At Lake Louise

I cannot get the photos to load so that tells you about my E-skills eh? But to continue. I don't know what time we arrived at Lake Louise because it stays light until 10pm but we checked in and the Chalet Lake Louise (a pic to come if and when I ...) and ate in the downstairs Glacier Saloon (yee-haar).

The lake and the glacier "behind" it must be one of the most famous tourist spots in Canada because Canada was ther when we arrived, walking around the lake in front of the "chalet". As so often on the Kath Tour, words and pictures can't really express the beauty and the majesty of the scenery. I have come to see the combination of light blue water, forests of fir trees and imposing mountains as quintessential Canada. Glaciers and waterfalls (not at the same location) are just cherries on the top. Many times I found myself exhaling and involuntarily saying "aahhh" at the scenery. The photos, even if I knew how to use the camera, only show a glimpse. I'm afraid it is a sign of aging that I have one set of glasses to see up close, another to see long distance and a pair of sunnies to boot. Needless to say, for me, taking photos is one long glasses-on glasses-off. At least that's my excuse for why the photos are as they are.

Some lessons along the way - Kath taught us how to tip (20%!!), how to drive (gotta keep that Buick symbol on the front of the car close to the inside white line in order to stay in the middle of the lane), how not to ask her a lot of questiona about what we are seeing and about Canada because she's only been here 4 months herself.

Fascinating about Canadian forests. They let bushfires (wildfires here) burn unless people or buildings are threatened because they see them as clearing dense forest, providing fertiliser to the soil and allowing dormant pinecones to germinate (they need 45 degrees of heat). But, because the growing season is short (in some places only 2 months) the forests take decades to regenerate. that is so unlike Oz where regeneration can happen in a few years.

Today is saturday and L and I are "chilling out" while Kath works at the coffee shop. Tonight she has arranged for us to meet the journo who was the link person for Kath to get her job. We are meeting at the local Invermere pub and watching Canadians jump of some high point or other into the bay while we eat and chat.

Guess that's it for now. the next two blogs will be photos only - of Lake Louise and the Althabasca Glacier. In terms of the tour we were still heading north at that stage towards Jasper. See ya. Den