Older in the Suburbs

Our community was great for growing kids. When my children finished high school I had plenty of discussions with knowledgeable neighbours about which colleges and universities had the best reputations. My kids were under no illusions about cost. Money was scarce. Each of them got grants to further their education. My daughter won some good scholarships. Our world changed again when they went away to school.

We often had Christmas in July or November or whatever time both of our kids could join us. I just love turkey, chocolate and cakes at off Christmas times. They somehow taste better when there is no glutinous lead up to the traditional Christmas Day feast. We often had student friends of my children stay over for a few days at Christmas. These were kids who were far away from home. Our dining room looked like a soup kitchen on these occasions. We used pots for serving dishes and random sized plates, cups and glasses. Drinks were pop, water or box of wine. The conversation was stimulating and interesting with such a varied group. I still miss those student days.

With an empty house we had more time to travel. We met up with my sister and brother-in-law from Ireland at the Calgary airport and drove out to Vancouver. We had flown in from Ontario and met them within 15 minutes. I think we should have been on the 6 o'clock news for achieving such a feat.

The first thing we did was visit the Badlands in Drumheller. Those strange sand structures called Hoodoos were thought to have magical power by the native indigenous people. This was because of the shadows they made. They were very sentimental to my husband as he grew up seeing such topography in the cowboy movies he watched as a child. Dinosaur park was another hauntingly strange place. We saw some whole dinosaurs created from bones that had been found there among the hoodoos. It was here they  had lived 75 million years ago. This is a Unesco World Heritage Site having the most complete Dinosaur collection in the world.

Amazing Hoodoos at Drumheller  Badlands near Calgary

Driving the Rockies

Fairmont Lake Louise Chateau Hotel

Meeting up with my sister and brother-in-law at the Calgary airport we drove out to Vancouver. They flew in from Dublin and we flew in from Toronto and met up within 15 minutes. We should have made the evening news with that feat!

We were awestruck and totally in love with Canada when we first drove through those Rockies. The vastness of this country was very evident in the miles upon miles of forest, lakes and mountains. The magnificent towering mountains made us feel small and our concerns insignificant. Some of the most memorable parts of out trip were the eclectic bed and breakfast places we stayed at along the way. Starting in Banff we stayed at a place run by two lovely sisters. They made a hot dish each morning to go with the usual buffet items. The dishes varied between muffins, home made bread and jam, waffles and banana bread. Each room had a fluffy white dressing gown. There were reading nooks and a common room for eating and socializing. Another place we stayed at was in Jasper.  The owner there showed us a saddle she had displayed in our living area. "This was on the horse that Marilyn Monroe rode when doing a movie called River of no Return in 1953" she informed us. "It was filmed here in Jasper. Please do not sit on it as it is very valuable." Of course as soon as she left the room, we all took turns taking photos of each other on this important piece of history.

Walking on Lake Louise covered in snow

Westerners were very friendly. The scenery was breathtaking. We loved all the rivers and lakes especially Lake Louise which was just stunning. It was quite a surprise to see the majestic and luxurious Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel right beside the lake in such a remote place. We learned later that fancy hotels were built all along the railway route to attract the wealthy. Seeing the vast forests helped us understand how the Canadian Log Cabin came into being.


We have since travelled to the east coast Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and have driven up over the great lakes and into the west. Each area has its own uniqueness and wonderful beauty. The city of Toronto is not the centre of Canada. There are vast areas with different people and different perspectives. Seeing them all tends to be humbling.