Canada 22

 Ferry landed at Nanaimo and the drive to Fanny Bay where we had an Airbnb booked was longer than we had expected - even longer because we lost our internet satnav and then lost our route for a while. Eventually we found the house in a quiet place on the edge of a forest We had the whole upstairs and it was beautifully furnished and perfect for a bit of rest and recuperation. Good to be able to cook for ourselves again as well. Angie found us a lovely walk along a beach and through a quiet residential area.  There are very few cats here and Alice has been asking me to send pictures of Canadian cats - I have looked around many times without success - finally here was one and he let me take a photo. After two nights in Fanny Bay we drove towards Victoria in the South of the Island and visited the Butchart Gardens. These are a major tourist attraction - extensive gardens created on the site of a disused cement quarry by a woman called Jennie Butchart. Extraordinary profusion of c...

 We now crossed over the Yellowhead Pass into British Columbia. We were still in the Rockies for many miles on the first day to Kamloops, and the road went high into the clouds at times.  For much of the year this route is above the snow line and roads may be closed, tyre chains needed etc. We had a small scare on the first morning when a motor bike accident stopped the traffic for half an hour. No fatalities but a reminder of danger. No satnav here or internet so no one knew what was going on. Eventually we were on our way through mountains and along the North Thompson River valley. Scenery amazing. Stopped for coffee and very good ice cream at Clearwater Hungry Hikers Cafe.  The trees were healthy here - in the Jasper National Park thousands of trees have been killed by the pine beetles that have increased their range in recent years with warm winters. The sight of dead conifers has been distressing - especially so when you know it is yet another climate effect. We also...

 Well now I have tested positive we have to organise ourselves to rest and try and keep to outdoor activities. Angie able to go inside shops and we are lucky to have the car so we can see places. The first day after a morning’s rest, we drove to Maligne Canyon where the river has made a spectacular chasm in the rock over millions of years. There was a 40 minute walk down the canyon - quite busy but well worth a look. The pictures don’t really do it justice - I have video but can’t seem to upload on here. The second day we walked around the town which we liked a lot - mountains all around - not especially touristy. Got some free Covid tests and found the lesbian cafe - Coco’s with powerful coffee!  And then drove to Lake Annette where you can walk all the way round - deer in evidence - people kayaking - camping - all very chilled and beautiful. Angie managed to find tasty take away food for us as well as breakfast we could make in the motel room. Watching Borgen and Derry Girls...

 The Rocky Mountain Lodge at Sunwapta Falls is one of the very few places to stop for food or accommodation on the Ice Fields Parkway  between Lake Louise and Jasper, so during the day coaches pull in for snacks and drinks and souvenirs. Angie was still a bit breathless and tired from her Covid and I clearly have a virus too, despite negative tests.  So we slept long and read to each other from our shared novel - Elif Shafak - The island of missing trees The falls start 10 minutes walk away and continue down the river for 2 km. We went here 3 times to marvel at the force of water and majesty of this Sunwapta river.  On Tuesday morning 16th June we both tested clear of Covid. Hooray - so we set off for our postponed trip to the Colombian Ice Field and Athabasca Glacier. This is a pricey organised tour which takes people up onto the Glacier - the only way we could consider experiencing it. The guides drove specially designed vehicles with massive wheels. They described...

 After a lovely few days in Banff we moved north to Lake Louise to stay for 2 days. It was here that we discovered that I had Covid…. Luckily where we were staying was like a motel, with doors from the open so we weren’t in a corridor or inside before entering. Rachel had tested negative, I took to my bed! On the way we’d visited Moraine lake, still frozen late into the year. I stayed in the room feeling a bit rough, while Rachel managed to explore the local area, the village and surrounding areas. We’d been warned about local bears so she didn’t go into the forest, but the wonderful rivers continue to bring joy… A couple of days later, on Sunday 12th June, I was feeling a lot better and a test hardly showed positive, so we decided to move on to Sunwapta Falls. Here there was no Internet access, so remote and high in the  mountains - this was hard to adjust to! We’d visited Lake Louise on the way, an absolutely stunning place where the water is an unbelievable blue and swallow...

 We left Ottawa on Tuesday 7th, on to Calgary - our luggage decided to stay a bit longer in Ottawa. We collected a car at the airport and drove to Banff with promises that our suitcases would arrive the next day.  We’d decided to stay there for a few days to explore the area. The wide Bow River is a beautiful feature of the town, seen from the bridge below. We walked along the river to Bow Falls, more a long rapid, but dramatic and powerful. While we were in Banff we also visited the ‘Cave and Basin’, an area used for millennia by the First Nation people to meet. We had a guide explaining the history of the area and the discovery of this place by 3 railway workers as the area was being opened up by the train. They believed they would become rich by opening a hotel here as there is a hot spring. Below Rachel is re enacting the discovery… This eventually became the first of Canada’s National Parks, only later with the acknowledgement that the land is an important part of the Fir...

 Belinda is one of Angie’s cousins and she lives in Quebec - across the Ottawa River from Ottawa City. All the family attend schools and workplaces in Ottawa so there is a lot of coming and going across the bridge! We were originally going to stay with Belinda and visit the family weekend cottage in Gatineau Forest Park - but Belinda tested positive for Covid on the day before we left the UK so we stayed in Ottawa instead but managed two socially distanced evenings with the family in their lovely home. Belinda is married to Andre and they have twins Nick and Tim age 16 and Marcus age 8.  On Monday after school and work - Marcus Andre and Belinda took us into the Gatineau National Park for a walk round Pink Lake. Beautiful woodland where we saw deer and little chipmunks. Six months of the year there is snow and they get around the forest on cross country skis. Belinda works for the Federal Government on Climate Change so we had some interesting chats about the political system....

  Well it has been an eventful 3 days. The plane was held on the runway at Gatwick for 2 hours because the shortage of baggage handlers meant that no bags had been loaded. This after a very smooth journey on the train from Nottingham.  We then worried about missing our connection from Toronto to Ottawa but that plane was delayed for 3 hours so we caught it easily even though we encountered horrendous security and passport queues on arrival in Toronto! Taxi to the hotel, Best Western on Carling Avenue, delightful taxi driver and hotel reception - followed by spacious comfortable room with cooking facilities - supermarket across the road - so we can eat here if we want to. 5 hour time difference so both very tired - straight to bed… I woke early and felt excited - couldn’t wait to get on the Wi-Fi and plan our first day in Ottawa. Angie a bit slower, has developed a cold. This is what we eventually did: Bought supplies for breakfasts made our first meal in the room.  Angie ...

 Gosh - we just thought we’d got everything organised when we heard that our host, cousin Belinda, has tested positive for Covid! Really sorry for Belinda and her family after recent dramas: storm damage, power failure and exams…. Hope you are soon recovering  Thanks to the internet we have found somewhere to stay in Ottawa and we arrive tomorrow evening. Taxi coming at 5.40 so long day ahead …