Canada, here I come!

Well, my days have been packed so I haven’t had the chance to catch up with the blog, but let me take you back to last week now.

So, having spent Wednesday catching up and packing my case, on Wednesday evening I locked the front door behind me and set off for the Edinburgh bus once more.  This bus pass is a great thing. Linda had volunteered to take me to the airport in the early hours of Thursday morning, but I couldn’t leave my car at her place due to parking restrictions there, so the bus was the ideal form of transport instead. It took about 45 minutes to where Linda picked me up, and before going back to hers we ate Chinese at a small restaurant that in my youth had been the local cafe, a hang out for the youngsters of our area,  I actually worked there for a while too as a teenager looking for pocket money!

Back home we grabbed a few hours sleep before we had to set off for the airport. It was 4.00am before I knew it, and as soon as I had thrown my clothes on we were off!  There must be a few early morning flights as the airport was busy. I checked my case through to Vancouver, though got my boarding passes for all my flights to Victoria, Vancouver Island.  I was to retrieve my luggage at Vancouver and go through customs, this being my first point of entry into Canada - despite the fact I was only changing planes and not even airline or leaving the airport terminal – and recheck it in for the Victoria flight.

Everything went smoothly, though the security bleeper went off every time I walked through that archway!  It seems to be my hair clip, so I guess I should have just taken it out and put it in the tray of things from  pockets and hand luggage!

The first leg of the journey was to London Heathrow where I changed terminal buildings by bus, and walked and walked to reach the gate for departure to Vancouver.  Someone actually took pity on me at some point because by now my arthriticky hips were slowing me down and I was indeed struggling, so I took advantage of the offered wheelchair to complete the transfer to departure lounge.  Then, along with another couple of passengers , I was taken by an electric golf buggy thing to the actual departure gate.  Luckily I was at a window seat with no-one in the seat beside me so it felt much roomier in the 777.  It wasn’t an outstanding airline, but we got an OK meal and later a snack on the nine and a half hour journey, which took us north over Scotland, then over Greenland to the Hudson Bay area…..

 

….and down over the Rocky Mountains.  I dosed for a couple of hours, read my book, watched out of the window, listened to some music, dosed again, read my book…….  and arrived in

Vancouver where again a wheel chair was a godsend.  I was taken in the chair to collect my case and take it through customs – quite a severe young man “interviewed” me, “What brings you to Vancouver today?””Have you a return ticket?” etc. etc.  then I was quickly rushed off in the buggy to catch the 2.00 pm flight over the water to Vancouver Island.

Don and Nancy were waiting for me, somewhat surprised to see me being wheeled out of the arrivals area in a chair. " Don’t panic!  I’m ok!”. Luggage collected and stowed in the car, we drove back to Saanichton to chill out for a while and have supper.  It was 2.30 in the afternoon here, and  10.30pm in my head, but I was determined to keep going through the day to get over the jetlag as soon as possible.  I lasted till about 9.30pm/5.00am UK, before giving in and going to bed to sleep for a good 8 hours!  From then on I didn’t convert back to UK time!!

I love the house here in Saanichton.  Most of the living area is upstairs with a lovely open plan sitting/dining area with balcony to the front, kitchen with decking to the back, bedrooms, bathroom and TV room, and downstairs, another lounge room, bedroom – mine, shower room, utility area and computer room.

 

So, here I will leave you for now, and I’ll continue the explorations next time!

Talk again soon.