Sunday June 28th
Spent a pleasant day in Vancouver, in the morning took the bus to English Bay and walked through the eastern side of Stanley Park to the Totem Poles. Lovely warm day with a blue sky. Stanley Park is a great community asset and Vancouverians were out in force. With all the unit towers nearby it was no wonder. There are parallel walking and riding paths around the shoreline and the latter is so busy with bike-riders and skaters that it is one way only. Picnic lunch and then back to the hotel to checkout. Decided we had walked far enough for one day so caught the ferry to North Vancouver and spent a couple of hours soaking up the sun enjoying a drink. Went to Gastown for dinner to discover it was the site of the Vancouver Jazz festival. Quite a different place to Friday evening. Had trouble finding some where to eat and ended up at the same restaurant as Friday where we again enjoyed a pleasant meal.
Arrived at the rail station in plenty of time and waited on the patio (for “upper class” passengers) being entertained by a pianist/mouth accordionist/ saxophonist/singer.
The train was a bit of a shock, dated and the room cramped, not what Michele expected after the Ghan and certainly not like the Rocky Mountaineer. However we soon got used to it and had a good night’s sleep.
Monday June 29th
Once we settled in we found that the train was OK, in fact really good. Today was the day through the Rockies (we missed the Fraser River gorge during the night). The scenery was certainly spectacular, and the day bright and clear, much different to our previous trip. The only partly obscured view was Mt Robson, the top of which was in the clouds. Some snow on the higher slopes and picturesque mountains all around.
The food is good and the views from the dome car excellent. The only problem is that for some reason the dome car is cold, which Michele finds hard to take.
“Seen the future here and it does not look rosey”
Plenty of “oldies” on the train, probably including us. Emphasises the need to stay fit and think young.
Having made that observation, the people on the train are overall a good lot and friendly, I guess that the type who make train journeys are generally like that.
Getting used to dusk at about 10pm and generally light to 11-11.30.
We are able to get off the train a couple of times a day, today at Bluewater, Jasper and tonight at 11 at Edmonton where the station is in the goods yards at the edge of town so you get no idea of what the place is really like.
The train is very long, some 20 coaches, and ours is second from the end. This is good as the last car is the Park Car with a lounge at the back and a dome up top. Even though the train is fairly full there never seems to be a problem getting a seat in either section.
Tuesday June 30th
Slept well again and enjoyed leisurely breakfast. Today will be slower in pace if not train speed as we go across the prairies, flat green farming land, with few and far between small settlements, until we reach Winnipeg in the early evening where we have a 3 hour break.
Now at Winnipeg awaiting a crew change after a restful day crossing the prairies. The scenery changed a little but generally was rolling plains with small depressions, except for a section where a valley had been carved out by glaciers. Even then the valley was probably less than 50m below the general topography. The other variation was scrub which was more prevalent in some areas than others.
Walked around here for an hour or so but could not find the centre, just office blocks, hotels and car parking lots. Coffee in a chain restaurant half way across the river (very fast flowing).
Leave in about ½ an hour 11.30pm local time. Blog again from Toronto.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday 27th June
A somewhat relaxing if not totally lazy day. As might be expected slept in a little and had a late breakfast at a coffee shop and then spent several delightful hours at Granville Island. Granville island is one of those redeveloped former port sites which has become a mixed food craft and art market all with permanent premises, with a few restaurants, pubs and bistros. On Saturdays it appears to be very popular with locals and tourists alike, the sun was shining, and we really enjoyed the experience.
Dinner at a very respectable and pricey steak house where Michele instructed them on the making of an affagato. We were next to the pianist who over-heard this and asked if we were Australian. He also was and It turned out that as apparently Canadians did not know of affagato’s and he on previous occasions had tried to instruct them on its delights and therefore his ears had pricked up. He played a couple of Peter Allen tunes to mark the occasion. The instructions must have been spot on as the result was determined first class by she who should know.
The evening finished with a fire alarm, which turned out to be a false one and fortunately the announcement came just as we were about (or aboot as they pronounce it here) to lock our selves in the fire stairs, 16 stories up. It would have been a long walk down!
One of the real features in Vancouver this time of the year at least is the hanging baskets full of colourful perennials hanging in pairs from almost every light pole and complemented by others on buildings and also planter boxes in front of some shops and private houses. Everybody seems to join in on the concept and the overall effect is quite spectacular. At least we think so.
A somewhat relaxing if not totally lazy day. As might be expected slept in a little and had a late breakfast at a coffee shop and then spent several delightful hours at Granville Island. Granville island is one of those redeveloped former port sites which has become a mixed food craft and art market all with permanent premises, with a few restaurants, pubs and bistros. On Saturdays it appears to be very popular with locals and tourists alike, the sun was shining, and we really enjoyed the experience.
Dinner at a very respectable and pricey steak house where Michele instructed them on the making of an affagato. We were next to the pianist who over-heard this and asked if we were Australian. He also was and It turned out that as apparently Canadians did not know of affagato’s and he on previous occasions had tried to instruct them on its delights and therefore his ears had pricked up. He played a couple of Peter Allen tunes to mark the occasion. The instructions must have been spot on as the result was determined first class by she who should know.
The evening finished with a fire alarm, which turned out to be a false one and fortunately the announcement came just as we were about (or aboot as they pronounce it here) to lock our selves in the fire stairs, 16 stories up. It would have been a long walk down!
One of the real features in Vancouver this time of the year at least is the hanging baskets full of colourful perennials hanging in pairs from almost every light pole and complemented by others on buildings and also planter boxes in front of some shops and private houses. Everybody seems to join in on the concept and the overall effect is quite spectacular. At least we think so.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday July 26th.
Well we are underway and currently (as I write) between Tokyo and Vancouver. Left pretty early this morning (Friday) and only realized when on the plane that we had overlooked wishing Daniel happy birthday, hope you got the text message from Tokyo Daniel.
Michele’s travel anxiety lasted as long as the first glass of champagne (if not the first then the second). This came early as lunch was served at 10.30 for reasons unknown, at least to us.
Suffice to sat that Michele settled in really quickly to the pointy end of the plane and I suspect cattle for overseas might be a thing of the the past. Real SKI material, sorry Aerlyn.
Update
Still Friday here, just in from an early dinner in Gastown. Michele is still besotted by the steam clock. The rest of the flight was uneventful and we got some good sleep in after we left Tokyo. Arrived OK and as the business section was only about 30% full, amongst the first off. My bag was the first off, yippee, and then Michele’s came, 20 minutes later. So much for priority baggage! The hotel is quite nice (Metropolitan) and right in the centre of town. Spent the arvo on Robson Street (those who have been here will understand the attraction, in one word shops), and the early evening in Gastown.
Will be early to bed tonight, however although tired not all that jetlagged.
.
Well we are underway and currently (as I write) between Tokyo and Vancouver. Left pretty early this morning (Friday) and only realized when on the plane that we had overlooked wishing Daniel happy birthday, hope you got the text message from Tokyo Daniel.
Michele’s travel anxiety lasted as long as the first glass of champagne (if not the first then the second). This came early as lunch was served at 10.30 for reasons unknown, at least to us.
Suffice to sat that Michele settled in really quickly to the pointy end of the plane and I suspect cattle for overseas might be a thing of the the past. Real SKI material, sorry Aerlyn.
Update
Still Friday here, just in from an early dinner in Gastown. Michele is still besotted by the steam clock. The rest of the flight was uneventful and we got some good sleep in after we left Tokyo. Arrived OK and as the business section was only about 30% full, amongst the first off. My bag was the first off, yippee, and then Michele’s came, 20 minutes later. So much for priority baggage! The hotel is quite nice (Metropolitan) and right in the centre of town. Spent the arvo on Robson Street (those who have been here will understand the attraction, in one word shops), and the early evening in Gastown.
Will be early to bed tonight, however although tired not all that jetlagged.
.
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