In search of Will and Kate

Our home from home for three nights - a delightful B & B in the centre of Banff.

We started off in seach of the hot springs and the Gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain, but quickly got sidetracked to see Bow Falls at the lower end of Banff.

Looking downstream from the falls, a couple of random oddities enjoy the view.  Behind Sophie lie the rafts you can go on a slow drift down the river, wildlife spotting.

The Banff Springs Hotel - the supposed location of the visiting Royal couple whilst at this end of their visit and before they move onto Calgary tomorrow to start the Stampede fun.

This was enough to make Sophie blush!!

Hotel from the Godola.

A couple of likely fellow travellers.

The trip up Sulphur Mountain involves a 5000 ft climb in quite fast time.  The view down towards Banff was worth seeing.  Behind the town is Tunnel Mountain where cougar have recently been sited (as in released into the wild) and also site of the largest campsite locally.  Rather those campers than us given the sightings!

Decadent picnic at the top.  Sophie had spent part of the previous evening making choc dipped strawberries and Lucky Charm cereal crispy cakes with Hershey bar chocolate (and very nice they were too).

Right at the bottom you can just see the Bow Falls.

Mum stayed at the top of the Gondola while Dad and Sophie went on up to the "Cosmic Ray Observatory" right at the summit.  Sophie looks down on where her Mum should have been.

 Nearly at the top.

Banff again.  We are staying right in the middle of the picture.

Summit shots.  Dad had gone back to the car just to put on his altitude tee shirt, and got the desired reaction from passers by.

Looking up to the summit from the Gondola deck.

Who's that girl?

A quick (?) trip from here into Calgary to visit a scrapbooking oulet followed, and having driven through the city preparing for the Stampede and a Royal visit it was a case of "Let's not bother".  Fortunately, after a bout of retail therapy and managing to book a hotel (which we had been told would not be possible) the Stampede trip was back on.  Dad found a completely non aggravating way out of Calgary to return to Banff and we have just finished a fantastic pasta bolognaise completely self made (by Mum).

Tomorrow is another day - call back to find out where we ended up.

Love to everyone.