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.
Tuesday, 12 December 2017
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.
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.
Wednesday, 22 November 2017
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 ..
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.
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.
Monday, 20 November 2017
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 ..)
Saturday, 28 October 2017
Fri 6/10 - Icefields Parkway (Jasper to Banff)
Today we were on a coach tour which travelled along the Icefield Parkway - the road that runs between Jasper & Banff.
It was another early(ish) start as we were picked up outside the Whistler's Inn hotel at around 08:30am and there were a few more stops at various other hotels to pick up more passengers before we were properly on our way. Unlike other tours we'd been on, there were only limited stops along the way and the weather wasn't as good as on previous days, so we made the best of it we could, peering through the windows of the coach in between stops.
The first stop was Athabasca Falls - another very photogenic location and the camera and GoPro were busy again.
We gained altitude as the coach climbed towards the Icefield Discovery Centre at the top of Wilcox Pass and as we got closer, the weather began deteriorating. We were at the Discovery Centre because we were scheduled to go on an Ice Explorer ride on the Athabasca Glacier. By the time we had transferred to the Ice Explorer vehicle it was snowing lightly and there was a cold wind.
To get onto the glacier itself the vehicle has to negotiate a 1-in-4 hill and goes through a 'tyre wash' - a water-filled pit that cleans the tyres so that no stones or dirt get onto the glacier (which would increase the melting of the ice) - and we then slowly made our way out onto the glacier. We decided not to get out of the vehicle and amused ourselves by watching the others slipping and sliding around on the ice.
Afterwards we made our way back towards Jasper to visit the Glacier Skywalk which gives you the opportunity to stand hundreds of feet above the Sunwapta Valley with just glass between you and the rocks below. My photos don't do it justice so I've used a 'stock' photo to give you an idea what it looks like ..
It was still overcast and windy when we reached Banff at the end of the tour and checked in to our next hotel, the Elk & Avenue (so named because it is on the corner of Elk Avenue and Banff Avenue). We decided to eat at the in-house restaurant "Ricky's All-Day Grill" and our waitress introduced herself and explained it was only her second day so to bear with her if she was a bit unsure about anything. We asked what the soup of the day was and she said she thought it was (her pronunciation) Mine-Strownn .. which we worked out was Minestrone and which we ordered. Aside from the fact she was very slow to get our meal (she arrived with our soups at the same time as our main courses so we had to send them back for 5 minutes or so) the food was fine.
We headed back to our room and looked forward to the following day which promised a tour of mountains (what? - more of them I hear you ask), lakes (yep, more of them too) and waterfalls (there are lots of waterfalls!).
It was another early(ish) start as we were picked up outside the Whistler's Inn hotel at around 08:30am and there were a few more stops at various other hotels to pick up more passengers before we were properly on our way. Unlike other tours we'd been on, there were only limited stops along the way and the weather wasn't as good as on previous days, so we made the best of it we could, peering through the windows of the coach in between stops.
The first stop was Athabasca Falls - another very photogenic location and the camera and GoPro were busy again.
We gained altitude as the coach climbed towards the Icefield Discovery Centre at the top of Wilcox Pass and as we got closer, the weather began deteriorating. We were at the Discovery Centre because we were scheduled to go on an Ice Explorer ride on the Athabasca Glacier. By the time we had transferred to the Ice Explorer vehicle it was snowing lightly and there was a cold wind.
To get onto the glacier itself the vehicle has to negotiate a 1-in-4 hill and goes through a 'tyre wash' - a water-filled pit that cleans the tyres so that no stones or dirt get onto the glacier (which would increase the melting of the ice) - and we then slowly made our way out onto the glacier. We decided not to get out of the vehicle and amused ourselves by watching the others slipping and sliding around on the ice.
Afterwards we made our way back towards Jasper to visit the Glacier Skywalk which gives you the opportunity to stand hundreds of feet above the Sunwapta Valley with just glass between you and the rocks below. My photos don't do it justice so I've used a 'stock' photo to give you an idea what it looks like ..
A 'grab-all-you-can-eat' buffet lunch at the Discovery Centre and then we were on our way again with no change in the weather. Our next stop was Lake Louise and although the mountain tops were lost in clouds and mist I took what photographs I could (I didn't know at the time but we would be visiting Lake Louise the following day with much improved weather! - I'll post those photos instead in my next blog).
It was still overcast and windy when we reached Banff at the end of the tour and checked in to our next hotel, the Elk & Avenue (so named because it is on the corner of Elk Avenue and Banff Avenue). We decided to eat at the in-house restaurant "Ricky's All-Day Grill" and our waitress introduced herself and explained it was only her second day so to bear with her if she was a bit unsure about anything. We asked what the soup of the day was and she said she thought it was (her pronunciation) Mine-Strownn .. which we worked out was Minestrone and which we ordered. Aside from the fact she was very slow to get our meal (she arrived with our soups at the same time as our main courses so we had to send them back for 5 minutes or so) the food was fine.
We headed back to our room and looked forward to the following day which promised a tour of mountains (what? - more of them I hear you ask), lakes (yep, more of them too) and waterfalls (there are lots of waterfalls!).
Thursday, 26 October 2017
Thu 5/10 - a quiet day in Jasper
After a few busy days, seeing the sights in Vancouver and enjoying the 'Rocky Mountaineer' trip, we needed to re-charge our batteries before the next phase of our holiday (which promised more non-stop sightseeing) and decided what we needed was a quiet day in Jasper.
Managing to have a lie-in was a good start and being able to enjoy breakfast without any timetable to stick to was a bonus. The hotel has a wildlife museum (free to guests) so we had a wander around that. Then we headed outside and wandered down Jasper's main street, pottering around the various shops and buying presents and postcards to send to our friends. We bumped into a couple we had met on the Rocky Mountaineer trip and compared notes - they were also having a quiet day before picking up a rental car and driving to Calgary. I mentioned we would be heading for Calgary ourselves but not until Sunday and that we would be on a coach taking us to the airport for our flight to Toronto.
A bit more pottering around and then we had a coffee while we wrote out our postcards. While we were wandering around Jasper I took some more photos because in every direction you looked there were mountains ..
Managing to have a lie-in was a good start and being able to enjoy breakfast without any timetable to stick to was a bonus. The hotel has a wildlife museum (free to guests) so we had a wander around that. Then we headed outside and wandered down Jasper's main street, pottering around the various shops and buying presents and postcards to send to our friends. We bumped into a couple we had met on the Rocky Mountaineer trip and compared notes - they were also having a quiet day before picking up a rental car and driving to Calgary. I mentioned we would be heading for Calgary ourselves but not until Sunday and that we would be on a coach taking us to the airport for our flight to Toronto.
A bit more pottering around and then we had a coffee while we wrote out our postcards. While we were wandering around Jasper I took some more photos because in every direction you looked there were mountains ..
We visited the local tourist information centre to get directions to the local post office. Because Canada is celebrating 150 years in 2017 (or more correctly, the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Canadian Confederation) the local TIC employees were taking photos with a rather large red balloon. The wind wasn't helping and they had to hold it down (or at least try!) with some large stones. I have to say, watching them I thought any moment we might see a scene similar to 'The Prisoner' but with them chasing the balloon rather than the other way around ..
Some more shopping and as we knew we would be checking out early(ish) the following morning (08:20), on the way back to the hotel, we grabbed a couple of rolls from the local Subway. The hotel's in-house restaurant was an Italian-themed one and because we both liked the menu we ate there again rather than heading out into town again to find anywhere else.
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