Day 5 Monday - Banff

This morning we had a lie in til 8.45 am - we both have colds we are fighting!  It was raining again so we had a relaxed breakfast at Communitea.  Then we then got the bus to Banff where the weather was okay, and went to the visitors centre to purchase our Park Pass which we will need from tomorrow onwards.

Banff is very scenic to walk around - there are various bridges that cross the river and the mountains dominate overhead. It's also very busy with tour buses and we're glad to be staying in Canmore.

Next we took the path towards the Cave and Basin which is an underground system of sulpherous hot springs, used by the  indigenous people for thousands of years.  When the settlers arrived with the railway, they tried to claim it for profit, but the government stepped in to protect the site and built a heated swimming pool which operated from 1914-1990s. The swimming pool is now covered over but the natural pools are home to some rare tiny snails that are endangered but live well in the warm mineral waters. They are only the size of an apple pip! 

We returned into town and visited the Cascade of Time garden which was stunning - lots of terraces, gazebos and ponds - and popular with wedding couples as two were getting photos taken.  

We had a dessert at D Spot which was very tasty, then caught the bus back to Canmore, stopping for some groceries on the way into town. There was a lovely sunset from our balcony tonight.

Day 4 Sunday - Canmore

This morning we hired mountain bikes - the plan was to bike the Goat Creek Trail but lack of signage and closed roads proved a challenge. We ended up at the trailhead for Grassi Lakes which was on our list of hikes so we did the trail and it was well worth it - there's two sparkling turquoise lakes below grey limestone cliffs and also great views of Canmore down below. 

Hungary for lunch we pivoted our plans and cycled back into town - on the outskirts is a gardening centre with The Wagashi Teahouse - the Japanese cuisine was delicious and we agree this is a local hidden gem.

As we left the rain was coming on; we stopped at the Three Sister Viewpoint but there was thick cloud cover. Back in central Canmore it was raining heavily so we looked around some of the local gift shops then later in the afternoon we returned the bikes and went to the Everwild Nordic Spa. The clouds cleared  over the mountains so there was a beautiful sunset to watch from the hot pools, a great way to unwind after the pedal power.

Day 3 Saturday - Banff

We woke around 7 am and could hear the rain and looking out the Three Sisters were under the cover of the cloud. Hiking didn't seem a good option so we had breakfast then caught the bus into Banff which takes about half an hour. The rain had stopped when we arrived and we walked along the river - at the start of the walk the water is tranquil then gradually becomes faster flowing till you reach the Bow River Falls which are 30 feet tall and around 100 feet wide.

Walking back into town we found a great cafe called Nourish and had a tasty brunch. The rain came on again so we visited The Whyte museum which holds a collection of art, photographs and artifacts relating to the history of the area including the indigenous people who were displaced by the railroad companies.

Once we'd looked around the rain had stopped so we got on a bus for Johnston Canyon which is a gorge hike with impressive waterfalls, tunnels and pools of water carved into the limestone rocks over time.

We made it to the upper falls and back down in an hour and a half, and then returned to the base to catch the bus back to Banff and then on to Canmore where we grabbed a few bits for a picnic style tea.

Day 2 Friday - Canmore

We felt good after a long night's sleep and headed out for coffee and bagels for breakfast. After this we went for a walk along the beautiful Bow River and saw the Engine Bridge, made famous by the TV series 'The Last of Us'.  The water is a turquoise blue coming from the Bow Glacier and named by the Cree people who made bows from the Douglas fir trees growing along its banks.

At noon we joined a float tour down the river on a dingy boat - unfortunately the rain came on quite steady halfway through but it was still enjoyable, and the guide called Gregg gave lots of information about the town, how it had grown from coal mining and the railroad and has now become an outdoor sports destination. There was a bit of drama at the end of the trip when he lost is wedding ring so the bus got turned around and we went back to the riverside where the ring was luckily found okay to his relief!

We did a supermarket shop then as the rain had eased we headed off for the Policeman's Creek boardwalk through a vibrant wetland which takes you in a loop back to downtown Canmore. 

Day 1 Thursday - Edinburgh to Canmore

Our fight, which was on Dreamliner 787, left at 11.50 am and we had a comfortable journey with just a bit of turbulence in the last hour before landing at Calgary at around 1 pm lunchtime, still Thursday! The queue to go through customs, passports and to collect our luggage moved quickly and we got the Flixbus out to Canmore arriving at 4.15 pm.  I recognised the iconic Three Sisters Mountains right away!

We did a short walk to our apartment which has a nice alpine lodge feel. We unpacked and went out for something to eat, finding a nice local cafe called Communitea. 

We had a short stroll about before heading home for a long nights sleep to make up for the very long day.  We are happy to have arrived and start our adventure.

Rockies - here we come

On the 3rd September Bethany and I leave Edinburgh flying to Calgary for adventures in the Rockies!  We'll share our adventures on here. This is us earlier in the year in Pitlochry.

Day 20 Friday - Mid air then Gullane

The 14 hour flight to Dubai was on the two deck A380-800 and I believe Emirates, who we flew with, carry 615 passagers with their layout.  Once we arrived at Dubai you can tell it's the world's busiest airport and we were bussed away from first plane, then another bus to terminal 3, then another bus to catch plane no 2.  We had a gold plated cup of tea for £4.20 each waiting to connect then it was take off for the 8 hour flight to Edinburgh on a Boeing 777.  We were fed another breakfast onboard and I watched a movie, read and napped.  At last we landed at Edinburgh and messaged Gary while collecting luggage, and met him at arrivals with hugs before heading out into a sleety and cold afternoon.

Back in Gullane Mabel was delighted to be reunited with the mummies and the cat decided that if he sat in my case I wouldn't forget to pack him next time!

The rest of the day we took it easy and were in bed by 6 pm. On Saturday we eased back to life, catching up with family and friends, walking to the best beach anywhere (here in Gullane) and lunch in our village coffee shop.

For anyone thinking of a trip to the other side of the world - yes it was worth it.  I'm so glad we had a taste of Australia too - flights in total were £1,300 each so that the major expense of going so far away. Hotels were average £80 a night. The most expensive was Mount Cook at £171 and the cheapest £56 for our last night in Bargara which was cabin stuck in the 80s decor wise, but clean with air-conditioning and beach just across the road. The cost of food was equal to UK. We didn't eat out much to keep to budget and noodles were a popular supper!

You can obviously spend what you want on trips when you get there - our most expensive was going to Lady Elliot Island at £230 each but considering this was return flights on a private plane, boat trip, lunch, snorkeling on GBR with equipment and talks and walks if you want to join, it's actually a steal. They've just been voted second best place for snorkeling in the world and I am happy to contribute to their conservation work.

In conclusion I would do it all again but meantime it's lovely to be with Gary, pets and comforts of home.  We had no issues re COVID-19 - just got asked at check in if we'd been to China last 2 weeks.  We'll have our feet on the ground for a while as we pay off bills and enjoy spring and summer in Scotland.

Thanks for reading and until next time 😘