Sunny Vancouver!

I had been expecting rain in Vancouver but it has welcomed me today with sunshine and blue skies. It's a beautiful city. I walked along the shore, this morning and realised that - of course - it's the Pacific Ocean that was lapping at my feet.

If the weather stays like this I'll be doing plenty of walking, both in Stanley Park which is a massive urban oasis on the waterfront, and on nearby hills. But there's also lots to do if the sunshine doesn't last.

The picture shows an Inukshuck - a traditional landmark and welcoming sign.

The final day on the train was the most exciting in terms of scenery. Day one was forests and lakes, day two was farmland, day three was mountains. We hit the Rockies mid morning, and had a break at the ski resort of Jasper. To give an idea of the luxury I've been enjoying for the last few days - this is the dinng car.

On the Train

I'm not actually on the train as I type this. I'm in the station at Winnipeg where we have a four hour break. You can't get on the internet on the train.

Travelling by sleeper train is brilliant. The roomette is tiny - about four feet by six - but has everything you need apart from a shower, which is along the corridor. When the bed folds down that pretty well fills the space, but when it's up there's a seat, a washbasin and even a loo, hidden under a cover so it doesn't look too much like a loo, and lots of cubby holes and switches for lights, fans, etc.

But you spend most of the time in the seating and viewing cars or the dining car. It's like being on a cruise. Three lovely meals a day, and continuous tea, coffee, cakes and fruit. Everyone makes friends and chats. Even at the station waiting to board you are in a private lounge with free hot drinks - like flying first class.

Yesterday we spent the whole day going past trees and lakes. I'm told that today we will start to see farmland, and then mountains the final day. It's hard to get your head round how much empty space there is in Canada!

By the way - my final day in Toronto I went up the CN tower and exlpored some different corners of the city, but ended up once again on the same artficial beach as on the first day.

I've not been keeping track of news and current events much, but like everyone else in the world I've kept up with the story of the Chilean mine rescue. How great to have a happy ending to a news story!

Niagara Falls

Had a great day trip from Toronto to Niagara Falls today, including going on the Maid of the Mist boat right up close to the foot of the falls, where you get soaked. My feet have only just dried out. It's definitely one of the 1001 things to do before you die.

Yesterday was a glorious sunny day in Toronto - they're having unusually warm weather - apparently this time last year it was freezing. I discovered the artificial beach they've made down by the docks, and sunbathed! In the morning I saw an exhibition featuring some of the chinese Terracotta army who are visiting the Royal Ontario Museum. So that's another of those 1001 things ticked off, saving me a trip to China.

It was Canadian Thanksgiving Day today - a public holiday. Yesterday the hostel laid on a special Thanksgiving Dinner - turkey and all the trimmings, including stuffing, cornbreads and sweet potato mash, followed by pumpkin pie. Today I was going to cook for myself but the shops were shut when we got back from the trip so I had the hostel dinner again - basically leftovers from yesterday - so it's been a bit like Boxing Day.

Tomorrow I start my great railway journey across Canada. Four nights and three days on a train watching the landscape go by. I might finally get round to doing some work on that novel I'm supposed to be writing!

Autumn colours

Today I had my first taste of the endless expanse of the Canadian landscape as I travelled by bus from Montreal to Toronto via Ottawa (about seven and a half hours). On the way up through the northern United States from New York I was hoping to see the the famous autumn colour, but it was subdued under grey skies and rain. Today in Canada I've had a brilliant display of colourful foliage. Under clear blue skies the trees just glowed in the sunshine. All the shades of red, orange, yellow and gold contrasting with some silver-grey trees that have already lost their leaves, some pale green that have yet to turn, and some dark green evergreens.

I am in a hotel room tonight with a king-sized bed and my own bath! Back to roughing it tomorrow as I shift over to the Toronto Hostel for a couple of nights, so I'll make the most of the facilities here!

I enjoyed my second full day in Montreal, joining a walk organised by the hostel up the Mont Royal including going for a taste of the local speciality - poutine - which is based on chips and gravy, but with all sorts of delicious things piled on top!

Montreal

I had my first border crossing yesterday so I'm reporting from the second country of my tour. Montreal didn't seem very welcoming at first - pouring with rain and the walk from the station to the hostel could have been through any modern city centre. But today it's redeemed itself. The sun shone at least part of the time and I've explored the old town, the waterfront and chinatown, and crossed to the Ile Ste Helene to see the biosphere which is a fabulous building full of exhibitions and activities to do with the environment. A lot of it is aimed at children, but there were very few people around so I played on the water activities, etc. The guide who showed me round the eco-home was so keen to have at least one person at her interactive talk on pollination that she made me a free cup of tea!

The Chateau Ramezay museum which was very highly recommended is closed for restoration unfortunately, but its garden was open, and there I enjoyed an exhibition of pumpkins, gourds, courgettes and squashes, which was much more interesting than you are thinking.

I'd not decided if I was moving on to Toronto on Saturday or Sunday so I'd not booked either place for Saturday night and intended to decide when I got here. What I didn't know is that this is a big holiday weekend in Canada and both hostels are now fully booked. So I may have to treat myself to a night in a hotel - thought presumably they will be pretty busy too!

New York, New York

Went on a tour of Brooklyn yesterday organised by the Hostel, finishing with a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan. After the official tour finished we also went to the World Trade Centre site and the Wall Street area. It was nice to be with a group of people, but reminded me of the difficulty of several people all agreeing what to do next! Our party consisted of a Mexican, a German, a Turkish girl, a Scot, and Chinese lad, a Canadian and me.

Today I went on the Staten Island Ferry to get the views of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. I spent a little time over on Staten Island - it seems most people just turn round and come back on the next boat, but I found a nice second hand bookshop and cafe.

Then it was uptown again to see the Cathedral of St John the Divine and the neighbouring Peace Park. In the Cathedral there was an amazing artwork which I would have missed if another guest here hadn't mentioned it to me. It's impossible to describe, other than to say it was a virtual meal on a table at which passers-by could sit. Ask me about it sometime.

Finally today I went for a cycle ride in Central Park - see picture!

Enjoying New York

Sorry to leave several people in suspense for a few days after my last post. Only just managed to get connected to the hostel's wireless connection. The later flight turned out to be a blessing in disguise - I got a window seat instead of being stuck in the middle, and there was an empty seat next to me.

New York is living up to expectations, and I'm exhausted trying to fit everything in at the same time as adjusting to the time difference. Today has included Grand Central Station, St Patrick's Cathedral, the Museum of Natural History for an exhibition about Scott and Amundsen's race to the South Pole, Penn Station to book my ticket to Montreal (I'm advised there'll be a rail replacement bus service for half the journey -seriously!) and the Empire State building at sunset (well just after sunset, after all the queues, but there was still a red glow in the sky). Spectacular!

Yesterday I walked about 10 miles down Broadway and up 5th Avenue, taking in Columbus Circle, Time Square, etc, and finishing up with a stroll thought Central Park. Tomorrow I'm going on a tour of Brooklyn organised by the hostel. The weather was glorious - great for photos, but I'm showing the only one that has me on it, taken in Times Square.