Alba

Today, Nozomi and I finally met Kazuki and Yuri's dog, Alba. We stopped by at Yuri's mothers house on the way back from the onsen. Alba is very cute, and being only a few months old, very energetic! Her fur is very short, so doggy clothes are required to keep warm in the winter. (It is very nippy here at the moment). Recently, she has been spending a lot of time under the kotatzu where she has been licking at Yuri's father's feet. (A kotatsu is a type of table with a heated blanket under which you put your legs). Alba has her own blog, where you can follow her daily life and adventures.

Onsen Adventure

Yesterday, we went to an onsen (spa) called Sujiyu with Yuri and Kazuki. We stopped at a ryokan called Shugetsu. It started snowing almost as soon as we left Yame, and by the time we hit the mountain roads, it was settling. Eventually, the car refused to budge and despite three of us pushing, Kazuki-san's car was not going anywhere. Time to break out the snow-chains!
昨日百合ちゃんとかずきさんと筋湯と言う温泉に行って秀月と言う旅館に泊まった。八女をでたらしばらくして雪が降り始めて、山の道に着いた時には、車はすべりはじめちゃった。三人で車を押したのにぜんぜんすすまなくなっちゃった。でも良かった。チェーンを持ってきたかずきさんと百合ちゃんのおかげで助かったんだ。

Thanks to Kazuki-san's heroic driving, we finally made it safely to the onsen resort. What a place! With the snow, it was especially beautiful. Each guest room has its own private onsen and it was an amazing experience to sit in a lovely hot bath, whilst snow was drifting (or occasionally wind-blasted) through the wooden slats of the window shutters. The only problem was getting out! There is a badger like creature in Japan called Tanuki. Amongst other things, these creatures are alleged to be mischief makers, causing strange things to happen. I am sure that each time Nozomi and I tried to get out of the onsen, a tanuki created a blast of snowy wind to send us both diving back under the water..

In the evening we shared a delicious meal together, which as with most Japanese food, not only tasted great, but was presented very artfully. After the meal I felt absolutely shattered (having developed a cold on top of the jet-lag), but after a couple of beers I regained some energy and rejoined the party (in spirit as well as body). We spent a very pleasant evening chatting with Yuri and Kazuki whilst enjoying the New Year variety shows on TV. Slept very well, so it would seem that my prayer was answered at Takatsuka-Jizou, a temple we visited on the way to the onsen.



Our thanks to Yuri and Kazuki for a fantastic trip. o-sewa ni narimashita.

Izakaya

This evening, we went to an Izakaya called Umeya with Kaori and met up with Yumiko, and Hiroko for some more drinking and snacks. Very nice. Izakaya are brilliant. Table service, with lots of delicious snacks to choose from and a really relaxing convivial atmosphere.

Yamada Denki

Wow. I just received a marvelous birthday present from Nozomi's family. They took us to an electrical retailer called Yamada Denki and bought me an iPod! It's one of the new iPod minis. Japanese electrical retailers are a sight to behold. Vast floorspace is given over to TVs, PCs and every other gadget or electrical item you might want. They make Currys and Comet look very shabby by comparison. As you might expect in Japan, the customer service is beyond compare. You actually feel like a wanted customer rather than a hinderance. Right, I am off to play with my new toy.

minna-san makoto ni arigatou gozaimashita. (Thank you very much).

Yame

We left the hotel at around 8AM to catch our flight to Fukuoka from where caught the bus to Yame (Nozomi's home-town). Nozomi's dad met us at the bus stand and we set off for a spot of lunch at one of Nozomi's favourite restaurants for a tasty burger. Then it was back to Nozomi's parent's house in Yame. It was great to see everyone again. My Japanese comprehension was a bit better than the last time we visited, although I have still got a long way to go to understand the Kyuushuu dialect with ease. (Imagine a Cornish or Glaswegian accent for a non-native English speaker and you get the idea!) In the evening we were treated to yakiniku by Nozomi's parents at a local restaurant where we met two of Nozomi's cousins, Na-chan and Miki-chan. We had a very relaxing evening, and the food was absolutely divine. The nama beer was very good too :-)

Yame is an interesting place, which is probably typical of rural Japan. Houses, farmland, shops and retail parks are not really separated as they are in the UK. Thus you can walk from say your front door, past a local small holding where crops are being grown, and then on to a huge retail store within the space of a few minutes. Houses are of all shapes, ages and sizes and there is not the bland uniformity seen in so many housing estates in the UK. There also seem to be a lot more Ma-and-Pop type shops, and whilst lots of chain stores do exist, there is much more local variety when shopping or eating out. It's very hickledy-pickledy (in a good way). For me, this is much preferable to a typical British town layout where the main shops and farmland are generally much removed from the places where people actually live and wherever you go all the shops and restaurants are the same.

Tokyo (Akihabara)

We arrived at Tokyo Narita at about 11AM. Immigration control took some time because of a recent law requiring all gaijin (non-Japanese) to be fingerprinted and photographed upon arrival. Then we caught a bus and a taxi to the Washington hotel in Akihabara. I had a shower, then we went for a quick walk around this amazing district, which is full of electrical goods retailers and tea-rooms called "maido kissa" which are part of Akihabara's Otaku culture. (See piccie above).

We were knackered after the long flight so after a quick bowl of delicious ramen, we went back to the hotel for a nap. In the evening we met our friends Chiaki, Teruhiko and Yoshimi for an evening in an Izakaya where we enjoyed plenty of beer and food. Wasn't sure about the kyuri-tempura (cucumber tempura), but the sashimi was delicious. It was great to see everyone again after more than a year.

Farewell from Canada

So here, we are in the airport lounge awaiting our flight. Vancouver International Airport absolutely puts Heathrow to shame, being spacious, clean and all together civilized. Security took a mere 10 minutes to clear, despite everyone being thoroughly checked with the magic wand. The aiport lounge also boasts complimentary internet access. Sadly, the weather was not on our side again today, being all together damp and dreary. We spent the morning in the aquarium in Stanley Park (from where the picture was taken). Then it was a quick lunch back at the ramen shop and then the right to the aiport. Being my last entry from Canada, I thought I would do a quick list of my observations during our stay here (in no particular order).

The Good

The scenery

Icefields Parkway (drive of a lifetime)

The steaks

The availability, cheapness and quality of Japanese food

Driving in the mountains without another car in sight.

Kokenee beer

The people

The Bad

Portion sizes can be huge

The Ugly

Some hotels charge for internet access. Cheeky buggers.

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So, I will leave you with one final photo of Bow Lake.

On Cloud Nine

We had a bit of a lazy day today. We started off with breakfast at a Ma and Pop greasy spoon. Very tasty food, but the service was a bit relaxed. Afterwards. we did a bit of shopping on Robson St. I came within a whisker of buying a new iPod Nano, but managed to control myself (for now). Then it was back to the hotel for a nap and a bit of a doss about. Cloud Nine is the name of the rotating restaurant at the top of our hotel and it is something of a Vancouver landmark. Today is our last full day in Canada so we decided to splash out for our last dinner. The view of the city was amazing from up there. We got there at about sunset and spent the next couple of hours enjoying the city's panorama. I recommend the tasty (if pricey) Surf 'n Turf. The B.C Merlot wasn't bad either.

Stanley Park

Today we spent the morning and early afternoon walking around Stanley Park.This huge area of green space is a few minutes walk from downtown and our hotel. We had sunny skies, although the air temperature was somewhat cool in the shade. We started from the English Bay Beach side and enjoyed several hours of strolling around the park. The picture on the left is a rock sculpture that somebody built down on the beach. Sadly, my own effort was somewhat less impressive and its pictorial evidence shall remain in my private collection. I am not generally a "city person", but Stanley Park helps to give Vancouver something that makes this city special. The views across the bay are amazing and there is always something to look at be it a sea-plane taking off, a cruise ship sailing to or from Canada Place, or even the industrial activity of the docks. The people watching is similarly fascinating, with all manner of joggers, walkers, skaters, cyclists, etc. passing by. We watched an old guy fishing. Out of four casts, he managed to hook something three times. One of the catches got away before he could land it, but he landed a 2lb fish and a side-plate sized crab during the ten minutes or so we were watching him. He tossed the crab back in, but the fish he added to the already half filled net bag containing his previous catches. I guess that's his supper sorted for the next week or so.

Lions Gate Bridge
After our leisurely walk, we headed back to Robson St and stopped off for some lunch at a Ramen shop. I had the opportunity to practice my Japanese with the waitress, who swiftly recovered from the surprise in being spoken to by me in Japanese and served us some delicious Ramen and Yakisoba.

Gastown

Overslept this morning. Perhaps it was the wine.. Anyway, after a rushed breakfast at the hotel we hit Highway 99 for the 130Km or so run down to Vancouver. This route takes in some spectacular views of the Pacific of which we got plenty of time to enjoy thanks to the construction along the way. It seems that much of the road is being upgraded, with lots of rock blasting and general construction going on. This is in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics which Vancouver is hosting. After checking in to the Empire Landmark Hotel and dropping the car off, we had some Dim Sum for lunch (very nice!). Then we went for a walk around the city. Unfortunately, the weather had turned. It was generally grey and drizzly. We managed to have a wander around Gastown. This is the old part of the city and its main highlight is the Steam Clock (pictured), and its statue of "Gassy Jack". The clock is quite a cool contraption which sounds off the hours with steam whistles. We then headed for Canada Place. This is a huge, conference center and dock for cruise ships shaped like a huge cruise ship. It rightfully boasts some great views across the bay, with sea-planes and all manner of ships coming and going. By this time, we were feeling knackered and a bit damp, so we headed back to the hotel. I hit the gym for 45 minutes or so, whilst the Mrs had a nap. Then we set off for some dinner at a Greek restaurant up the road. Food was great, and the place had the genuine taverna feel about it. (Right down to the plastic garden furniture for tables and chairs!). Our hotel is based on Robson St which is a great location, having lots of restaurants, and being within easy walking distance of the major landmarks. We are both astonished at the cheapness of sushi here! We pay about £25 for sushi when we treat ourselves at home. This gets us a small amount of toro, salmon, etc. If we spent that much here, we could feed about 8 people!

Whistler

Wow! What a room! We somehow managed to get our room upgraded at the Pan Pacific Hotel and have landed with an enormous suite! It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a huge open plan kitchen-diner-lounge. Whistler Village is a bustling place, with lots of restaurants, bars and gift shops. This Whistle stop (get it?) was mostly as a research mission for future skiing trips. I have been informed by the Mrs that we WILL be coming again. (Who am I to complain? ;-)) We got some take out sushi and a bottle of wine and are currenty enjoying our spacious surroundings.

Highway 99 to Whistler

The drive to Whistler took us the best part of the day, as we of course, took plenty of stops to take pictures and stretch our legs. It was a proper mountain drive, with steep snaking roads, stopping areas for trucks to check their breaks, and "Runaway" slopes for vehicles whose breaks are not working too well! Runaway slopes are basically short, but very steep uphill tracks positioned on the downslope on which a "runaway" can divert to and presumably (via gravity) stop should the need arise. Some of these slopes looked a little on the short side however, and I had visions of articulated lorries doing Evil Kanevil style leaps off the mountain as the "runaway" slope turns into a take-off ramp!

One of the Joffre Lakes
We passed through the small town of Lillooete, where we took a welcome toilet break in the town museum(!) The museum contained some impressively mounted stuffed animal heads and other relics from the town's history. Of particular note, were some photographs of Japanese WWII internees. These folk had their homes confiscated and sold, and were effectively imprisoned in this isolated town for the duration of the war for the simple fact that they were Japanese. The photos showed various scenes of social events (baseball etc.) and normal life, but one can't help but imagine the effect of losing one's home just because of your country of origin. Anyway, I digress. Onwards towards Jasper, we stopped at the Joffre Lakes. We almost didn't stop there as the journey was taking longer than expected (due to our many stops), but we are oh so glad we did. The water has an amazing color and translucence that is absolutely stunning as you can see from the picture above.

Beatlejuice

We left Kamloops, heading for Whistler, at about 10am. At one beauty spot I had a chat with a group of Dutch tourists who were travelling in an RV Camper van. Yesterday we had passed a vast swathe of dead and dying pine forest. They told me that it was caused by Pine Beatles that usually die off during the winter, or when there are forest fires. In just three years, this beetle has devastated vast swathes of the pine forests in and around Kamloops. Nobody knows if it will stop spreading, but milder winters are likely to lead to more deforestation caused by this beatle. As you can see from the photo, the effect on the trees is quite devastating, leaving vast tracks of dead wood. Perhaps nature will rebalance if these woods are allowed to burn. Only time will tell.

Mount Robson and Kamloops

Moose Lake
Started the car this morning to be greeted with another warning sign on the dashboard. Fortunately, this time it was only the tyre pressure and after a quick puff of air we were on our way to Kamloops via Mount Robson (the tallest mountain in the Rockies). We stopped along the way to take in the Overlander Falls trail and Moose Lake (pictured). Today's weather was cloudy with some rain so the summit of Mount Robson was obscured from view. Nevertheless, the 450km (280 miles) drive to Kamloops was very enjoyable as we left the high mountain passes for the lower valleys and foothills. It is amazing to have so much roadspace. For most of the journey only one or two cars were visible either in the rear view mirror or in front of us. Indeed for much of the route, we didn't see any other cars at all. I am pretty sure you can't do that in England at any time of the day or night, and this was a Sunday afternoon in one of the most picturesque places in the world! Go figure. Much of the journey was spent paralleling the Fraser River which afforded some spectacular views at various points. We arrived at Kamloops at around 5pm and spent the evening in the hotel's sports bar, where we had some delicious pork ribs and pizza followed by a few rounds of pool. Blog is a bit short today, as I am feeling a bit tired from the long drive. (As well as a touch tipsy from the pints of Molsen I have just downed).

Jasper Town

We arrived back in Jasper Town as the sun was setting and enjoyed watching the play of light on the surrounding mountains. Jasper has a lovely small town feel about it. A bit Twin Peaksy (but without the spookiness), and I feel very relaxed here. Jasper is much less developed than Banff and the train station by the main strip somehow seems to give it a frontier town atmosphere. Enormously long goods trains pass through here at a leisurely pace. We spotted a couple of cars getting caught by the lights at a level crossing. They immediately did a U-Turn and drove off, speeding towards the next crossing, in an attempt to beat the slow moving train. The train took several minutes to pass, so I don't blame them. I would like to spend more time here, but alas, tomorrow we are leaving town. We had dinner at a Japanese restaurant called Denjiro. Shabu shabu was the order of the day, washed down with a few bottles of Kokenee beer. The beef was delicious. However, once again, my stomach is feeling somewhat on the full side. Hic!

Maligne Lake and Stag Do

Another 1/2 hour drive or so later, we landed at Maligne Lake. This is a comparatively busy place, with fishing boats, touring boats and so on. We didn't stop long, as after Medicine Lake it had a bustley feeling about it. Nevertheless it is a lovely spot and the drive alone makes the trip worthwhile. We then drove slowly back towards Jasper Town, stopping here and there. Nozomi took a turn at driving, and discovered she enjoyed driving the SUV. Something about that makes my wallet twitch alarmingly. (No way!) Along the way, we got caught in an elk Jam. Naturally we stopped to take some photos. This time it was a small herd of female elk and a lone stag who was steadfastly guarding and shepherding his harem. Got some great pictures. However, the stag was obviously becoming agitated; aggressively herding the females away from the rapidly growing crowd of people and the coaches that were slowing down for photo opportunities.

A Taste of Medicine

Medicine Lake
Next stop of the day was Medicine Lake. So called by the native people due to the fact that in the fall (autumn) the water disappears, and then in the spring it reappears, allegedly giving it supernatural powers. Maybe there is something to the story, as we both felt very peaceful and content whilst we were there. It is a beautiful place, as I hope you can see from the photo.

Upgrade

Started the car engine this morning to be greeted with an array of warning lights and messages. "Change oil soon", "Check left rear tyre pressure", and worst of all "Problem with brakes" warning light. Well, we didn't particularly fancy driving around the mountains with dodgy brakes(!), so the first stop of the day was the Hertz rental place near Jasper Station. The lady at the desk was very kind and understanding, and upgraded us to a bigger car. Sorry to all the tree huggers, but we landed ourselves a Trailblazer SUV. We had lunch in Jasper (very tasty Beef Souflaki) followed by an oversized icecream (a scoop of maple walnut and pecan butter - seemed like a good idea at the time..) and then hit the road again.

Parkway Moose

It was starting to get late, and the sun was beginning to set when we left the Icefield Center on the final stretch to Jasper (130Km). We had to restrain ourselves from stopping anymore, as the road is unlit and we didn't fancy driving in the dark! Then, we spotted a moose! I drove right past it and had to do a quick stop and reverse along the hard shoulder in order for Nozomi to snap some photos. Fortunately, we pretty much had the road to ourselves so this wasn't a problem. We arrived in Jasper at around 8PM as the sun was setting. We are staying at the Sawridge Hotel, on the edge of town. It's a Ski Lodge type place, with a very large and well furnished room. The restaurant service leaves a bit to be desired though. They didn't seem to have enough waiting staff so there was a bit of waiting about. To be fair, once we got assigned a waitress, she did look after us very well. I am not sure why the chef decide to dollop a gerkin on the top of my Caribou Stroganof, but anyway the Kokanee beer was nice, being brewed with glacial melt water.

A Ride on a "Sno Coach"

Continuing up the Icefield Parkway, we were lucky enough to reach the Icefield Center just in time to purchase tickets for the last "Sno Coach" at 5PM, which took us right up onto the glacier itself. The Sno Coach is a coach designed specially for traversing the glacier. We spent about 20 mins or so on top of the glacier enjoying yet more spectacular scenery. It was a bit nippy though!

Icefield Parkway

After checking out of the hotel, we drove down to Lake Louise village to buy a packed lunch and to top the car up with gas. Then we hit the Icefield Parkway, heading towards Jasper. The drive to Jasper, at about 240Km, should, in theory take about 3 hours. Hahaha. No chance. The eyes are not big enough to take in the seemingly endless procession of mountain, lake and glacial views. There are many stopping places at specific beauty spots, and it is almost impossible not to stop at all of them. Particular highlights were The Crow's Foot Glacier, Bow Lake (where we had our packed lunch), Peyto Lake and the Athabasca Glacier, which is on the edge of the Colombia Icefield. We stopped at many more places along the way and passed by many that we wished we had had the time to stop at. (There is always next time).
Peyto Lake

Lake Agnes

We started the day early with a walk up to Lake Agnes. Again, the weather was fantastic with clear blue skies. Lake Agnes sits above Lake Louise and is accessed via a trail starting at the lake front. As early birds we pretty much had the trail to ourselves for most of the morning. We took the long route to Lake Agnes, hiking via the Mirror Lake and the Little Beehive. The views were stunning although we were both breathless from the exertion. It was just the two of us on the trail for the best part of the morning, and it was all the better for it. The total distance was about 5Km each way and took about 3 hours, including a stop for tea at the tea house next to Lake Agnes. A bottle of water there cost $4, but considering they have to hike or helicopter supplies in, the cost is understandable. Anyway, the walk was thoroughly enjoyable and the views from the top made the effort well worth while. Incidently, I am sure I saw some bear tracks alongside the horse hoof prints next to Mirror Lake. What do you think? Below is a shot of Lake Agnes.

Bow Valley Parkway to Lake Louise

Mule Shoe
After a quick breakfast at Mac D's we hit the road, heading towards Lake Louise. We travelled via the Bow Valley Parkway, stopping off at several beauty spots. The photo above shows a scene from a spot called Mule Shoe. We had very good weather. It started off pretty chilly, but the skies were clear and blue. We stopped off for a hike along the Johnston Canyon Trail. This consists of a walk along the path of a river via a well trod, but not overly busy trail, punctuated by a series of waterfalls, culminating in the fall you see in the picture.
Johnston Canyon (Upper Falls)
After the hike, we stopped at the diner near to the parking lot for a refueling stop. We also purchased a couple of caps since the sun was making us squint quite a bit. Then, back on the road heading towards Moraine Lake. To reach this, we drove along a winding mountain road with some spectacular views.
At Moraine Lake, we rented a canoe, and spent an hour paddling around the lake. Definately recommended activity, if a tad pricey at $35 for an hour.

Moraine Lake
Then it was back on the road for the short drive down to the Fairmont Chateaux Lake Louise. This hotel (as posh as it sounds), is a bit of an eyesore by the side of Lake Louise. However, that aside the lake and mountains surrounding it are truly a sight to behold. No photo can do justice to the vista. Our car was valet parked, and our bags delivered to our room! (That cost me a few $5 notes in tips however). The room itself has a picture window overlooking the lake.
Lake Louise
After some refreshment in the bar downstairs, we went for an evening stroll around the lake. It was starting to cool down by then, but it was a very pleasant end to a very long day! We had a meal in one of the hotel's restaurants. I had salmon cooked with maple syrup. Unsurprisingly it was rather sweet. I much prefer Nozomi's salmon. Incidently, it was really difficult choosing photos for this blog today. We took over 150! The scenery is just mind bogglingly beautiful. The photos I have posted are just a tiny taster.

Moose Jam

Upon opening the curtains this morning we discovered that the mountains were sprinkled with a dusting of snow. I had heard some thunder in the night but wasn't expecting snow. Yesterday it was 25C (80F). This morning it was 3C (36F). Who would have thunk it?! We wandered into town and had some breakfast and did a spot of shopping. I bought a new fleece. (It was chilly after all). After a couple of hours ambling about and spot of lunch at a pizza joint, we drove up to the Sulphur Mountain Gondolar. The weather was just starting to clear up and we were one step ahead of the crowds. We rode the gondolar up to the mountain. Words cannot describe the panoroma. Suffice to say that it is breathtaking in its scale and beauty. The snow frosting on top only adding to its granduer. It absolutely has to be experienced. I don't think I could ever tire of the view. After a couple of hours ambling about at the top of the mountain, we descended via the gondolar and then drove on to Cave and Basin. To be honest, it was a touch disappointing. It is the site of a hot spring and historically was the reason that the Banff National Park exists, but compared to Japanese onsen, it is not much to look at. The smell is however sulphurously impressive. phew! On the way back to town, we hit a Moose Jam.
A moose (or is that an elk?) had decided to invade a local resident's front garden for a snack and pretty soon a minor traffic jam built up as people stopped to take photos. Actually, we started the jam.. However, everyone was good natured about it, taking the opportunity to snap the greedy moose. Anyway, we drove back to town then had a couple of drinks at Wild Bill's whilst enjoying the sunset. Then it was on to a Japanese restaurant called Sukiyaki where we had some delicious sushi and yakitori. The food was fabulous. The tuna especially so. The view of the mountains must placate the very busy sushi chefs somewhat. Then it was back to the hotel, and so ended another great day in the big C.

Drive to Banff

Flew from Toronto to Calgary to pickup our rental car. A few dodgy right turns aside, we arrived safely in Banff at around 4pm. The drive to the mountains was fantastic. We had sunny weather, and very little traffic. A very pleasant drive. We checked into the Banff Internation Hotel, then went for a walk along the Bow River to see the Bow Falls. After a steak dinner at The Keg, we turned in for an early night. It was quite a tiring day, with the 4 hour flight and another two hour time difference to boot. Here is a picture of the Bow River taken from the bridge on Banff Avenue.

Three showers, one naked.

Today we took a Greyhound bus tour to Niagara Falls. We were fortunate with the weather. It was very sunny and reached about 25C in the afternoon. It took a little over an hour from Toronto to the Falls. There was some chaos deciding who was going on what bus at the bus station but in the end we arrived at the falls at around midday. The surrounding town is very touristy (as you might expect), but there is no denying the beauty of the falls themselves. After the scheduled buffet lunch, we trooped down for the Maid of the Mist boat ride which takes you right up to the falls. Fortunately it wasn't terribly crowded and there was very little waiting around. Everyone was issued with, for want of a better description, a blue bin liner with a hood and a couple of sleeves. Boy did we need it. As the boat approaches the falls, it is like stepping into a shower. Anything exposed to the air got soaked! It was great fun though, and the raw power of the falls and the spray filled air was very refreshing.

After the boat ride, we had a drink overlooking the Falls, then it was back to the bus via a very pleasant walk along the sidewalk overlooking the falls. Whilst passing by the Horseshoe Falls (the Canadian part of the Niagara Falls) we received the 3rd dowsing of the day. It was well worth it though as the mist combined with the sunny weather to reward us with a splendid rainbow. Anyway, it was back on the bus and on to ..... a helicopter ride over the falls! :-) :-):-) Fanbloodytastic!! Ok, it only lasted 10 minutes, but it was very exciting and the view was absolutely amazing. I was grinning a maniac for the duration (and for about an hour afterwards). Unfortunately, Nozomi felt a bit queasy towards the end. (Bit too much like a rollercoaster for her taste). However, I would definately recommend it.

After the chopper ride, it was back on the bus where we stopped briefly to look at the whirpool. Then on to the Floral Clock (ok if you like that sort of thing). The nearby hydroelectric damn we passed was very impressive. The scale of the engineering and the forest of pylons clustered around the facility was awe inspiring in its own way. We stopped off for some wine tasting at a local vineyard. I tried the famous "Ice" wine. It is a renowned local vintage. The grapes are harvested duing frosty nights, -10C or so (hence the name). It is a pudding wine, and very sweet.

We got back to the hotel at around 7pm, and went hunting for some Chinese food. We found a place on Yonge St and discovered that the portion sizes were way more than we can handle. I am now nursing a bloated stomach and have sworn to eat nothing tomorrow.. We will see.

Toronto

It's our second day in Canada. We arrived last night, and after a fabulous steak dinner in the hotel restaurant we hit the hay. This morning we went to the gym and worked up a healthy appetite for breakfast. Then it was a quick bus ride from the Sheraton Hotel to the Delta Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto. This photo was taken from a cruise boat on Ontario Lake. As you can see it was a touch cloudy so we were unable to ascend the Toronto Tower. (Well we could have if we wanted to see the inside of a cloud). We may try again tonight. We spent the day wandering around the city. They have these amazing underground malls. It's like a city under the city. It gets very cold in winter so it makes sense. Nozomi and I had lunch at a Japanese restaurant called Ichiban. Afterwards Nozomi started talking about maybe moving here. Ha ha. I got whacked by jet lag when we got back to the hotel and slept for about 10 hours. My plan to go swimming in the hotel pool went somewhat awry due to my ravenous hunger upon awakening. Will try and go tonight.

Today we are going to the Niagra Falls. Ta ta for now.

It's a balloon!

How cool is that?! Just arrived home from work and was pottering in the garden when a balloon flew over the house and landed in a neighbouring field.

First One

Like it says on the tin. I made this blog so that I can keep a diary of holidays and other notable stuff. Likely be more of the former than the latter (and not too much of that either).

sayounara