The Last Leg

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29th May

What a difference a day makes, from torrential rain yesterday, we woke to glorious sunshine. We spent the day on Granville Island. Technically, it isn't an island but a man made peninsula that was home to factories, sawmills and workshops but now is full of entertainment of various types, galleries, studios, restaurants, bars and a fabulous food market selling meat, fruit, veg, cheese, bread, cake, pasta, chocs, and if you don't fancy one of the many restaurants, there are stalls selling food to go from around the world.



The view to the city is amazing and the water between is full of boat action particularly the little Aqua bus ferries that buzz around, there were loads of them, they are small and move fast. The weather was so lovely and the area buzzing, we really enjoyed it and loved just sitting watching the boats. Being Sunday it seemed to be just as popular with locals as visitors. They have a Granville Island Brewery and Col went for the sample tasting, they also have a gin distillery. We bought supplies of wine and cheese for an eat in supper.



30th May

We picked up travel passes and hopped on a few buses to see different parts of town, Sal wanted to find a particular shoe shop for her problem feet and even though the street was off the map we found it! Downside, it was Monday and they were closed 😞.



Last day in Vancouver, loved it! Not that we are planning to move but if we were this place would be up at the top of our list and the view from our hotel room really is the best and we don't think we would tire of it. Always something going on and cruise ships coming and going though yesterday, it was a Disney ship that pulled in with Mickey on the funnels and Donald Duck hanging off the back as though he was painting the ship. Their tannoy must have been really loud as we could hear it in our room and where the other ships sound bing bong before an announcement, they played when you wish upon a star, when leaving port, the ships always blast their horn and this blasted .... Yep...... When you wish upon a star!



31st May

Goodbye to our fabulous Vancouver view.

Early start and fast wake up with Stirling Moss driving our taxi through the empty streets of Vancouver, he really was shocking. Very efficient check in and we met up with a couple from the south coast who we had spent time with on the cruise and it was interesting that for the next week we were following each other.



The train was roomy and comfortable, the staff plentiful and friendly and with all the admin staff waving us off, we were on our way. The train manager gave lots of info and gave an arrival time of between 5pm and 8pm, that is how unpredictable the rail lines can be and if a two+ mile long freight train goes through, that could hold us up for ages, later, somebody on board said they counted 235 wagons plus 2 engines on the front and 2 on the back passing by us. We came to a halt after less an hour alongside the Fraser river, which is huge, full of salmon, sturgeon and hundreds of logs being floated down and stored on the river, apparently, it is more healthy for the wood to be stored in water. We had to cross a swing bridge which was open for some river traffic and then they couldn't get it closed. We were given a fabulous breakfast and they cleared it all away and we were still there, not moving. People were chatting and the carriage host started working her way through everybody asking where they came from and what brought them here, Col introduced himself as Sal's toy boy, bloody cheek. The man in front was celebrating his 60th birthday, so glad he didn't ask us to guess his age, we would have said at least 70, we hope us new 60 year olds are wearing better than him. Another very English chap from Cheltenham said he had been here for a 100th birthday party... Not mine I hasten to add he said, everyone was saying appropriate oohs and ahhs, then he added, he's dead now, died 2 days later and they couldn't quite stay long enough for the funeral.... The whole carriages erupted with laughter, he didn't really see the funny side!



So they fed us with breakfast, got the nibbles out and the booze and then announced we were going back, we would be taking a different route, so started to go backwards, then stopped, they had fixed the bridge, hooray! We went forwards and over the bridge. We started following the Fraser River, the scenery was green, green and more green, but mountains were coming into view and gradually starting to get closer and closer on one side and the river which was a muddy green on the other. The train tracks were on either side of the river, built by 2 different competing companies, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, but often single track so they all work together for much of the time, directional running they call it and trains follow each other in one direction as waiting for your turn if a train is coming the other way can take a long time with the length of these freight trains. The scenery changed constantly but mostly driving through canyons and at the confluence of the Fraser and Thomson rivers, we started to follow the Thomson, which was more blue in colour but moving just as fast and quite rocky so interest in the water but on the whole, not much to look at, the trees are close to the track and often block any views there may be and as we like clicking away on the camera, we were quite disappointed as far as the views were concerned.



We were making progress, the gin was flowing and lunch was excellent so we were quite happy to spend the day with the passing scenery in comfort, being fed and watered.



We saw a fleet of coaches, high on a mountain road alongside us which we thought was odd to see so many and when we came to another halt we learnt that these had been dispatched from Vancouver to catch us up as emergency backup because we stopped again for some time and they were worried about the time. His original 3 hour stretchy eta was being stretched. They eventually decided we would carry on with the train, the posh people in gold class get dinner on the train anyway but we don't but as it was going to be so late they were going to offer us dinner as well, God knows how they conjure up a couple of hundred meals out of nowhere but they did and they were tasty, so great for us that we didn't need to look for food once off the train (not that we should have needed to with the quantity we had during the day)when we arrived at our overnight destination Kamloops, win win for us, tiring for the crew. We were looking out for wildlife and saw quite a few eagles and osprey and their nests, we saw long horn sheep, mountain goats, deer and a beaver, sadly no bears which everyone was keen to see.



We had been given our room keys on the train, there was fresh tea and coffee waiting for us and our luggage had been delivered to our room, some poor sod has a bad back then!! We were both tired, it is amazing how tired you can be from sitting on your bum, being fed and watered as you watch the scenery go by.



As we were transferred from the train by coach, we passed a sort of medieval fight with swords and shields which seemed very odd on a Tuesday evening in Kamloops! We also passed a shop called the One Stop Love Shop, next door was the Health Clinic and beside that was the Heart and Stroke Association? Further up the road was Dr Love Shop which was advertising 20% off for seniors on Thursdays! Kamloops must be an interesting place to live!







1st June

6 years ago today we closed the business, cheers to that!!



Very efficiently we were transferred back to the train, leaving our luggage which, hopefully, will catch up with us in Jasper tonight. Same carriage, same seats, same odd bods around us, it really is strange that everywhere we go, we are the only normal people?



Again we were looked after magnificently but the scenery really was dull, we thought that perhaps our expectations had been too high or we had seen such magnificent scenery earlier on this trip and last years trip too that we were hard to impress but it seemed that most people were very disappointed. Trees are trees and we love trees but when that is all you can see for hours with tiny glimpses of a river or a bridge in between once in a while which they make a point of pointing out so,they must be desperate! We expected more and as most people were saying, all the advertising literature and you tube clips the Rocky Mountaineer put out there, certainly gives a different impression. We thought there would be great photo opportunities but there was only a small area where you could stand outside and there really wasn't much to take a photo of. Anyway, despite whinging, we enjoyed the trip very much and the service was fantastic, we would like to do the journey from Banff which sounds much better.



We checked Into our hotel and walked down the road to a little supermarket and bought the most delicious bread we have ever had, walnut and cranberry, some cheese and that was dinner sorted.



2nd June

We were suppose to have the day in Jasper but we had walked around the town and decided to see if we could hire our car a day early, which we did. We drove north out of Jasper and within 5 minutes, were saying wow with the gorgeous scenery which was already 100% better than anything we had seen on Rocky Mountaineer. Jasper sits in Jasper National Park and it is stunning, the town itself is a pretty little place, geared up for tourists and a a nice place to visit but the surrounding areas are just fabulous. Our first port of call, not quite so fab, was Walmart, yes they are in Canada too, to buy a new hold-all for our increasing bulk of luggage. Somehow, we got talking to the pharmacist who was from Rugby, been living here for 10 years, it was really interesting talking to him, particularly about his job and how much more responsibility he is allowed than in UK taking pressure of docs and saving people money. He gave us a few tips of places to go and one was where we had a good chance of bear spotting. We followed his advise and went cross eyed scanning the trees and waterside for a bear and had just about given up when a woman driving in the opposite direction, stopped us to say drive careful around the next bend there is a bear, we couldn't believe our luck. We got round the corner and there she was a black bear, but even better 2 Cubs were with her, we fumbled a couple of photos, we know it is a bear but would be hard pressed to convince anybody else!



We moved on to Mount Edith Cavel, named in her honour.



Back to Jasper for food and chose an Italian restaurant. Very nice, polite waiter who Col managed to completely confuse with his request for bread or garlic bread or bruschetta, he walked away from our table with a slightly puzzled look. Eventually the pasta arrived and he brought the Parmesan and pepper not really sure what happened next but at some point Col thought he had knocked over the pepper and as he went to grab it, elbowed the surprised waiter in the bollards and I think the waiter thought he was at best being groped and at worst being attacked, he jumped back so fast, the pepper and Parmesan went flying. Col was mortified, sal was in tears laughing...... We ate quickly.



We went up to Medicine Lake and Meligne Lake, the weather was closing in and by the time we got to the first one, Medicine Lake, we couldn't see it at all, it was raining and misty. There were another couple of Brits there who we got talking to, the rain stopped, a beautiful rainbow appeared and gradually the mist lifted and it was like someone opening the curtains to reveal this beautiful lake, the sky turned blue and reflected in the water, wow, wow, wow, it was just beautiful. The other couple had spotted an eagle sitting on its nest not far away which we could see too. We drove on to Meligne Lake where during the day you can take a trip on the lake or hire a canoe but now, early evening there wasn't a sole around and the lake was beautiful blues and greens and very peaceful. We retraced our steps to Medicine Lake and stopped for a better view of the eagles nest, only to find Mum and Dad eagle perched on the tree beside the nest, fabulous. Medicine lake still looked wonderful and gradually everyone left, it really was a magical scene and, even better, when we left, a great big grizzly (brown bear) walked across the road in front of us, not taking any notice of us at all, how wonderful is that!





3rd June



We knew we were in for a feast of fantastic sights today and we were not disappointed. We were driving the Icefields Parkway and it really is one of Canada's treasures. It is 144 miles through the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains Park which is a world heritage site covering both Jasper and Banff National Parks. It was spectacular, stunning and I think we can use the A word here, awesome! Magnificent mountains, many covered with snow, in places there had been avalanches and you could see the snow was many metres deep. The lakes filled with mountain water and various minerals made them spectacular colours of blue, green, turquoise and even copper sometimes. There was huge pine forests, sometimes clinging precariously to the side of the mountain and a huge glacier that has retreated a scary amount over the last 20 years. We loved it and we were getting in and out of the car so much as you just had to have a better look! In the end we decided to get to our destination of Lake Louise and come back the following day to see more though did some more bear spotting on the way. We got talking to the ranger at the side of the road, a bunch of cars pulling over usually means they have spotted something. The ranger was here as this bear is often at this spot and he tries to keep people at a safe distance ( at the last spot, the bear was in the bushes right beside the road and people were only about 2 yards from it, one woman laying on her belly to get 'the shot', they had no chance if that bear decided to attack. Anyway, the ranger said this particular bear was unusual because of his light colour, they think he is a boy and he is 4 years old. His mum and sister keep right out of view but he is probably a bit of a show off. We saw him again when we returned the following day when he must have just enjoyed a very muddy bath, he was in a right mucky state!



We got to our destination and had splashed out for a stay at the iconic Chateau Lake Louise, built at turn of 20th century by Canadian Pacific. It's sits on the beautiful Lake Louise, the hotel is huge and was full. Built as a destination to see the lake, they decided they needed more attractions and brought in some Swiss mountain guides who worked out routes around the mountain that enclose the lake and are still really popular today, with a couple of tea houses you can hike to but much of the hike is vertical and that is the way they get all the stock up there too! To make the Swiss guides feel more at home, they built them a Swiss chalet to live in and the valets and concierge still where funny 'Swiss' outfits today.



4th June

Like yesterday, the weather was glorious and the temperature rising. We visited nearby Moraine Lake which was beautiful, the mountains surrounding the lake, still with plenty of snow but with the sun getting warmer and looking fab on the lake, could have sat there for a long time. We retraced some of yesterday's journey back to the glacier and various other points which were all wow moments, the scenery is some of the very best we have ever seen. We arrived in Banff, our last destination. The hotel was nice but our room was tiny, we weren't used to this and you seriously couldn't put a suitcase anywhere and we had serious luggage sorting to do. The room was so small, there wasn't even room for a bedside table on one side! They were full so had to put up with it but the next day they moved us to a suite for a few dollars which was much better. We are both flagging so took a stroll around Banff which is a lovely touristy town with good coffee and cinnamon buns 😊. We had asked the park ranger where we might see a moose, he said he had only ever seen one once as they are very shy and like marshy ground and numbers are dwindling but he saw it at Vermillion lake which was 5 minutes away so off we went.



There were the usual warnings about bears but also a new worry in the area was wolves, they think people have fed them so they are coming closer and are aggressive, that kept us on our toes. The lake was not as pretty or colourful as others we had seen but they had tethered pontoons you could sit on and dangle your feet which was lovely and cooling, actually bloody freezing but it was a lovely day and getting hotter. We could see a blob on the far side of the lake and zooming in with the camera, it was a MOOSE! How excited were we, she disappeared amongst the reeds then reappeared with her BABY! That was our day made!!!



From here we drove to the interestingly named Lake Minnewanka, so many thoughts pop to your mind with that name. It was a large lake and being Sunday popular for water sports. Two Jacks and Johnson lake were nearby, all part of Banff national park and all popular for canoes, paddle boards and sunbathing. It was really pretty and we went to the supermarket for cheese bread and wine and went back and enjoyed watching the sun go down with the help of a heard of long horn sheep and a little Columbian ground squirrel who was far too tame and did every cute pose in the book to get some food but we resisted.



5th June

We took a ride up the scenic Bow Valley Parkway and went to Johnston canyon which was a fabulous walk through the canyon with water crashing along beside us, tress growing out of rocks at all angles and moss growing everywhere to give it all a bit of a fairy grotto look and then you got to the falls themselves spewing out water from Castle mountain. It was a lovely route and very cool in the canyon when the temperature by mid morning was already high 20s.



Another Grissly, a big fluffy brown bear, she must be in the same area quite often as Rangers were there, they said she was about 5 years old and about 300lbs! We saw elk and deer and loads of little chipmunks and ground squirrels and as it was nearby, couldn't resist another visit to Moraine lake.



In the evening took a bottle of wine back to Vermillion lake, sat on one of the floating pontoons with the sun going down, watching at otter swim past and toasted a magnificent or dare we say, awesome holiday.

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Photos

Grissly
On his way home for the evening

Moraine Lake
So good we went there twice

Columbian ground squirrel
Our dinner companion