2 at the Festival was night and day to Day 1. People were chill, the music was fantastic, and a brief rain had tamed the dust bowl situation. Also improved were the spiked lemonades made possible by my clever fellow-campers. Day 2 was also the day the BBQ pulled-pork sandwiches were discovered. Sooo good :) As far as the actual show went, this was my first opportunity to see the The Flaming Lips. I'm not sure they're all that remarkable musically, but it is an interesting show. You don't always get confetti that reaches the back of the field, bubbles, and teletubbies in one show. I also had a chance to re-embrace the Tragically Hip. They'll never likely be back on my heavy rotation, but they sure do good live shows. My Morning Jacket was a mellow good time and Buck 65 was a fun surprise. I totally dig him. Tom Petty was ridiculously good, but I cut out a bit early and secured a space on my shuttle back to camp. I braved the walk from the gates to our site with a dim headlamp and bad music playing on my cell phone to ward off the bears. I made a similar trip to the loo, only with a brighter bulb and some fancy hand-clapping. Jen's version of "If you go out in the woods today..." is cold comfort when you're alone and on bear watch.

Pemberton - Day One: It was the best of days....

We started the day with a fantastic breakfast of bagels, cream cheese, capers, and lox. As far as food is concerned, this "car camping" approach is way civilized.

Once 11am rolled around (when the bars open, and it is therefore perfectly reasonable to start drinking), we packed up our lawn chairs, grabbed some beverages, and headed for the stony beach. It had beautiful, greenish, foamy water rushing by (that sounds disgusting, but it was really beautiful...). We drank white wine sangria and ate the marinated fruit from the bottom.

Time flies when sangria is involved, so soon it was time for the group to set-out and try to time things right to see Metric. The larger group set-out on foot and I hitched a ride with a car load who needed to pick up their wristbands from the shuttle site. Traffic was at a standstill and it took a very long time to get to the airport parking lot. Sadly, it was part way through this parking lot that I was forced to take the first rustic pee that seem so inevitable on this type of weekend... Things picked up once we accidentally found our way onto the workers' shuttle bus and were quickly taken to the campsite. One worker thought we were quite clever, we were really just confused.

Once there, I was a bit surprised by what lay ahead for us that weekend. To say it was a dust bowl really doesn't cut it. A fine layers of hay had been put down to protect the ground cover, but absolutely everything was kicking up. The amount of black stuff in my eyes, ears, and nose really was alarming. It was also really quite difficult to breath in it. I was astounded how many people on crutches and wheelchairs were trooping through it and wondered how they were managing. The crowd wasn't the mellow B. C. lot I was expecting either. There was a large frosh-type group, complimented by the fully-coiffed, scantily clad, cowboy hat, more-often-than-not blond contingent. Things felt unruly, but safe. There was a real sense that the first year would be a logistical nightmare, but that the first day would bear the brunt of it.

I can't say this was my favourite day. I lost Jen only a couple of hours in and spent the rest of the day wondering where she was. Her friends were very inclusive and kept me with them and we hung out mostly in the Baccardi tent where there were places to sit and yummy beverages. I didn't have much in the way of beverages, as my noggin was hurting and I wasn't quite sure how this was all going to play out. Musically, it wasn't the best line-up of the weekend either. Kathleen Edwards was very good, but NIN was the only band I was really looking forward to. Unfortunately, due to another loo trip gone awry, I lost Jen's friends at the beginning of the show and found myself in the middle of a very busy, dark, loud, festival site, 3.5 km from where my tent was. I'd also physically hit my limit, just as it became impossible to sit down anywhere. Long story short, I wasn't feeling it. The good news was, her friends waited for me at the end of the show and had clearly been keeping an eye out in case my head bobbed through the crowd. I finally had a successful phone call with Jen (who was back at the camp ground) and we headed back to Narin Falls.

I have rarely been so happy to brush my teeth from a cup and wash my feet under a tap.

Back to Nature

I woke up in the morning and embraced the laundry situation. With one washer in the building and my own morning fog, this took about 3 hours. I am a gifted domestic engineer to be sure :) In the meantime, I reviewed my travel books, took some notes, and tried to figure out what to do with my week that wouldn't be terribly redundant once my sister arrives. In packing for Pemberton, Jen had realized she needed some things from her kayak at Jericho Beach, so I decided to walk over there and fish them out. Not my favourite beach walk in the world, but I have since discovered that a bigger, more populated chunk of Jericho lies on the other side of where Ecomarines is located. Plus, the area I walked through was where the Folk Festival had been, and it's hard to look as festive when you're tent and people free and the grass needs a drink. At any rate, a nice guy helped me get what I needed from the hatch and I trucked it back to Jen's. After that, I decided was famished and walked up to Vera's Burgers. It's a popular local burger chain, where there claim is "You can't beat Vera's Meat." You can't make this stuff up.Next thing you know, Joerg picks us up for the trip up to Narin Falls, where our Pemberton camping sites would be. Joerg had quite smartly discovered that the Falls are only 3.5 km from the Festival Site and significantly cheaper to stay at. As an additional bonus, the grounds only have 100 nicely spaced sites vs the sardine can camping for thousands at the Festival. Downside? A deep fear of bears, some apprehension about no running water for three days, and a vague confusion on how we'd actually get to the Festival. (Did I mention the bear thing?)

The trip up went quite well, without any of the massive traffic jams I had anticipated. Jen set up our tents while Joerg arranged for an extended gate time for our co-campers, and I attempted to be useful. I haven't camped in a decade and technology has changed significantly for the better in those years!

We snacked on fine cheeses, drank beer, and greeted our co-campers as they arrived. I think I can dig "car camping."

Transition Day

Mom left for Toronto on July 23rd. We had a lie-in in the morning and then had some breakfast in the hotel restaurant. I have to say it was a bit difficult to have her go. I am very fortunate to have family that I love to travel with. Several people have remarked how challenging they would find being on a train for three days with their family. We had a great time and were still having fun during the more action-packed days in Vancouver. It is also very strange to pack all of your bags, load the car, and then just leave your mom alone at the airport, while you take your bags elsewhere.

The trip to the airport was remarkably simple and I headed back into Vancouver to sort out the rest of my day. I had decided to keep the car until the rental place closed and took a little time to tour the city and reacquaint myself with the more popular neighbourhoods. I've got an inherent sense of direction, but Vancouver turns me on my head. Once done, I grabbed a cup of peppermint tea and headed for Stanley Park. I found a quiet parking lot looking out towards the Lion's Gate Bridge and did a little reading while enjoying the end of my Maple Fudge :)

I returned the car back after dropping my stuff off and walked back to Jen's apartment at Kit's Beach. We spent the evening with her brother's family, eating some tasty salmon and meeting her adorable niece Lara. Our last stop for the night was to pick-up groceries and tasty beverages for our camping trip and Festival festivities.

When we got home, Jen headed for bed and I stepped out her door to the park and watched a spectacular fireworks display at the beach. Really one of the best I've ever seen. Then, when everyone else headed for cars, bikes, and buses, I simply popped back across the road and slipped into bed. Jen's apartment rocks!

No face-plant :)

Vancouver Island (Victoria & Butchart Gardens)

Mom and I got up a big earlier for our day-trip to Victoria. The ferries run every hour, but all printed materials seem to think there will be epic lines and tickets need to be purchased well in advance. We missed a turn, grabbed some coffee, popped into a ferry line and were on the 8 am boat with no problem at all. The ferry ride was good and I was able to sit inside for a good chunk of it without getting motion sickness. I've been on planes, trains, boats crashing down on waves, I read in cars, but man a ferry can make me sick! Fortunately, it seems like a passing issue. I made it back from the ferry Gravol free and sitting inside the whole way.

Once on the island, we headed straight for Butchart Gardens. It was the one thing that mom had really wanted to see and it was absolutely lovely. A huge garden filled with flowers, lots of paths, and a handy little guide to look up any blossoms you are interested in. I was happy to hear my mom say that it was just as beautiful as she remembered it.

We spent a very little time in Victoria. It had been a full few days and we were really just there to check out the waterfront area. We had a lovely lunch spot on the waterfront (hard-won by an intense little staff, but totally worth it) and enjoyed some seafood pasta and beer while looking into the harbour. We did a little window shopping, found a great bookstore, and mom bought be some maple fudge. We then drove into the main strip, parked to walk through the hotel lobby, and headed back for the ferry.

The trip back to the Tsawwassen terminal was very smooth on the super-deluxe Spirit of Vancouver ferry. We had an easy drive back to the city, save for a detour on the south shore where I have a skilled ability to end up wound into neighbourhoods not listed on tourist maps. Once home, you guessed it, a full-on face-plant.

Whistler Peak Adventure

I'm not going to lie, the morning was a bit rough. We had a slight lie-in (by previous train standards), called in a later pick-up time with the car rental place, and re-shuffled our luggage to make sense. My mother said I looked like I had been hit by a truck. It was an accurate assessment really, but I like to think I made a bit of a Rock & Roll comeback by the time we left for the day.

Car rental people were lovely and we were on the road (in a sporty grey Mazda 3), stocked with extremely large coffees, some yummy banana bread, and excellent directions by late morning.

The drive to Whistler is beautiful. There is a tonne of pre-Olympic construction underway, but the drive was smooth and the weather was beautiful.

Once in Whistler, we bought our tickets for the gondola and headed straight up the mountain. It's a beautiful view and was my first chance to see a big bear trekking along the mountain. I swear he had a big collar on, but no one here seems to think the people in Whistler do this...? Up at the top, we sat out on the patio and took in the surrounding mountain tops, while enjoying a cold beer and a yummy burger at the Roundhouse Restaurant.

What followed was a tricky trek to the Peak chair lifts. Though marked "easy" according to the Whistler people's sporty assessment, it is a bit of an understatement for those less sporty or mobility impaired. Consider closed footwear and a walking stick if any of these issues apply. Mom was determined and a super trooper, so we took our time and made it down. Go figure, you have to go down to go back up!

Once on the chair lift, I can't even explain how amazing the view was. Two years ago, Laura and I had made it as far as the Roundhouse, but missed the last chair lift. I was busy trying to make good from a bad situation and didn't really think too much about how different things can be after just a short ride up a mountain. It really is just breathtaking. I think it ranks in my top ten Zen Happy Places. I went on a couple extremely short trails to check things out and sat briefly on a rock facing the surrounding mountain ranges. A guy passed by and said it was a shame the rock wasn't flatter for some yoga. Strangely, I had just been thinking the same thing. Then he said, "never mind, just stay there and the zen will come to you." B. C. is frickin' lovely :)

We picked up a pizza for the ride home and made a quick stop at Porteau Cove fora peak at one of my favourite pit-stop places along the Sea-to-Sky Highway. Then, straight home for another face-plant.

Helloooo Vancouver!

Mom and I arrived in Vancouver just after 1pm on Sunday afternoon. This marked the end of both gaining and losing time and the beginning of sorting out a feel for a time zone of any kind. During the trip, we had gained an hour each night, but had lost six hours in delays. While some travellers were a bit less than jazzed about arriving in Vancouver six hours later than expected, it actually worked in our favour and gave us a better chance to see the diversity of the Rockies and see Hell's Gate. Plus, we squeezed two more meals out of the kitchen :)

Jen was lovely and met us at the station. We had made a hurried call from the platform in Edmonton, so she arrived for our new arrival time and not six hours earlier! She is also an excellent person to have working with you if you are ever trying to snag a piece of luggage off a conveyor belt built much smaller than the crowd around it.

We took a quick trip to the hotel to check-in and get a bit freshened up. It was a strange deal we had taken a risk on by using http://www.hotwire.com/, but it worked out quite nicely. It was in a good location (close to Stanley Park), had a small kitchenette, a decent view of the mountains and bits of the ocean, and a balcony to sit out on with beverages. It also had more space than either of us knew what to do with after the train compartment!

Jen took us for a tour of the city, starting with the lovely Stanley Park, straight through the Gaybourhood, and into Granville Island. We had a nice walk-about the shops, sampled some Granville Island beer, and had one of the best dinners ever at the Sandbar.

We took mom back to the hotel and I gave Jen the book I made her from her last summers' Cross-Canada Adventure blog (www._________ & http://www.blurb.com/). I am happy that it was as big a hit as it was. Not everyone embarks on such an adventurous vision quest (as I think she came to understand it) and she certainly deserved a reminder of just how much can happen in a year. Don't we all?

Next, Jen and I headed out to the last night of the Vancouver Folk Festival down at Jericho Beach. We met up with her friend Stef and decided that the price to see one show was way to steep to warrant it. We walked around a bit, breathed some ocean air, stared at the mountains for a bit, and checked out the blissed out dancing hippie set (of which I am a big fan, not so sure about Jen), and headed back to face-plant at the hotel. I think this festival looks like a very good time if you were in it for the whole weekend (http://thefestival.bc.ca/). Have I mentioned how beautiful the seawall here is?

All Aboard?!

Mom and I woke up to a rainy Thursday morning in Toronto and headed to the train station for our trip to Vancouver. I hadn't slept terribly well (too excited?) and the cab arrived faster than a Toronto cab has ever arrived, so the departure was a bit spastic. Regardless, everything I needed made it with me and Phoebe looked calm enough to make it until Sarah's first visit.

Mom and I were very early for our departure time, so I got the required train station photo and we grabbed out complimentary continentals and paper.

After an hour, we were called for boarding and headed for the platform. There is something about the sight of a steel locamotive that will get you very excited about starting your adventure.

Let me just say, I was fully expecting a train compartment room to be small - what with the fold down bunkbeds and tuck away chairs, but this was extremely cozy! Fortunately, I had checked my larger Vancouver bag and there was just enough room for our two travel on suitcases and our two selves. These are not rooms designed for the large, mobility impaired, or elderly (more on that to follow!). It was also one of the rare actual water closets one can find, with a cute little all purpose sink and mirror out in the main area. But, as mom and I are efficient little packers, it worked just fine for us and no one sustained serious injury.

Once the trip was underway, we sat for a bit and watched the more industrial areas of Toronto pass by our cabin window. It seemed like a good time to check out the rest of our cars and see what was what. My first discovery was the door to our communal shower, with the best signage for a shower ever. I am both saddened and impressed with myself that I didn't burst into passionate song both times I was in there :)

We then walked through the dining car, which was a lovely retro 50s train dining room with full linens, light sconces, and etched glass decor. Next we walked through the "games" room (Scrabble anyone?), scoped out the coffee/snack station, and headed straight for the dome car. We snagged a couple of seats quite quickly, then took in the fact that we were in the midst of a tour group, chalk-a-block full of southern seniors. Some were perfectly lovely. Some were perfectly loud (imagine a whose-more-southern-than-who food debate). Some were perfectly dim (Q: "Well, what is that?" A: A silo). Having said that, I have always wanted to be in a dome car, and it was just fab. Great views from either side, lovely sunsets and sunrises when you can catch them (4:30 am people!), and surprisingly easy to get a pair of seats in. The only other car that was slightly different, was the very last car on the train. It was the "park" car and had a rounded end with seats around the perimeter. It also had a dome car as part of it and a sunken lounge where they used to sell liquor out of sight from the outside of the train. Quite lovely, but a bit of a treck and very limited seating.

As for food? I guiltily admitted to my mother that one thing I was particularly looking forward to was having 3 square meals a day. That is way more than I should be allowed to eat again. Certainly not for 3 days in a row! But yumm-o that was some good food. Particularly tasty were the delightful little amuse buche that came around periodically with free champagne :) Some meals were better than others, but none were bad and several were delicious. We were also very fortunate to find meal friends in Caroline and Marcel. Caroline is a librarian at a medical university just outside of London, England and Marcel is in financial services in Switzerland. Both lovely people, easy to chat with, entertaining, and some of the few not with the seniors tour. I think we all felt fairly happy to have found one another! We also elected to eat during the third setting, which ment we ate dinner at 9pm and had only one or two other tables with us. It also meant that during the busier dinner times, we had the dome car quite to ourselves.

Sleeping was a bit of a challenge. The first night I thought I was so tired it wouldn't be a problem at all. It can be very tiring doing nothing! I clambered up to the top bunk without too much of a spectacle and the bed was actually quite comfortable. The experience did however, lead to a train game of trying to determine which partner in each of the elderly couples was also trying to get into this bunk. There simply wasn't a good choice... The only trouble at my end was the crazy noises train make when you're suddenly listening to the tracks. At one point I woke up, just because it was suddenly completely quiet. The other nights were a bit more successful for sleeping and I managed to time the sunrise right for the third day.

Most of the time was spent sitting in the dome car, drinking coffee, and enjoying the great Canadian landscape go by. What an amazingly diverse country! We moved from Toronto, into the Canadian Shield, through the prairies with their changing vegetation, colours, and contours, and into the Rockies, at times craggy and snow capped, at times dusty and desert like. Simply phenomenal. I have a tonne of pictures, but none (shot from a speeding train) can really capture the diversity or largeness of it all. Fab.