Wednesday 27th April

It took us a few hours to get going this morning, but we eventually made it up to the Sally Borland Recreation Centre, where we enjoyed a game of badminton. I've never played before, but picked it up quickly, teaming up with Luke in our doubles match. We didn't keep score - we might have just been out-played by Amanda and Alan - but was it good fun.


We had to rush back to the hotel to shower and get changed, as we were joining a tour of the Fairmont Banff Springs at 3pm. As the snow started to fall, we parked the car and rushed inside to join the hotel's historian, who had worked at the hotel for 49 years.

After a 15 minute presentation talking about the history of the hotel, we started exploring the hotel, taking in ballrooms that had hosted everything from UN meetings to weddings. It wasn't just the size and extravagance of the hotel that contributed to its fairytale status, but the history behind it. Everywhere we walked, the historian had another story about a party that had taken place; or a celebrity/royal/politician that had stayed at the hotel  (everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Wayne Gretzky and King George VI.

The creme de la creme of the afternoon was a tour of the presidential suite. Taking a private glass elevator to the 12th floor, the suite took up the whole floor, with the lift opening straight onto a foyer that lead to the front door. Inside, the suite consisted of 9 rooms, including a master suite and lounge room with grand piano. Truth be told, the suite was a little disappointing - understated elegance and size rather than obvious luxuriness.

Wrapping up the tour, our eccentric (possibly drunk - he almost stumbled upon everyone in the tour) tour guide snapped photos of us on the balcony of the presidential suite, before we made our way back to the lobby of the hotel and back to the car. (Ok, I might admit - I did have a look in the numerous shops on the ground floor, but am proud to say I didn't purchase anything.)

Game 7 in the Montreal vs Boston series was on when we returned to the hotel, so Alan was glued to the TV for the next few hours whilst the rest of us went into town for dinner. I spent some time walking around before calling into Tim Horton's for a quick dinner, then returned to change and head back out to the gym for a session with Alan. 1 1/4 hours of weights and 15 minutes on the indoor running track later, it was time for bed.