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I initially thought the three days we were to spend on the train from Toronto to Jasper was going to be the most boring part of our great adventure, how wrong I was. Boarding our west bound train, 'The Canadian', at 9.30pm we were given a 'what to expect' and 'safety' briefing before the train pulled out of Toronto station on the dot of 10pm as scheduled. After welcome drinks in the dome car it was time to settle into our cabin bunks for the night. Freight trains have right of way on the tracks so there can be a lot of stopping and starting both during the day and overnight, this lead to a broken first night of sleep as we got used to not only the constant motion of the train but also the stopping and starting.
Meals on the train were served in the dining car, it was a white linen service, the food was amazing and mealtimes were a great time to meet and chat with fellow passengers. Onboard activities including wine and beer tastings, information talks and evening movies were organised throughout the day in the 'activities car' and there was a constant supply of tea, coffee and cookies. On our first afternoon we had a half hour stop at a very little town called Hornepayne, we were able to get off the train and stretch our legs and it was a good opportunity to walk to the front of the train to get some photos.
Our second day on the train we arrived in Winnipeg, in the state of Manitoba, just after 8am. Having booked a city bus tour with the train activities co-ordinator we had time for a short walk, to stretch our legs, before hopping on a bus to see some of the 'highlights of Winnipeg'. We firstly visited the Legislative building, a magnificent building inside and out, with huge white stone pillars at the front and a famous statue 'The Golden Boy' on the top of the domed roof, seventy seven metres above the ground. It is reported that the architect for the Legislative building was a member of the Free Masons and hidden amongst the architecture of the building are Masonic secrets in the form of hieroglyphic inscriptions, numerological codes and symbols that are masked and hidden throughout the architecture of the building. Inside the building a grand staircase comprising of three sets of thirteen steps leads to the second level, on either side stand statues of huge bison, believed to ward off evil spirits. The numbers five, eight and thirteen feature prominently throughout the building, from an eight-pointed star and eight cattle skulls, to thirteen lights in each hallway, thirteen being a sacred Masonic number.
After visiting the very modern Winnipeg cathedral we had time for a walk through the Winnipeg gardens which were beautiful. As well as colourful flower gardens, there were ponds, fountains and a sculpture garden, it was a beautiful day so it was great to stretch the legs and take some fresh air into the lungs before re boarding our train.
Our third and final day onboard 'The Canadian' started watching the sunrise from the dome car. The sky started with a whisp of orange along the horizon but soon changed with almost the whole sky turning an impressive shade of pink. Following a 'prolonged' stop in Edmonton for an engineer change and to drop off and pick up passengers we were once again on our way, this time Jasper bound. While in our cabin checking we had everything packed for our dis-embarkment, a call came over the loud speaker for the assistance of a nurse or doctor. After a very brief moment of should I, shouldn't I, I was making my way to find a crew member. So, to cut a long story short, I can now add 'assisting with a medical emergency' to my list of things I did during our great adventure.
On arriving in Jasper we bid fellow passengers goodbye and after collecting our bags began the trek on foot, to our hotel, which was directly across the road from the railway station. On checking in we were told that as our trip was to celebrate our birthdays we had been given a room upgrade to a suite. The large room as well as being very 'posh', had a big corner window which gave us great views of the surrounding mountains. The weather the previous day had apparently been very cold and an unseasonal snowfall resulted in a backdrop of beautiful snow capped mountains glistening in the summer sun. Jasper is a pretty little town and after a wander around the streets, cameras shutters of course clicking, we found a Mexican restaurant where we enjoyed great food and cocktails before spending our first night in the Canadian Rockies.
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