With no fanfare, and no warning, the blog is back. I’m making a trip to Canada, to spend some time with my daughter Sumitra and her fiancé Rob. Taking advantage of the opportunity, and getting the greatest benefit from the horrors of transatlantic flight, I have decided to make a trip through the Northern Rockies before ending up on Vancouver Island. Which is how I ended on a flight from Paris, via Amsterdam, to Edmonton . . . . .
Approaching Edmonton, after many hours of cramped boredom, I was struck by the landscape when viewed from the air. It was unlike anything I have seen elsewhere. Everything laid out in huge rectangles. And largely featureless – no woods, no hills – except for many pools of water and some dramatic scars of rivers across the countryside.
Driving here was interesting.
On closer inspection from the car, everywhere seemed really dry, with brown grass and cereal stalks as far as the eye could see. Except that there were pools and bigger lakes all over the place as well. As as I drove towards tonight’s stop the first banks of unmelted snow appeared (even though the temperature was 14°). So I guess I am seeing a landscape that is coming out of the grip of long hard winter. I’m hoping this might mean that there will be loads of spring flowers, but so far there’s precious little sign of any growth for the new season.
The car I have been given is several groups up from what I paid for. It’s a Hyundai 4WD which could be handy if the forecast snow (yes!) arrives when I am on the Alaskan border at the weekend. It has all the usual modern bells and whistles (like bluetooth for phone, and cruise control) and probably a lot more things I will have to use the manual to work out. It’s certainly comfortable enough. Odd to have an automatic with a petrol engine though. Or should I get used to calling it gas? And how does filling up work? Self service, or not? So much to learn.
Canada’s Best Value Inn – quite a boastful name for the chain. Will it live up to it?
I’m settled in to my hotel room, which is large, well equipped (two double beds, fridge, microwave, coffee machine, dining table/chairs, armchair, large Samsung TV), but oddly dated . . . . Rather like my image of an American motel somewhere out in the sticks. Which is pretty much what it is I guess.
Now I just have to stay awake long enough to push ahead with the transition to a time zone eight hours behind my body clock . . . .
