With 285 miles already behind us since we left Vancouver, we bid farewell to Kamloops (at least for a few days) and set off on the 12 hour, 309 mile journey to Jasper in the Canadian Rockies. The train ambles along at a very leisurely pace and makes frequent stops in sidings to allow two mile long freight trains to pass us in either direction (other than the sidings, this is mostly a single track railway). Going slowly allows us more time to absorb and photograph the stunning scenery, lets us get a glimpse of the wildlife - lots of bald eagles, an occasional osprey, a few longhorn sheep - and the day's biggest prize, three solitary black bears foraging for food close to the track which take no notice of the train rumbling by. Most importantly, the slow moving train doesn't interfere with breakfast and dinner in the lower level dining car or the endless beverage service.....

It's dark by the time we pull in to Jasper station, in the middle of the town's main street which comprises mostly of tourist shops and cafes. It's just a short drive to the lodge we're staying in a couple of miles outside the town, but in the pitch darkness we find it more by luck than judgement!

It's here that we meet up with old friends from Holland - John and Joyce. Amazing to think that we've been friends now for nearly 40 years! John and Joyce are on a five week jaunt around British Colombia, all meticulously planned and organized by Joyce and it was great that we could meet up with them for a few days. We're housed in separate "cozy" (read: small, but perfectly formed!!) cabins each equipped with a small kitchen. Joyce had prepared a "simple" welcome dinner for us - which was super delicious and didn't seem that simple to us!!

Bu the great hospitality didn't stop there - on each of the three mornings there, John cooked breakfast. "How do you like your eggs?"

We spend the next two days exploring and hiking before heading off to Moraine Lake along the Ice Fields Parkway "the world's most beautiful mountain drive"....