24th September 2016

It was a 5:30 am start for us both. Refreshed by a shower and coffee, we checked out and made our way to Crawley train station, conveniently attached to the hotel. We boarded the relatively empty London commuter service bound for the airport, just a 10-minute ride away.

Security, passport control, and check-in were negotiated with impressive speed, and before long, we were seated, keeping a watchful eye on the departure screen, munching on pre-purchased sandwiches, and logging into the airport WiFi.

The flight wasn’t full and departed on time.

Travelling west on a long-haul flight makes for an extended day. Air Transat’s economy class seats aren’t the most spacious, and the in-flight entertainment is far from cutting-edge. Nevertheless, Jamie seemed to find enough to keep him occupied. I watched ‘The Angry Birds Movie’ and found it surprisingly amusing. I managed to sleep for a good portion of the flight, while Jamie caught a few winks here and there.

The food was fairly basic, just a selection of rolls, though by the time they reached our section, the options were somewhat depleted. A small packet of biscuits accompanied the meal. Still, I enjoyed my roll, washed down with a perfectly acceptable glass of red wine. Sitting near the back of the plane did have its perks, as later, when the cabin crew found they had leftover food, Jamie and I happily supplemented our modest meal with two trays of delicious sushi. I did, however, learn a valuable lesson: never apply fresh wasabi too liberally to anything you plan to eat. The pain was unforgettable! Toward the end of the flight, pizza and additional drinks were served.

We landed ahead of schedule, though this proved to be a false hope as we had to wait for another aircraft to vacate our gate. Processing through Canadian immigration was smooth and efficient. I couldn’t help but admire the uniforms worn by the numerous senior citizen volunteers. Their white stetsons, red cowboy jackets, and white trousers gave them a sharp, dapper look.

Both our suitcases arrived on the carousel, a relief! We quickly located the transport desk and purchased tickets for the downtown bus to our hotel. After a 30-minute wait, we boarded and reached the Sandman Hotel 20 minutes later.

Once check-in was complete, I called the RV company to confirm our arrival. Frustratingly, the call kept diverting to voicemail, so I left a message.

We had coffee in our room before heading out for a walk along the bank of the Bow River and onto King Edward’s Island, which was delightfully scenic. On our way back, we were unexpectedly joined by two helicopters that chose to land on the riverbank right beside us.

Shortly afterwards, Jamie found himself waylaid by two elderly Chinese ladies who asked him to take their photo. His patience was sorely tested as they continued to strike different poses for him to capture.

On return to the hotel, the RV company confirmed a 1 pm meet-up for the following day. Jamie spent the next hour in the hotel pool while I browsed through the local tourist information leaflets in the room, very Sue-like of me!

When Jamie appeared, clean and smelling of chlorine, we took a walk downtown to the Calgary Tower and enjoyed some elevated sightseeing. The tower featured a glass floor, and, despite his fear of heights, Jamie managed to stand on it, albeit uncomfortably, and look down.

Making our way back to ground level, we wandered awhile through the city’s main shopping and restaurant district before finding a spot to grab a couple of burgers, fries, and root beers. We were both intrigued by the sight of locals going about their business on an early Friday evening. The contrast with home was striking; instead of the usual glad rags and binge drinking of a Friday night back home, these Canadians were quietly snacking and then heading home.

Later, at the hotel, we settled in at the bar and watched a baseball game on the TVs behind the counter. I spent an amusing hour explaining the rules of this grown-up version of rounders to Jamie, highlighting the posturing and other quirks of the game.

With drinks finished and the game concluded, we headed back to our room, watched TV for a while, and then called it a night.