As usual, I woke up before the sun. So I had to wait around a bit before I could get a shot of the city in the early morning light.

It was overcast and a little cool. I got my act together and headed out, quickly pausing to take a shot of the hotel I'm staying in.

The plan today, if you can call it that, was to acclimatise; see how easy it was to get around and how long it took to walk various distances. I headed North after making my way East to 5th Avenue. At this stage I was loosely looking for the Flatiron building; an icon and one of the first (if not the first) sky scrapers. I reached the spot where I thought it should be, but nothing. Until I realised it was behind me. Doh!

With that mission accomplished it was on to Times Square. It's exactly as manic as you expect it to be with coloured neon signage in every direction. Quite honestly, I don't see why advertisers should want to use the space because I didn't see anyone taking notice of the actual signs - just the cacophony of visual stimuli. Unless of course "CHICAGO" it's designed to work "MOTOWN" subliminally "SOLO2".

On my way back to the hotel I came across a square, partly covered with floorboards and edged with food vendors offering a great selection of alternative delicacies.

I grabbed something to eat while watching the world (and 1 or 2 colourful characters) go by.

When I made it back to the Flatiron building I noticed this building. Unusually slim, standing solitary.

On my way down 6th avenue I was wondering where the Muji stores might be in NYC. Muji is a geat Japanese design store Emily and I first discovered on our visit to London in 2010. We both love the style of their products, particularly their stationery. I assumed they would have at least one store here. And before long there was a sign on the side of a phone box directing me to the nearest one!

 (I can't tell you what happened next because I know Emily will be reading this.)

As I walked down and past streets I saw so many examples of the stereotypical buildings and streetscapes we have become to expect in New York. The exterior fire escapes, the tree lined streets of brownstones.

After regrouping at the hotel I decided to make my way to Washington Square Park. I've seen this on a few TV shows so I decided to see it in real life.

When I got there it was packed with people; some sitting reading, others sitting people watching and buskers providing things to watch. I took a few photos, trying not to get individuals, but the scene. One guy in particular took notice of me. Eventually he came up to me and asked if I was taking photos as a hobby or commercially. I replied "hobby" and he was very polite, just explained that he needed to ask. So from that, I assume he might have had an issue had I replied differently.

F*ck me! I'm getting sick of this. I think people are assuming, because I have a decent looking camera, that I'm somehow out to invade their privacy or take advantage of them. I had a number of looks today, despite my best efforts to be courteous and inconspicuous. Trying not to let it get to me, because I know I'm not doing anything wrong.

As I made my way South I began to get a good view of One World Trade Centre (Freedom Tower). Last time I checked, there aren't yet facilities for an observation deck in that building, so I won't be going up. But I'll get closer pictures at some stage for sure. 

Soon I was tired and decided to turn around and return to the hotel. I overshot my mark and stumbled across Union Square where there was an open air market. What a fortunate accident. I bought a small painting from an artist at one stall. That means my memorabilia from both Canada and the US have been small works of art purchased directly from the artist. Very happy with that. 

I also purchased a delicious white bean and collard turnover (wholemeal), also from a (baker) artist.

Throughout my walks today I've seen faded advertisements painted on the exposed sides of buildings. I hope someone has been documenting them. I think they're beautiful.

I made my way back to the hotel. I could go out tonight. One little voice inside me tells me I should. But the louder voice tells me to get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow it should be sunny; use the opportunity. 

So what has the title of the post got to do with all of this? Well, if I realised anything today it was that New York is just a city. Granted, it's a rich, exciting, vibrant metropolis unlike any other I've ever visited. But I guess I've had a slightly mythical view of the city in the past. I think I see it a little more realistically now.

So, one last look out of the window while the light lasts. 

My plan this morning was to get up early, pack, check-out and make my way to one of the art galleries along The Mall before my train to New York at 2pm. I'd run out of time to visit these on Tuesday and I was a little intrigued by a sign for one of the exhibits. Everything went according to plan until I discovered that, unlike most of the other museums, the art galleries don't open until 11:30; I think it's because they stay open until later. Bum! 

So, after grabbing a coffee and something to eat, I made my way to another museum instead. I decided on the American History Museum. I think I have a fair handle on American history in general but thought it might be interesting all the same. And it was. As with all of the Smithsonian museums, it's extremely well laid out and presented. I spent a few hours wandering before it was time to make my way back to the hotel, pick up my bags and get to the train station. 

As you may have guessed, train travel is my preferred mode of transport and the Acela Express is a relatively high speed train that takes a couple of hours to get from Washington to NYC. My ticket gave me access to the lounge so I could sit somewhere comfortable and await my train.

The train journey was good. The train was comfortable, great service and some nice scenery. I didn't take any pictures though: a) I was feeling a bit camera-ed out and b) the other passengers mainly appeared to be businessmen wheeling and dealing on their cell phones and I didn't really want to blow my cover as a "tourist".

Anyway, we got to NYC on time. I eventually found my way out of the station and to the taxi queue - that kept getting longer and longer and longer as I made my way around the corner. It was 5:00pm, after all. And it was freezing, much colder than the sunny DC I had left. Oh well, what can you do? I waited patiently in line with everyone else and about 1/2 hour later my taxi arrived. He got me to the hotel quickly while I thawed out in the back seat. 

Fortunately, the hotel is pretty much as I had expected. This is my view out of one window. 

This is my view out of the other.

And I can see both from the comfort of my bed!

This will be home for the next 12 nights and I'm pretty happy with that!

New York was the reason for this trip. It's the only place in North America I've always wanted to visit. Sure, I've discovered some fantastic places along the way. But this is what I came for. Can't wait to get out there tomorrow. 

But tonight I'm going to chill out here. The beauty of being here for more than a week is that I don't have to rush myself. New York nightlife can wait. 

As part of yesterday's journey to the Air and Space Museum I took the Metro which is Washington's underground. It looks quite new and I quite like the appearance of the stations. I really wanted to get a picture but I wasn't sure if that was a wise thing to do or not. Being infrastructure, I kept my eyes open for any signage that might indicate a ban on photography. There was none that I could see. So when I got off at the end of my journey I paused to briefly take a couple of pictures.

A man walking past almost immediately cautioned me against taking pictures, saying something like "you'll get yourself arrested if you do that". I immediately put my camera away. The man was polite and he was only trying to be helpful. We spoke a bit and he recommended I should limit my photography to things that were of an obvious tourist nature. At the time I wasn't sure if his advice was general opinion, urban myth or based on official guidelines. But it was enough to shake me up a bit so I just kept my head down and got out of the station as quickly as I could.

That night I did some research. If the internet is to be believed, it would seem that there is no law against photographing any public space, including trains and stations. However, the underlying message was, if you take photos of certain places be prepared to explain yourself. The thought of being interrogated by security is rather uncomfortable, so I will definitely choose my subjects very carefully.

It was worthwhile research to also find out if there were any differences in law here around photographing people in public. It seems that it's the same as in Australia. That eased my mind. I'll still be very careful about people walking into my shots but at least I know that legally, I have every right to take the picture if people are in a public place.

The conversation at the station, followed by news of the terrible events in Ottawa have given me a case of the jitters. On edge a little bit and watching my step very carefully. 

It started raining shortly after I returned to the hotel last night. It continued all night and through most of the day. Luckily, today my plan was for an indoor activity. I just had to brave the rain to get to that activity.

The Udar-Hazy Centre is part of the Air and Space Museum. It's located at the edge of the Washington Dulles International Airport. That's the airport I arrived at on Monday and it's a fair way out of downtown Washington. 

So the first challenge was to find out how to get there. Luckily they provided that information at the museum I visited yesterday. It would involve a train trip and a connecting bus. After assessing the options I decided to get a SmartTrip card which is like Oyster in London or the new MetroCard in Adelaide. It would just make the trip simpler. 

The metro station was only a couple of blocks away but it was raining constantly. When I got there I found a machine to dispense SmartTrip cards but it didn't accept $20 notes which were all I had. For some reason it wouldn't accept my MasterCard or Travel Card either. Oh well, I was craving a coffee so I left the station to find some coffee and break the $20. Silver lining moment? I returned to the station a bit later armed with two $5 notes and, after some user error moments, I soon had my card. The rest of the trip went smoothly, but it did take nearly 2 hours.

I knew what the draw cards of the museum were for me were. This museum was my reason for visiting Washington in the first place. I THOUGHT I knew what to expect. But when I walked in to this view (which is only part of the museum) I nearly wet myself with excitement! 

I spent hours wandering around the various exhibits. There was too much to describe here in detail but I'd like to share some highlights. And they're highlights for a variety of reasons.

In the space section was the space shuttle Discovery! Amazing! I still remember being glued to my TV as a kid when the very first shuttle lifted off. Now I was seeing one "in the flesh" .

I had to get a close up of some of the tiles on the underside. You can see how they're individually numbered.

Another highlight was seeing a Concorde.

And a more sobering, but still significant highlight was seeing this plane - the Enola Gay. This was the actual plane that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. It was chilling listening to the guide speak about it. But he also spoke about the B-29 itself: some of the stories behind its development and innovations that we now take for granted in our planes. There wasn't a discussion about the morality behind the use of the atomic bomb, just an account of what happened.

Then this plane got my attention. Although this particular one was only a prototype for the 707, the moment was still significant because my family flew in a 707 when we emigrated from the UK in 1969. I can remember many things about the plane and the trip, including getting to visit the cockpit at the same time as we were being escorted by US fighter jets somewhere near Vietnam. 

There was a Gemini space capsule that made me realise just how cramped the interior was, and just how scary it must have been to fly through space in that tiny tin can.

Speaking of cramped, this is another way to fly. But you'll never get me in one!

And for something completely different there was the actual model of the mother ship used in filming Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

The last part was a visit to an observation desk where you could see Washingron Dulles airport, the runways and flights landing.

Then the reverse trip home. A great day. And a great trip. I wish I had another full day in Washington DC. But I do still have tomorrow morning, so I'm hopefully going to get a chance to visit one of the art galleries before my train trip to NYC. 

The hotel has a light hearted approach to much of their signage and literature. A bit hip. Anyway, the bath robe is equally light hearted.

Look at me ... grrrrr! 

I awoke early. I tried my best to stay in bed as long as possible but by 6:30 I had to get up. I was excited to get out and about and it was nice to feel that again; I'd lost it a bit over the last couple of days.

A quick peek around the curtain revealed a clear sunny day. I double checked the weather report and it looked as if I'd have good weather for most of the day.

When I looked out my hotel window on arrival yesterday the streetscape looked orderly and ordinary. That's a bit how I'd expected DC to be. A quick look down one of the cross streets reinforced this view.

I headed towards The Mall where many of the monuments and museums are. Before long I noticed the sun on the buildings. I hurriedly finished the coffee and pumpkin bread I'd grabbed on the way so I had both hands free to take advantage of the great light.

And it wasn't long before I started to notice a grandeur in the architecture that I hadn't expected; columns and neo-classical architecture everywhere.

As well as the neo-classical I could see, what felt like, a definite European influence.

Most of the monumental buildings appear to be made from sandstone or similar, so the vivid red brick of this building really grabbed my attention.

Soon followed by this amazing detail on the Hotel Washington.

Within 15 minutes I was at the northern entrance to the White House. That was the less familiar side but it was THE place for people taking pictures and organised groups of school children; probably because of the wide avenue. I later made it to the other, more quiet side where I took this shot.

Along from the White House I'd strolled into another area which didn't appear to be restricted. I was in the midst of taking this shot when security men on bikes made it very clear that we needed to move on; and I wasn't going to argue with them!

As I strolled towards The Mall, it was beautiful to walk through the neat rows of trees.

Commanding the most attention is the Washington Memorial. When you see photos you don't really get the scale of this monolith. It's only when you see the tiny people dotted around the base that you realise.

It's impressive, and the centrepiece for The Mall.

By now I was starting to get a little déjà vu. I'll explain more later. A quick turn around revealed another majestic building.

Right by the Washington Memorial is the World War II Memorial. It was beautiful but it didn't really move me. That would come later.

One monument I definitely wanted to visit was the Lincoln Memorial, so I headed that way along the reflection pool; the pool lives up to its name.

The use of the word "temple" in the inscription resonated with me because, so far, that's how many of these grand monuments and buildings had felt. Temples in the Greek or Roman traditions.

I paused to look back at the pool.

Beyond the Lincoln Memorial I came across this sight and that's when the déjà vu made sense. Paris! These grand boulevards, the monuments, the pool, these golden statues at the end of the bridge; they all reminded me of Paris.

When I got back to the hotel I did some research and it appears that a Frenchman did design Washington and that it does have some deliberate similarities.

Anyway, I love a good bridge so I eventually made my way to a vantage point to take some pictures. 

After that I wandered for a little, grabbed some lunch, doubled back and looked around. That brought me to the Korean War Memorial.

Now, this one moved me! It's an incredible piece of sculpture and placement. This picture only shows part of it, but I found the sight of these soldiers making their way through the garden "field" quite harrowing.

Beside it was another small water feature and this inscription. It made me stop and think. I felt really disturbed; I don't know that I can bring myself to agree.

After those moments of deep thought, this chap popped up out of a bin to lighten the mood.

I made my way along The Mall. Along each side are the various Smithsonian museums, most of which are further examples of classical architecture. But there were a couple of modern ones too.

When I made it to the Air and Space Museum I went inside, only intending to get information on how to get to the other part of the museum further out from Washington that I really wanted to see and planned to visit tomorrow. In fact, that part of the museum was the original reason for my visit to Washington. Well, needless to say, 10 seconds after walking in I was hooked and couldn't drag myself away. I saw lots of real gear such as space capsules, satellites, rockets, planes and ballistic missiles. This picture is just one small part. As you can see it's jam packed.

With my "big kid" moment now satisfied and my feet feeling increasingly sore I decided to start making my way back to the hotel; past more grand buildings and more grand monuments.

Out the front of one of those grand buildings this light pole amused me. Not only did it ruin the aesthetic of the building behind it but, with all those different signs, how on earth are you meant to work out what you're allowed to do anyway?

Shortly before reaching my hotel I noticed these pigeons sitting on the head of the poor eagle. How indignant he looked.

So today has really surprised me. I guess I wasn't expecting anything on this scale. And what surprised me most was the sense of grandeur, the epic, almost imperial. The centre of Washington is more than a city; it's a deliberate statement. And it reminded me of another city besides Paris. As we drove in last night past some massive buildings set apart and lit up, it occurred to me how it may have felt to enter Rome in its day. Today reinforced that association.

Now to rest my aching feet. It's been a fantastic day! And I made it back just before the rain started. 

It's hard to write this without sounding mean or ungrateful to Canada, so bear with me. Canada was wonderful, beautiful, friendly and polite (though honestly Toronto didn't really do that much for me). But landing in the US I felt that travel buzz that has kind of eluded me so far this trip. It's not that I think the US is better than anywhere else. Maybe I think the opposite and that's what makes being here all the more strange and exciting. After all, I've always thought of Canada as a kind of cold northern version of Australia anyway (or vice versa), so I did feel quite at home there. But the United States, that feels foreign.

So the flight was fine. It was only a smallish plane and a 1 hour flight with some bumps on the way up and down. All the customs and security happened at the Toronto end so once we landed in Washington it was all open doors.

The hotel is quite central. It's dark outside but the streetscape I can see looks very orderly. Obviously there will be pictures tomorrow. For now, here's a couple of snaps of my sexy looking room., complete with circular walk in shower.

If the weather report is to believed I plan to take in the memorials and local museums tomorrow and then head a little further afield to the aerospace museum Wednesday.

It's hard to believe I've been in Canada for 11 days already. It's been fun but now it's time to move on to the USA. And in only a couple of days it will be the halfway point of the entire holiday. 

I slept really well last night. The bed in the apartment was really comfortable. Since check out time was 11:00 I decided to leave packing and cleaning up until the morning. 

I was awake early and snuck out onto the freezing balcony to snap the start of the morning traffic.

My flight to Washington, D.C. was originally for 7:30 pm. Yesterday I thought I'd see if I could change it to an earlier flight. I went through Expedia, the site I'd used to book the flight but the costs would have been more than double the original cost of the ticket! So I resigned myself to a day at the airport. The apartment block didn't have luggage storage facilities so spending time in town wasn't really an option.

Anyway, this morning I decided to check-in online and as part of the check-in process on the airline's site I was given the option of changing my flight for only $75. Yes! Managed to get a 4:30 pm flight which is much more convenient and gets me to Washington at a much better time.

So I'm sitting in the airport waiting to leave after navigating my way through the check-in kiosk, bag drop, customs and security. The process was sufficiently different to be a little daunting. But I got here. Phew!

In no particular order ...

People here are generally really friendly and really polite. Noticeably so!

Traffic lights often flash green. Haven't worked that one out yet. 

The other day in Vancouver I saw a squirrel run across a main road. He survived.  

They've started some Halloween decorations already. Some supermarkets have massive crates of equally massive pumpkins on the sidewalk for sale.

It's doing my head in working out whether to look to the left or right before crossing a road. So I just look everywhere. Twice! At least!

I read it's customary to tip housekeeping when staying in a hotel. One article suggested leaving it with a note. So each day I write "Thank You" on a piece of paper and put my tip on it. A lot about tipping doesn't really gel with me, but this I like. It makes it feel more personal. 

I only realised the other day that their 5 cent coin is bigger than their 10 cent coin. No wonder I was getting confused.  

To me, the pedestrian crossing noise here sounds like bird chirping. There appears to be more than one sound. Is it just my imagination?

I was surprised how many French speakers I overheard in Vancouver. I assumed they were mainly over in the east. 

In Canada, a drug store is more than a chemist. It's often more like a mini-mart.  

I realised on the train for the first time that others sometimes have trouble understanding MY accent. I always thought it was just the other way around. So stupid of me. 

All the buildings in downtown Vancouver have exactly the same colour glass. You notice it when you go to another city. It makes Vancouver feel very homogenous, but in a good way.  

I awoke with a bit more energy this morning after the first solid sleep in a few days. I had intended to take my time this morning but the weather looked a little ominous so I decided to get up and take advantage of the light while it lasted. Of course, I needn't have bothered as the weather improved as the day progressed.

When I stepped onto the balcony to take an early morning photo I noticed thousands of people streaming along one of the roadways. I was later to discover it was a marathon. Unfortunately that meant that a lot of the city was blocked off to traffic and I suspect many things were closed as a result. 

I wasn't sure what I felt like doing so I set off first in search of autumn colours. There are parks along the foreshore and I felt certain I'd see something there. I came across these bushes I noticed on the approach to Toronto. I'm not sure if they're this colour all the year, but they're very striking.

And I did manage to find a few red trees also.

These chairs were dotted in a small park; functional and sculptural at the same time.

From there I basically decided to do a loop of the city. I came to a park by the design collage. The architecture got my attention first. Then this little fella did.

I soon realised there were squirrels running all over the park. This one stopped to face me each time I pointed my camera; almost as if he was posing.

The architecture that had grabbed my attention was this building. I'd noticed it from the CN Tower. 

In one small way, Toronto reminds me of Berlin, because it seems like every time you turn around you get a glimpse of the tower.

Toronto has streetcars. On one street the stops featured different metal artwork on poles.

I wandered around in a generally clockwise direction. Towards the east of the city, as the glass skyscrapers began to come to an end I noticed rows of older buildings wedged in between the modern.

And this solitary establishment that had somehow survived the demolition of its peers.

On another street I came across this curious fascade. I assume the buildings that necessitated the blocking up of the windows are no more, but it looked odd all the same.

As I was taking some photos of another building an old gentleman spoke to me. He was interested to know why I was taking photos. He was an amateur photographer too and showed me his more compact but still serious camera. We got to talking and walked a few blocks together. He's had major problems with the health system in Canada and didn't paint a very positive picture of they way he felt the old or disabled were being treated. We parted ways at what looked like a shelter.

Slightly dismayed by that sobering chat I continued my walking. I noticed this building with an ingenious fascade that was more than just painted. The trees are lovely but it's a pity they obscure this little masterpiece.

Before long I was back among the glass towers. While I was taking a picture of one with golden glass and steel a bird swooped past. Total fluke, but I really like it.

Looking up I was surrounded.

Then down the end of the street I noticed a tower from another era. I think it is the old town hall.

At the start of the day I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. And at a couple of times I seriously thought of just returning to the apartment to veg out. For some reason nothing was exciting me today (hence the post title). But as I looked through my pictures and put these words together I realise I had quite a decent day - despite myself!

By the end of the afternoon most of the cloud had dispersed so I decided to get another shot across the harbour to Toronto Islands. I had considered taking a ferry over there but ran out of time. 

Tomorrow I leave Canada and head to Washington DC. I have a late flight but will see if I can change it to an earlier one at the airport.

I've learnt a bitabout photography and my camera since my trip in Europe last year. All the same it took a bit of trial and error to get settings that were going to deliver sharp enough pictures while the train was in motion. My aim was to get the shutter speed to 1/2000 or below. That meant raising the ISO higher than I'd like to, but in the end I think the results are worth it. Unfortunately I has meant that many pictures were taken with a wide aperture with a somewhat narrow depth of field.

I was able to flip between my newly discovered focus modes to try and get the right one with the right metering. Having said all that, the trick was more about framing and focusing the shot and then quickly taking it before a tree, pole, sign, freight train or other obstacle got in the way. Not an easy thing to do. And a large number still had focus problems after all that. So I worked on the principle of taking as many as I could to increase the likelihood of some decent ones and, hopefully, a few really good ones. In the second half of the trip I used the continuous shooting mode which gave me more shots to choose from. Wish I'd thought of that earlier.

For a while I used the 50mm lens I'd bought for Europe. It certainly helped keep the shutter speed low, but I just wasn't getting enough of the scenery in the frame at once, so I reverted to my newer 18-200mm lens for most of the trip. That also allowed me to really zoom in when required. 

The Canadian arrived into Toronto's Union Station around 10:00 which was only half hour later than scheduled. According to some people on the train, that was really good going. The station is undergoing some major works but the main hall is still very grand. It reminds me of Adelaide station.

My map indicated that the apartment wasn't far from the station so I decided to try and walk. I had to make a few guesses, but I got there without too much trouble. The apartment faces Toronto Harbour and Lake Ontario. This is home for the next two nights.

I suppose I can put up with this view?

I only had one activity planned for Toronto. I was going to wing the rest. The one activity was the CN Tower; I'd purchased a ticket before leaving Australia. I decided to do that while the weather was OK.

My ticket gave me access to the sky pod and observation deck. I decided to do sky pod first. It's the smaller ring at the top of this picture; 447m high. Although it was spectacular, the window design meant there was a lot of condensation which occasionally obscured the view.

It was a long way down!

Although this picture doesn't do it justice, you could see autumn colours dotted across the entire city and surrounds.

I could see the apartment building I'm staying in. It's the one in the centre.

Next I went down to the observation deck. It may have been lower, but it was better suited to viewing and photography.

There is a section with a glass floor. I'm not a fan of heights and I wasn't going to walk on it. But the only way to get a decent picture down was to venture out. Those are my feet!

And that was all I could manage today. 4 nights of only partial sleep on the train has taken its toll and I'm exhausted. I decided to get supplies and have an early night in. Hopefully I can recharge my batteries for tomorrow. I'm not sure what the plan is yet, but I'm looking forward to taking my time about it. I have a heap of washing to do too!

I've just arrived inToronto after 3 days on The Canadian and, needless to say, there is too much to tell in detail in one post and way too many photos to show. So I'll try to summarise some aspects of the journey and I've created some montages of photos to give a feel of the images. If I get time I might post some full resolution images later.

I spent most of the days in my compartment glued to the window with camera in hand. I could have sat in the dome carriage for a while; it might have afforded a better view at times but I'm sure I would have driven the people around me crazy with the incessant shutter click of my camera.

Each time I began to get a bit tired or assumed that the scenery was becoming "more of the same" I would cap the lens and switch off the camera only for a brand new surprise to appear around the corner; so un-cap the lens, switch on and off we go again!

When I made it up to the dome carriage on the second day it was good, but wasn't really that much better for my photos; I didn't stay there long.

In many ways the view from Vancouver to the Rockies was familiar from the landscape I had seen in Stanley Park and across the bay. There was dense forest interspersed with evidence of logging, streams, rivers and lakes in a reasonably hilly terrain.

The sight of the first snow capped peak was very exciting. The largest, Mount Robson, came into view shortly after lunch on the first day so I hung around in the dining car for a bit longer to get a better view and some good pictures. Overall, I had expected the train track to wind more tightly between the mountains as Emily and I had experienced in the Swiss Alps. Maybe one of the trains dedicated to viewing the Rockies takes a different route? Still, they were majestic and impressive. I can begin to imagine what they must look like in the thick of winter.

In the middle of the Rockies is a little town called Jasper. I believe it's a big place for winter sports. When we got there it seemed quite sleepy. We stopped for an hour and could get out for a stroll. No matter which direction you look the buildings of the town are framed by these massive mountains in the distance.

After going to sleep with the mountainous Rockies and beyond still firmly in my mind it was quite a shock to open the blind on the morning of the second day. Mountain had given way to wide expanses of yellow and gold. At first, in the early morning half light, it looked like sand; almost desert. But soon I realised most of it was harvested crop land. The evidence was dotted here and there in round bales. What amazed me was just how far this land stretched. It seemed endless and we continued to pass these fields for at least half of the day.

After consulting my map and timetable I realised we had passed through Saskatoon in the early morning. Aside from the memorable name, the place has significance for me as my first real professional mentor came from there. I wondered what she is doing these days.

In the afternoon the flat crop lands slowly began to give way to a gentle undulating landscape that became less cultivated. I suspect these may be part of the prairies I've heard about. Towards the end of the day we reached a depression that must have been the flood plain for a river still meandering lazily through the middle.

The third morning revealed yet another landscape. It was similar to the pine forests, rivers and lakes in British Columbia, but without the mountains. And here there were many more rivers and lakes. The skies were overcast all day so getting bright pictures was a challenge. As we travelled east the evergreen pines were increasingly interspersed with golden leaved trees.

Although there was an increase in golden leaves towards the end of the third day, I still hadn't seen the rich mixture of autumn tones I had been hoping for. When daylight came on the final morning I finally got my wish. Unfortunately, we passed some of the most stunning combinations of autumn leaves, streams and forests while it was still only half light and I struggled to get clear images. But by the time we were about an hour out of Toronto they were everywhere and I had enough light for photos.

Throughout the journey there were numerous streams, rivers and lakes. Many of the rivers in the west appeared to be flowing quite rapidly and the lakes were a beautiful deep blue. Against the mountain and forest backdrop they were postcard perfect.

During the trip we had a few encounters with wildlife. First was a report of a moose on the left hand side of the train. I didn't make it there quickly enough to see it. Next was a black bear which I did photo but you can bear-ly make him out. The main encounter was a group of elk by the tracks shortly after leaving Jasper. And on the plains and prairies there were masses of what I think were geese, either in flight or preparing to take off.

On my side of the train I didn't see a lot of buildings. But I noticed a few farm houses, barns and churches; some in use and some abandoned.

The train itself was long; neatly divided between the coach class at the front and sleeper class at the back. I had a single cabin which provided both a place where I could click my camera without fear of annoying anyone during the day, and sleep (of sorts) at night. The bed folded down to make a cosy retreat. I didn't sleep at all well the first night. But by the end I managed to sleep though a kind of solid yet broken sleep.

It surprised me how often we had to stop to let freight trains pass. Sometimes the stop provided an opportunity for some detailed photos or a respite from the rocking. The further east we got, the bumpier the ride seemed to get. But I think part of that was an increase in speed to make up time we had lost over freight train stops earlier in the trip.

Meal times on the train were a great interlude. Not only was the food and service great, it was an opportunity to socialise. Each time I found myself seated with 3 other people. And for most meals I hadn't met at least one of them before. I really enjoyed speaking with people from different places and backgrounds.

Which just leaves the people. I didn't know quite what to expect on a train journey like this. There was the predictable number of retired folk who can afford the time to travel more casually, but there were almost as many younger people too. I reckon I was probably in the middle of the age extremes. And everyone was friendly and willing to strike up a conversation. Although I mainly kept to myself I still managed to meet some really lovely people.

Check-out was 11:00 so no need to rush this morning. Of course then I checked the train which led to that little adventure covered in my other post.

Once all had been confirmed I could relax and return to sightseeing. On the way to the station I had passed BC Place, the stadium that was used for the Winter Olympics.  so on the way back I paused to take some shots. This one is a fairly conventional one but I took some close ups of the side that I'll try and work with for Instagram.

Looking back from the stadium I noticed the paintings under this pier.

I wandered a bit and found some lunch, then made my way to the Vancouver Art Gallery.  When buying my ticket they were so immensely proud of their collection of Canadian art. That was great to see. It wasn't a huge collection but there was a wide selection of eras and styles. Some major areas were being set up for other exhibitions so I suspect I missed some things. 

The main exhibition was works by Landon Mackenzie and she had chosen works by a famous Canadian artist Emily Carr to show along side hers. I thought it was a great idea and the works and styles really complemented each other. And it was a great way for Landon for pay homage to Emily Carr.  

After the gallery I decided to take one last look at the bay. It was blue and clear by then. I took some more pictures but you've seen what the bay looks like already. 

Vancouver is a very shiny city. Lots of glass buildings. One side effect of that is that you'll often see two different styles of architecture juxtaposed in reflection. 

I walked past a fountain I've seen a few times so I thought I'd take a shot from a different angle.

I took some pictures of this building on my first day from across the road. I took these close ups today to show the incredible detail on the fascade and doorway.

Farewell Vancouver. It's been fun.

Vancouver station had wi-fi so one last chance for a quick post before I board. Today was a bit of an odd day. It started innocent enough. As recommended, I went online this morning to check the departure time of the train. No matter how I tried to search I came up with nothing. Alarm bells rang! What if the train had been cancelled? I've read of that happening. And of course there was the memory of my experience last year trying to get from Amsterdam to Berlin.

I needed to get this sorted out before doing anything else. I decided to walk to the station. It was a little way but nothing really compared to all the walking I've done lately. And besides, there might be things to see on the way.

While walking I calmly put a plan B together, just in case. I found the station easily. 

Before long my journey had been confirmed. Yes, the train was still running. All on time, nothing to worry about. I took the opportunity to work out where I'd need to check-in my luggage later too.

But the BIG revelation was that I'd been reading the departure time incorrectly. Dumbo me had misconverted railway time yet again. The train departs at 8:30 not the 10:30 I had in my head. Silly thing is, when I then checked my online itinerary it said 8:30 clear as day. Anyway, had it not been for this little adventure I might not have made it to the station in time; I could easily have missed the train!

I have some other stories and some pictures from today but I'll put them in a post a bit later. For now, all I need to do is sit in the lounge and wait to board. 

Today is my last day in Vancouver. The weather is still drizzly so I think I'll do a few indoor activities like art galleries and museums. I'd purposely left those for inclement weather days.

Tonight I catch the train across to Toronto. It's a long trip, taking 4 nights. I won't reach Toronto until early Saturday morning.

I believe there may be wi-fi at the train station tonight, maybe one or two along the way, but other than that it will be radio silence from me for a few days. When I'm back fully online I'll hopefully have some nice pictures from the journey. 

After walking all morning I was exhausted again by 2:30 so I decided to call it a day. The weather was turning nasty and soon the constant rain on the windows validated my decision.

Sitting in my room, thumbing through the pictures of the day and writing down words is fun. But I can't stop that little voice in my head that keeps telling me I should have been more social. I've certainly had the opportunity. Davie Street is filled with places to go and part of me feels I ought to have made an effort to meet some locals.

I think the real reason I haven't is that I know it would just have been a "box ticking" exercise.  There are things I don't do out of fear; fear of making a mistake or looking stupid. This trip has suffered from a couple of those moments, but not too many so far. Then there are things I don't do because I really don't want to; I just think I should. So far, being social (or unsocial to be precise) is a bit of both but mainly the latter. I know that later in my trip I will be forced to get out more; I won't have the sanctuary of an apartment to retreat to. There will be many social opportunities for the taking. I just need to stop beating myself up about the now.

I was in bed early last night; exhausted from my day of walking. And very unlike me, I didn't rise until after 9:00 this morning. The weather was fine but overcast. I figured it could go either way; clouds clearing or clouds getting heavier. I decided it made sense to get out as soon as possible but it was definitely a struggle today.

After breakfast and starting a load of washing I headed out. Like yesterday, I stopped by a little bakery on the way to pick up a pastry for later. While the weather was OK I decided to return to Stanley Park and see more of it. I walked to the end of Davie Street where this sculpture from a previous biennale greeted me.

The other side of the street was the sea and one of the small beaches dotted along the western side of downtown. All of the beaches have logs arranged in lines. I assume it's seating for people who flock here in the summer. The sand is coarse; a mid brown colour.

As I've walked through the streets of downtown it's been quite common to see trees perched atop high rises.

The bay is English Bay. It appears to be a parking lot for ships before or after their journey across the Pacific.

The shore along the seawall varies. Sometimes the sea comes up to the wall. Other times there are small areas of sand and driftwood or forest wood between the sea and the land.

The water here is crystal clear. In most places you can see the sand and the rocks beneath the surface.

And after gazing at the wide expanse of sea to my left I could turn to my right and gaze back into the forest undergrowth and towering trees.

The seawall isn't straight or curved in grand arcs. There are little bays, inlets and coves all along it.

As I rounded one of these coves I reached Siwash rock. A monolith in the sea with significant meaning to the indigenous people.

As you'd expect, the sea is full of birdlife. The gulls are quite happy to bob around close to people.

By now I'd walked much further than I'd originally intended and soon the Lion's Gate bridge was in view; this time from the other side. Over two days I'd virtually circumnavigated the park.

Today, for the first time, the mountains were clear of low cloud.

It was time to turn around. I decided to make my way inland a little and see some more of the forest. Even from the trail you could catch glimpses of the seawall.

At many places along the wall there are hedges of what looks like bramble; rough and untamed.

As I made my way inland I passed this bird. Clearly he hadn't got the function of a seat quite figured out. I wondered what/who the flowers were for. Many of the benches in the park have lovely inscriptions for departed loved ones. Maybe these were left in remembrance of someone special?

The forest floor on this side of the park was slightly different from the trails I walked yesterday.

Around this time I stumbled across what I think was a racoon. I tried to snap it but my camera was still set for landscape pictures and all I could manage was a grey blur that no-one would believe was anything of interest. However, before long I made it to Lost Lagoon where there was a group of them milling around a family. I managed to get a proper shot this time.

Lost Lagoon is a large lake in the bottom of the park surrounded by tall trees on some sides and a small beach on another. Near the viewing point I saw this map and realised exactly how far I had walked over the last couple of days. I've pretty much walked all the way around it and some of the middle. No wonder I have blisters on my feet.

It was only about 2:00 but I was done and the first spits of rain had just hit my glasses. It was time to return to the hotel. On the way I paused for one last photo when I saw these colourful planters. I can imagine how magnificent they must have looked a month or two ago.

Time to rest my feet.

5 days and 1,500 photos already. With roughly 23 days to go I think I might just blow my previous record out of the water. But it's not about the numbers. As soon as I get the camera out I feel at home, at ease, in my element. 

After descending from the forest I reached the seawall and walked along.

During my journey back to the city I encountered a number of random treats.

This lady, like the one I met earlier in the day, wasn't inclined to conversation.  But that's OK, neither was I.

A glance back gave me a perfect view of the clouds loitering around the mountains.

And by total chance I managed to catch this image of a squadron heading off on a mission.

My path eventually brought me to these totems. Intricate, colourful and rich in meaning.

By now I was back to modern civilisation. My only disappointment has been the lack of colour in the trees. Last year in Europe the colours were amazing. Sadly, Stanley Park seems to be mainly populated with evergreens and conifers. But I did at least get to see this tree.

And then I was back. This time from the nautical side of the city.

After over 7 hours of walking my feet are pads of pain! Wonderful day, though.