From Spain to France

Over the past couple of weeks Dee and I have had an excellent time visiting relatives in Spain and friends in France!
Firstly we spent a week in Spain with Dee's dad Gordon (pictured with Dee) and his wife Jane in Torrevieja, a 45 minute drive from Alicante. We flew out to Alicante with Monarch from Birmingham on September 13th, returning the following week.

It was a good job we didn't visit Spain for the weather as we were treated to some spectacular thunderstorms on most evenings but the temperature remained comfortable throughout our stay and at least one of us (me!) took the option of a swim in the pool during our stay!

Early in the week we visited Gordon and Jane's new flat, which is on the 17th floor of an apartment block right in the centre of Alicante. A beautiful outlook (Pictured top-left with a good view of the bull-ring) but not something that really appealed to me as I'm terrified of heights!!

Having hired a car for the week we were able to spend some time at La Mata Natural Park Nature Reserve on a couple of occasions, a full report available on my Birding Blog. Midweek we went bowling with Gordon, Jane, Miranda, Dee's sister and her boyfriend Carlos. Both Dee and I played appallingly, however we did get our own back on the pool table later in the evening.
On our final night we were treated to an outstanding meal at The Budepest, a fantastic Hungarian restaurant on the outskirts of Torreveija. Disappointingly for me, due to horrible man-flu which I'd picked up earlier in the week I couldn't taste a damn thing!!
Thank you to Gordon, Jane and Miranda for a fantastic week and for looking after us so well.

After a few days back aboard Quidditch in the UK we took the Eurostar from the new International Terminal at Ebbsfleet on the 20th and picked up with our dear friends Pat & John in Dijon, after a further 2 hour rail journey. (pictured below) J & P have been our boating friends for over 4 years and in 2006 transported their narrowboat across the channel to Calais and have cruised the French system each summer ever since.

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After joining we cruised from Dijon aboard Hoddydod (pictured left) along the Canal De Bourgogne through to St Jean De Losne where we joined the River Saone and headed north. Unlike Spain the weather was absolutely outstanding with cloudless skies and temperatures in the mid 20's, which meant we could BBQ on two occasions. It's amazing how different the French system is in relation to our own with the French canals and rivers still being used commercially, there also a lot wider and therefore so are the boats! Having said that we encountered more narrowboats on the system since our last visit 2 years ago but as ever the narrowboats always get the attention! Our journey ended when we put in at St Jean De Losne on Friday afternoon, which is also HoddyDods home port. Yet another excellent week on the French system!

Autumn Looms

Well as we head towards the autumn the best way to sum up the British summer so far is that it was a marked improvement on last year! Although writing this post you wouldn't think so as the remnants of Hurricane Bill passes over the UK.

Typical really as Dee and I prepare for an extended Bank Holiday Weekend on the cut, not that were going that far from Wigram's due to other commitments!

We've been married now for just over 3 months and I still can't get used to seeing Mrs Yates on various documents that drop in. I keep thinking why on earth is my mother having her post sent here. Only kidding Dee!! Seriously though Dee and I would like to thank everyone for their cards and gifts, some of which were incredibly generous.

Anyway as an update for the family, this September is a busy month with a trip to Spain, Torrevieja to be precise, for a short visit to see Dee's dad. Then a few days after returning we're off to France to visit our adopted parents Johnny and Pat on their narrowboat Hoddydod, currently moored in Paris, something we always look forward to. We'll probably stay until they get fed up with us!

Plans are currently underway for our return trip to Canada next September, having fallen in love with the country when staying in Banff for our wedding. This time the plan is to hire a couple of RV Motor homes and to travel from Calgary to Vancouver across The Rockies, taking in the National and Provincial Parks. Amazingly we'll be accompanied by the third member of this marriage, my best man Dave! We've already chosen our motor home, pictured above, and await his choice, so get your skates on Holloway!!

From a boating perspective the area remains extremely busy and for probably the first time since opening, Wigram's Marina will be almost to capacity by the time everyone puts in for the winter.

Great Escape

During the recent heatwave Dee and I decided to escape the full sunshine we normally encounter at the marina for the relative coolness that comes from mooring under a large willow tree! With temperatures on board reaching a staggering 37C we decided to take action on Tuesday evening, living aboard a steel narrowboat does have the occasional downfall!

We moored at our favourite bridge 101, about an hours cruise from the marina towards Braunston and only a 7-minute walk to the nearest road bridge. This allowed us to have transport at our disposal, having strategically positioned our cars prior to departing. With Dee not rostered off work until this weekend this is an ideal location and also enables me to attend my voluntary duties at Brandon Marsh.

As coincidence would have it, friends of ours who we met when moored at the Thames & Kennet marina several years ago, and who live aboard their narrowboat NB-Nesta, were also in the vicinity and so for the duration we've enjoyed their company alongside. It was great to see them once more and we literally spent the few days together just chilling out on the towpath in the shade of the willow and barbecuing on the Wednesday evening. As Dee pointed out, last year we only managed to barbecue the once due to the poor summer but this year year we're already up to three!

The plan was to return to the marina today, Friday 3rd, due to other commitments and as luck would have it the weather finally broke, producing cooler conditions after heavy rain in the early morning. Having said our goodbyes to Graham & Hazel I took the cruise back to the marina single handed as Dee had left for work in pouring rain around 8am. Leaving at around 1.15pm the weather cleared nicely and the cruise back was a pleasant one arriving back at Wigram's at about 3pm in lovely sunshine.

French Weekend

We arrived back aboard Quidditch at around midnight on Tuesday after our Ryanair flight from Poitiers, unusually without complaint!

We've just spent an excellent long weekend with Dee's mum and dad who live near Chavigny, France. This was obviously our first visit since getting married in May and so for me a first visit to the in-laws, they'll thank me for that one! Having retired to France several years ago Susan and Graham have been converting their house, which is now in the final stages of completion and looks really stunning. The house is set in beautiful grounds with a good number of fruit trees and I'm missing already my stroll around eating those delicious cherries prior to dinner.

Having arrived on Saturday evening we were treated to Champagne in celebration of our nuptials and as per usual an excellent dinner. On the Sunday Dee and I drove the two hours to La Rochelle (pictured) and spent the day sightseeing. La Rochelle is situated in south-western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, looking out on to the Atlantic Ocean. We enjoyed excellent weather with a temperature around 25C and after a long walk along the quay we took the little ferry across the bay and enjoyed some good food and beer in a bistro overlooking the harbour. In the evening we barbecued.

After breakfast on Monday we had a drive out towards Archigny but because of my usual birdwatching exploits, a drive which should have taken 10 minutes took well over an hour! You can read my thoughts on this by clicking on my birding blog in the side-bar. We took a diversion from our initial destination when we noticed a sign to Pinail Nature Reserve and were delighted with our discovery. The reserve, a result of millstone quarrying, has given way to a mosaic of over 3,000 ponds which are surrounded by moor and heathland rich in rare flora and fauna. Although the birding was fantastic the highlight were the Common Green Frogs, which have an incredible mating call, indescribable in writing. We had a brilliant couple of hours in showery conditions touring the reserve before moving on to our original destination of Saint Cyr Lake, a magnificent natural environment over 300 hectares, which includes a 85 hectare lake you can walk around. In the evening we barbecued once more and after an excellent dinner retired inside to inaugurate the new pool table which had just been installed, well done Graham on your win!!

Tuesday, our final day, started with a walk around the local area where we heard Nightingale singing and came across great numbers of butterfly, including one of my favourites, the Marbled White. The remainder of the day (28C) was spent out and about once more and this time we took a drive out into the Brenne National Park and after stopping on many occasions to take in the wildlife came across Reserve Naruralle Cherine. The main entrance to the reserve incredibly appeared to be closed but we did discover 2 hides we managed to visit. The first was notable for the many European Pond Tortoise which Dee really enjoyed and the second hide appeared to be the main one, with great views of a number of excellent species such as Great White Egret and a colony of noisy Black Headed Gulls. After returning to the house and packing for the flight home we enjoyed a lovely buffet dinner with some excellent home-made ginger beer.

Thank you to Susan and Graham for looking after us so well (as usual) the great food, wine and conversation and as ever the use of the car.

Rocky Mountaineer

Our return to the UK on Sunday as a married couple begins a new era in our lives but we leave Canada behind with some vivid memories and an immediate passion to return. As yet I've not posted anything on one of the highlights of our trip The Rocky Mountaineer. The problem lies in the amount of information needed to describe such an incredible journey, the sights we encountered were altogether breathtaking. Below is the most briefest of descriptions.

Having spent our first couple of days sightseeing in Vancouver we arrived at the Rocky Mountaineer Station at around 6.30am on the 10th to board the train for our dream journey. Having received the traditional call of “all aboard” we took our seats as Gold passengers in the observation deck and enjoying bucks-fizz left for our first stop of Kamloops, which was approximately 10 hours away. We could not have asked for better weather, 20C and cloudless skies.

The Kicking Horse Route named for the pass over which it crosses the Canadian Rockies takes you between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Banff, Alberta. This route traces the historic transcontinental rail line that united Canada's East and West and includes, amongst other highlights, the legendary Spiral Tunnels.

Leaving the outskirts of Vancouver it wasn’t long before the snow-capped Coast Mountains came into view, soaring majestically to heights of over 9,000ft. After a breakfast of salmon, scrambled eggs and caviar, served in the lower deck, we continued our journey alongside the fast running Fraser River with breathtaking views, passing the famous Fort Langley en route. Continuing on we had great views of Mount Baker (10,778ft) which lies across the border in the USA and by this time we had already had sightings of several Bald Eagle and Osprey.

After lunch we left the Fraser River and began to follow the Thomson River that would accompany us through to Kamloops. Indeed the name Kamloops is an old First Nation word meaning joining of the rivers. Here the landscape took a distinct change, being slightly more baron and filled with Ponderosa Pine. It was shortly after this we first sighted a Black Bear, who was foraging alongside the river, an astonishing site! We arrived in Kamloops at 5.14 pm with vivid memories of some breathtaking scenery, incredible wildlife and were taken by coach to the Thomson Hotel after what can only be described as a most incredible day.

We were picked up at 6.15am the following morning and returned to the Mountaineer for day 2 of this inspiring journey. A short while after leaving we bid farewell to the Thomson River and joined the Eagle River which would accompany us for a short while. Later we passed the stone cairn of Craigellachie where the last railroad spike was driven linking Canada’s railway from coast to coast. The landmark is named after a large rock in Banffshire County, Scotland where Donald Smith, who drove in the last spike, had grown up.

Still enjoying stunning scenery we crossed the Columbian River, the 3rd largest in Canada climbing a further 2500ft where we encountered two more Black Bear. Shortly after, we crossed into Rocky Mountain country and incredibly the scenery became even more stunning. We eventually arrived in Banff, our chosen wedding venue, at around 5.30pm having had one of the most amazing experiences of our lives and one which will live forever.

Our route is perhaps the most scenic & certainly the most historically-significant route to choose, as it travels over the famous Canadian Pacific Railway, Canada's first trans-continental line opened in 1885. It's the original 'Rocky Mountaineer' route on which the company first started in 1990, when the last regular passenger trains on the line were discontinued. You'll pass Castle Mountain, the pretty station at Lake Louise, the continental divide, the much-photographed Stoney Creek bridge, the site of the 1885 'Last Spike' and the wonderfully-scenic Thompson & Fraser river canyons.

First Photos

Hi everyone, managed to get a few photos uploaded! More to follow on our return.

Back @ the Hotel and the Ceremony on Bow River.

Mr & Mrs Yates

Just a quick update on things in Canada as posting from my IPhone is a real chore!

Well I'm delighted to report that the wedding day went off without any drama and we are now a happily married couple. The weather leading up to the day was certainly a worry with a major snow storm only two days prior and the locals telling us that it's the worst May for many a year.

However, someone up there must have been watching and as by magic the temperature on Saturday went up by an astonishing 18c from Friday to 20C for the day, with a beautiful sunny sky.

We were married at a secluded spot we had chosen some days earlier next to the Bow River with the amazing Mount Rundle as a backdrop. The ceremony was informal, just as we'd wanted, and was performed by the local marriage commissioner, Patricia Compton, who was an absolute star! During the ceremony we were joined by two White Tailed Deer who had come to the river for a drink, an incredible sight and one that will live on forever.

We'll post lots of pictures upon our return but would like to thank everyone for their cards, emails, flowers and even phone calls wishing us well on the day and for the future.
As I write this post from the Fairmont Hotel, Lake Louise, looking down from our bedroom window I can tell you that the lake is frozen, the snow is once again falling and the temperature is 0C, which makes Saturday even more astonishing!

Best Mans Blog

Our Best-Man Dave has produced his own personal blog for our trip to canada which can be viewed Here