What we did on our holidays

Calgary was great. It's a cool and modern city, with plenty of spectacular views of parks and rivers and shiny skyscrapers. We were staying in a somewhat disconcerting stuffed-full-of-soft-toys B&B, a short walk from Kensington. Our room was called The Wind in the Willows, which, given Darrell's excessive gas problem, was rather too apt for my liking. We slowly became convinced that the everytime we looked, another soft toy had been squashed into the room and that we would wake up one night with a stuffed moose crouching over us with a butcher's knife.

We were sure that we'd seen a big observation tower when we'd driven into the city, so on our first day there, we decided to look for it. Now, this is a sodding great big tower, with a red observation deck, so you'd think that it wouldn't be hard to track down. You'd be wrong. No matter where we looked, it remained elusive until we finally decided to do the sensible thing and ask a woman covered in tattoos in an information booth at Eau Claire market (while we ate enormous ice creams. Well, when in Rome). She gave us directions that seemed to take us a) back to where we'd started over the other side of town completely and b) nowhere near any tower that we could see. Then suddenly, as we rounded the last corner, lo and behold we discovered that the bastard tower had been somehow hiding behind every other tall building in the area. I swear to god it's like a stealth building, you'd never know it was there until you were underneath it. We hopped across the road with excitement and glee only to find it had been closed an hour earlier for a private function. Bugger.

Somehow we ended up in a bar. And somehow I ended up drunk. I'm not prepared to discuss the details, but let's just say 2 shandies and I'm anyone's, it would seem.

The next day we got up and had our (non-negotiable 8am) breakfast of pancakes and fruit and headed back to the tower. Our journey into the city first took us past the totally fabulous Crave, which is a somewhat legendary cup cake shop, with queues right out of the door. We bought an assorted half a dozen and went and sat by the river to have a little nibble. Okay, okay, stuff our faces. Then we found the tower and went up, which was well worth the wait. I particularly liked the glass floored bit which made your stomach turn over. Then we went to the Devonian gardens, which is a garden on the 4th floor of a shopping mall where we lazed, read tourist brochures and played with bubblegum. Oh and I bought some rather lovely ski boots, which are silver, so I was very happy and I'm set up for the season now, with my borrowed ski clothes from Megan. Now I just have to get heaters built into them because I understand that -30 degrees tends to feel really quite chilly.

Finally we headed back to the B&B to get changed for dinner and a movie (those of you who know me well know that I normally refuse to use the word 'movie' back home, in favour of the more proper English word 'film' but I'm having to relax the rules a bit out here). A quick taco/fajita combo and then we went back to Eau Claire to watch Superbad, which was Supergood. A leisurely walk back through the city and park, where we saw giant rabbits (at least I think they were rabbits, I'm still getting used to the wildlife out here. Today we saw a squashed porcupine at the side of the road. I mean, come on, what's wrong with the humble hedgehog?) and a photo session on the bridge which saw me produce this little beauty.

We checked out of serial killer heaven the next morning and got back in the car for the drive to Banff. We could see the Rockies in the distance but I'm not sure anything quite prepares you for seeing them up close for the first time. They are so bloody spectacular and I did end up taking a large amount of pictures, though not as many as Daz because I was driving and he will take pictures of anything that moves - or doesn't move - anyway.

We checked into our log cabin (with jacuzzi!) and headed out to check out the town where I'll be spending the winter. I think I lucked out. It's a nice size town, lots of shops so I won't feel claustrophobic. I've earmarked a couple of places I'd quite like to work, including a very cool little sweet shop right in the centre of town, but I'll start the job hunt in earnest in a couple of weeks when I get back there. Preferably I'll get somewhere which gives me a ski pass, which is, after all, what it's all about. So for now, we were just browsing. We walked down to the Bow River and ate ribs at Tony Roma's. Next day we headed over to the Banff Gondolas, which take you up Sulphur Mountain (which is also, by some extraordinary coincidence, my nickname for Darrell after spending so much time in an enclosed space with him). We headed up the mountain to be battered by the wind, throw snowballs at each other and say 'Oh my god, this is just so beautiful. It looks like a backdrop. I can't believe it's real' ad nauseum. Then, when we were good and cold, we took the gondola back down to visit the Banff Hot Springs, which was just gorgeous. When Darrell finally sends me that picture of me in my bond girl bikini (Primark, £5) with the mountains behind me, I'll be sure to pass it on to you, I promise.

Big burger for lunch before walking it off on the Bow River trail down to the Bow River falls, then back for a quick jacuzzi. Well, you would, wouldn't you?

Next morning we checked out to drive along the Icefields Parkway towards Jasper, which lived up to its name. Unfortunately this also meant that it was too rainy/snowy/foggy/misty to see any of the sodding mountains along the way until we were right on top of them, but the weather can be forgiven because, as you can see, the snow made Darrell so darn happy. We got to Jasper and thought we'd try to find our hotel, which claimed to be 'near Jasper'. Hmmm. In fact it was nearly an hour's drive away in Hicksville, sorry Hinton. Damn these Canadians and their screwy perception of distance. That's like saying you should stay in a hotel in Basingstoke because it's 'near' London! (which fortunately for those of us in London, it isn't. Phew.)

We couldn't face driving all the way back to Jasper the next day (and anyway, I'd already been there for 40 minutes when our train stopped there on the way from Vancouver to Edmonton, so I'd pretty much done that) so instead we drove the 250kms or so back to Megan & Craig's and Darrell got ready for his flight to Vancouver that afternoon where he's spending the next week or so. Apparently it's very cold and wet there at the moment. Haha. Megan & I will be heading up to her parent's cabin tomorrow for a couple of days in the hope of seeing some Aurora Borealis (which is my dearest wish to see!) so fingers crossed for me. Naturally if I do, you'll be the first with the pictures.

More pics from the road trip here.

Road trip

Darrell & I have hired a car and hit the road with a couple of rucksacks* and a guitar.

We're currently in Calgary, which is gorgeous, but I can't upload my pictures just now as I don't have my laptop with me. We're here for a couple of days, then off to Banff for a couple of nights in a log cabin before heading up to Jasper to (hopefully) do some white water rafting before the season finishes. I will no doubt blog about it properly when we return, including pictures of the (slightly scary) B&B we're currently staying in. Quick preview: lots of soft toys. LOTS.

*Well, a small suitcase and a holdall - we are in our thirties you know.

A disgrace to the sisterhood

I'm sorry, I really am. I realise that what I'm about to tell you might mean I have to hand in my membership to Womenhood United but I've been officially outshopped by a man.

Omigod but Darrell can shop. The other day we went to the West Edmonton Mall (until 2004 the largest shopping mall in world) and spent 12 hours there. Man but it is BIG. To be fair, as well as going in most (but not all!) of the shops, we also had lunch (chinese) and dinner (ribs), went to the cinema (saw Shoot 'Em Up and it is baaaaaaaaaaad), watched a sealion show, went bowling (I whooped Darrell's ass so that's one back for the girls), though we didn't have time to go to the waterpark with waterslides (and hadn't brought our cozzies so might have got arrested for indecency if we'd tried), nor did we have time to go to the theme park (yes really) or see the aquarium. But for the main bulk of the day, we did go into a million different shops. By the end, I was to be found sat on the man chairs moaning quietly and rubbing my tired legs, while Darrell zoomed round like a whirling dervish saying "Come on now, if you sit down you'll never want to get up. Let's pick up the pace!" In subsequent days he has continued this trend by spending a small fortune on hoodies, computer games and - most importantly, a very nice new guitar. Pretty much the full extent of my shopping up till now has been the garment you can see me modelling above, which they call a vest over here, but clearly it is actually a bodywarmer. And green to boot. Oh and I bought some underwear. My god I'm going crazy!

Today we're just chilling out, eating left over Mexican food - those burritos are gooood but they are filling - and playing Guitar Hero, which I wasn't bad at on the easy level but now we're using four fingers I find I'm struggling to keep up with the guitar meister...

New photos here and here.

Catching up a bit

It’s been so great seeing Megan again but we’ve been so busy, I haven’t had a chance to blog, so sorry aboot (Canadian pronunciation) that. I’m typing this on word as I’m on the train between Vancouver & Edmonton and shall upload it as soon I get near an internet connection. I’ll give you a brief rundown of the past few days:

On 11th Sept, Megan & I checked into the HI hostel in Jericho Beach, where we had a private room, and went for dinner at the Galley Patio Bar which was cheap and cheerful but with a stunning view of the sun going down over the beach, mountains and cityscape (and yes, we did raise a toast to what would have been my 8th wedding anniversary). The following day we went on a couple of recommendations to Lynn Canyon, where we had a great mini-hike in the forest, sat for ages looking at the glacial water running through the valley and had a picnic (but not in the forest – here you gotta be BEAR AWARE!). We had dinner at a 24hr vegetarian fusion restaurant called Naam. We’re sooooo Vancouver. Next day we
drove up Highway 99 to Whistler, where the 2010 Winter Olympics is being held. As you can see, in the race to the shopping I won gold, but to be fair, Megan was a worthy runner up. The weather, it has to be said, has been stunning and we were sweltering, which was not what I expected the first time I visited a ski resort but there you go. Life’s like that, as some wise Canadian woman once said. I think it was Avril Lavigne. Later that evening we headed down to W4th (I speaka da lingo) to find some dinner and discovered our new favourite restaurant in the whole world, Fish, where we had food so good we couldn’t speak. We did make a lot of mmmmm noises though and nodded a lot too. I had the blackened trout with lemon butter and fries. Then a hop over to Capers for a lemon tart, pecan pie and coffee for dessert, next to a couple of anorexic girls talking about their treatment programme, which made us appreciate our puddings even more.

Breakfast on 14th Sept was taken at Sophie’s Cosmic Café where we enjoyed the crazy crap on the walls muchly. We did a spot of shopping, returned our rental car and headed over to the train station to pick up the VIA rail train through the Rockies to Megan’s hometown of Edmonton. As I write, we’re a few short hours away from our destination (the journey is 23 hours in total). A few observations from our journey so far are as follows:

The Rockies, as the name might suggest, rock
Mountain sheep can proffer the most disdainful expression.
Bears can be hard to spot, even when someone tries to point them out to you.
I don’t think moose actually exist. A clever marketing ploy on the part of the Canadians, I’m guessing. At least, I’ve not seen any, which is almost conclusive.
Buffalo, however, do exist and are big.
Bright sunshine without a cloud in the sky is definitely the best way to see this all.
Bring snacks when you're going on a 23 hr train journey.
Glacial water is very blue and, allegedly, very cold.
Washing and dressing in a tiny bathroom is easier than I might previously have thought.
Sleeping across two reclining seats is not.
Canada is very big and very beautiful indeed.

When we arrive in Edmonton, we will have two lovely boys waiting for us. Craig, Megan’s fiancé, and Darrell, who flew in from London yesterday for a month long visit and whom I cannot wait to see. They met up this morning and have been out buying ‘essentials’ (i.e. beer), and will be taking us out for dinner on our arrival. Life is good.

No longer alone...

Whilst I don't have too much to report from yesterday (I took a break from walking and did very little except have a MAMMOTH session on MSN Messenger), I'm very excited today because although I'm checking out of my lovely guest house (boo), Megan is flying in this afternoon to stay with me at a hostel on Jericho Beach (hurray!) Can't wait to see her. She'll be here in Vancouver with me for a few days before we head back to Edmonton by train on Friday. It's a 23 hour journey through the Rockies - supposed to be spectacular. I'm sure I'll tell you all about it.

I have decided that although there are definitely positives to travelling alone - you can go where you want when you want, don't have to justify it to anyone, can stay as long as you want and bail out if you're bored without explanation - I have found the lack of someone to say 'Oh wow, look at that!' to rather isolating. I'm a sociable creature by nature and, although I've chatted to a few people, a few possibly against their will, I think I'd prefer to share my experiences with someone. I am, of course, therefore delighted that, as well as spending the next month with Megan and her fiancé Craig, Darrell is flying out at the end of this week to bum around for a month in Edmonton with me. We will probably hire a car and do a bit of a mini-Rockies tour and Megan plans to take us up to her parents' cabin which is somewhere on a lake, where we hope very much to see the Northern Lights. Oh I just can't wait.

In other news, I've had an allergic reaction to something - no idea what - and have swollen and numb lips. Thank goodness I've not had to do any kissing this week.

Canadian wildlife

I had such a lovely day today. I went for a walk down Robson (that's Robson STREET for all my English readers) and ended up at Stanley Park, where I saw 2 raccoons! Never seen any before that I'm aware of, so I was pleasantly and probably rather ridiculously amused by them. It reminded me of an Australian girl I once knew, by the name of Arri. I was driving along with her and saw a squashed hedgehog at the side of the road, to which I said 'Awwww', or words to that effect. She asked me what I was awwwwing about, so I said I'd seen a dead hedgehog, to which she burst out laughing. Hardly an appropriate response, as pointed out. It turns out she assumed I was joking because, as everyone knew, hedgehogs don't actually exist, they are merely creatures created by, and for, cartoons and children's stories. She refused to believe my vigorous assertion that they did in fact exist, and as I couldn't ever find another hedgehog to show her, I'm pretty sure she returned to Oz still thinking I was making it all up. At least I'll now believe in raccoons.

I then visited the Vancouver Aquarium, which I'm pleased to report is excellent, and I was beyond delighted to finally see the world-famous Vancouver sea otters that have been paraded about so often on popbitch. The beluga whales were beautifully graceful, the sea lion enormous, and I must admit to being rather pleased with some of the pictures I took of the jellyfish. I love jellyfish. I want some as pets. Is that allowed? As is customary in these places, I had to exit through the gift shop, where I managed, against the odds, to convince myself I didn't actually want a soft-toy jellyfish or a sea otter backpack.

Night vision

I just dragged my sorry arse back up the Harbour Centre tower to see the view of Vancouver at night. The ticket is an all day thing and they say it's worth seeing at night too, so even though I wanted to just slob out and go to bed early (really? Me?) I thought no, you've come this far, you've got to see all there is to see.

I'm pretty glad I did.

Getting the hang of it all

Well the good news is, I do feel like I'm settling in a bit now. Today, someone approached me and asked me where Seymour and Davie was. Now, once upon a time, in the not-too-dim and distant past, I'd have wondered who Seymour and Davie were and why I should know what they were up to. But now, quick as a flash, I replied "One or two blocks down and one block over". Oh yes. If I hadn't said it in my self-consciously plummy English voice, he'd have thought I was a native, of that I've no doubt.

One thing I do need to tackle though, is my fear of small change. Let me explain. Notes, I can do. They're colourful on the whole and have the numbers written clearly on them, so I have no problem handing them over as though I've been doing it all my life. The coins, however, imbibe me with a sense of apprehension. I go to buy a coke and look into my [overfull with change after all the note usage] purse, but without taking each coin out individually, peering at it this way and that in the available light to see the value hidden somewhere within the decoration and, let's face it, looking like a numpty in the process, I can't just throw the correct change the cashier's way. The other thing that drives me mad is that uniquely North American thing of not including the tax (VAT equivalent) in the advertised price, most of the time anyway. So you go to buy something for $2.99, with $3 clutched in your sweaty palm, and the woman behind the till says "That's $3.24" (or whatever the rate is - I haven't worked it out and with my limited grasp of maths, probably never will). But then the next time you go to buy something that costs, say, $1.35, you deliberately go up with something approaching $2 just in case, and then they say "That's $1.35 please". I just don't bloody get it.

This morning I went to the Granville Island market, which was very pleasant - the food market was fab. I bought some Golden Raspberries, which are just like normal raspberries but they aren't red. Strange. But delicious. I wandered round for ages, bought some sourdough bread (yum) and then hopped on a ferry over to the main part of Vancouver again, got lost (happens to me alot but it's okay, I get where I want to be eventually) then headed over to the Harbour Centre, which has some spectacular views, which you can see in my updated photo album here. In order to get up to the viewing gallery, you go up a glass-fronted lift on the outside of the building, which ascends at one story per second. After contemplating the wisdom of this for a few seconds, I turned to the two older American women I was sharing the lift with and said "This probably isn't the moment to mention Towering Inferno, is it?" Apparently, it wasn't.

It is really Stanley's Park, isn't it?

My first lot of photos is up and you can find them here, or via my facebook account if you prefer. I went for a cycle round Stanley Park today on a slightly ridiculous pink cruiser (okay, okay, I loved it) - had set off with a load of other BUNACers but lost them in the first 5 minutes, which in fact gave me the opportunity to do it my way. Which, incidentally, involved a lot of grunting and stopping for rests. Had been planning to go out and be sociable this evening but am so bloody knackered now that I'm thinking instead of, oh, I don't know, staying in, reading my book and then going to bed. Again. I'm really so bloody predictable.

I've also got a Canadian sim card and phone number now - email me if you want me to send it to you so you can text me on occasion if you fancy - and can you believe that over here you get charged for receiving calls, as well as making them? Talk about a licence to print money!

I'm now settled into the Urban Hideaway, where I have a double room with a view of the garden all to myself, which feels like the ultimate luxury after the 4 bedded bunk-up of last night. I've spent the afternoon exploring the shops and even went to the cinema to see Sicko, the new Michael Moore film which features - much to my huge excitement - my very own Queen Charlotte's hospital and my fellow midwives Darrell Brooks & Becky Lupton! Whilst the NHS and the Canadian healthcare system are praised for their open door policies, the film provides a damning report on the American health insurance scandal which I watched open-mouthed, even finding myself crying on 3 occasions. A sharp reminder of why I never want to live in the US.

There's a pub meet tonight with all my fellow BUNACers, which I feel I should attend in order to be sociable but a) I'm still pretty tired and would rather have an early night and b) fully expect them all to be out to get trollied, which as you know, is not my bag. Maybe I'll just join them for a quick soft drink out of politeness and then take refuge in my grandmother-of-the-group status and head home for a cup of something warm and comforting. From coke to cocoa in 2 easy steps.

Busy bee

One of my room mates found out how old I am this morning. Her reaction was a picture and no mistake. I'm amazed she didn't ask me if I still had all my own teeth...

Got a busy day lined up as I've got to run for breakfast now, then to a briefing about getting a Social Insurance Number (like an NI number) so I can work here, then moving from the hostel to this guest house, then might get time to do some exploring!

Canada, eh?

After months and months of talking about (sorry, aboot) coming to Canada, I'm not sure why it's taken me so much by surprise that I'm actually here. All my many leaving do's have been lovely, great to catch up with everyone I could before I came out here, but clearly I have been very deeply in denial about, well, everything I think.

For a start, my fellow BUNAC travellers are nearly all considerably younger than me, so I already feel like their mother. The drive from the airport into town (in a yellow school bus!) was a surreal experience because I kept seeing unfamiliar things and thinking 'Oh my God I'm in Canada. I'm actually IN Canada. I'm in bloody Canada. And what's more, I'm going to be here for a really long time'. I'm normally a cool and confident traveller but am feeling distinctly odd and lost out here on my own. At least it's not long till Megan flies out from Edmonton to come and visit me!

I'm staying tonight in a (slightly musty smelling) hostel in a room with 3 of the rest of the BUNAC gang - though I'm so bloody tired I don't think the smell or company will bother me much - who are all going out for drinks and food roundabout now, but I think I'm just going to head off to bed. Did I say mother? Make that grandmother. I have already had a quick wander round Davie Village, where the hostel is located, which appears to be Vancouver's equivalent of Old Compton Street. Lots of rainbows. Lots of sex shops. Then I found this coffee shop which had free wireless internet so I rushed back to get my laptop to have a quick blog for your delight and pleasure...

Right, now I'm just too tired to write any more just now. It's only 9.15pm here, but it's 5.15 tomorrow morning in my head. Anyway, rest assured I made it here safe and sound and haven't managed to do anything stupid yet. There's still plenty of time for that.

I'm a free agent...

...because I have one of these. It's super cool, 120Gbs, fits in the palm of your hand and weighs as much as bar of dairy milk.

Mmmm. Chocolate. On that note, my friend Guy gave me a kilo of Dairy Milk as a going away present, on the condition I ate it all before I left.

3 days left. No sweat.