Back in Canada

I'm back in Ralston after an eventful experience leaving the UK! I arrived at 7:30am for a 9:30am flight and was told I couldn't check in and had to report to the agent's desk. The agent then told me the flight was overbooked, I was being put on standby and that I'd have to report back to the desk at 8:30am to find out if I was going to be allowed to fly! This of course being pretty standard (and totally legal) procedure for airlines these days.

So after killing an hour in the hellhole that was Gatwick at the start of the Easter holidays, I was fortunately allowed to check in and run across the terminal to the boarding gate - without even as much time to buy the Saturday Telegraph!

The flight was packed with school children and families all heading off for Easter skiing trips and me, desperately hoping against hope that there was going to be snow when we landed! When we did touch down at Calgary (and passport control greeted me with the disconcerting words "welcome home!") it was snowing and -15c.

We headed off to the hotel we had booked for Saturday night and stopped on the way at a Chinese supermarket in town. Jim was after ingredients for curries and typically, this was the only place for hundreds of miles that had them! We had a successful shopping trip and I had a good giggle over some of the "Engrish" signs! (see left)

Overnight on Saturday it snowed heavily and so once again, it was a monochrome panorama that greeted me when I drew back the curtains in our room... the holidaymakers must have been delighted.

Still, better news now we are back in the village, where we have escaped the snow and it is plus 4. I've just been unpacking the clothes I bought in the UK, several summer tops which I'm looking at wistfully and hoping against hope...