Winter? He is coming!..

Monday, October 19. Sunny but windy and cold. We had a long sleep in  after getting to bed at midnight. The train ride and inactivity seems to have taken a lot out of us, Doug more than Fellette. For the first time since we left home a week ago today, my age is beginning to tell.

I do not want to be a complainer but this hotel has a great amount of things to complain about! First of all it is a Spartan Room. No Mini bar; no printed room service menu; no instructions on how to use the damn phone; the floor layout is a maze instead of an easy to get to the elevators grid layout. You can tell that I am getting tired  [and grumpy].

We made it outside late this morning but the French Wind, he says sarcastically, stopped any plans for a pleasant stroll around the Parliament building right next door. That building is a most handsome piece of architecture I do admit. Our disposition and wind drove our decision to wander close to home and prepare for our day over to Chateau Frontenac tomorrow, unless something unexpected crops up.

An R & R Day for us.

View as we see it.

Better setting, great looking and impressive building!

Old timer buildings on an overlook.

More.

Could not get the full scene in where I had to stand.

Cool lady!

It looks like honey bees have special rights here. I would not be surprised!

Far distant Chateau Frontenac, the most famous and expensive hotel in all of the province of Quebec.

Better view, we will get over there tomorrow!

Train Day...

Sunday, October18. Sunny 5 C. 

After what turned out to be the worst sleep of the trip according to apple watch, we had a breakfast suitable for the day, then back to the room and then checked out and took the 8 minute walk to the VIA station to the business class Lounge, there we met a lovely couple, a bit younger. They lived in Kerrisdale where Jeanette and Craig were born. Great talks with them

The commuter trains are made for use much like a bus or old time street car only they reach speeds of 164 KPH or thereabouts!

The scenery was very picturesque but not photographable, sorry. We were in Ottawa for half an hour, again in the Lounge which is very nice, clean and quiet. There I struck up a conversation with the mother of a seven year old boy who was having a great time scootering around the Lounge on his small carry-on that folded down to a bright orange small carry-on piece of kids luggage. The mother was Russian, living in Germany, the male in the picture, the kid called Papa. The interesting thing was that she, the Russian, was born in Siberia in a city called Yekaterinburg which we spent the day in on our Moscow to Beijing train trip about a decade ago! She was a bit excited to hear that and so was I!

The rest of the day was just long, we got to the Hilton at 11:00 by Uber  and to bed at midnight, absolutely exhausted!!!

View at midnight from our room. Quebec Parliament 

Our Train.

The walk to the train.

Saturday, October 17. Cold in am Ok later. 7 C.

We both woke up at 5:30 after the best sleep in five days! Fellette made coffee, before we went to the breakfast room where we filled up for what we knew would be a long day, then back to the room to rug up for what would be a very long day. We walked the few hundred meters/yards to the appointed meeting place at the Fairmont hotel. We waited inside where it was warmer. Eventually a very large and comfortable bus arrived and we all loaded in, and were on our way to our reason for this trip... Niagara Falls!

It was then I realized the day would be long, but not overly strenuous. The weather was blue sky. Our fellow passengers were a mixed bag. Mostly Americans some Canadians, a few muslims and some Asians, all on the same quest as us see the Falls up close.

Our guide was a Black Canadian, very very chatty. When we arrived at the Falls the first impression is truly breathtaking, I can see why  it is WORLD Famous.

We had lunch in the Sheraton on the top floor and then were on our own to get on the boats that held around 150 ? passengers all garbed up in throw-away one-use red ponchos flimsy as the devil. We then did that on our own and went to the boats and headed to the Canadian or Horseshoe Falls that are double impressive as the American Falls and almost frightening

Suddenly the skies opened we were grateful for that flimsy protection that sort of protected us! we turned around and sailed back to where we left 15 minutes earlier. Over, all done in 20 minutes! 

Back on the coaches to a very nice wine tasting, next was a visit to Niagara on the Lake that has overdone itself with its own success! Too much like Disneyland for us.

The trip back to Toronto was an hour and one half longer than anticipated so the nine hour day turned into a 10 and one half hour day, but worth it!

Suddenly!

Torrentail spray

Before we got wet.

Happy as a Clam.

Lunch at the top of the Sheraton, that big building!

Last shot!

Good Canadian shot!

Fellette's new hat, bought early this morning

On track...

Friday, October 16. Cloudy.12. C.

Now in a room that is not moving for the fist time in five days. In recap the train trip was wonderful. The staff were beautiful people who were so happy to answer any questions or serve you. My mobility on the train was very very wobbly, the aisles are tiny as heck, our room so tiny that when the Murphy bed was down Fellette and I could not stand on the floor together, The only time the train was near on time was when we blew into Toronto today only 1/2 half an hour late but that was the one that counted! But, it was all wonderful met some great folks

I have done the damn blog but it bloody well disappeared and I am not going to do it again, we have been off the train for over and hour and in our hotel room which is very very nice.

Down to dinner after I hope to post this with some pictures!

An Interesting five days, but nice to be on solid ground again!

Jasper four days ago.

The room by day.

Great coffee in the morning!

Our own Dome Car in our Lounge car at the tail end of thetrain

The bar in or lounge car

The aisle in our sleeper car.

Hopefully This Gets Through

 Wednesday, October 14.

Just to get used to the new mouse, plus to pass the time, I am going to write today. We are unable to connect to the WIFI on the train and, I am unable to do the blog and save it for when and if the train ever does connect, so we have decided to scrap the idea of a Blog and only do that when off the train.

Today I will try and explain what has happened. We waited at home for the prearranged uber to arrive which we never came. We called for another and were soon on our way. Got to the station, had a burger and then to a waiting area. We only boarded about 30 minutes before departure. There are 30 cars on the train with two locomotives, one for pulling and the other for power to supply the electricity for all the train's needs. Our car is second to last, at the tail end. The next car is another car full of people in the same class as us. That that class is called "Prestige". I like everything about it except he name.

Our room is beyond tiny. It is microscopic! We knew it was going to be small, but this is ridiculous. Now, on the morning of the third day, we are beginning to get used to it!

The staff is wonderful but all are getting off  tonight in Winnipeg. That is their run, between Vancouver and Winnipeg.

The communication system of using an iPad or computer or iPhone is weird, everything gets screwed up and that is why we gave up trying to do a proper blog. The iPhone itself seems to work independently of the Train which is good news though.

Following are a few pictures of our journey so far.