Short Trip to Adelaide - Last Day

Up at 07:00, breakfast provided by the motel. A quick stop in Horsham for a coffee then drove straight back to Melbourne.

So that was an eventful holiday - I drove 3375KM in 7.5 days, including 1100 in one day from Port Lincoln to Horsham, through appalling weather and the dark.

Australia is big - South Australia is the size of France and Spain combined, and I don't think we'll be doing as much driving again.

Short Trip to Adelaide - Day Seven

Woke up early at 06:15 to find the power had gone out again. Luckily the water was heated by gas so could have a shower.

Some light rain, we headed off aiming to get to a small town on the border of South Australia and Victoria.

Drove solidly for about 3 hours with a couple of stops to stretch, power out everywhere, shops and service stations closed but we'd filled up the previous night - Song's idea.
Just as well because we only saw one open and there was a queue of about 100 cars.
Got to Port Augusta, a supermarket was open but there was no fresh food but people were panic buying bread, batteries and water. It was like the apocalypse, I half expected to see a zombie.
Back in the car, headed out and it started to rain a lot - we were on the way to the small town but after looking at the map decided it was too risky - petrol would be tight and the road wasn't brilliant and I was worried about flooding.
We looked at going to Mildura or Horsham - Mildura was closer but Horsham would take us through Adelaide where they had power and petrol, plus it was the main road and less likely to flood. Horsham would also mean we were further away from another storm that was going to hit South Australia again.
The rain was coming down harder and we drove through a few large puddles before coming round a corner and hitting a huge puddle that I didn’t see. Up ahead was an even larger one that I was a bit wary of going through but it was ok. There was a police car in front of another huge puddle and the policeman said I should be ok if I kept to the middle and went slowly. If he hadn't been there I wouldn't have risked it because it was bloody deep, but I followed a van through. It was pretty scary.
Went through a few more, not as bad as that one, but the rain was still coming down and I was worried we'd come across a closed road and have to make a long diversion.
We stopped off for lunch at a town just outside Adelaide and also filled up with petrol.
Luckily we managed to get to Adelaide and through, but the rain was hammering down and visibility was appalling.
Drove on, through the rain and listened to the radio which said a worse storm was on the way and would also hit North Victoria near Mildura - so just as well we didn’t go there.
Driving was pretty hairy - dark, raining and trucks hurtling by on the other side of the road.
Eventually got to Horsham at 22:00 - 14.5 hours on the road and 1120 km.

Short Trip to Adelaide - Day Six

Woke up around 07:00, pottered about a bit and then went to the next hotel - still in Port Lincoln but on the marina. It was too early to check in, so drove back to where we'd just left and stopped off for a coffee.

Went for a walk along the beach, and it was very windy, the sea choppy and the promised storm was on the way.

Drove to a seafood outlet, number 2 on Tripadvisor but they didn't have much so back in the car and drove back to Coffin Bay for lunch. The weather on the way was good, sunny, although there was a tree down on the other side of the road.

Parked by the water and went for another walk, the only wildlife we saw was a hairy caterpillar. The wind was picking up by the time we got to the restaurant.

We ordered the seafood platter and a bowl of wedges but the waitress said we wouldn't need them so took her advice.

The platter was huge - it had the same tuna steak I'd had the day before, plus  prawns, calamari, scallops, mussels, King George Whiting,  kingfish , abalone, and oysters.
We asked why there was no lobster or crayfish on the menus and it's not the season.

It was also about 100% better than the one we'd had the first night, much better quality.

We just about finished it off. I was going to have dessert but couldn't manage it.

Drove back to Port Lincoln and walked along the beach again, the wind had died down but it was raining, and we got a bit wet despite an umbrella.

Got back to the hotel but couldn't get in the door - turns out the power had just gone out,  not just where we were but the entire state of South Australia had a power cut.

So we had no Tv, internet or heating in the room.

Decided to rush out to Bunnings to get some candles, found a kmart and bought an led lantern for $10.

The phones were still working, plus I'd brought along a portable charger. The tablet was fully charged so it was a minor inconvenience really.
Fired up the lantern (it was really bright) and settled in to watch something on the tablet. 5 minutes later the power came back on. Didn't get much use out of the lantern.
Turned the TV on and according to the news we were lucky, only a few places had power back.

Watched tv then sleep, getting up early in the morning to drive about 10 hours.

Short Trip to Adelaide - Day Five

Woke up at 08:30, had breakfast then a walk along the beach. It was a bit chilly and windy but not too bad.

Drove about half an hour to Coffin Bay, stopped at a lookout and went for a walk in the bush and saw a couple of goannas but they scuttled into the undergrowth.  Coffin Bay is famous for its oysters, and we stopped at the only restaurant there, but it was a proper seafood place. I had oysters Rockefeller to start, Song had oysters Russian. I had the blue fin tuna steak for main and a glass of wine (because I'm on holiday).

After a few minutes, Matthew Guy walked in. Small world.

The oysters were ok, I'm not a big fan, but the tuna was really, really good - it was crumbed, on a walnut salad with a cheese sauce. Song also liked her marinara.
While we were eating we saw an emu outside just wandering around, as you do.

We decided to book again for the evening but they didn't open, so made it a booking for the next day for lunch.

Went for a walk along the beach and saw quite a few pelicans, some on the pier, some on the water and a couple flying around, they were pretty big.

Went back to the room and watched some stuff I'd downloaded, watched the news and saw that the biggest storm in 50 years was going to hit the area from tomorrow  so might have a problem with the roads, although we thought the route home might be ok for the day after. Went for dinner at the number 4 restaurant in Port Lincoln in a hotel.

We had dips and bread to share to start, then I had kingfish steak and Song had salt and pepper squid. I also had a glass of wine because I'm on holiday and it's also my birthday.
Both meals were good, I couldn't finish my fish so Song had it.

We were a bit disappointed that Matthew Guy didn't show up, but we walked past the restaurant we went to the previous night and he was in there so we were happy.

Went to the supermarket again to pick up some more stuff then back to the room, watched tv then sleep

Short Trip to Adelaide - Day Four

Up at 0700 again, tried a couple of cafes but didn't like the offerings so went back to the same one as yesterday and this time we both had a bacon and egg muffin.

Into the car and started the drive to Port Lincoln, according to Google it was going to take just under 7 hours, but with stops probably nearer 9.

The weather was good, mostly sunny, and the road good. We passed green fields and saw some camels (not dead). There was a reasonable amount of traffic on the road, not enough to slow us down, but a surprising amount considering it wasn't a main road or school holidays.

Our first stop was Port Pirie after 2 hours for a walk and coffee, and we also had a piece of cake each because we're on holiday.

Popped into a book shop and Song bought a Michael Palin travel book (New Europe) because it was about some of the places we'll be visiting next year, and another on historic Australian towns. As I paid the woman asked if I was on their customer list and I said it was highly unlikely. She also asked if I wanted to enter the draw to win some books but I said not really, it would be a bit difficult to pick them up if I won.

Back in the car and after about an hour stopped off for lunch in Port Augusta. Song was hoping for some seafood but all we could find were some cafes, so she had a foccacia with salami and I had a gourmet sausage roll. I also had an iced chocolate because I'm on holiday (but that didn't stop my boss calling me. I asked Song if I should ignore it but she rightly said I'd only be wondering what he wanted, plus he'd probably keep calling till I answered.)

We were about half way to Port Lincoln and headed off down the coast. The traffic thinned out a bit but we still saw quite a few cars.

Called in at Whyalla to have a cup of tea and check out the ocean, and I got surrounded by seagulls who thought the teabag was food.

Another couple of hours and we arrived at Port Lincoln and drove past the accommodation which was an apartment one road back from the beach - it looked a bit dodgy as it was above a salvation army op shop, but was actually very nice, clean, spacious and comfortable.

Chilled out for about 30 minutes and then walked around the corner to the number 1 restaurant in Port Lincoln and ordered the seafood platter and a glass of wine, because I'm on holiday.

Sitting opposite us was Matthew Guy. After seeing Penny Wong in Adelaide it seemed we were on a politician sight seeing tour.

The meal was good - fish, chips, oysters (plain and kilpatrick, calamari, mussels and salad), and plenty of it.

Stopped off at the supermarket on the way home to get some milk and cereal for breakfast then watched tv before bed

Short Trip to Adelaide - Day Three

Woke up around 07:00, the hotel didn't have breakfast but the street (Melbourne Street) had plenty of cafes so we crossed the road and found a busy place. Song had a smoked salmon bagel and I had a toasted ham and cheese croissant. 

Drove across town to a Farmer's Market at the Adelaide Showgrounds and had a potter around there for a while, Song bought 5 KG of dried saltanas and I bought 2 oranges. We also saw Penny Wong, so there you go.

We were meeting our friends for lunch so drove to the restaurant but got there a bit early so drove a short way to the beach and had a walk, the weather was sunny with a bit of cloud around, and about 20C.

Drove to the restaurant, a Vietnamese with lots of award certificates on the wall as well as a photo of a horse which I hoped wasn't part of the menu.

The food was really good - we had quail, a rice hotpot, a seafood noodle salad and cold Vietnamese rolls - rice paper rolls that we filled ourselves from plates of noodles, mint, pork, lettuce and sauce. Very nice and too much, our friends ended up taking home 4 containers of left overs.

Drove back to the hotel and had a cup of tea before walking into the city centre. The city was very pleasant - clean, nice sandstone buildings, not too busy.

We walked through a few parks, and there were 3 Kookaburras on a balcony making a noise, plus lots of Lorikeets flying around. We walked past the football stadium where an AFL match was going on, we asked some guy and he said it was the local final and about 30000 people were watching.

Wandered along Rundle Mall and Song bought me some jumpers, walked around a bit more and along came some Hari Krishnas who stopped and banged on about Hari and his mate Rama - I hadn't seen the Haris for a while, didn't know they were still around.

Walked back to the hotel via the Botanical Gardens and thought about dinner but decided against it so just watched TV.

Tomorrow is a long drive to Port Lincoln.

Short Trip to Adelaide - Day Two

Up at 6 (6!), they had a kitchen and provided eggs and bacon so I cooked 4 boiled eggs for Song and a bacon sandwich for me - not exactly Heston but it's about my limit. 

Filled up with petrol and found a cafe opposite another sink hole so had a look at that while I drank my coffee. 

Drove round the corner to look at the other lake but it was closed off for an event so headed off to Naracoorte - Song wanted to see some caves.

The weather was grim, cloudy and raining. 

We found ourselves driving through vineyards, some of the biggest names - Wynn's, St Hugo and Penfolds. 

We arrived at the caves and had to wait for about 30 minutes for a tour. It was very interesting - lots of stalactites and stalagmites, including some very thin ones the guide called straws. 

The tour lasted about 30 minutes and was well worth it. 

Headed towards the coast, there was a road that follows the coast and I thought it would be spectacular. Unfortunately it wasn't - the road followed the coastline  but was about 1km away, so all we could see were fields, a lot of which were waterlogged, a hangover from all the recent rain. 

We stopped off at a place for lunch called Salt Creek which was basically one roadside cafe. I had a hot dog and Song had fish and we shared chips. This was not the gourmet part of the trip. 

The owner came and started to talk to the table next to us where 4 guys who had been fishing were eating and he started to talk to them and didn't stop for the 30 minutes we were there. I don't think the fishermen said a word.

Back in the car and headed off again, and the landscape opened up and we could actually see the coast and some islands, although the weather was still rotten, overcast, raining and miserable. Still very little traffic which was good, and the road was mostly good condition and there were some long, straight stretches.

Stopped off at Murray Bridge (and drove over it) to pop into the supermarket to pick up some flowers for Song's friends, then onto Adelaide. 

Had a very nice dinner at their very nice house and gave the kids a box of Lego we'd bought in Melbourne which did the job of keeping them occupied and quiet.
Drove about 10 minutes to the hotel and collapsed again, I'd done a lot of driving in the last 2 days, about 1000KM.

Short Trip to Adelaide - Day One

I wasn't going to write about this trip since it's a one-week away to Adelaide, not as epic as previous trips, but then thought why not?

So, took a Friday off from work (but they still called me about something), up early because my internal clock obviously thought it was a normal day.

Finalised packing - we are taking more with us than we did for our 5 week trips to Europe and Canada, mainly because we're driving, so in went the laptop and the tablet, food and drink.

Left the dog with the next door neighbours (we did ask them first), said goodbye to the cat and headed off at around 09:35. Turned around after 500M because Song did't remember locking the front door (she had).

Traffic wasn't bad and we were soon on the Freeway heading towards Geelong, took a left turn and set out for Mortlake where I reckoned we'd end up around lunchtime.

The road was a 'B' road, but I was surprised at how little traffic there was. We stopped for a leg stretch in Lismore where I got a coffee from a very chatty woman who wanted to know where I was from, where I was going, what the weather was like in Melbourne, did I have kids and would I like sugar.

Back in the car and on the country road, the scenery was very green - it had rained a lot, and in fact earlier in the week we were not sure if we could go because a lot of roads were closed due to flooding. The Great Ocean Road was closed in part due to a landslide.

The hills were very lush and there were tons of sheep - I don't know why they wanted to clone them, they all looked the same to me and there were plenty of them. We could have been in New Zealand or Ireland. There was also lots of standing water in the fields and some signs warning that there was water on the road, but it hadn't rained for a week and the roads were clear.

We arrived at Mortlake and looked around for somewhere to eat, and found a cafe that was very busy - because it was the only place there. It was a pretty average place and I had a meat pie, Song had a chicken sandwich and a Chico Roll (a deep fried thing filled with some grey stuff - very uncharacteristic of her). I can honestly say it was the best pie I've ever had in Mortlake. I can also guarantee that it will be the last pie I ever have in Mortlake.

Back into the car and onward, we passed a sign for a waterfall (Nigretta Falls), and decided to have a look. I figured that with all the rain it might be quite good. Drove down the small road and nearly missed the turn-off, but when we got there it was pretty spectacular. We've seen a few waterfalls this year, including Niagara and some amazing Icelandic ones. This wasn't on the same scale (obviously), but was equal to those we saw in Canada. Lots of water and noise. It was at this point that I realised I'd left my camera at home on the cabinet. Luckily Song took a few hundred photos with her phone to make up for it.

Drove another 10 minutes and found another waterfall called Wannon Falls, again pretty impressive.

Carried on to Mount Gambier where we were staying (getting to Adelaide in one go is do-able, but there wasn't any point in pushing it).

I kept my eye out for wildlife, there were loads of signs for kangaroos and koalas, and I did see 3 kangaroos and 1 koala. Unfortunately they were all dead by the side of the road so it didn't count.

However, as we drove through a forest I saw a mob of kangaroos (yes, that is the correct term, I looked it up), about 20 or so, sitting and laying down behind a wire fence just at the side of the road. I drove past so had to turn around and go back. As soon as I stopped they all got up and hopped off into the trees. Bastards. All except 2, who sat there looking at us. Song got out of the car to take a photo but they were just teasing and they bounded off as well. Bastards. So we didn't get any photos but at least we saw some.

We arrived at Mount Gambier and pulled in at an attraction - a sinkhole in a park. Yes, a hole in the ground counts as an attraction here.

Drove around the corner to Blue Lake - this was nice, a huge lake (blue) inside a volcanic crater. Unfortunately you can't get close because it actually supplies the town with water, but there was a lookout with a nice view.

Song had booked the Park Hotel which sounded nice, until we drove up and discovered it was a pub, complete with Pokie Machines. In 10 years of booking hotels Song had finally slipped up. However, the room was good - clean, comfortable with all the stuff, and to be honest was perfectly fine.

Decided not to eat at the hotel / pub and instead went to a Thai restaurant that was no 4 in Tripadvisor and was busy, a short walk from the hotel. I had Phad Thai and Song had pork. It was average at best.

Feeling pretty drained after the early start and the driving, walked back to the hotel and crashed.

Tomorrow we're getting up early because we want to visit Naracoorte (Song said there's some interesting things there) and drive along the coast.

Day 22 - Los Angeles (last day)

Up at 0730, down for breakfast. Conscious of how much I'd been eating I just had cereal. And porridge. And some fruit. And a yogurt. And an orange juice. Well, it was included in the room price so I felt obliged.
Got the courtesy bus to the airport to then go on to the museum. There was a Chinese family on the bus, 3 adults and 2 small children that had a total of 10 bags - 8 big suitcases and 2 hand luggage, plus a stroller. Maybe they were smuggling suitcases.
Got to the airport and asked at information about how to get to the museum and they very helpfully pointed outside to the bus that was just pulling out. The next one wasn't for another hour so nothing else to do but get a coffee and wait. Bus arrived and the airport traffic was awful, we had to stop at every terminal along with all the hotel, car park and rental car shuttles, and it took 12 minutes just to get out of the airport. The bus had a big sign on it with the destination but that didn't stop everyone asking the driver where she was going.
At least the bus had wifi.
Eventually got onto the freeway and the traffic was pretty bad. Google maps said it would take 30 minutes, actually it took about 20.
Because I read a lot of American crime and watch a lot of US shows, I recognised some of the places - Sepulveda Boulevard, Van Nuys, Wilshire Boulevard etc. The freeway was 6 lanes of traffic, moving, but not quickly, and it was 11:30, which I doubted was rush hour. We both decided we wouldn't come back here again, but I said that the first time I came here in 1994.
The bus arrived after a very bumpy ride - the road was terrible - and dropped us off at the University of California, so I can say I went to UCLA. I also went to Cambridge University (OK, for a day to look around).
Waited for the bus to take us to the museum, one came after 15 minutes but it turned out we were on the wrong side of the road, so had to cross over and luckily only had to wait for another 5 minutes. The weather was great - sunny and about 24c. The bus was cheap, $1.75 USD each.
The bus drove around the university, which was very nice - green lawns, white stone buildings and large, impressive houses. Obviously the rich area. I looked at Google maps and noticed we turned into Sunset Boulevard and drove alongside the Bel Air Country Club, so yeah, a rich area. I'm surprised they let me in.
There was a small train up to the museum from the car park, then we stopped at the cafe for lunch - I had a burrito, Song had noodles. By the time we'd finished it was nearly 14:00.
Went to the European gallery, paintings by Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Degas and a Van Gogh. Very nice but not a huge collection - we'd been spoilt in the past by visiting The Louvre and Musee D'Orsay where they have hundreds, if not thousands.
Walked around the garden which had some very colourful and exotic flowers, then into an exhibition by an American photographer called Robert Mapplethorpe which I liked. They had several outside areas which had amazing views over LA - the 12 lane San Diego Freeway, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Santa Monica and the sea.
Back on the bus to UCLA, we had a bit of time to kill before the bus to the airport so had a walk around a place called Westwood Village, a small shopping and restaurant strip next to the university which had a small farmer's market going on. Very pleasant, you wouldn't know you were in the middle of LA. Waited for the bus to the airport, there was one already there but he said he was a standby. After the scheduled bus still hadn't come after 15 minutes I asked the driver of the standby bus why he couldn't become the live bus and take the 13 people waiting to the airport. He said he was the standby bus and the other one would be along momentarily and walked off. He came back 10 minutes late and said the other bus would be along momentarily and I reminded him he said that 10 minutes ago. Bad Tripadvisor review coming up. The bus arrived 30 minutes late but we were in no danger of missing the flight (I hoped). Got another bus back to the hotel to pick up the bags, then back to the airport to wait for the plane for the 15.45 hour flight back home. Got through check in and security in about 10 minutes, I've never been through so quickly - shoes on, belt on, no trays for metal just put it in the backpack and out the other side.

So that's the end of our 2016 epic mega Europe and North America (with a break back in Australia) trip.
I've had problems uploading photos to Flickr for the last week or so, but will try again when I get back.
Next year we're thinking of doing another cruise either to the Pacific Islands or South East Asia, a sure sign that we are getting old. Or we may travel in Aus, we haven't decided.

Day 21 - Seattle to Los Angeles

Pancakes for breakfast then to the airport, dropped off by Song's friend who works for the Seattle port authority so gets free airport parking.
Flight was full but only 2.5 hours and I just listened to music. We're staying at a hotel (an hotel?) at the airport so we won't have to worry about traffic tomorrow (even though it's a late flight).
Checked in then got a cab to a shopping mall (Westfield Culver City) to do some shopping.
Grabbed a couple of banh mi (Vietnamese bread rolls), I had beef, Song had pork. They were twice the size of the ones in Australia (and about $12 each). Disappointed we didn't see George Clooney or any other stars.
There was nothing to buy, especially with the Aussie dollar being weak at the moment, so we caught a cab back to the hotel.
We're going to the Getty Museum tomorrow since we don't have to be at the airport till 2000.

Day 20 - Seattle

Woke up around 0730, porridge for breakfast then Song's friend dropped us off in the city because he had to go to work. Song stopped to empty sand from her shoes and got crapped on by a bird. Thought that was worth mentioning. Stopped off for a coffee at the market, then walked to a shopping mall to go to a movie (The Nice Guys). It was half price for the day, and we paid just over $18 AUD for both of us. It was a chilly day, overcast again and about 10c.
We both enjoyed the movie, then walked back to the market for lunch. Song fancied (surprise) seafood so found a place overlooking the water. We shared a plate of crumbed calamari which was nice but a bit pricey at $14 USD (especially since the Aussie dollar dropped again overnight). I also had a beer, a porter.
For main Song had clams and I had fish and chips. Song said her clams were nice and fresh, my fish was nice but not brilliant, but filling. Paid the extortionate bill of around $87 AUD, way too much for what we got but we knew it was a tourist trap. Left the market and there was a Haagen Das person giving away ice cream and I immediately decided to emigrate - anywhere that hands out free chocolate ice cream is somewhere I want to live.
Went to Macys, a department store which was a nice Art Deco building, to buy a gift for Song's friends for putting us up for 3 days. Bought a vase (my idea) and a frying pan (Song's idea).
Got picked up by her friend and went back to the house.
They had 2 live crabs for dinner - to eat, not as guests - but I don't like crab so had salmon instead.
Went to the park with the kids and kicked a ball about, something I hadn't done for 20 years, and after about 10 minutes decided to retire from the ball kicking game because I was out of breath.
Off to Los Angeles tomorrow, just for one night and probably won't have time to do anything before we fly back to Melbourne.

Day 19 - Seattle

Earlyish wake up at 0730, breakfast of pancakes cooked by Song. Weather was overcast and a bit chilly, needed my jacket.
Went out driving, visited Bill Gates' neighbourhood called Medina. I wanted to ask him about my Microsoft surface but we couldn't get to his house.
Drove over the world's longest floating bridge, and up to Kerry Park viewpoint for a view over the city and bay, including the world famous space needle. Song's friends were very proud of the city, pointing out all the merits. I have to say it was nice, and seemed to have everything. When we were in Vancouver Song's friend who lived there suggested we could migrate there, and her Seattle friends suggested we migrate to Seattle. Not going to happen, we still think Melbourne is better.
We went to Chihuly Garden and Glass, an exhibition of glass sculptures by an artist called Chihuly. I was a bit indifferent, until I saw them - absolutely incredible. Do a google search and look at my photos. Huge, room-sized coloured glass pieces put together, one like a garden.
Well worth the visit.
Next door was the space needle, we went into the gift shop but didn't go up, then to a food court. We both had pulled pork rolls topped with honey mustard and bacon, which were very nice but added another couple of thousand calories to my intake.
Back to the car, then drove to Pike Place Market for a browse and bought a coffee from the first ever Starbucks, established in 1971. It was very busy, but the prices were the same as a normal one (not like Niagara Falls).
Carrying on into the market, saw the stall where the stall workers throw and catch the fish. The market was very busy and fun, a great atmosphere and almost more of a tourist destination than a place to buy food, although there was plenty of that going on.
Back home, and on the way I had the horrible realisation that this time next week I'll be back at work. Oh well, all good things come to an end, and I had been away since March 19th.
Back home, dinner cooked by Song.

Day 18 - Vancouver and the drive to Seattle

Woke up at 0830, met Song's friends in the lobby then let them go for yum cha while I went off to wander on my own - I'll be in the car with them speaking mandarin for 3 hours so wanted a bit of peace for a while.
Had a coffee, then went to the shopping mall to sit and use the internet. Australia is well behind with this; in Europe and most of Canada and the US (not the remote places but the cities at least) most cafes and restaurants have free wifi. Every starbucks has it, as well as the shopping malls which also have seats with power points. I don't know why somewhere like Chadstone doesn't have this by now.
Found a burger place called Five Guys which is a chain they also have in the UK but not Australia. I think I've put on weight this trip but can't work out why.
Watched some downloads again, wandered around and just took it easy and relaxed.
Walked around some more, mainly window shopping, it was a bit overcast but not cold, no need for a ($20) jacket.
Met the rest back at the hotel and set off for Seattle but didn't get very far because they wanted to stop for some more Chinese food. I wasn't hungry for a change so let them all eat while I watched.
Stopped off for a coffee then back in the car, I put my Mandarin cancelling earphones on and listened to some music. Just as well, they talked non stop for 3 hours.
We passed through the US border in about a minute, a car full of Chinese people and one English man failing to arouse any suspicion.
After a while we arrived in Seattle, drove past a couple of Microsoft buildings where the lights were going on and off, I think they were rebooting.
Song's friends have just finished renovating their house and insisted we stay instead of getting a hotel. They added a second floor and it was huge and very well done.
Tomorrow it's going to be raining (it rains a lot in Seattle) and we're going to a glass museum, and I want to go to the museum of flight. In case you didn't know, Seattle is home to Boeing, Microsoft and Starbucks.

Day 17 - Vancouver

Woke up early, at 0600, for the expedited disembarkation which took 10 minutes compared to the 4 hours it took to get on.
Headed to the hotel via a coffee and connected to the wifi. We'd paid $19 USD on the boat for 30 minutes of slow internet, the coffee shop was super fast and free. I managed to download 4.5 gb in about 20 minutes. Back in civilisation.
Got to the hotel but they didn't have a record of our booking so we had to wait for their reservations department to open. Free wifi again so all good. They found our details and checked in, dropped the bags off and waited for Song's friends to pick us up. Weather was pleasant, about 17c and sunny, I didn't need my $20 jacket today.
Went to Song's friends for lunch (dumplings), they all spoke mandarin so I caught up on some downloaded tv.
Some more of Song's friends arrived from Seattle, then we went for a walk in Stanley Park. What I didn't know is that it was a 10km walk around the park that took hours and by the time we got to the restaurant my feet were sore and I was not happy. Mind you, at one stage we saw our old cruise ship leaving for another journey, so took some photos.
The restaurant was very good (The Teahouse in Stanley Park if you are ever in Vancouver). I ordered some sharing plates - stuffed mushrooms, and salt and pepper squid. For main I had halibut with sauteed vegetables, baby boiled potatoes and capers, with sides of french fries and more vegetables. Song had a salad but she was on a different table so didn't take much notice. I also had a well earned beer, a honey brown lager. I also had dessert, a chocolate thing, in preparation for the hard slog back to the car. A Chinese tradition is that a guest never pays, so Song's friends picked up the cheque, and I said that if they ever come to Melbourne I'll make sure we're out of town.

Feet still sore, I was hoping there was a short cut back to the car. Luckily there was, but unluckily Song's friends got lost in their own city and couldn't find the way back to the car park. Eventually, with the help of Google maps they managed to locate the car. Went to the hotel and collapsed, legs and feet aching.
I'm having a rest tomorrow, we are driving to Seattle with Song's other friends, hopefully they know the way.

Day 16 - at sea

Woke. Breakfast. Walk. Movie. Lunch. Walk. Movie. Walk. Dinner. Walk. Movie. Sleep.

Day 15 - Ketchikan

Woke up around 0800, up to breakfast, fried again. We were back inside the passage so the water was calm, put on my $20 jacket and walked around the deck. Fishing boats were heading out and seaplanes were buzzing around. We were about to dock so watched the ship slowly sidle into the pier.
Went for a walk around the town, supposedly the rainiest (their word) town in SE Alaska but the sun was shining and it was about 16c. Popped into a few shops and found an internet cafe that had unlimited access but blocked torrents so couldn't download anything (I had my phone, could have worked around it with my laptop).
Wandered more, along a place called Creek Street, which was a load of shops and restaurants built on stilts over a creek.
There were excursions available but we didn't fancy it. There was a wildlife tour that saw bears (seen them), eagles (seen them), whales (seen them), seals (seen them) etc, so we didn't bother.
Went back to the boat for lunch, and found the table tennis table free so had a game. With Song being Chinese I expected to get hammered, but it turned out that of the 1.8 billion Chinese, Song is the only one who can't play table tennis. We went back to the town again to post some cards, but the post office was miles away so couldn't do that. I went back to the boat and Song went shopping and bought a fridge magnet. There were 2 other floatels in port so the town was busy.
Had dinner in the dining room. I had tomato soup to start, Song had prosciutto. I had steak for main, Song had salmon. I also had another stout. I had creme brulee, Song had fruit.
Went up to the front of the boat on the top deck where there was an observation lounge and watched the scenery from a comfy chair as we followed another ship out. Small tree covered islands dotted the sea, with snow capped mountains in the distance and green hills either side also covered in pine trees.
Back to the cabin to watch a movie and sleep.
Tomorrow is another all at sea day.

Day 14 - at sea and Glacier Bay

Woke up around 0800, went to get breakfast in the formal dining room but there was a big queue so went to the buffet. Today was all at sea, visiting Glacier Bay, so called because it was a bay with glaciers. The tv had a gps app that showed where the ship was and we were heading further north.
We sailed past snow covered mountains, close to the shore and soon came to the bay. The main glacier, Marjorie Glacier was at the end. We sailed through turquoise waters with lumps of ice all around, the sky was grey with a light rain but it wasn't windy or too cold. As we got closer we realised that it was huge - taller than the ship. The captain got pretty close and parked for about an hour. We stood outside (I was wearing my $20 jacket) and were close to where the front of the glacier met the sea, the front was sheer, rugged and there were vertical cracks all along it. It was bluey white with some dark lines where it had ground down the rock. There were occasional sounds like gunshots where the ice was cracking, and a couple of times splashes where bits broke off and fell into the sea. It stopped raining and the sun came out for a while.
We went back to our room and were able to see the entire front of the glacier from our room, an incredible sight. We stood on the balcony for a while then sat in the warm. Truly amazing.
Watched a movie, constantly looking outside at the views, then went for lunch in the dining room. I had chicken to start, Song had a vegetarian thingy, and for main I had Asian style burger, Song had sole. I had a butterscotch sundae for dessert, Song had cheesecake. We certainly weren't going to lose any weight. We then went for a couple of laps around the deck, I wore my $20 jacket. There were a lot more people on the deck because the sun came out again and the views were yet again stunning. We sailed past mountain ranges on either side. We thought it would be a boring day just being at sea, but we were blown away by the views again.
By now we'd explored most of the ship - the casino and all the restaurants, it was huge. There was a spa with a hydropool and sauna, 2 swimming pools (one indoor and one outdoor), each with hot tubs attached. 2 table tennis tables, a basketball court, 3 or 4 bars, a cafe, a library and several conference rooms.
We sat in the lido again and had a coffee, and I saw another whale.
Song went back to the room, I sat on the deck with a beer (Alaskan ale stout) looking at the mountains, bathed in sunlight, floating by.
Went back to the room, watched tv, and the ship picked up speed. We were heading out into the open sea to go back, and the sea started to get a bit of a swell, about 3 metres, and the boat was moving up and down a fair bit. Later on it got even worse and Song didn't feel too well so skipped dinner. It takes more than some waves to come between me and food, I had roast lamb followed by ice cream.
Went back to the room, watched another movie as the boat bobbed up and down as well as rolling a bit.
Song wasn't well.

Day 13 - Skagway

Woke up at 0700, the boat had already docked in Skagway.
Went back to the formal dining room for breakfast, I had eggs benedict, Song had a parfait and porridge. Popped down to the excursions desk and booked a scenic train ride to White Pass summit, even though the weather wasn't great - cloudy and raining - but we had to do something because we were there all day and it was a small town.
We walked into town, had a wander up and down the streets, mostly jewellery shops and souvenir places. These towns survive on tourism, and are only open 4 or 5 months a year.
Song went into a jewellery shop for about 30 minutes and bought some gold nuggets, haggling with the guy. At one stage he took off his shirt and handed it over, and brought out his first born son to offer - never haggle with a Chinese woman.
We walked a bit more, found a coffee place but it didn't have wifi, the guy said internet was very expensive and no where had free wifi in town.
It was still early, so we had another whiz around the town, past the jewellery shop Song bought her stuff from where the guy was still crying. Went into a clothes shop where I bought a fleece lined waterproof jacket for $20 USD - we'd seen them on the boat for $60 and I thought they were a bargain then, but this was ridiculous. We then went back to the boat to have lunch -  we both had salads then I had roast pork but skipped dessert. Song had sushi. We then went down to wait for the train which left from just next to the dock, I was wearing my new $20 jacket.
The trip was 3.5 hours and wound it's way by the side of the town and up the mountain, following the river and through the forest.
The train climbed over 3000 feet, high above the river, a mountain on the opposite side of the valley with several thin waterfalls. There was also a road on the Mount opposite, and the guide said it took 30 years to build.
The train was slow, but had a mountain to climb. We could see the train track high above us on the other side of the mountain, and a couple of bridges.
We climbed into the clouds, and the views were incredible. The mountain had lots of small waterfalls, there was snow dotted around and it was still raining and cold, probably around 3c. Did I mention the views? The train track was cut into the side of the mountain with a steep, long drop into the gorge. After a while I stopped taking photos to enjoy the view.
We also passed into Canada, but couldn't get off, stopped and then headed back down the mountain to the boat. We passed through cloud so couldn't see much on the way back, but I did take some photos when it did clear. Song saw another bear but I missed it.
Back to the boat, dinner and sleep.

Day 12 at sea and Juneau

Woke up at 0700 which was really 0800 because the clocks went back again. Song mentioned we're half way through the trip now, but it seems like ages ago that we were in Montreal, Kingston and Toronto. Getting ready, I looked out of the window and saw a whale - it was quite far away and small, but I saw the fin, water spout and tail. We're booked into a whale watching tour today, so hopefully we'll get closer.
The weather was very overcast, we were now off the coast of Alaska and the clouds covered the hills, very grey.
Went to breakfast, it was packed again, I had the fried one today as well as a pastry.  It's hard to resist when it's all laid out and paid for.
Went for a walk around the deck again and up and down the stairs. Our room was still being tidied so we went back upstairs and sat in the lido area looking at the views, still 3 hours until we docked. According to the weather channel it was raining but the top temperature was supposed to be 24c.
We passed along the coast, scenery very similar to Canada, hills and mountains covered in trees and some snow, and some small waterfalls.
As we approached Juneau (which is the state capital of Alaska, and not Anchorage which a lot of ignorant people think, us included) there were already 3 other cruise ships in port, so I thought the town was going to be busy.
Got off the boat into the rain, and could either walk 1.6 km into the town or pay $3 USD each to get the bus. Since we're not doing much exercise decided to walk, and it was fine.
Got into the town which was a reasonable size, and almost every shop in the main street was a jewellers. There were the inevitable souvenir shops as well. We went into a cafe mainly to use the internet and it was really stingy - a one time code that lasted for 15 minutes. I let Song use it, and we decided to get another drink later so I could use it as well. It felt like we were back in the 1990s when internet and sms messages were charged for. I had hoped to download Game of Thrones but that wasn't going to happen. I resigned myself to being without the net for the next week. At least the coffee was nice.
We sat for a while, the sun came out and it warmed up enough for us to take our jackets off, but I didn't think it would get to 24c.
Walked to the tour pick up spot, and headed off for whale watching and a glacier walk.
The glacier walk was a bit of a misnomer - we got dropped off at a bus stop and walked for 20 minutes to a beach where we could see the glacier where it met the lake and a waterfall right next to the beach. The glacier was much more impressive than the one we saw in Canada (Athabasca), we could see the blue ice, and the glacier climbed the mountain into the clouds. The waterfall fell directly onto the lake next to the beach, and a few brave people walked right up to it to take photos. We spent a few minutes there taking in the view and photos, then hiked back to the bus and onto the whale watching tour.
The weather was still cloudy, with the occasional burst of rain. The scenery from the boat was good - lots of small islands and the snow covered mountains, plus we could see the top of the glacier we visited earlier. We headed out along the coast and saw several bald eagles, and soon came across 2 hump back whales feeding next to the shore. We could see the fins, and when they blew water, but they were submerged for the most part. I asked where the harpoon was, I fancied a go, but this boat didn't have one. We carried on and found another, and this one was a bit more active and could see more of it.
Pushed on a bit further to where a couple of other boats were and saw 4 killer whales swimming along, going under water and then popping up. It was difficult to take photos because we didn't know where or when they would appear. After taking several, put the camera down and just watched them for a while. The guide said they only see the killer whales every few weeks, so we were lucky. Magnificent. There was one that was larger than the others, so I called him the Prince of Whales. Boom tish. We also saw a seal that popped up just next to the boat.
We then turned around and headed back, and I think the captain must have thought he'd left the gas on, because we were rocketing over the waves, bouncing up and down.
It was now 1900 and the cruise ship was leaving at 2130 so hopefully we'd be on board when it left. We were both excited to be going back to the boat - getting back to our room, into the warm, having dinner - it just felt really comfortable. It's like a floating hotel, or to use a word I just invented, a floatel. I think we're becoming fans of the cruise. Yes, it's full of old people, and it's not exactly cheap, but I think it's actually good value.
Got back ok and went straight to dinner. We'd previously had dinner in the Lido, which was a buffet, this time we went to the dining room which was a proper restaurant with a nice menu and waiters - don't know why we didn't go before, it was much better and included in the package (ie free). However, booze was extra but despite this I decided to have a beer,  an Alaskan Imperial red ale, brewed in the place where we were docked, and very nice it was too.
I had French onion soup to start, Song had a seafood platter. I had duck breast for main and Song had another starter, crab.
I had an Alaskan fudge sundae for dessert, Song had a passion fruit cheesecake. Phew.
Stuffed both from the food and the activity, went back to the room.
Tomorrow is a place called Skagway, where we hope to book a train trip if there are still places.

Day 11 - at sea off British Columbia

Woke up around 0800, headed off to the breakfast and it was packed. Eventually found a table and I had eggs benedict, coffee and a yogurt. Song had congee, and a fried breakfast. Not too healthy really. We went for a lap around the deck, along with a few other people, and decided to use the stairs instead of the lifts from now on otherwise we wouldn't get any exercise at all. Found the shops and the cinema, showroom and other stuff then went back to the room to relax and watch a movie.
The sea is calm, but the boat moves a fair bit - I imagined it would be quite bad in heavy seas. Our cruise is of the inside passage, it doesn't go out on the open ocean so hopefully won't experience bad weather.
Looking around, there are a lot of old people on board which we expected, but also a mix of ages.
The boat is at sea for a day and a half, getting to a place called Juneau the following day at 1300. We'd booked an excursion to go whale watching and a glacier walk.
Skipped lunch, watched movies again and went for a walk around the boat - 2 laps this time before dinner. I had a ceasar salad again, then chicken with mash potatoes and broccoli, then a fruit salad and ice cream. There's not a lot to do at sea except watch movies and eat. Tonight was one of the gala nights where one of the restaurants served a 5 course meal. The catch was that it was formal wear, and I didn't pack my tuxedo. Actually it was just jacket and tie, but I didn't pack those either.
Went back to the room, watched a movie then sleep.
Tomorrow we arrive in Alaska and I'll hopefully find an internet place.

Day 10 - Vancouver and the boat

The hotel was a bit average - clean and reasonably sized but the coffee machine didn't work (a Nespresso, it came out cold), the floor was creaky and noisy, the curtain let light in and it was on the main road so there was lots of traffic noise. Luckily we were only there for 1 night.
Woke up around 0700, packed up and went for breakfast. The weather was fabulous, sunny and about 21C, we walked for about 10 minutes and found a creperie. I had a banana and strawberry one, Song had a strawberry cheesecake one.
Song's friend picked her up, I'd decided to go off on my own because they speak mandarin and I don't, so I thought I'd explore Vancouver and meet up at the boat in the afternoon. I wandered around for a bit, Vancouver had a nice vibe, nice streets and shops, very pleasant.
Met Song at the boat check in more by accident than design, then sat in a huge hall filled with mostly old people waiting to board. We reckon the boat holds about 2000, and it takes a while to get everyone on. The boarding process was a bit of a farce. We checked in were given a coloured card with a number on, and had to wait for an hour and a half to be called. Then we had to queue up for a security check for about another hour. Then they pulled out non US and Canada passport holders and we had to wait in another line. While they whizzed past us. We finally got moving only to stand in another queue, this one for US border and customs because we were leaving Canada and entering America. We spent about 4 hours waiting or queuing, because it was the US system where they fingerprint every finger and take a photo. Considering cruise ships leave Vancouver all the time, you'd think they could organise it better. There were 3 huge ships leaving, but no prioritisation, and they were all leaving at about the same time. It was a free for all. A really bloody crap system, I don't know why they couldn't stagger the departure times.
The ship is called the Nieuw Amsterdam, and you can track it live on several web sites - www.cruisin.me, www.myshiptracking.com etc,  do a google for live ship tracking and enter the name of the boat. The shipping line is Holland America.
So, we eventually got on the boat and into our state room (every room is called a state room to make it sound special). It was basically a decent hotel room with everything you'd expect - a tv, wardrobes, 2 seater couch, small table, King size bed, bathroom etc. We also had a balcony (most of the rooms did).
After the mandatory life boat and safety briefing we went for dinner. Because the tickets cost a fair bit there are 2 restaurants on board which serve meals that are included - there were also a few that you had to pay for. We went for the buffet which was pretty good - not exactly gourmet but decent enough. It wasn't too busy and we managed to nab a window seat and both had a salad, main and dessert.
We went up on deck and had a walk, the Canadian coast passing by, snow topped mountains off the port side (that's a sea going term).
We went back to the cabin and there was a knock on the door and Bill and Ben (not their real names) were standing there telling us they were our stewards and would be looking after us and if we needed anything to let them know and it was nice to meet us and they hope we have a pleasant cruise. Which is the long way of saying "don't forget to tip us."
The ship had 11 stories, a couple of swimming pools, a showroom, several restaurants and God knows what else, but we would find out. There were also free movies on the TV and a cinema.
It also has the internet, but is $269 for the cruise, and so decided to just use free wifi in cafes when we go ashore.

Day 9 - Kamloops to Vancouver

Woke up at 0630 which was really 0730 and these time changes are annoying. Checked out, put petrol in the car and set off for Vancouver. There were 2 routes, one direct and one scenic which added an hour onto the journey but we had plenty of time so chose the scenic.
Once again, it was beautiful. The sun was shining, the temperature about 20, and we followed the Fraser River. Sometimes it was just along side, other times we were high above it. We drove along the valley, snow capped mountains off in the distance, sheer rocky cliffs one side of the road, the river on the other and hills beside the river.
We stopped a few times to take photos, and sat by the river and had a drink, very tranquil.
Carried on, still through amazing scenery, green hills all around covered in pine trees. At one stage we saw the Rocky Mountaineer train, and still thought we'd made the right decision to drive - we could stop when we wanted, and went to Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Kamloops and Vancouver - the train has 2 separate routes and doesn't visit these places in one trip.
Stopped at a place called Hope about 2 hours outside Vancouver for lunch. Song had a caesar salad and I had fish and chips. Mine was huge, but Song helped by stealing some chips.
After a while the scenery changed from the spectacular to the mundane - and as we approached Vancouver the traffic started to build and the industrial area appeared. The last hour and a half was spent in heavy traffic, and a bit of a let down after all the amazing views of the last few days.
Dropped the car off and were picked up by a friend of Song's who took us to her home, then we went for a walk along the beach, then for dinner - Chinese hot pot - and then on to the hotel where we collapsed after the long day.
Tomorrow we get on the cruise ship for 7 nights and sail around bits of Alaska. I'm not sure what the internet status is, so if the blog isn't updated it means we don't have the internet, or the boat has sunk.

Day 8 - Jasper to Kamloops

Woke up at 0630 for some reason, packed up and went for breakfast. Stopped off at a supermarket and bought some rolls, ham and cheese and hit the road at about 10:20.
The weather was still cloudy but looked brighter. The drive was going to take about 4.5 hours but with stops would probably be nearer 6.
We soon left Alberta and entered British Columbia, and the scenery changed - the mountains were higher and more rugged, covered in snow. We stopped at a few places along the way to take photos - Mount Robson was pretty good. We drove along a valley with huge, magnificent mountains either side, and followed a large river, crossing over it several times. The sky cleared a bit and it started to get warmer as the mountains gave way to pine tree covered hills. We had to turn on the ac as the temperature got to 20c.
We stopped for lunch in a park in a small town (population 260), a clear lake in front of us and the mountains all around. Back on the road and we passed a town surrounded by hills where the trees had been burnt - I looked it up and there was a fire there in 2003. The landscape looked a bit surreal.
We passed a few cyclists which I found incredible - there aren't many towns about so these guys had their work cut out, it was hours between some places. We also saw lots of camper vans and RVs - huge ones which were towing SUVs.
We continued to follow the river, and soon we started to see green fields, and finally arrived at the hotel. We'd got an email from hotels.com saying the hotel we booked was full so they booked us in somewhere else. It didn't look too flash, more like a motel. The receptionist couldn't find the booking, then called the sister hotel around the corner and it turned out we were booked in there. It was a much nicer, proper hotel. We explained what had happened to the receptionist there, and he upgraded us to a junior suite. Yay. The room was very spacious, had a separate room with a TV, chairs and a desk, plus a small kitchen.
We only stopped in Kamloops because it was the biggest place between Jasper and Vancouver - there was nothing to do there. Neither of us was particularly hungry, so we went walking looking for a light dinner.
Found a decent restaurant, I had almond crusted chicken breast with black rice and vegetables and Song had a vegetarian plate with chickpeas and other stuff. I also had a beer, a local stout. Both meals were nice but small portions which actually suited us this time.
We got chatting to the waitress who said she lived in Melbourne for 4 months a couple of years ago - in St Kilda. Small world.
Went back to the hotel, watched tv then sleep.
Tomorrow we drive to Vancouver and drop off the car.

Day 7 - Jasper

Woke up at 0830 and pottered around till about 1130, watching TV and browsing the web, happy for a bit of down time. The weather had finally turned and it was raining and cloudy, visibility was very poor. We were very lucky with the weather yesterday.
Had a look on Tripadvisor and most of the activities are hikes and views of the mountains, but since it would be hard to see anything decided to visit a waterfall because it didn't matter what the weather was like. The first stop was for brunch, although Song made herself some congee so didn't want anything. We found a cafe that was popular and I had a roast beef, bacon and cheese sandwich which was very nice although had mustard that was very hot.
Drove the 24 km to the waterfall, passing the 4 deer we saw yesterday, through rain and low cloud.
We arrived at the Athabasca Falls and didn't have to walk far from the car park.
The falls were very impressive - not too big, but very pretty. There were walk ways and viewing platforms all around, and we got very close to the falls. You could see where the water had carved out the channels over thousands of years, and there was also a walk through one of the old channels. Very interesting.
The next stop was back the way we came to the Malign Canyon, another gorge that had a river running through it that had carved a deep channel with multiple small waterfalls. Again there were paths and viewing places giving great views of the canyon that in some places was over 50 metres deep. The paths followed the river through the pine woods, and we only saw a few people, probably because of the weather. An old guy asked us if we saw the eagle's nest. I said no, then suddenly through the trees we saw the eagle flying away, I just got a glimpse.
Left to go back to the hotel, keeping an eye out for other wildlife - apparently there are moose and grizzly bears around - but we didn't spot anything.
Spent a few hours back at the hotel then went for dinner, walking 10 minutes into the town. As we walked the Rocky Mountaineer train pulled in - this is the train that travels through the mountains.  We had considered booking it but decided to drive instead. Driving gives more flexibility, but also the train was very expensive and didn't fit our time frame. Found a restaurant that looked decent, called Syrahs, and it turned out to be very good.
For starter I had roasted cauliflower puree cheese crust topped with baby tomatoes, walnut, and olives which was excellent. Song had bison sausage which she liked. For main I had bison steak on blue cheese mashed potato and spicy roasted vegetables. Again, excellent, although I wouldn't have known it was bison if not told, it tasted like a steak.
Song had boar, which she enjoyed and said it was tender, but also said she would have guessed it was pork. We shared a goats cheese and white chocolate cheese cake. I also had a Yukon stout, Song had a cider which I had most of. A very nice meal, the best of the trip so far.
Walked back to the hotel, the temperature had dropped noticeably.
Tomorrow we're driving to a place called Kamloops and another time change.

Day 6 - Banff to Jasper

We flew to Calgary through a time zone so were 2 hours behind Toronto. So we went to bed at 2100 (which was really 2300) and woke up at 0600 (which was really 0800) and pretty confusing and not good for the body clock.
Checked out and went into the town for a look around and breakfast, the temperature about -2 according to Google but the sun was out and it wasn't too cold. We then drove along the shore of Lake Minniewanka (snigger). The views were incredible. Imagine a postcard of Canada with pine trees around a perfectly still lake with mountains in the background, that's what we saw. We took photos of course. Carried on around the lake and stopped to take more photos and saw a small group of Canadian goats just lying around, then an eagle floated past. Stopped at another part of the lake and on the way back to the car saw a coyote. All this in the space of about 15 minutes. At another part of the lake we saw dozens of ground squirrels that would come out of their burrows, stand up to look at us and then pop back in if we got too close.
We left Lake Minniewanka (chortle) and headed along the scenic route to Lake Louise.
When we drove up to Banff we had to buy a pass to stick in the window, and Song said we shouldn't have bothered. I said they probably have checkpoints and she laughed and said that it was Canada, not Libya. So, guess what we came to - yes, a checkpoint. Ha.
The scenery was mostly tree lined avenues with the surrounding mountains. After a while I said I'd pull over to grab a drink and the next place turned out to have a full car park, a place called Johnston Canyon. It was a magnificent river canyon, sheer cliff faces with a fast running river. After about 20 minutes we arrived at the lower falls, a small but impressive waterfall. There was a path up to other falls but we decided to push on.
Arrived in Lake Louise town, which was really just a few shops, after about 15 minutes and found a pretty rubbish place to eat. I had a chicken burger and chips, Song had chicken wings with salad and both were as good as could be expected.
Drove around the corner, parked and walked to the actual lake. Wow. Absolutely breathtaking. If you wanted to design the perfect scenic spot you'd probably come up with this. Words can't describe it, certainly not mine, so look at the photos. Just amazing. We walked around the lake for a bit then I felt a bit cold so turned around but Song wanted to go a bit further. I sat down on a bench looking out over the lake to the snow covered mountains. What a hard life I have. There were plenty of people around but not so many that we couldn't take photos, and we found ourselves alone on the path a few times.
Drove a bit more, came across some more goats crossing the road, then discovered another lake surrounded by mountains, and the lake was partially frozen, ice covering most of the surface. Carried on a bit further and saw a load of parked coaches so thought something must be worth looking at, and found the Athabasca Glacier. Climbed a steep slope and stood at the toe of the glacier. Photos of course.
Carried on the only road to Jasper, amazing views of the surrounding mountains, and as we were driving I saw a small black blob in the distance at the side of the road that moved. I reckoned it was a bear, and yes, it was. A black bear. Stopped and took a couple of photos but a car came so drove off. A bit further up the road Song said we should go back, and I thought that was a good idea, because how many times do you see a bear at the side of the road? So we did, and I got more photos. Another car had stopped as well, and the guy got out of the car to get closer to get better photos. I switched the camera to video, because I thought I was about to capture a wicked youtube video. However, the bear didn't seem interested. Carried on towards Jasper, and 5 minutes later, there was another bear. Stopped again, because how many times do you see a bear by the side of the road? Several, it seems. Thinking we'd never get to Jasper at this rate, finally got to the town only to see 4 white tailed deer by the side of the road.
Unbelievable, an incredible day.
Tomorrow we spend in and around Jasper, just chilling out after the hectic travel.

Day 5 - Toronto to Banff

Woke up at 0630, jet lag seemed to have gone but still got a cold. Popped round the corner to a post office to send some cards and discovered that most shops are underground like in Montreal even though it doesn't get as cold in Toronto. Grabbed a croissant for breakfast then back to the hotel to check out, then over the road to the station to get the train to the airport. Stood in the queue while some woman argued with the staff about something - why does it require all the staff to get involved in an argument? So about 6 of us waited for this argument to finish before anyone else could get served. Eventually got to me and was told the train to the airport is in different building. Luckily it wasn't too far and managed to get it ok. Flight took 4 hours and was uneventful which is what you want really, then into the hire car - a Mazda CX 9 which was huge. Plugged the hotel into the gps and drove for about an hour and a half to Banff in the Rocky Mountains. The first hour or so of the drive was boring, but we could see the mountains in the distance. We eventually arrived into the mountains - surrounded by pine trees and huge rock faces with some snow on top. They were larger than the ones in Iceland, taller and steeper.
Pulled into the hotel which looked a bit tired from the outside but inside was nice.
Checked Tripadvisor and the best restaurant in Banff was the hotel bistro so decided to go there, saved me driving into town and I could have a beer as well. I had a vanilla porter and it was very nice. The food was actually pretty good. We shared a plate of cheeses and charcuterie, then Song had blueberry risotto, I had a wagyu beef burger which I couldn't finish. We were sat by the window with a spectacular view of the mountains. Suitably stuffed we went back to the room.
Tomorrow we'll have a look around Banff, then on to Lake Louise and through the Banff National Park to Jasper.

Day 4 - Niagara Falls

Woke up at 0430 - bloody jet lag, but went back to sleep after a while and eventually woke up around 0630. Popped around the corner for a coffee then watched tv until the bus came to take us to Niagara Falls. Stood outside the hotel waiting for the bus, then one of the staff told us that due to a marathon some roads were closed and the bus couldn't pick us up so we needed to get a cab to the bus station. Got in a cab and he said he couldn't take us to the bus station because there was a marathon on and some roads were closed. He dropped us as close as he could then we had to run there. Luckily the coach was waiting but it would have been nice if they had told us earlier. The coach drove through the old part of Toronto which was really nice, some beautiful buildings, including the university. Hit the highway and travelled through mostly industrial areas, I had hoped to watch some stuff I'd downloaded but the tour guide insisted on yammering on. Our first stop was at a winery where we had tasting and I was sure there would be 'an opportunity to buy'. They specialised in ice wine which is harvested in winter and is very expensive.
Stopped at Niagara on the Lake, a quaint town but very touristy. The weather was getting a bit gloomy - the day started sunny but now it was overcast and started to rain.
The bus drove along the Niagara Gorge but it was difficult to see much, just the odd glimpse of the river. We finally climbed up high enough to see the falls. To be honest I didn't think they were that impressive, but we were still a bit far away. We had a buffet lunch in the Sheraton Falls View restaurant which was pretty average but there was a good view of the falls (hence the name) with a small balcony that could fit about 3 people on it. Naturally there were about 50 wanting to take photos. We took a few then joined the group to get the boat into the falls. We could see them from the balcony and I predicted that we were going to get wet.
Grabbed a coffee from the starbucks in the lobby of the hotel and broke my record for the most expensive cup of coffee - $8.32 Canadian for a small latte.
Next stop was the cruise of the falls, wearing a ridiculous poncho but it was needed - I was amazed at how close we got to them. The boat went past the smaller of the falls, the American and bridal veil, then went up to the horseshoe falls and through the spray. My legs got soaked, but the poncho did it's job and kept the top of me dry. The noise was tremendous and the wind strong, but there wasn't much to see because of the spray and I didn't want to use the camera in case it got too wet. Song took plenty on the phone so I'll put those up.
Back on the coach and stopped off at another view of the Whirlpool which was basically a bend in the river with some swirling water, pretty decent but not spectacular. Song and I both thought that the Icelandic waterfalls were more impressive - Niagara Falls are much bigger, but for some reason we just felt the ones we saw in Iceland were a better setting.
The last stop was back to near where we had been, but at the top of the falls. Here we could see the rapids that lead to the horseshoe falls as well as the drop of the water - this was an amazing spectacle, the incredible amount of water pouring over the top, less than a few metres away from the path. Ok, it was probably more spectacular than the Icelandic ones when seen from this angle.
Back on the bus, then the trip back to the hotel - a fairly long day. We didn't bother with dinner.
Tomorrow we fly to Calgary, but it's not an early flight so we don't have to get up early.

Day 3 - Toronto

Slept reasonably well but woke up early with a blocked nose. Couldn't taste anything but that didn't stop me from filling up on breakfast. Walked to the bus stop to go to the train station but since it was Saturday wasn't sure when they ran so decided to walk - this turned out to be a bit of a bad idea as it took longer than we thought plus the roads in Canada aren't designed for walking and several times there was no pavement. We finally arrived at the station just in time to board. The train was comfortable, nice seats and power points for the gear. The trip took a couple of hours and the landscape was uninspiring so I watched some tv.
The trip took a couple of hours and the hotel was next to the train station, the Fairmont Royal York, a huge old hotel that is part of the Savoy group, so quite nice.
Dropped the bags in the room and headed out to look around Toronto - to be honest there wasn't a lot to see. We walked to a market which is one of the top attractions and it was about a quarter of the size of Victoria market in Melbourne. The centre of Toronto is made up of skyscrapers and glass office blocks, no character at all. We weren't hungry so skipped lunch and walked back to the hotel to chill out until dinner. Song felt like Chinese food so we walked about 20 minutes to Chinatown but most of the restaurants looked pretty awful so eventually found a Korean one instead. Food was ok, hopped on a tram back to the hotel but had to get off and walk because of construction - apparently now is construction season, they don't do any in winter because it's too cold.
We booked a trip to Niagara Falls for tomorrow, not too early at 09:30.

Day 2 - Kingston

Didn't sleep well having picked up a cold, sick yet again, probably from the flight. Up at 0500 to get the train to Kingston, a small town on Lake Ontario. Journey was pleasant but not great scenery, mainly flat with farms and fields. Got the bus from the station to the hotel but didn't have enough change, but the driver, a young guy, said not to worry and let us on and asked where we were going, where we were from and was very chatty. Compare this to Melbourne where the ticket inspectors are basically thugs who issue on the spot fines or threaten court if you don't have a ticket.
Dropped the bags at the hotel and took another bus into the main part of town where we bought tickets for a cruise of the 1000 islands, the reason for coming to Kingston. Pottered around the shops for a while, Song bought a pair of sandals then onto the boat. So far every one has been very friendly, all the hotel staff and shop assistants.
Opted for the buffet lunch on the boat, hopefully poutine wasn't on the menu, and I had my first Canadian beer, an Okanagan pale ale that was ok from what I could tell through my blocked nose.
The weather was fabulous, sunny and warm.
The cruise went up the St Lawrence River, past some large islands and after about an hour I thought it was a bit dull. However, we then entered the most spectacular part of the cruise and it was amazing - hundreds of tiny islands, most with a single house on, just barely enough land to fit them. It's difficult to describe, but I obviously took loads of photos. Song booked this and picked yet another amazing place.
The buffet was decent enough although I couldn't taste much, but still went back for seconds.
Enjoyed the scenery, then when we got back wandered around the town looking for fridge magnets but didn't find any nice ones so caught the bus back.
Both of us were pretty tired after the early start and not hungry so just stayed in the hotel and relaxed.
Tomorrow we're on the train again to Toronto.

Day 1 - Montreal

Hello jet lag my old friend, I've come to speak with you again. Despite sleeping for a few hours on the flight from LA, and dropping off as soon as my head hit the pillow, still woke up at 0530.
Had the included breakfast then headed out to look around Montreal, the sun was shining and it was a bit chilly but promised to get warmer so I left my jacket behind. Walked about 20 minutes to the old part of Montreal and down to the old port. There was a lot of construction going on all over the place, and we were dodging  trucks and noisy building sites. I was regretting leaving my jacket behind as the wind picked up and it got a bit cold, but once the sun came out it wasn't too bad.
The old town was quite pleasant, buildings dating back to the mid 1800s and one that purported to be from 1655. Walked around a bit then decided to stop for a coffee. Asked for a medium but the mugs she brought out were the size of buckets so changed to a small, and even these would be considered large in Australia.
By the way, if you were transported here without knowing, you'd think you were in France, because everyone speaks French and all the signs and shop names are French.
Walked around the corner to the cathedral, paid our $5 each to go inside, and it was very impressive - lots of ornate carving and Song said it looked like a theatre with the way it was lit.
Took some photos as usual, then carried on walking to the underground shopping mall at the train station - I think it's the largest underground mall in the world. It gets down to -30 in the winter so they put the shops underground which makes sense. We stopped at a restaurant in the food court which wasn't too flash, but they served poutine, which I had heard the name of but didn't know what it was until I looked it up - chips with cheese covered in gravy. Not exactly gourmet fare but when in Rome...
Song ordered a club sandwich.
I'd definitely eat poutine again - as long as I hadn't eaten in 5 days and the alternative was roadkill or a turd, and I'd seriously consider the others first. Song said it looked like vomit. Yeah, never again.
We needed a small travel kettle to make tea, the one we had is the wrong voltage for North America, so we trudged around the shopping mall looking for one. We must have visited every home wares shop but they only had big ones. I think it would have been easier to locate the holy grail. We left the mall after a couple of hours and walked back to the hotel via Chinatown because we figured we would find a shop that sold one - and we did. By the time we got to the hotel the jet lag was taking its toll and we were shattered. We decided to nap for about an hour.
Woke up, then I popped around the corner to the metro to find out the train times because we had to be at the main station early the next day to get a train to Kingston. Got back to the hotel and Song had decided we were going to Mount Royal - Montreal is named after it. We got the metro, then on a bus, then didn’t know where to get off and managed to miss it. Stayed on the bus because it just went back again and got off where there was a view over the city. There were lots of other people there as well as a few raccoons picking rubbish out of the bins. We'd not seen raccoons before - they're like giant possums.
Got back on the bus, then back to the hotel and bed. We skipped dinner, neither of us was hungry.
An early start tomorrow to get the 0645 train.

Arrived at LA

Not a great flight - part of the entertainment system wasn't working so new movies and TV shows were not available which meant I picked a few old classics - The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid for example. I also loaded up a music play list of classics and spent most of the flight in the 1960s and 70s.
Screaming babies to my right and front, luckily not too near and thankfully the noise cancelling headphones did the job. Unfortunately they couldn't cancel out the 2 annoying 8 year old girls in front of me who argued with each other most of the flight or the other young girl behind me who seemed to want to alternately push and pull my seat. As usual I didn't sleep.
I was very grumpy then looked at the camera mounted on the tail of the plane and realised I was sitting in a seat in a metal tube 25000 feet up travelling at 600km an hour, so got a bit of perspective. Mind you, when someone advertises an airline that bans kids below the age of 16 I'll be the first in the queue.
Speaking of queues we arrived in LA on time and spent an hour in the immigration queue - they finger print each hand and take a photo. Got past that and then queued up for customs. Once through that one headed to the terminal to get the flight to Montreal so queued up for that security check. Finally got through, queued for the toilet and then for a coffee. So far my holiday has consisted of the views of the back of people's heads.
We've now been up for 22 hours, another 2 hours to the next flight which is another 5 hours. I hope someone is about to make a breakthrough in teleportation soon.
So I expect to get to the hotel in Montreal and collapse, will update again tomorrow.

Here we go again

Spent the last 11 days in Melbourne, waking up when we feel like it, pottering around and shopping without having to fight the weekend crowds and generally chilling out.

Back on the road again tomorrow, getting up at 05:00 to get Qantas flight # 93 to Los Angeles. Track it here: https://flightaware.com/live/flight/QFA93/history/20160503/2315Z/YMML/KLAX

We leave Melbourne at 09:15 and arrive in LA at 06:35 on the same day - WE GO BACK IN TIME!

So if we forget something I can phone myself in Melbourne and remind me to bring it. Or something, not sure exactly how it works.

We have a 5.5 hour lay over then onto Montreal. From there to Toronto, Niagara Falls, Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, drive through the Rocky Mountains, hop on a ship for a 7 day cruise of Alaska, couple of days in Vancouver, few days in Seattle then back to LA to fly home.

So stay tuned for more exciting adventures of Andy and Song.

Day 31 - Last Day - Paris

The last week we've been able to get up when we felt like it, generally around 0830. Another beautiful day,  left the jackets behind and walked to the Louvre via the Opera. Walked along a street that had all the top brands and some so exclusive I'd never heard of them.  I had to peel Song off the windows of some of the jewellers, then we stopped for a (Starbucks again) coffee.
Didn't go into the Louvre, we've been a few times and it takes at least a day to do it justice, went on to the Palais Royale next door where there was a large garden with a fountain, trees, benches and seats with people reading or just sitting enjoying the weather - this is what I love about Paris, there are huge open spaces and gardens everywhere, it's not as cramped as London. I don't think I'll ever tire of coming to Paris - every time we have a great time, it's such a beautiful city, the buildings are imposing and decorative, the art galleries and museums extensive and the food out of this world.
Walked through the Louvre courtyard and onto the Pont D'Arts, then headed to a restaurant we visited last time we were here just near the Luxembourg Gardens called La Maison du Jardin. If you come to Paris I'd recommend it. It was full of old French people which I took as a good sign. I ordered snails in a garlic broth (how French is that?) because I can't remember having had snails before. Song ordered rabbit pate. The snails were nice, no real taste except of garlic, and a texture like calamari. Song didn't like her pate much. For main I ordered the lamb in filo pastry - the same thing I had 3 years ago. Song ordered - wait for it - cod. I also ordered a large glass of Bordeaux, which turned out to be about half a bottle so by the end of the meal I was a bit tipsy. The lamb was cooked for seven hours, and was fantastic. Song said her fish was nice. Song noticed someone had brought a dog into the restaurant, something we'd also seen in Nancy. I do like dogs, but I'm not too sure I'm keen on them in restaurants.
We decided against a dessert, so paid up and went walking again, round the corner to the Luxembourg Gardens. It felt like it was over 20C, and everywhere people were sitting in the sun, reading, eating lunch or chatting with friends, kids playing games, hundreds just enjoying life. So we joined them, sat on a bench for a while watching the world go by. I highly recommend it.
Carried on, looking for a patisserie because I fancied a cake but after a while just decided to go to a cafe and have a tea and coffee - they do like their coffee strong here.
Walked all the way back again, according to Google fit I walked just under 23000 steps and it certainly felt like it - my feet and calves were aching. We grabbed a couple of baguettes from a Paul's bakery for dinner, we didn't fancy a big meal.
Back to the hotel, packed up, we fly out tomorrow afternoon.
So that's it for the first leg of Andy and Song's epic journey around the world. A couple of weeks back in Melbourne and then off on the second leg to Canada and the US.

Day 30 - Paris

Woke up to a perfect day, sun shining and not a cloud in the sky, about 7C.
Grabbed a coffee from Starbucks (I know, sacrilege for a Melburnian, but local coffee is too strong), then walked 20 minutes to Sacre Coeur - another church. Climbed the 196 steps (I counted them) and arrived at the top next to the funicular station. Oh well, I needed the exercise. We weren't there for the church per se, but the view over Paris because it's at the top of a hill. Took photos and went into the church anyway. Walked around the corner to the square where we were accosted by several artists offering to sketch us but we declined. We called in at a cafe to have crepes - I had one with fruit and Song chose chocolate and banana which was a bit of a role reversal, but we swapped half each.
Carried on walking for a while then found a Paul's bakery so stopped for lunch. Song had a tuna roll (fish!) and I had a pizza slice that looked better than it tasted.
Walked back to the hotel for a pit stop then walked to Galleries Lafayette, a department store, but similar to Harrods in London. As soon as we entered we encountered a sea of Chinese people - literally hundreds. They were all there buying tax free goods and weighed down with Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci bags.
Bought some gear ourselves - we really went to town and bought 8 place mats from the souvenir shop!
Carried on, visited the Uniqlo shop where Song spent an hour picking up and trying every jumper there until deciding she didn't like any and they were cheaper in Australia anyway.
Took the metro to the Champs-Elysees, walked up one side and down the other, dodging all the other tourists. The weather was still perfect - sunny, and we'd left our jackets in the hotel because it was warm.
Song popped into a shop for a look and came out with 2 handbags.
Starting to feel tired, headed back to the hotel area to get dinner. Checked Tripadvisor and set off for a restaurant but couldn't find it so just went into one that looked ok and had a few people inside. We seem to have started a trend, because about 12 people came in within about 10 minutes.
We both ordered duck fois gras to start (very nice), I went for beef bourginion for main and Song had - shockingly - sausage. The beef bourginion was excellent. I had one in Iceland that was good and one in Brugges that was average but this one reminded me I was in France and they invented it. 2 large pieces of tender beef, a superb gravy with mushrooms and bacon in a pot , with a plate of creamy mashed potato.
Song said her sausage was good but I was too busy enjoying mine to listen. I also had a glass of red wine.
For dessert I had chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream, Song had ice cream with grand marnier but couldn't eat it all so I had to finish it off. What a terrible thing to have to do.
Total cost was about $100 and worth every cent. Luckily the restaurant had a small crane to help me get up out of my seat, then we waddled up the road to the hotel, each carrying a few extra kilos, and squeezed into the lift, collapsed on the bed and tried not to move.
Tomorrow is more walking and sight seeing around The Louvre area.

Day 29 - Nancy to Paris

Up, walk, train, metro, walk, hotel. Train journey was good, on the TGV which is the fast train, hurtling through the French countryside. Kept a close eye on the bags and pockets on the metro because last time some guy stuck his hand in my pocket, but luckily didn't get anything. Came out of the metro and the Moulin Rouge was in front of us. A short walk to the hotel which is the 4th most popular in Paris, not too expensive and really good - staff are really helpful and even played the Australian and English national anthem as we checked in. I kid you not. It's called Joke hotel. The room was small but very well designed and very trendy. We'll definitely stay again. The mini bar was free (although only had water and soft drinks) and they also had free food and drink in the lobby.
We dropped the bags and went out, intending to go shopping but it was Sunday and most are closed. Decided instead to walk around a cemetery. Not just any cemetery, but Père Lachaise, where loads of famous people are buried. We spent about 3 hours there and saw dead people. Moliere, Bizet, Pissaro, Chopin, many others and probably the most famous - Jim Morrison. It was quite busy, and is said to be the most visited cemetery in the world. We saw a crowd around one grave and had a look - it was one of the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists. The cemetery is not very well laid out and we looked for, but didn't find, a few others.
We'd walked a lot, so decided to head back to the hotel area and go to a restaurant we'd passed earlier, but when we got there it was closed, as we're all of them, and so we had to go back to the hotel and wait for about half an hour.
Wandered down to the restaurant where I had a lobster bisque for starter and then steak (I ordered it medium and it came out rare but I'm too timid to complain), Song had fois gras to start and *sigh* sea bass for main. I also had a glass of wine. Both meals were good, not great.
Walked up the road to the Moulin Rouge and took some photos, saw that it was 125 Euro per person to get in and decided against it. I'm sure it's a spectacle but I can download the movie for nothing.
Back to the hotel to relax.
Tomorrow is the Sacre Coeur and some more wandering with a bit of shopping thrown in. We're here for 3 nights, not 2, so 2 more full days in what I think is our favourite city.

Day 28 - Metz to Nancy

Another good sleep but woke up to a wet, cold day. Went for another walk around Metz, calling in on another church we passed, then to what is thought to be the oldest church in France, dating from the forth century. Stopped in at a Paul's for another non standard breakfast, I had coffee (I asked for white coffee and it just scraped by, it was very strong) and an apple tart, Song had a blueberry tart. We went back to the cathedral because Song did some reading and wanted to have another look. Reading this you may think we're on some religious pilgrimage, but we just find European churches interesting - some amazing architecture, paintings, carvings and history.
The rain stopped and the sun came out, took more photos then back to the hotel to pick up the bags, then onto the station to get the train to Nancy. I tried the machines but they rejected the credit cards which wasn't a good sign, and had to queue up in the world's slowest moving queue to buy the tickets. Probably just as well because I nearly bought tickets to Nantes which is on the west coast. It was while in the queue that I had another one of my (many) brilliant ideas. I call it Citypacks. Say you're travelling to Melbourne - you go on a website and you order a pack for the city that includes a map, a directory of things to do and places to eat, maybe vouchers, a Myki card loaded with credit, a local pre loaded sim card etc. Instructions on how the local travel works because everywhere is different - for example, in Melbourne, prepare to be held down by 5 ticket inspectors and beaten up if you don't have a Myki. In Romania and Russia don't hail a cab in the street unless you want to be driven to the middle of nowhere and robbed. In Marrakech don't take up the offer of kids who say they'll show you the way, unless you want to be taken to the middle of nowhere etc.
Anyway, hopped on the train to Nancy, and got told by the conductor that we should have validated the tickets in a machine before getting on. If only I'd ordered a Citypack, I would have known this.
Got to Nancy, walked about 15 minutes to the hotel then out and about again. It started to rain so I had to go back to the hotel to grab the umbrella. Wandered the streets, came across an impressive gate (took photos of course), then continued with no destination in mind. Found a pleasant park, then came across the main square - Place de Stanislaw. Each entrance was decorated with magnificent gates covered in gold paint, plus 2 had fountains. Carried on, found the main shopping street then went looking for somewhere to eat. We avoided the main square and headed back to the hotel area, but all the restaurants were closed - it appeared they only opened for lunch and dinner. Went back to the hotel for an hour or so and then back to a restaurant we passed earlier. I perused the menu, which was in French. Now I do speak a bit of French but I learnt it 40 years ago so I don't know how good it is, although I do seem to make myself understood. However, the menu had me a bit stumped, because I think the restaurant was geared around offal, and I am not a big fan. I think I saw head of veal and pig's trotters on the menu. I took a bit of a gamble and went for what I thought was lamb shank for me and smoked sausage with sauerkraut for Song. If mine turned up with eyes I may have decided to become a vegetarian on the spot. I asked if it came with potatoes and the waiter said yes, then added "pommes de terre sudhg griv frompf crudjus?" So I said yes please. I had no idea what he said. I later heard the waiter speaking English to another couple, so either my French was so good that I had him thinking I was a local, or he was amusing himself. Probably the latter.
Luckily the potatoes were very nice, as was the lamb. Song enjoyed her meal. For dessert we shared a plate of 5 local cheeses, again very good.
Meandered back to the hotel and relaxed.
Tomorrow we're off to Paris for 2 nights, then we fly home.

Day 27 - Metz

Had a good sleep, then out to look around Metz. Weather was chilly and threatened to rain. We found a cafe and had the standard French breakfast of coffee, croissant and orange juice but had hot chocolate instead of coffee because their machine was broken and had yoghurt instead of orange juice so it wasn't very standard after all.
Walked around the old city which was very pretty, lots of large buildings with ornate carvings, and then went into the cathedral. One of the most impressive ones we've visited (and we tend to go into churches and cathedrals because they tend to be very spectacular), it had amazing stained glass windows, including some by famous artists like Marc Chagall and Jacques Villon.
It was massive inside, and has one of the highest naves in the world.
Went out of the cathedral and into a market next door. Had a wander looking at all the tempting food, and then came out into the rain and I'd forgotten to bring the umbrella so went back in again. Once it had stopped went walking again and took more photos, then on to lunch. We happened to stumble upon the 5th best restaurant in the city. I had the set menu of salmon fritters and salad to start, cod on mashed potatoes and a cake pudding for dessert. Song had braised piglet cheeks on mash and the cheese platter for dessert - yes, I had fish and Song had meat. I also swapped my usual beer for a glass of wine - a merlot.
Both dishes were excellent, although a tad pricey for lunch. Still, we're now in France so want to eat well.
Staggered out of the restaurant and continued to wander - the sun had come out so we went back to the cathedral to take more photos. There was a guy standing outside the cathedral begging, and he had a better jacket than mine. Maybe I'm in the wrong business.
Carried walking around, the streets were very pretty, lots of alleys and imposing buildings. We ended up on the street we had breakfast on and it was getting a very busy, it appeared to be the main shopping street.
Feeling a bit tired, decided to head back to the hotel where we just relaxed, decided not to have dinner because of the large lunch.
Tomorrow we're off to Nantes.

Day 26 - Brugges to Metz

Got up, had breakfast then out for a bit of a walk. Song had remembered that there was a Michaelangelo sculpture in the cathedral around the corner so we went to see it - Madonna and Child.
Carried on walking, bought some chocolates and the streets were beginning to fill up again so we took the bus to the train station and settled in for the trip to Luxembourg - with a change at Lieges. The trip was pleasant, we followed a river most of the way and were in a valley. Song wanted to stop at Luxembourg - after the Panama papers were revealed we thought we'd better check on the mountains of cash we'd squirreled away. Not really - Song just wanted to see it, plus it's a country I'd been to that she hadn't and she's trying to catch up.
Pulling into Luxembourg was spectacular - the city is built on a hill and there were bridges and old city walls and castles all around. Dumped the bags at the station and went for a walk along the old walls with great views. The weather was nice, overcast but not cold. Followed a tour group because they seemed to know where they were going and ended up in the main square with lots of restaurants, so found one that looked decent and each had a pizza. I was going to have a beer but decided against it as I didn't want to exceed the weight allowance of the plane.
The pizzas were ok, quite nice. We headed back to the station to pick up the bags and on to Metz.