Monday 31 May 2010
Journey Home from Vancouver
We had been keeping an eye on the volcano and two or three days before we were due to come home, it did start playing up again, but on the day we were due to travel, all was fine and we got to the airport and onto the plane without any hitches. This time it was the proper plane we were given, which had a tad more leg room than the one we flew to Canada on. However, that one plus crew, had all been arranged at the last minute, so we can’t complaint about that as at least we got our holiday (although some people DID complain!!).
The entertainment on board wasn’t brilliant however. Although we had our own mini screens in front of us, it wasn’t really all ‘on demand’ as the scheduled aircraft are, so thank goodness for tins of pear cider and the iPod!!
It was strange watching the sun set on the way home, then rising again a few minutes later in the same place – it was all very weird indeed.
On landing at Glasgow Airport there was a delay in getting through passport control – probably because about three planes landed at the same time. However, we thought that this would mean our luggage would be whirling round the carousel waiting for us – we couldn’t have been more wrong!!! Not much luggage at all to speak of, then another flight landed and their luggage came off before ours. Then we noticed people at the baggage enquiries desk being handed out forms. We were told that our luggage hadn’t been put on at Vancouver, which we thought was odd because you can’t have a full plane load of people and no luggage apart from just a few cases – honestly, there was almost a riot with hundreds of tired people just wanting to get home!! Then, came an announcement – lo and behold, they had found three containers full of our luggage!! Some dipstick of a baggage handler had obviously lost them, put them in the wrong place or had gone for his coffee break. Come back John Smeaton, the Glasgow baggage handlers need you to knock them into shape!!
The entertainment on board wasn’t brilliant however. Although we had our own mini screens in front of us, it wasn’t really all ‘on demand’ as the scheduled aircraft are, so thank goodness for tins of pear cider and the iPod!!
It was strange watching the sun set on the way home, then rising again a few minutes later in the same place – it was all very weird indeed.
On landing at Glasgow Airport there was a delay in getting through passport control – probably because about three planes landed at the same time. However, we thought that this would mean our luggage would be whirling round the carousel waiting for us – we couldn’t have been more wrong!!! Not much luggage at all to speak of, then another flight landed and their luggage came off before ours. Then we noticed people at the baggage enquiries desk being handed out forms. We were told that our luggage hadn’t been put on at Vancouver, which we thought was odd because you can’t have a full plane load of people and no luggage apart from just a few cases – honestly, there was almost a riot with hundreds of tired people just wanting to get home!! Then, came an announcement – lo and behold, they had found three containers full of our luggage!! Some dipstick of a baggage handler had obviously lost them, put them in the wrong place or had gone for his coffee break. Come back John Smeaton, the Glasgow baggage handlers need you to knock them into shape!!
We eventually got home safely, unpacked and got the washing on. I tried to stay awake as long as I could to avoid the jet lag and only had a quick hour’s catnap. I think I'm almost back to normal now – roll on the next holiday!!
Thursday 27 May 2010
Journey between Banff & Vancouver
This is another link to a slideshow of photos taken between Banff and Vancouver. Some were taken from the bus window so may appear a bit odd!!
Banff to Vancouver - May 2010
Banff to Vancouver - May 2010
Monday 24 May 2010
Photos of Banff
I am not sure if this will work or not, but this is a link to a slideshow of some photos of Banff. Fingers crossed this will work!!
Banff, Canada - May 2010
Banff, Canada - May 2010
Wednesday 19 May 2010
Last day in Vancouver
We are now back in Vancouver and virtually packed and ready to go after breakfast tomorrow morning. We got the ferry over this morning, but the weather was grey, misty and wet, so we didn't see much of the crossing this time round. It was still raining in Vancouver when we arrived so we just made our way to the shopping malls where we would be dry! The prices here however are much the same or even more expensive than the UK so we didn't buy anything. During the walk back to the hotel the sun came out and it's still shining as I type this. We have a room at the front of the hotel and I can see the sea in between some of the tall buildings and also the mountains.
We are intending going back to the Singapore restaurant tonight but we won't order as much food this time as we know what the portion sizes are like!!
We are intending going back to the Singapore restaurant tonight but we won't order as much food this time as we know what the portion sizes are like!!
Tuesday 18 May 2010
Victoria News
Yesterday when walking round Victoria we found a Scottish pub and went in for a beer then at night we found an Irish bar and went there for something to eat. Victoria is a lovely place with some super shops and a lovely harbour area. The weather yesterday was really nice and it was really warm in the afternoon. This morning the sun was still shining so after breakfast we went to Butchart Gardens, which is about a half an hour drive from here, but the bus station is just a few hundred yards away from the hotel, so we just walked there and got our tickets. The gardens were just spectacular. It's surprising how many plants are actually the same as ours and I even have some in my garden. It took us a good two hours to walk round then we had time for a bit of shopping in the gift shop before catching the bus back to Victoria, where it was time for lunch!
We went to Sam's Deli, which is the same place we had lunch yesterday - you should see the size of the sandwiches!!! After that we walked down to the harbour where we picked up a local harbour tour on a wee boat, which was just lovely. It had rained a little while we were having lunch, but it was fine by the time we had eaten. The sun even shone again, so we've been really lucky. On the way back to the hotel we spotted a local shop selling First Nation carvings so we bought a humming bird and some prints with some of our anniversary money. We're thinking of putting the rest of the money together and using it to pay for our trips that we had up in Alaska, which will help to pay the credit card bill when it arrives!!
We're just resting up in the hotel now watching a bit of the BBC world news and catching up on what the volcano is doing, but it seems that all should be well for our journey home.
We went to Sam's Deli, which is the same place we had lunch yesterday - you should see the size of the sandwiches!!! After that we walked down to the harbour where we picked up a local harbour tour on a wee boat, which was just lovely. It had rained a little while we were having lunch, but it was fine by the time we had eaten. The sun even shone again, so we've been really lucky. On the way back to the hotel we spotted a local shop selling First Nation carvings so we bought a humming bird and some prints with some of our anniversary money. We're thinking of putting the rest of the money together and using it to pay for our trips that we had up in Alaska, which will help to pay the credit card bill when it arrives!!
We're just resting up in the hotel now watching a bit of the BBC world news and catching up on what the volcano is doing, but it seems that all should be well for our journey home.
Monday 17 May 2010
Arrived in Victoria
We have arrived safely in Victoria. We left Vancouver around 9 a.m. and arrived via ferry in the early afternoon. It was a bit misty and dull on arrival but it turned into a scorching afternoon. We had a wee bit look around the shops and down at the harbour and found a Scottish pub where we had a rest and a beer. We are back at the hotel now for a rest before finding a nice place for dinner tonight.
Last night in Vancouver we found a wee Singapore restaurant - you should have seen the portions we got!!! We could have fed eight people instead of just the four of us - they were huge!! I wasn't even hungry at breakfast this morning as a result!!
Victoria seems really nice and our hotel is fairly central. We are thinking of visiting Butchart Gardens tomorrow, but that depends on the weather. It's still lovely just now so if it stays settled, we should hopefully be OK.
We are keeping an eye on the volcan situation and know that it's playing up again, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. We don't fly till Wednesday and it seems like the wind will change before then so we will just have to play it by ear.
I have free wi-fi at this hotel too so I would hope to send another message soon.
Last night in Vancouver we found a wee Singapore restaurant - you should have seen the portions we got!!! We could have fed eight people instead of just the four of us - they were huge!! I wasn't even hungry at breakfast this morning as a result!!
Victoria seems really nice and our hotel is fairly central. We are thinking of visiting Butchart Gardens tomorrow, but that depends on the weather. It's still lovely just now so if it stays settled, we should hopefully be OK.
We are keeping an eye on the volcan situation and know that it's playing up again, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. We don't fly till Wednesday and it seems like the wind will change before then so we will just have to play it by ear.
I have free wi-fi at this hotel too so I would hope to send another message soon.
Sunday 16 May 2010
Back from cruise
Hello everyone
Sorry we haven't been in touch via e-mail much, but internet access on the ship was VERY expensive so I didn't bother with it and just used texts on the phone when I could - on some parts of the journey there was no signal in any case. In general, the sailing was no problem with fairly calm seas, especially on the way back to Vancouver where some parts of the water were as smooth as glass!! I've taken literally hundreds of photos!!
The cabins on the ship were actually quite spacious with plenty of hanging space for clothes - it really was just like a 5-star hotel (but with prices to match!!). You don't spend cash on board as it's all put onto your on board account then charged to your credit card at the end o the journey - so you need to be sitting down when you get the bill!!!!
Our trips off the ship were super - except for the weather when we got to Juneau, which was the most northerly point. We went to the Mendenhall Glacier which was lovely but when we got to the rainforest garden, all we really saw there was RAIN. It was also pretty cold. However, it all changed when we got to Ketchikan the next day. They say there that it you can see Deer Mountain then it's going to rain and if you can't see it, then it's actually raining. Well, we got there in brilliant sunshine and it stayed that way all day for both our tours, which was fantastic. As Ketchikan gets a lot of rainfall in a year, we were very lucky to get sunshine, and it wasn't too cold either.
The all day sail back to Vancouver was just brilliant. The sea was calm, the scenery was stunning and the sun shone through blue skies!! After doing some washing and ironing in the launderette, we stayed up on the sun deck almost all day and we now have tanned faces and arms!! Sunbathing on the deck on an Alaskan cruise was something we never thought we'd do.
Today (Saturday) we got back into Vancouver and immediately booked a tour up into Grouse Mountain and also a suspension bridge. Both were superb - I actually walked over the bridge and back again!! On Grouse Mountain they have two grizzly bears in the wildlife sanctuary, so that was a real bonus to see.
To night we are going to have a walk to find somewhere to eat - as if we've not eaten enough on the ship already!!! The food was out of this world on board.
Well, that's me briefly caught you up on what's happening here. We are off to Victoria in the morning via the ferry. I don't know if the hotel we're at will have wi-fi or not - if not, I'll not post another message till we get back to Vancouver again.
Sorry we haven't been in touch via e-mail much, but internet access on the ship was VERY expensive so I didn't bother with it and just used texts on the phone when I could - on some parts of the journey there was no signal in any case. In general, the sailing was no problem with fairly calm seas, especially on the way back to Vancouver where some parts of the water were as smooth as glass!! I've taken literally hundreds of photos!!
The cabins on the ship were actually quite spacious with plenty of hanging space for clothes - it really was just like a 5-star hotel (but with prices to match!!). You don't spend cash on board as it's all put onto your on board account then charged to your credit card at the end o the journey - so you need to be sitting down when you get the bill!!!!
Our trips off the ship were super - except for the weather when we got to Juneau, which was the most northerly point. We went to the Mendenhall Glacier which was lovely but when we got to the rainforest garden, all we really saw there was RAIN. It was also pretty cold. However, it all changed when we got to Ketchikan the next day. They say there that it you can see Deer Mountain then it's going to rain and if you can't see it, then it's actually raining. Well, we got there in brilliant sunshine and it stayed that way all day for both our tours, which was fantastic. As Ketchikan gets a lot of rainfall in a year, we were very lucky to get sunshine, and it wasn't too cold either.
The all day sail back to Vancouver was just brilliant. The sea was calm, the scenery was stunning and the sun shone through blue skies!! After doing some washing and ironing in the launderette, we stayed up on the sun deck almost all day and we now have tanned faces and arms!! Sunbathing on the deck on an Alaskan cruise was something we never thought we'd do.
Today (Saturday) we got back into Vancouver and immediately booked a tour up into Grouse Mountain and also a suspension bridge. Both were superb - I actually walked over the bridge and back again!! On Grouse Mountain they have two grizzly bears in the wildlife sanctuary, so that was a real bonus to see.
To night we are going to have a walk to find somewhere to eat - as if we've not eaten enough on the ship already!!! The food was out of this world on board.
Well, that's me briefly caught you up on what's happening here. We are off to Victoria in the morning via the ferry. I don't know if the hotel we're at will have wi-fi or not - if not, I'll not post another message till we get back to Vancouver again.
Monday 10 May 2010
Banff
Some photos taken in Banff -one was the view from our window when we woke up on the first morning.
Another is of some nice goodies in a shop window - these toffee apples were huge, but we were very good and didn't buy any!!
And another is the main street in Banff.
Into Vancouver
Well, that's us into Vancouver now and almost ready to start the cruise. We had a lovely room up at the Fairmont in Whistler - in fact all the rooms we have had have been good and really quite large with very comfortable beds, so we've been sleeping pretty well. The weather has also held out well for us so far. Even though we've had cold and frost and snow in the Rockies, it's been fairly nice and the past few days we've had blue sky and sunshine. It's actually quite warm today here in Vancouver.
Once we checked into the hotel we went for a walk and took the small aqua ferry over to Granville Island where all the food and fruit and veg markets are. We had a walk round there and a nice lunch. However, as we've walked our socks off, we're now back at the hotel where I have free internet access, to have a rest. We're going out at 5.30 p.m. to go to the lookout tower and a walk round Gastown and maybe a meal out in Chinatown.
I think I forgot to mention that the Fairmont Hotel had left a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries for us, so that was nice of them - they were really huge fruits and just lovely!!
I am still taking loads of photos, so I hope I've managed to get some good ones. Terry spotted a black bear with its cub today, but I missed it!! We're hoping to possibly see more wildlife as we get near Alaska, but we'll just have to wait and see.
Once we checked into the hotel we went for a walk and took the small aqua ferry over to Granville Island where all the food and fruit and veg markets are. We had a walk round there and a nice lunch. However, as we've walked our socks off, we're now back at the hotel where I have free internet access, to have a rest. We're going out at 5.30 p.m. to go to the lookout tower and a walk round Gastown and maybe a meal out in Chinatown.
I think I forgot to mention that the Fairmont Hotel had left a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries for us, so that was nice of them - they were really huge fruits and just lovely!!
I am still taking loads of photos, so I hope I've managed to get some good ones. Terry spotted a black bear with its cub today, but I missed it!! We're hoping to possibly see more wildlife as we get near Alaska, but we'll just have to wait and see.
Sunday 9 May 2010
Black bear sighting!!
We are having a great time over here, but the days are beginning to merge into each other and I'm losing track of what's going on! The days are long as we're up early in the morning for breakfast then on our way in the bus, The views are really spectacular and some days we experience all seasons in one day! We had a real highlight on Friday when we saw a black bear near the highway. Unfortunately the driver couldn't stop for photos, but it was just fantastic to see.
When we got to Lake Louise, it was still frozen and covered in snow, so we didn't get to see it as you see in most photos all turquoise. It also snowed a bit when we were there but, when we got further on in the journey and stopped for lunch, it was lovely and warm and just like summer! Even today (Saturday) when we set off from Lac le Juene, it was frosty and snowing but by the time we got on the road, it cleared up and by lunchtime it was lovely. We went to see Minter Gardens and also have lunch there, which was super. Lots of the plants were the same as ours, so it was nice to be able to recognise some of them!
The hotels we have had so far have been really nice with super huge comfortable beds, so we have been sleeping quite well. We're looking forward to getting onto the boat though so we can get organised properly. We've been living out of suitcases for the past while so it'll be nice to get unpacked properly.
I don't think there's much else to tell you about for now, so I'd better sign off and think about getting to bed. We see from the news that the volcano is at it again, so it seems like we were very lucky to get here!! Fingers crossed that we get back when planned. I'll be in touch again as soon as I can get some internet access.
When we got to Lake Louise, it was still frozen and covered in snow, so we didn't get to see it as you see in most photos all turquoise. It also snowed a bit when we were there but, when we got further on in the journey and stopped for lunch, it was lovely and warm and just like summer! Even today (Saturday) when we set off from Lac le Juene, it was frosty and snowing but by the time we got on the road, it cleared up and by lunchtime it was lovely. We went to see Minter Gardens and also have lunch there, which was super. Lots of the plants were the same as ours, so it was nice to be able to recognise some of them!
The hotels we have had so far have been really nice with super huge comfortable beds, so we have been sleeping quite well. We're looking forward to getting onto the boat though so we can get organised properly. We've been living out of suitcases for the past while so it'll be nice to get unpacked properly.
I don't think there's much else to tell you about for now, so I'd better sign off and think about getting to bed. We see from the news that the volcano is at it again, so it seems like we were very lucky to get here!! Fingers crossed that we get back when planned. I'll be in touch again as soon as I can get some internet access.
Friday 7 May 2010
We got here!!!
Well, after a very long day, we eventually got here. Luckily, we just travelled to the airport in any case even though we knew it would be closed at 7 a.m. and if we'd found our holiday cancelled, we were going to head up north into the Highlands!!! Anyway, we discovered that they had put on buses to take us to Manchester - and I believe some folk saw Terry on the TV!!! There were loads of cameras covering it all. We stopped at Tebay for lunch then on to the airport but although we were due to fly at 4 p.m. there was a delay and we didn't take off till after 5p.m. It was a good flight and we were given free meals and Terry got a free orange and vodka after the stewardess spilled the one he'd bought all over him!!!
Once we landed we had to get the bus to Banff, which was another hour and a half - I slept most of the way. It was dark and murky anyway, so there was nothing to see. It was very cold though and snowing. When we got to the hotel we found the bar for a beer and by the time we got to bed we had been on the go for 27 hours!!
The next morning after a pretty good sleep we got up and found a nice place for breakfast and then we went up the gondola into the Rockies, where it was -12 degrees!! Although a bit misty, the views were amazing. Banff is a very pretty place. We're having dinner out tonight then we're up early and off to Lake Louise. I'm not sure after that how much internet access I'll get, but I'll try to be in touch as much as we can. I'm snapping photos all over the place - I'd rather take too many than not have enough!!
We intend to have a great time and hopefully will get back on time, depending on the volcano. We're trying to keep up too on the election!!
Once we landed we had to get the bus to Banff, which was another hour and a half - I slept most of the way. It was dark and murky anyway, so there was nothing to see. It was very cold though and snowing. When we got to the hotel we found the bar for a beer and by the time we got to bed we had been on the go for 27 hours!!
The next morning after a pretty good sleep we got up and found a nice place for breakfast and then we went up the gondola into the Rockies, where it was -12 degrees!! Although a bit misty, the views were amazing. Banff is a very pretty place. We're having dinner out tonight then we're up early and off to Lake Louise. I'm not sure after that how much internet access I'll get, but I'll try to be in touch as much as we can. I'm snapping photos all over the place - I'd rather take too many than not have enough!!
We intend to have a great time and hopefully will get back on time, depending on the volcano. We're trying to keep up too on the election!!
Monday 3 May 2010
Two sleeps to go!!
Well, the holiday is nearly here. Two sleeps to go then we set off early on Wednesday morning. However, the volcano seems to be playing up again, so fingers crossed that we fly out on time (or fly out at all!!)
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