A personal trainer and a travel agent - we're smokin'

Dashed down the stairs at 2.55 to catch the #Matildas without much sleep beforehand. We did our best cheering from afar, but despite our best efforts, the results didn't go our way - will need to tune in to the equivalent timeslot for Saturday. We were definitely helped out by our online chats with the fellow viewers back in Australia , was very tense: beers, gins and even packets of chips were needed to cope with the stresses of the game in Aus - we had "nothing" watching vetween 3 and 5 a.m. Well done the #Tillies we will be back for the next one.

Getting updates from home - nothing but water here!

Did mean we were a little slower today and actually stayed very local. Dutifully cranked up the #Peleton (no PB but I did complete it) and then my personal trainer @Mindy supervised a little walk of the neighbourhood after her Boot Camp session. I did make enquiries about what to do if I saw a bear - but didn't get much info from the local - took time out to read the sign! Big mistake - it mentioned GRIZZLIES.

Park life - can do this loop on my own - now that I am "bear aware"

Loved the local park and sports precinct (it is massive) and it includes water play park. Plenty of children with parents and grannies out enjoying the sunshine.

 A little different outside today - still very warm at 34 degrees - but views of the mountain are totally restricted - everything is shrouded in a smoke haze from the wildfires - and the air is heavy with the scent of the burning forests. 

Spot the mountain through smoke haze

Rustled up some breakfast and then strolled to the local coffee shop and were lucky to get a seat. All in all, a leisurely and late start to the day.

But we had loads to celebrate. Thanks to the intervention of our own travel agent - the big news of the day is that "we are booked!" Who knew that September was peak train travel season in Canada. Certainly not us. 

Our plan was to rock up and book our trans-Canada rail adventure when we arrived. Not quite that simple.

Had done some preliminary research 12 months ago and had an idea of possibles- but when we looked yesterday there was nothing left. I spent my pre-Matilda hours searching the internet and trying to come up with a cobbled possible scenario. We had contacted an agent yesterday based in Whistler (no response) and I sent off two hopeful email queries in the middle of the night to a couple of companies that specialise in train tours of Canada. 

The early morning email response from both companies was "nothing left till 2024" but they would be "delighted" to help me with an advance booking for next year!

Shared this sad story with @Mindy who instantly flashed up screenshots of two provisional bookings she had found in her midnight searches - that were direct with the rail company VIA.  A warning on the message on the search result indicated you couldn't book online - you had to call VIA discuss. So that's what @Mindy did - we were on hold for a while - but between VIA staffers and @Mindy a double cabin was secured for us for September 1st! The complication was we would board in Vancouver and set up in one cabin - and then at the 2 hour stop at Jasper - we would move to another cabin for the remainder of the journey. No worries as far as we were concerned.

Talk about working magic - and she's not even on commission. 

We will do the red line, then spend a few days in Toronto before making our way to Montreal for the Montreal to Halifax line. Not interested in the Rocky Mountaineer - been there done that TWICE ... but have never been to the east coast. Excited. Relieved. Grateful.

Red line is booked - need Montreal to Halifax

That's part one of the puzzle - got a few more legs to work out and a few more connections to unravel - but @Mindy has a spreadsheet - so anything is possible. I wonder what magic our Travel Agent can work out tonight?

All this while getting their last-minute organisation finalised for their trip - just a week to go for them before they are off to Europe! @ Ian has cautioned with a smile that we won't be able to keep up with her organisation skills. Not a bad challenge to have.

Packed for @Europe - 5 weeks with just a pack - impressive

PS: Interesting aside here- there is no rubbish collection with bins out on the pavement here. Rubbish in the apartments is collected and sorted in our kitchen - and then you drive it to your local refuse collection point (part of our big day out tomorrow!)

PPS: definitely need to be more "bear aware" - just shook the crumbs off the place mats over the balcony rail! Oops, had to be reminded that even those tiny morsels are tempting for the local wildlife.