Trains, Planes and Automobiles

After deliberating for months on how to finally travel to Canada we took the plunge and booked our flights yesterday morning. Credit Card was flashed several times.

We found some great Club Class flight tkts from Gatwick to Montreal and so started by booking them and swiftly followed that by booking a couple of nights in a nice hotel in downtown Montreal.

Le Square Phillips Suites, Montreal

We then booked a sleeper train 'The Ocean' from Montreal to Truro via Quebec and Moncton. The journey takes 21 hours and travels up the side of the St Lawrence Seaway before curling round into New Brunswick and then on to Nova Scotia.

Should be fun

Saying a few goodbyes

Retirement is getting closer and it was nice to get an invite from some colleagues from a division I used to work on......... to a day and night out in Whitby. Eleven of us travelled up on Friday April 1st in 3 cars and stopped off in the Aidensfield Arms (of Heartbeat fame) and had a couple of pints of their finest. Dave had arranged accomodation at the Youth Hostel which was located next to the ruined Abbey overlooking the town. A great location !! We had some great fish and chips in the Duke of York followed by a few pints in the Black Swan, The George Hotel, The Endeavour and the Jolly Sailor. It was Goth weekend in Whitby which allowed us a few chuckles looking at some of the people who were parading around. They looked fantastic. (I thought I'd better say that ...seeing as I'm married to an ex-Goth !) We finished the night off at an Indian Restaurant (Very Yorkshire !!)

Christmas 2010 out of the way....

Today is 2nd January 2011 and we can now say that we will be living in Canada THIS year !!!

After surviving the most Canadian type weather we have ever seen in Derbyshire during December Christmas felt strange as it will be our last in the UK and when we put away all the decorations earlier today it was weird thinking that the next time we open the boxes will be in Nova Scotia.

We missed our usual New Years Eve Party with Rob and Claire Shepherd but managed to Skype them on Christmas Day to share the celebrations.

A lot of hard work between now and May and lots of trips to the rubbish tip.

Almost forgot to mention that I was interviewed on the telephone by a Sheriff from NS for a relief Deputy Sheriff position in Truro !!!

Having never being interviewed by telephone before it felt strange but thought I did well.......just waiting for reference checks and some paperwork to be completed and I might have a part time job waiting for me when I get there........enjoying the thought of getting stuck in straight away and giving something back to the local community.

At the end of the interview I didn't ask the obvious question.......do I get a five pointed star, cowboy hat and somewhere to tie my horse? !!!!!!!!!!