Thu 3rd May - A walk to Putsborough

We'd already decided to walk down the beach to Putsborough when Margaret's friend Tina phoned. They were staying in Putsborough and invited us for coffee in the flat they were renting overlooking the beach. We said we would see them 'later' ie. whenever we got there but probably around midday.

It was a beautiful sunny day as we set off but with a stiff onshore breeze. There were a handful of surfers in the sea and a number of paragliders up in the shy - the onshore breeze meaning they could just hang motionless in the air above the hill behind the beach.

When we got to Tina and Sid's we chatted for a while and watched the surfers from their apartment window. A school party arrived as we watched and you could tell by their body language that the children were getting very excited about trying surfing and body-boarding. I didn't envy the teachers and other adult helpers trying to keep them under control

We headed back towards Woolacombe accompanied by Tina and Sid - they walked with us for a mile or so (around halfway) before they turned back.

We decided to treat ourselves to a cream tea at one of the beachfront cafés then headed back to the hotel and read for a bit before heading to the Brasserie for dinner.

Wed 2nd May - the journey down to Woolacombe

It could have been a lot worse. Pretty soon after joining the M5 at Cheltenham we started seeing signs telling us the motorway was closed between J25 & J26. A quick check of the road atlas, an announcement on the traffic news and the satnav updating meant we left at J23 instead. That meant we had to use the A39 which wouldn't be so bad if it didn't include Porlock Hill and the road between Lynmouth & Lynton, both of which are narrow in places and steep (1 in 4). Anyway, I managed it although I had to drop down to 1st gear a few times. What with those hills, a pony running out in front of me, an idiot with a horsebox with no indicators working, I was a gibbering wreck by the time we arrived in Woolacombe. I certainly earned my beer! :) A quick walk on the beach after checking in to the hotel and unloading the car - then a meal in the hotel brasserie and we're both feeling a bit zonked now.

Wed 11/10 - Homeward Bound

Our flight wasn't until later in the day so we were late waking up again and had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. Then it was time for the packing frenzy - trying to fit into the case what we had brought with us plus the various 'extras' we had accumulated along the way. We managed to fit everything in and checked out of the hotel just before the 12m deadline :-)

We were able to leave our luggage stored at the hotel and took another walk down Yonge Street - there was a 'Day Of Freedom' rally going on at Dundas Square - but after a bit it began to rain so we made our way back to the hotel. We stopped off at a supermarket so Margaret could buy herself a paperback for the flight home - we got caught out yet again by the sticker price not being what you pay as sales tax and federal tax is added on (don't understand why they don't just add it to the price - well, I DO understand but it was irritating that they didn't do it!).

Then it was a l-o-n-g wait in the hotel lobby as we had a two hour wait until our taxi transfer arrived. It was quite a flashy car (almost a limo) and we had a trouble-free journey back to the airport where, after we had checked-in, had yet more waiting around and filled the time buying & eating lunch and spending our last few Canadian coins (and almost got caught out yet again by the added sales tax).

Eventually 18:35 rolled around and we were able to board our flight back to the UK. We were in the same seats as on the flight out so had plenty of legroom and after we had eaten tried our best to get some rest as with the time difference, we knew we would be arriving back at Heathrow at 6:30am.

Tue 10/10 - Toronto

A beautiful day with warm sunshine and as we didn't have any tour booked that we had to rush off for, we slept in until around 8:30am then had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. Before heading out we checked with the concierge that we would be able to pre-book a taxi for the following day's transfer to the airport.

We had decided to use the hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus tour to see the city and headed off to the pickup stop following the directions given to us by the concierge. I confidently lead the way except I had made a 'schoolboy' error and lead us to the wrong side of the road (had to remind myself they drive on the right in Canada - doh!). Having caught the bus we soon decided it was never going to be more than 'okay'. We were treated to an uninspired commentary which was difficult to hear most of the time. I 'switched off' very quickly and amused myself taking photos of interesting juxtapositions of buildings. As we made our way around the city it became a game of spot the CN Tower.

We hopped off the bus at the harbour front centre and made our way to where we could catch the boat trip that was included along with the bus tour. The boat trip was really good - we had great views of the Toronto skyline from the harbour and were constantly being 'buzzed' by planes landing at the nearby 'Billy Bishop' airport. After the boat trip we made our way to the 'Amsterdam Brewhouse' for lunch. I can't remember quite what I ordered but Margaret decided to try a local delicacy called Poutine - this consists of fries with cheese grated over them floating in a bowl of gravy. It wasn't as good as Margaret was expecting - possibly would have been better without the gravy!

After lunch we caught the bus again and hopped off at the Distillery area. It's an area of the city that is unspoilt and doesn't allow any 'chain' stores - only small shops - so it was an interesting area to wander around and I took yet more photos.

We caught the bus afterwards but as it was towards the end of the day it was stopping at Dundas Square so we had to walk back along Yonge Street to the hotel. We both thought the area was a bit seedy with tattoo parlours and nude revues along the way. Having got back to the hotel we ate dinner there and used the in-house terminals to check-in for the following day's flight and print our boarding cards.

Mon 9/10 - Niagara Falls

We were hoping today would be one of the highlights of our trip and it didn't disappoint. But it was a bit of a slow start to be honest. We got picked up by one coach, dropped off at another hotel, then had to wait for our 'real' coach and that in turn picked up at a number of other hotels before we were finally underway.

Toronto is on the north-western edge of Lake Ontario and it was a fairly long drive through Mississuaga, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton and Lincoln before we reached the Niagara Falls area on the South-Western edge. Our first stop however was Niagara Teaching College where we visited the winery. Incidentally, the Niagara escarpment combined with the lake makes for a micro-climate suitable for vines and makes this an important wine growing area. So, mid-morning and a few glasses of wine later, we were headed for Niagara Falls itself.

We had a short stop to allow us to view the falls from the shoreline then headed to a nearby restaurant where we had lunch overlooking the falls. Fed and watered, our coach driver took us to the ticket booth where he collected and distributed our tickets. Then a Hornblower Cruise rep took over and led us to the boat, collecting our waterproof ponchos on the way. The cruise to the foot of the falls itsel was excellent - just as you imagine it might be and then some more. One thing I don't think any of us were quite ready for was the amount of wind and spray that blows over the boat. I was wearing my waterproof coat under my poncho and I'm glad I had come prepared. I was also glad I had my waterproof GoPro with me to take some footage of the cruise - I hate to think what all that spray might have done to my phone or a normal camera.

After the Hornblower cruise the coach driver collected us and drove us downriver to an area where the Niagara River turns a corner and as a result there are whirlpools and rapids. Then it was on to Niagara-On-The-Lake where we were able to wander around and stretch our legs before we headed back to the coach for the long drive back to Toronto.

Here is a view of the American Falls ..

Here's a view of one of the cruise boats ..

And finally, here's view of the whirlpool and rapids where the Niagara River turns a corner ..

Sun 8/10 - Banff to Toronto via Calgary

There were no sightseeing opportunities today because we were travelling to Toronto for the last leg of our trip. We checked out of the Elk & Avenue Hotel and I was expecting there to be a phone charge on the bill because I'd had to re-confirm some reservations with Brewster Travel. However, the hotel had no record of the phone call - so it seemed to be a toll-free number I had been told to use - excellent!

The coach picked us up on time and after a trip around Banff at other hotel pickup locations and a short stop at Brewster's main office, we headed off to Calgary. There were fabulous views of the Rockies to begin with but after a while the terrain changed to endless plains and freeways. It was sunny to begin with but then the weather deteriorated and it began to snow. However, by the time we reached Calgary Airport the sun was shining again.

Check-in was trouble-free and this time the self-service check-in machine printed our boarding passes and luggage tags as expected (no delays queueing again to see someone) and we sailed through security as well. The flight was uneventful apart from some turbulence. We'd bought some lunch at the airport (our tickets said snacks only on the flight) so we were a bit surprised when a steward arrived telling us he had meals for us. Needless to say we didn't bother as we were already full.

At baggage reclaim I was irritated to find  the side handle of my suitcase was broken. Normally I would be thinking of putting in a compensation claim. But as I've had the case for at least 20years, I figured it doesn't owe me anything and has seen better days anyway - so I'll treat myself to some new luggage before our next trip.

Our taxi from the airport to the hotel was quick and efficient. A bit too quick if I'm honest as the driver was obviously in a hurry to get the journey over and done with and get his next passengers. The fare was $56 and I handed him $60 and started to look for a few more dollars to give him a bit more of a tip. I was obviously too slow for him - after a few seconds he gave up waiting, jumped into his car and sped off without a word.

Our first impressions of Toronto were not good. Lots of homeless people on street corners and hanging around - I even saw one man taking a dump on the pavement - yuk! Once we'd put our luggage in the room we went for a meal at the hotel bistro then headed back to the room to shower, charge everything and get ready for the following day.

Sat 7/10 - Mountains, Lakes & Waterfalls

Today's tour (starting and finishing in Banff) promised mountains, lakes & waterfalls and it didn't disappoint. Our first stop was at Lake Louise (which we had visited the previous day) but the weather was much improved and I got some better photos this time ..

Our next stop was the Spiral Tunnels in Kicking Horse Pass. The coach driver had said if we were lucky a freight train would be using the tunnels .. and we were. The tunnels are the way that trains make their way up and down Kicking Horse Pass because of the large difference in height. Early attempts to drive straight down the pass met with derailments. The solution (built by Swiss engineers) was a pair of spiral tunnels that allow the train to gain or lose height in a safe manner. The photos below show a diagram of how the tunnels work and (because we were lucky that a train arrived while we were stopped), the front of the train emerging while the back is still entering the tunnel (I did mention these freight trains are very long trains didn't I?) ..

After the Spiral Tunnels we made our way to Takkakaw Falls. The road to the falls includes two hairpin bends and the driver explained (and then proceeded to demonstrate) how coaches navigate these bends by approaching the 1st one then reversing up to the 2nd one before moving forwards again. Here's a photo the falls ..

We visited a natural bridge on our way to Emerald Lake in Yoho national park where we had lunch. The first non-indigenous person to see this lake was a Canadian guide called Tom Wilson and he named the lake because of the vivid turquoise colour of the water caused by glacial sediment aka. rock flour. Tom had discovered another lake the previous year which he had given the same name to - but once he had found this lake, the original lake was quickly renamed to Lake Louise.

After lunch we walked to where the driver had suggested was the best spot to take a photo. The resulting photo is below and from this viewpoint you can see the area where the Burgess Shales are found (a world-famous site where many early fossils have been found) ..

Our last port of call was Moraine Lake. By now the weather had deteriorated with snow beginning to fall. We had a very quick walk along the lakeside path before returning to the coach and being taken back to Banff.

Later, back at the hotel, I decided to treat myself to a red Banff hoodie which will come in useful in the coming months (if its good enough for Canada ..)