Friday April 29th

My alarm went off at 2:30am, and I jumped onto my laptop to watch the official live streaming of the royal wedding. The coverage started with the arrival of the 'normal' guests like Posh and David Beckham (Posh looked gorgeous!!) - you know it's a VIP guest list when those two are the 'normal' guests! Of course, the moment we were all waiting for was the first glimpse of the dress, and wasn't it gorgeous! Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton really stole the show for me - both were absolutely gorgeous. Maybe I'll take up British citizenship and aim to be the next princess with Harry :-)


I went back to sleep shortly before 6am and caught a few more hours of sleep before waking at 9am. The boys looked like zombies after their big night - Alan was absolutely hysterical, only able to take baby steps and looking identical to a zombie! We all managed to make it down  to breakfast before it closed at 10am, where I gave everyone an update on the royal wedding. Then it was time to pack and check-out, ready for our next destination: Calgary.

Calgary was only 127kms from Banff, and within an hour we were on the outskirts of the city. It was really unlike any city I've been to. It covers a massive area with very low density housing, considering it's a city of 1.2 million people. The city itself is very industrial and boring. Luke and I were trying to put our finger on exactly what was missing - unlike most cities of the world, it doesn't have a pool of water or large park as a centrepiece of the CBD. It's also missing greenery, with trees unable to grow well giving the cold climate; and is dominated by ugly concrete buildings, headquarters of gas/oil/energy companies. (Seriously, even 2nd office is for an energy company, with the industry dominating the province).

Whilst in the car we used a brochure and the phone to scour accommodation options, eventually deciding n the Ramada Downtown. We checked in and then headed out for lunch, a simple baguette at a coffee shop nearby. Then it was time to farewell Alan. He was heading out to stay with his family for the night before making his way back to Whistler for the summer season. This also left us car-less for a few days, until we picked up the rental car on Sunday.

Luke and Amanda headed back to the hotel whilst I decided to check out the CBD. Using my finely-tuned shopping radar, I found the mall within minutes, and spent a few hours perusing H&M, The Bay, and Holt Renfrew. I spent half an hour alone looking at socks in The Bay, buying a few funky pairs of anklets to wear with heels.  I could have spent soo much money, but I was good - we will be at West Edmonton Mall in a week after all, with 800+ stores to choose from!

We were all exhausted in the evening, after the last night (or early start, in my case), so ordered room service for dinner and did our laundry. Doing laundry is an effort when travelling, but also very rewarding - it's so nice to have clean clothes, especially when you only have a few oufits to choose from everyday, and all of mine were dirty!

Thursday April 28th

This morning I was insistent on finally hiring a mountain bike and going for a ride. I left the others at the hotel at about 10:30 and walked into the village to the bike hire store. The lady there gave me a trail map and recommended a few good rides, so I put on my helmet, hopped on the bike, and started riding.

Riding a bike on the road was a good headstart for driving in Canada, as it got me familiar with driving on the right hand side of the road. I didn't stay too long in town though, heading out to Vermillion Lakes as had been recommended to me. The trails weren't in any condition to ride on, being still covered in snow, so I kept on the (empty) road for the 5.7km ride out. It was beautiful - icy lakes against a back-drop of snow-capped mountains.


Next, I decided to ride to the other side of town and over the bridge, first turning right and riding past the museum, which was constructed from sharpened logs. I started to head towards the hot springs when it was started snowing. These weren't the normal snowflakes which fell delicately like works of art; this was more like being pelted with heavy bean-bag balls! It was almost painful to be riding around in the snow, but after taking refuge in a tunnel for awhile I decided to continue on - hey, it's another experience, right?


This time I headed down to the Bow Falls, a small waterfall and rapids system with an outlook of the Fairmont Banff Springs. I must have looked so idiotic to all the tourists who had pulled up in their fancy cars, chauffered from the Fairmont to take a snap from the warmth of their car. I was dirty and saturated, riding a bike out in a snowstorm in a jumper and thermals, taking photos of the waterfalls. Stupid Australian!!


After a couple of hours riding, I returned the bike and spent an hour shopping in town. A few people commented on my attire - "Have you been riding a bike?", I was asked. I purchased a new travel towel (a luxurious material that I hadn't found in Australia) and a few souvenir items, including a Canadian Rockies snowdome and an inukshuk pendant (inukshuks are believed to keep you safe on your travels - something I need!). On my way to get some lunch, I ran into the others so we grabbed some Subway for lunch before returning to the hotel.


The others decided to go to the hot springs, but not being a water baby I stayed and watched The Social Network on my laptop instead, and caught up on my blogs. Once they'd returned and showered, we headed out to Boston Pizza for dinner and to watch the Canucks match. I headed home after the second period of the hockey, as I needed to get some sleep before my 2:30am wake-up call to watch the royal wedding. The others continued on for a few hours, and then the boys continued on even longer at the nearby hostel, coming in shortly before I woke up the next morning.

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.  

Tuesday April 26th

After enjoying the buffet breakfast, which we were happy to find included eggs and waffles, we decided to go for a walk. There was a trail to the top of Tunnel Mountain that was supposed to be quite easy, and which provided a spectacular view of the city from the top, so we headed there. As the others were walking quite slowly, I whipped ahead. I was very glad to have worn my snow boots, with the path extremely muddy and snowy.


The uphill trail proved quite difficult near the top, but the hike was well worth it, being rewarded with magnificent 270 degree view of Banff, including views of both the city and the Fairmont Banff Springs. The Fairmont estate was huge - much bigger than the Chateau at Lake Louise.

The hike down was more difficult than the hike to the top - the black ice made it very slippery in places. At the bottom, Alan and I headed to the nearby Sally Borland Recreation Centre, which was part of the 'Banff Centre', seemingly a corporate University like campus, encompassing theatres, accommodations, and lecture halls. The recreation centre was amazing - a basketball court; indoor running track; squash and badminton facilities; as well as a pool and new weights room. At only $10 for a day pass, Alan and I agreed we would be back the next day to try it out.

Re-joining Amanda and Luke at the bottom of the trail, we headed into the village for lunch. The Japanese restaurant we wanted to eat at was closed, so we ended up at the Chinese restaurant next door. Then it was back to the hotel for a bit of R&R, including watching the Montreal Canadiens (yes, that is the correct spelling!) vs Boston.


A win by the Canadiens had us in fine spirits for an evening out. Amanda and I both dressed up in our Aritzia outfits and headed, along with the boys, to the Irish Pub to watch the Canucks and have dinner. The Canucks were playing in the 7th and final match of their series against Chicago, and it was a must-win match for them to move into the next round of the play-offs.

With the Canucks ahead 1-0 after the first-period, we decided to move onto the Pump and Tap, a local pub recommended by the Aussie maintenance man at the hotel, for a better view of the match. The pub featured 10 flavours of vodka at only $2.99 a drink, and Luke had challenged Amanda to sample them all. Whilst she didn't get through them all (I was extremely lame, only having one drink), we did manage to cheer the Canucks to a 2-1 victory in over-time after some very nail-biting minutes!!

Monday April 25th

Happy ANZAC Day! It's important for me to celebrate ANZAC Day with Mark being in the Army (and shortly to be deployed again), so after breakfast we sat in the hostel room and watched a Youtube clip that contained the Last Post etc. I'd spent ages the night before trying to find the 'perfect' clip that incorporated everything that normally went into an ANZAC Day tribute, and we actually ended up watching a clip from the AFL ANZAC Day match! Tim Tams and Aussie Flag tattoos contribued to our Aussie pride as well.

Our destination today was Banff, which was only 57km away and took less than 45 minutes to arrive at. As normal, the first order of business was to secure accommodation. We had looked on the internet the night before and compiled a 'top 3' list. We had realised that it pays not to book accommodation in advance. For example, booking a room for 4 through Travelocity might cost $99, but then the site charges $25 for the extra 2 people + tax, which makes the total expensive. If we turned up at the hotel instead, they would normally give us a cheaper price than advertised online, and waive the additional guests fee.

Working for the government, Luke has a '3 quotes' policy, so we looked at a few hotels to compare prices and facilities. We ended up staying at the Best Western again - about a five minute walk from the centre of Banff, and with free breakfast.


We headed out for a walk, in the direction of Tim Horton's - for which we had excitedly been told had recently opened in Banff. 'Tim's' is an institution in Canada, known for it's cheap coffee and donuts, and it's round the clock hours. Even more exciting for Amanda and I was the discovery of a 'Cold Stone Creamery' - a rip-off of Cold Rock Ice-Creamery in Australia. It was too early for lunch but not for a snack, so Amanda and I enjoyed ice-cream - mine being mint chocolate ice-cream with brownie pieces and chocolate chips - yum!


The others decided to walk back to the hotel, but I was keen to explore the town - we'd only just arrived! I spent about two hours walking the streets of Banff and checking out the stores. It was amazing - bigger than Whistler, and more set out as a town, rather than the hidden enclaves which made up Whistler. I could definitely have done a season here!

Back at the hotel, the boys headed down to the hot tubs whilst Amanda and I stayed in, playing on the internet. As we'd skipped lunch in favour of ice-cream, we were hungry early, so we headed into town at 6pm. It was pouring and cold, so we headed straight for the Old Spaghetti Factory as it was the closest restaurant to us. They have an amazing deal where for $12.95 you get a main (sorry, 'entree' in Canada - very confusing!) and salad or soup, dessert, and unlimited bread. Amanda, Luke and I all ordered lasagna, which consisted mainly of cheese - way to much cheese for one person to ever consume. Luke even wrote a comment on the comment card telling them to ease up on the cheese!

We were considering watching a movie at the cinema in town but decided to pay for an in-room movie instead. What a waste of $11.99 - it was one of the worst movies I've ever seen, seemingly dragging on for ever!

Sunday April 24th

Easter Sunday!! I know the Easter Bunny has already visited me back in Australia ... and I cannot wait to eat Aussie chocolate again ... but he also made a small pitstop and Lake Louise, leaving a small Easter egg for the four of us.

We were keen on going to the Easter Egg hunt at 9am, but in the lobby there were only little kids, and it felt wrong to be challenging them for chocolate so we opted out of it. Breakfast instead at the hostel's cafe - French toast for me, yum!

I was keen on finding a mountain bike and cycle out to the Fairmont Chateau, but the others chose to walk instead. I stayed in the room for a few hours, enjoying the luxury of time by myself - not something I've had much of when I've shared a room for the last six months, and have been travelling with 3 others for the past week. At about 1pm I decided to head out, stopping in at the local sports store to hike a bike.


Alas, I was two weeks too early to hire a bike, so I had to walk instead. We'd been told that the hike was about 4km each way and on a 'good' path. Knowing what a Canadian 'good' meant, I wisely wore my snow boots, and was extremely glad I did when the path turned out to be snow-covered the whole way! It was quite steep in parts as well, and I kept looking over my shoulder for signs of bears or deer.


The Fairmont was an astonishing sight. Lake Louise, on which it rested, was iced over. Tourists were ignoring the 'thin ice' sign, walking all the way across the lake to take photos, with either the Rockies as the backdrop facing north; or the majestic Chateau to the south.


After a few happy snaps, I headed inside the Chateau, exploring the shops that littered the ground floor. There was even a Christmas store - a surprisingly common sight in all of the Canadian towns we'd visited so far!! The 24 hour gourmet deli was also located on the floor, which is where I headed for lunch. My Easter Sunday lunch (which was supposed to be a brunch at the Fairmont, but at $59 + tax we had ruled it out) ended up being a vegan butternut squash soup and chocolate cake.


I took a different path on the way back to the hostel called 'The Tramline'. All was going well until the very end, when there didn't seem to be an obvious way to get off the path and onto the road. I started to walk to my left, but ended up sinking in snow up to my waist. I was a little panicked at this stage - all alone on the path, and who knows how deep the snow was? I decided to tackle the massive snowheap directly in front of me, as it seemed the quickest way out. Fortunately I was able to 'leap it', and made my way back to the hostel safely.


Wanting some quiet time in the hostel, I headed upstairs to the 'lounge' room and watched 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' - Russell Brand is hysterical!! Just before I left Whistler I'd copied a heap of movies from Kat's computer, so I'd have plenty to watch  whilst on the road.

Dinner was again at our 'local' (the hostel's cafe), before retiring to our room for blogging/surfing/reading.

Saturday 23rd April

I awoke before the others, sneaking downstairs to watch a replay of the Crows match through liveafl.tv. I logged on, and the first video that was shown to me was titled, "Crows lose by one goal". I was sooooooooooo annoyed - this was a website aimed at people living overseas, who couldn't watch the matches live - why would you title the video with the result??

After another breakfast of rolled oats and milo, we packed up and checked out of our luxurious accommodation. After a few pit-stops in town, we were on the road. Today's drive would be an amazing one, along the Icefields Parkway. This road, between Jasper and Banff, is regarded as one of the most scenic drives in the world. The road is flanked by one snow-capped mountain after another, and just when you thought you've seen all the Rockies has to offer a new sight takes your breathe away.

We pulled over a number of times to take photos and make snow angels, before we reached the Columbian Icefields. This was one of my must-dos in Canada. Rugging up in all our cold weather gear, we went to purchase tickets for the one hour twenty minute tour. We were so lucky to score tickets for free, as Alan knew a guy working behind the desk - although we were a bit afraid he got in trouble for it, as a manager came running after us, asking to see our tickets.

After a quick cafeteria lunch, we boarded our 1:30pm bus and then swapped buses for exploring the glacie. Basically, the tour is a drive onto the Athabasca Glacier, a glacier that is as thick as the Eiffel Tower is tall. What an amazing experience - even the bus is cool, as it's specially built for driving on the Glacier and only used in two other places in the world: the Antarctic and some oil fields in Canada. These buses can drive on the most severe gradients in the world, with inclines of up to 32 degrees.

Needless to say, the glacier was gorgeous and freezing. We spent about 15 minutes outside in the cold taking photos before heading back into the bus and then back into the car for another's drive, arriving into Lake Louise.

The initial plan was for us to drive to Banff that day, but accommodation in Banff for that night was scarce and expensive, as it was Easter Saturday, so we'd decided to make an overnight pitstop in Lake Louise instead, booking into the youth hostel for the night. The hostel was amazing - we had the dorm to ourselves, staying in a loft room which had a double bed in the loft upstairs. The cafe was also recommended by the Lonely Planet as one of the best places to eat in town, and we ended up eating there for almost all our meals!!


Once we'd checked in - all famished - we went for a walk to check out the town. Um - town was too strong a word - there was a 'mall', which consisted of 5 shops  - and that was it. Not even a main street. We ended up walking back to the hostel and eating there, as it was the best choice!