Have Tiara, Will Travel: Thursday 8 May, Banff to Lake Louise

could have done with some more sleep, but not to be. It has been raining overnight and there is low cloud over the mountains.

I feel for our fellow travellers who had booked a morning flight over the mountains yesterday but it was too windy so was cancelled. Same thing happened to them today. Breakfast in the main dining room. I took my Vegemite and was instantly identified as an Aussie. One fellow wanted to know where I got it a he had been looking for it. I offered to let him have some of mine but thankfully he declined! Our first activity for the day was to meet a Mountie. I was very excited. We all attended a large auditorium along with another bus load of travellers. Jo and I were lucky enough to jag front and centre row seats. John was really interesting retelling stories of his 31 year career in the RCMP albeit he retired some years ago. We were then all afforded a photo opportunity to have our photo with a Mountie. Richard was the second Mountie who didn't talk to us but was happy to have his photo taken too. It pays to advertise because one of the fellows we had dinner with last night who I had told how much I wanted my very own Mountie, was first in line for a photo and told the 2 guys about a police woman who wanted Mountie. They called me out from the crowd and were so lovely. I have them both Sapol shoulder patches and badges. To my absolute amazement John gave me a badge of a mounted Mountie and then gave me one of their RCMP official bags so I am pretty sure I have just been deputised as an honorary Mountie. Then to top it all off I had my photo taken with both of them which no one else was able to. If God had wanted to take me right then and there, I was happy!

Time to get on the coach and head back into Banff where we went to Bow Falls for a photo opportunity.

We then had a drive around Banff stopping at a great view point of our hotel.

We then stopped in Banff for a lunch break. We end up going to Subway as so many of the other eating places offered really big meals and we weren't that hungry. Time for our last wander around the town.

We then set off along the Trans Canada highway towards Lake Louise.Saw some elk as we were leaving Banff.

We stopped at Lake Louise Village shops and were able to buy a couple of bottles of wine. Alcohol is considerably more expensive here in the hotels than at home plus tipping at a general rate of 18%.

A short drive then to the Fairmont Lake Louise, our home for the night.

We set our gear into our room which has a great view of the lake and then we decide to go for a walk around the lake. It wasnt that cold and it helped that there was no wind. The lake looks amazing covered in ice.

Back in our room and there is time for happy hour before dinner. Although we had put our wine in the little fridge before our walk, it wasn't very cold. so I went in search of some ice armed with the ice bucket in our room. I found the ice machine easily enough but could only fit one bottle in the bucket. Jo came up with the brilliant idea to use our hand basin as an ice bucket so of I went to gather more ice and we soon had our glasses of wine culled nicely for our pre dinner drinks.

Dinner was at 7 in the Fairview dining room and we were pleased to be seated with Penny and Janine, the mother and daughter from the Gold Coast. They were lovely company. Dinner was good, although I didn't think it was as good as the previous night and the food took ages to be served. In fact even our server realized that we waited a very long time for our main course that at the end of our meal she offered us all a free drink so I opted for a Baileys on ice.