Banff, Canada (Day 1)

Thursday, September 17

We awoke to sunshine today and decided to go to Lake Louise to see it in the best light. However as we were driving there the clouds started covering the mountains and we wondered how the weather could be so different in 50 kms! We had been told about the historic railway station that was used in the filming of Dr.Zhivago so we had a quick look at it before heading to the shops.

To give the sun time to do its thing we had lunch first and really enjoyed our meal, then went to the Visitor Centre to learn about the area. We decided to visit Lake Moraine first, and were surprised at how many people were there and how big the car park area was. When we saw the lake we knew why this area was so popular as the scenery was stunning - like it has been in all the parts of Canada we have seen so far. I'll let the photos speak for themselves!

After some lovely walks to admire the different views of this lake and breathing in the fresh alpine air we drove around to Lake Louise. So many of our friends have been here and we've seen so many photos of it that it was a "pinch ourselves" moment that we were finally seeing it in the flesh. Again the parking lot was huge and had to cater for massive RVs that took up multiple spots.

There were hoards of tourists admiring the lake and walking either around the boardwalk or taking the many trails from the lake to different points of interest. The sun was trying to break through the clouds, but it still gave us terrific light for our photos. Eventually the sun came out for brief spells and we were able to get some different shots with the surrounding mountains and hillsides in full sun - all that was missing from the "postcard" shots was a clear blue sky, and yes, the lake is as colourful as in the photos. Again I'll let the scenery speak for itself.

The only downside of this magnificent lake and scenery was the location and design of the Fairmont Lake Louise, which has a commanding view at one end of the lake. We heard a number of people commenting on how out of place it looked. Again we have a lot of friends who have stayed there and loved it, so it is a matter of personal taste.

On our return trip to Banff we decided to take the Bow Valley Parkway, another very pretty drive through the national park, but unlike the Trans Canada Highway the speed limit was only 60kph. We liked this as it gave us more chance of spotting wildlife, but we only saw one female caribou in the hour it took us to reach Banff.

Once we were settled in our rooms it was time for chores, like doing laundry! The reward however was a nice steak dinner and a good bottle of red. What a way to end another great day in Canada.

 

 

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