Friday, July 24, 2026

Published Friday, July 24, 2026 by The Adventures Of Howard And Mary with 0 comment

Vancouver, Toronto and Home - Tuesday July 21st 2026.

Our train from Jasper got into Vancouver about 12 30pm on Tuesday. We got a cab to the Air BnB and chilled for a bit. About 5ish we set out to meet Harry (Sally's sister Izzy's boyfriend) in the 33 Acres Brewery. It was raining a bit so we bought a brolly on the way. Nice brewery, reminded me of the Green Goddess in Blackheath. There was a mariachi band playing but I couldn't really count it as a gig. Harry gave us a few recommendations and told us of an Afghan restaurant called Zarak nearby so we headed there afterwards. We went for the fixed price option where they chose the food and it was all excellent. Unfortunately M had a bit of a coughing fit for some reason. Got a cab back and it was the only time on the trip we experienced bad service as for some reason the driver insisted we got out a couple of hundred metres from the place and it was raining heavily. On Friday morning we headed into Gas Town, a new trendy area just round the corner. The area we were in was a little bit dodgy with quite a few addicts wandering about.

The star attraction of Gas Town is the steam clock.

Every 15 mins it does some Big Ben like chimes.

We walked to the harbour area.

Then we got a bus to Granville Island where there is a market.

There were street performers doing their stuff.

We then got a boat out to the Maritime Museum.

There were some great models.

The start attraction though was an old RCMP ship called St. Roch that you could go on board. It was the first ship to travel the NW Passage west to east and on the return the first to do it in one season. It had also been though the Panama Canal making it the first ship to circumnavigate North America. Very interesting, so much so that I didn't take any pictures.

We had thought about hiring bikes and cycling round Stanley Park but we ran out if time. We found a beach quite nearby where there was lots of activity going on and we had a paddle in the Pacific.

The place has a bit of a Hong Kong feel about it.

Lots of big ships waiting to dock but the picture doesn't really show it.

Got the bus back. In the evening went for a couple if pints in the Local Public Eatery in Gas Town followed by really good French meal at Petrichor. I had extremely cheesy french onion soup,

followed by bouef bourguignon and creme brulee.

Got an Uber to the airport on Saurday morning to get our flight back to Toronto.

Very interesting flying over the Rockies. Saw a forest fire.

Then all of a sudden it got very flat.

The plane had a couple of cameras

and I followed the route on the map.

This is between Medicine Hat snd Maple Beach. After the flatlands we flew over the Great Lakes. Got a limo to Warren and Mary Ellen's and had a Thai takeaway then chatted outside on raccoon watch. It was a bit smokey from forest fires in northern Ontario but had been much worse. The smoke has cleared on Sunday. We went to the Local (Local Public Eatery) to watch the world cup final.

It was very busy and noisy. Most people were supporting Spain and they won 1 0 AET. Argentina were very defensive. Good beer, nibbles and food. Had out last raccoon watch in the garden but very quiet. M did a last bit of shopping on Monday morning whilst I packed. Warren and Mary Ellen drove us to the airport.

Some random things I liked.

The trucks, all the cabs are very individual. Unfortunately only this snap.

The low baths so it's easy to get in the shower.

The big light switches.

Warren had a sensor in his car that automatically dealt with tolls on the local road system. They also had a fast lane for cars with multiple occupants. The flight back was pretty good. It got in a bit early and the bags arrived quickly so we managed to get our taxi at 7 instead of 8. Got home just in time to see Madeline and Owen on their way to nursery. We didn't sleep on the plane.

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Saturday, July 18, 2026

Published Saturday, July 18, 2026 by The Adventures Of Howard And Mary with 0 comment

The Rockies - Thursday July 16th 2026

We got a taxi to the airport on Saturday morning to pick up a hire car. The driver was from Bangladesh. The one who brought us out to the hotel was from Somalia, such a lot of different nationalities here. There was a massive queue at the Avis desk so it took about an hour in the end. We needed to get to Lake Louise and find a bar so we could watch the England v Norway quater final by 3pm. It was a straightforward and picturesque drive. We passed a train at one point that must have been about a mile long made up of trucks carrying 2 tiers of containers and just pulled by 2 relatively small diesels. We were too early to check in when we got there but the receptionist told us were we could park up and where to watch the football. A small bar upstairs in the shopping mall.

We didn't play particularly well and they had a second goal disallowed by VAR for a foul but we won 2 1. Quite a good atmosphere in the end. We then checked in and I had a reasonable pizza and M pasta in one of the hotel restaurants. Not a bad view.

We saw some small animals that we thought were chipmunks but I think they were actually gophers.

The next day we walked to the actual lake. About 2 miles uphill.

Unfortunately we weren't the only ones there.

It got quieter the further we got from the carpark.

We walked to the end and this time we did find some chipmunks.

There's no path on the other side so we back tracked and then walked back to our hotel. Not this one.

About 8.5 miles. Chilled for bit then went for an early evening drink followed by dinner. A bison burger for me and salmon for M then an early night after all that walking. On Monday we checked out after a hearty breakfast and headed up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. An amazing drive with lots of opportunities to stop for photos.

Sadly there were wild fires in the area near Jasper a couple of years ago and the area hasn't recovered yet.

Jasper is a very small town and was very busy but most people are staying out of town so the happy hours are from 9 or 10pm until close. It was too early to check in to the Astoria Hotel so we had a look round and had a pint in the Jasper Brewing Company. I was watching a freight train loaded with coal go past and it more or less took the time it took me to drink my pint. The shop fronts are false.

Chilled out a bit after we'd checked in and then went out to eat at a greekosh restaurant. The flambéd in brandy at your table saganaki was very good and spectacular. I had a good steak as I hadn't had one out here yet and M had fish. All good but they don't know how to do a Greek salad. We didn't finish our wine in the restaurant so they discretely put it in a bag for us.

Afterwards we went for a walk and another freight train pulled in. Quite short by their standards.

There was a totem pole

and there was some info about the indigenous nations including this.

You can't really make it out but there's lettering on the sphere and there was something similar on a bison sculpture in the library in Calagary. The letters are words from different languages.

Something they do in Canada at large performances is reference the fact that the land belonged to the indigenous people. On Tuesday morning we got the Skytram almost to the top of a mountain called Whistlers. Breathtaking views.

There was snow (apparently it had snowed up there 2 days previously).

We also saw a friendly marmot.

Afterwards we handed in the hire car at the station and I checked on the train for the next day as there had been reports of a cancellation. The chap said it may be delayed but to turn up at check in time as normal. Then we went to the Jasper Brewing Company for lunch and to watch Spain beat France 2 0 in the first world cup semi final. Then back to the hotel to chill after watching another freight train amble by.

A good start to the evening, we went on a historical walking tour of the town. We then retired to the D'ed Dog bar next to the hotel to watch live music provided by Coltin. He was singing and playing acoustic guitar accompanied by Dave on bass. Doing mainly country covers but they did play Wonderwall. We were supposed to get the overnight train to Vancouver at 9 30 on Wednesday morning but it was delayed which meant we got to watch the England v Argentina semi final in the Jasper Brewing Company.

Unfortunately after going ahead we sat back and them come at us so list 2 1. The train arrived about 5 30 pm in the end but we didn't board until 6 45. It qas a long train. 2 locomotives and 20 coaches.

We had 2 berths which were double seats that converted into beds.

We went to the activity car prior to dinner.

Met the two women in the next berth to us at dinner. Lu lu and Beth from Nashville Tennessee. Lu Lu asked if we new anything about Luton as that was her maiden name. Small world. Very good lamb chops for dinner. We went to the high class bar at the end of the train but we weren't allowed to go upstairs. They sliwed the train down to see Pyramid Falls.