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The next stop on our European adventure was the city of Salzburg in Austria. After another day of driving, mostly on motorways, we arrived at our accommodation in Puch, a few miles from Salzburg. I had booked a ground floor flat on the edge of the village. We were welcomed by Bea and her husband who are in the process of renovating the rest of the house. The house was at the end of a lane and had beautiful views of the mountains. The flat was spacious and cosy, with an all important washing machine to catch up on laundry. It was only a 10 minute walk to the bus stop to catch a bus to the city centre. We certainly had a wonderful view while we waited! We only had two days to explore Salzburg so the first day we packed in quite a lot. Firstly the cathedral which was quite different to the Italian churches we had visited in Florence. Around the cathedral was Salzburg’s main Christmas market, but we decided to save that until later and headed for Mozart’s residence. His birthplace wasn’t accessible, but we passed it on the way and even did a bit of shopping in the Spar supermarket underneath it. There wasn’t all that much to see in the house, but Racheal had great fun listening to all the musical boxes in the shop and choosing one to buy. When we came out it was starting to go dark, so we wandered back towards the market, enjoying some Christmas entertainment and a couple of smaller markets along the way. The main market was very busy. There were all sorts of things for Racheal to hear, smell, feel and experience, and of course things to buy! We set off back to catch a bus back around 8pm. This was the first time our travel arrangements didn’t go to plan. There was already a wheelchair user in the one space on the bus meaning we had to wait an hour for the next bus. Racheal didn’t mind at all and enjoyed the sound of the traffic passing, but it did make us much later back and we still had all the evening jobs to do before bed. On our second day we decided to take the funicular railway up to the fortress. A lot of it wasn’t wheelchair accessible, but there were parts we could all get to, including a puppet museum. Summer went round the main building and told us what she had seen, while we explored the courtyard, chapel and cannons! The panoramic views alone made it worth the journey. We spent longer exploring the fortress than expected, and after a late night the previous day, so we decided to go back to the flat. Summer and Racheal caught up with the logbook, and that night Summer showed Racheal how to press the switch on her ‘bed genie’ so she can sit herself up in bed. She was very pleased with herself! (The bed genie is a wedge shaped inflatable pillow which goes under the mattress to raise the head of the bed, similar to a hospital bed.)

We spent two nights staying in a cabin at another HU site near Venice and made the most of our time there. It’s a fascinating city, but not the easiest to navigate in a wheelchair. At the tourist information office we were given a map to show the accessible routes, but it was a black and white photocopy which was difficult to read. Water buses were reduced for wheelchair users and one companion which was helpful as we couldn’t get far at all without using them. We found the staff on the boats and the quays were happy to assist us where needed. The larger boats had indoor seating with safety belts to secure Racheal’s chair, but the smaller boats only had a small area outside that we could access. Fortunately the weather was good if a little chilly. Some bridges had ramps, but not many. We realised that visiting Venice would have its challenges and either required a lot of careful planning or to be content with only seeing the parts that were easy to get to. As we had so little time we settled on using the water buses to get to St Marks Square and the Bridge of Sighs the first evening. The second day we took the water bus to Murano which was more accessible. We enjoyed looking at the glassware and watching the craftsman. By the time we set off to return to Venice the sun was setting. Our second evening we explored the Rialto Bridge area frequently coming to dead ends in the form of steps or canals but it was fun finding our way through the maze. It was a wonderful 36 hours with lots of new experiences. Racheal particularly enjoyed the boat rides and being out after dark.

It’s difficult to know where to start with Florence. Such a beautiful city. For the most part I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. We stayed at Firenze HU Camping Village in a wheelchair accessible chalet, which was fairly small but sufficient for us. It was located just south of the city and on a frequent bus route making it easy to get in and out of the city. The chalet had two bedrooms, with en-suite shower rooms, either side of a central living area. The wall between the accessible bedroom and shower room slid right open to create a large space. There were no grab rails for the shower or toilet which is a basic requirement for accessibility, but didn’t hinder us. We found a space for our trusty trolley which carries all Racheal’s medical supplies, and there was room to have the changing table up and still manoeuvre the hoist. We used the smaller chair indoors and kept the Treki in the car. There was a pay laundry on site, a supermarket and restaurant. Apart from a morning visiting to the most confusing supermarket ever, we spent our days and some evenings enjoying the sights, sounds and atmosphere of Florence. The bus was easy to use and the drivers were helpful. Bus tickets have to be bought in advance, which we could purchase at the campsite reception. We got a street map showing accessible routes from the tourist information centre, but to be honest we didn’t really use it. Many pavements are not wide enough for wheelchairs, or they are blocked by bikes, vehicles, rubbish and other obstacles, but people just walk in the road in the city centre so we joined the trend. Some of the accessibility features that impressed us in Florence were seatbelts to secure the wheelchair on the buses, Braille and raised plans in the train station, disabled parking spaces for rear access vehicles like ours, sign language videos in Galileo museum, and the accessible route map for the city. Now for a lot of photos! The Dom - there was a long queue to visit, but we were ushered straight in a side entrance which was wheelchair accessible. The bridge - Ponte Vecchio Galileo Museum - some interactive things to do here. Santa Maria Novella Capella Brancacci - Racheal enjoyed the noises made by people working on the renovations! Pinocchio Experience - an immersive light show and we were the only ones there. An evening in Florence Wanderings A wonderful time in a beautiful city!

From Luxembourg we travelled through Germany and France to Switzerland for an overnight stop at Lucerne youth hostel. The journey was mostly on toll motorways, in the rain, with a stop at a service station for lunch. The youth hostel wasn’t anything special, but the staff were friendly and helpful. The accessible room we had booked was tiny, certainly no space between the beds for a wheelchair, so we all ended up in a six bed dorm which was much more spacious and cheaper. A visit to see the Chapel Bridge was high on our wish list and we set off as soon as we had eaten our picnic tea. We took the bus into the city which was straightforward. Lucerne had had some snow and this combined with the Christmas lights made it very pretty. Unfortunately the platform lifts onto the Chapel Bridge were not working but Summer went across while Racheal and I waited by the river. I was last here in 1993, the day before it was virtually destroyed by fire so it was interesting to see how well it had been re-built. A drink in a cosy tavern by the river, chosen purely by the size of its door (as most were very narrow) rounded off the evening nicely. After a continental breakfast, we were on the road again the next day. We headed through the alps diverting away from the motorway for a change and in search of lunch. After a delicious meal in a tiny restaurant, we drove through the Gotthard tunnel which is 10.5 miles long. Racheal has been enjoying all the tunnels and this was no exception - ten miles of giggles! This time our destination was just over the border into Italy on the outskirts of Como, where we had booked a basic room above a parade of shops, with just two beds and an en suite shower room, for the night. Secure underground parking, tall enough for our car, with a lift straight up to the room made it easy for us. As we had eaten a meal at lunchtime, a picnic tea was all we needed before piling onto the double bed to watch a dvd together. This was literally a place to sleep as we continued south to Florence. Another day of driving in the rain, this time on Italian motorways, brought us eventually to our home for the next 5 nights. We had booked an accessible cabin on a campsite on the edge of the city. The rain had paused briefly for our arrival and the temperature was warmer. We quickly made ourselves at home!

Our first base on our Europe trip was the country of Luxembourg. We stayed at the youth hostel in Remerschen, south of Luxembourg city, near the borders of France and Germany. It consisted of two buildings, a large, old house and a modern building, connected by a bridge. We were on the ground floor of the older building which was convenient, but we did have to go outside to get to the other building where the dining room and accessible shower were located. Our rooms were basic, but big enough to manoeuvre Racheal’s wheelchair and hoist easily and to have her changing table up. The sitting room had a stained glass window which looked impressive when the sun shone through it. There was no guest kitchen or facilities to make a drink, so we were glad of our travel kettle, electric cool box and picnic things so we could be self sufficient for one meal a day. Breakfast was provided and we ate out at lunchtime, saving some of our meals to blend for Racheal later. The weather was cold while we were here, but our room was toasty warm and we have plenty of warm clothes to wrap up when we’re outside so, apart from having to deal de-ice the car in the mornings it didn’t alter our plans. We spent the two days we had here looking around the city which was half an hour’s drive and a short ‘park and ride’ bus journey away. Racheal always loves a bus ride! The first day we explored the compact old city with its beautiful architecture, pretty parks and squares, and cobbled streets. It was quite easy to navigate and despite being perched high above the rivers which run through it, there weren’t too many steep hills. The Pfaffenthal bridge and lift offer an impressive view from the top, then descends 65m to a small residential area, with a village feel, in one of the gorges carved by the river. Back up in the old city we took a tram to the Adolphe Bridge before visiting the cathedral. Next stop was the City Centre of Luxembourg Museum where we found an old wheelchair similar to Racheal’s Treki, some interesting lighting effects and an enormous lift between the different floors of the museum. On the second day we had our first taste of Christmas markets, enjoying a walk through three of the small markets in the old city, before making our way to another museum which held an immersive art exhibition. We had hoped to visit the Grand Palais Ducal, having been told it was fully wheelchair accessible, but unfortunately it was closed. Another time perhaps. Public transport is free in the whole of Luxembourg and museums are free for people with disabilities and essential companions so this was a very economical few days, and somewhere I’d certainly like to visit again.

This trip takes in a number of European countries over four weeks. We will be staying in Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany and France, and passing through Belgium. Having driven down to Folkestone, we stayed at the Premier Inn near the Channel Tunnel and made use of their free carer’s room which had an interconnecting door to the accessible room. The next morning we were up at 5.15am, which gave us an hour to get to the terminal. That was a bit ambitious! Even though we weren’t giving Racheal her breakfast until we got in the train and we had as little as possible unpacked , it still took the full hour to get ready to leave. The drive to the terminal should only have taken 10 minutes, but there was a diversion so it took twice as long. Despite all this we were still boarding the train just after 7am and on our way fifteen minutes later. We drove along the coast of France and into Belgium. At this point we had been in three countries in less than two hours, including England, but that’s not difficult in parts of Europe. We turned inland at Ostend, heading south-east for our destination, Luxembourg. The driving was all motorways, stopping at a service station for breakfast and a cafe off the main route for lunch, both in Belgium. On the journey we encountered most weathers - rain, sun, wind, sleet, hail and snow. We crossed the border into Luxembourg at about 2.30pm, with another hour and a half to drive to Remerschen youth hostel on the other side of the country where it borders France and Germany. We were pleased to arrive in daylight and that the journey had gone smoothly.

We had a very early start the day we flew home from Canada. Our alarm went off at 4:30 am, and after a full evening of packing the night before, it felt as if we had hardly been to sleep. Fortunately we had no neighbours nearby to worry about disturbing. With everything loaded in the car, after a quick breakfast, we set off in the dark an hour later, along the island track . In fact it was dark most of the drive to the airport, the sun just rising as we drove into the car park to return our hire car. By this time it was around 8 o’clock and the wind was starting to pick up. We had been warned that there was a storm coming. Quite a few people had said they hoped that we would get out before it came. Returning the car was straightforward and the hire car rep kindly ignored the fact that we had scratched the boot by lifting Racheal’s wheelchair in and out. It was a short walk into the terminal building where we were able to check in straight away. Once we had got rid of our heavy luggage, we went straight through to security. Again, it was a smooth process, despite the amount of equipment and medicines, food and liquid we had for Racheal. We had time for another breakfast and a little more souvenir shopping in the airport while we waited to board the plane. The Air Canada staff were attentive and looked after Racheal and her wheelchair very well. We were taken to board the plane first. Racheal was transferred to an aisle chair and wheeled the length of a plane to our seats which for some reason had been allocated at the back. Air Canada have an app which allows passengers to track their luggage. A barcode on the luggage tag is scanned as items are loaded onto the plane, and this information is immediately visible on the app. This meant that we could see that Racheal‘s wheelchair had not been left behind, which is one of the concerns when flying. The other main concern is that the wheelchair might get damaged in transit, but we had no problem on either flight. I do put my own sign on Racheal‘s chair asking people to be careful with it, but I don’t know whether this really makes any difference. We had a little bit of time to settle before everybody else started to board the plane. Summer sat by the window, Racheal in the middle, and I sat by the aisle. The storm brewing outside made for an interesting takeoff but once we were in the air it was mostly a pleasant flight (except for the food). Summer enjoyed the view of the sunset and later fireworks from above. However, as we approached London we were again hit by some turbulence causing one of the flight attendants to fall over and passengers to grip their arm rests! We had to circle a few times before being cleared to land and it was something of a relief to be safely on the ground. We landed just before 9pm, but it was another two hours before we checked into the Premier Inn for the night. First, we had to wait for the assistance team to bring the aisle chair and transfer Racheal to her wheelchair. Then we had the long walk through Heathrow Airport stopping at one of the Changing Places Toilets to get Racheal changed, which meant going the opposite way to the way we needed to go to get passport control and to collect our luggage. Once we got out into the main terminal, we then had to queue for the lifts to get to the underground, to take the Elizabeth line to terminal four and again find the lift up to the arrivals area before walking for about 15 minutes to the hotel. We were very hot and sticky and tired by the time we finally got to our room. Of course it doesn’t end there, no falling straight into bed for us. Racheal needed feeding, medicines, a wash etc. And she was excited by the travelling and wasn’t in a hurry to go to sleep! There were medicines to prepare for the next day and packing to rearrange so that we were ready for our train journey home. It was well after midnight by the time we were all in bed. A mention for Premier Inn. On the whole we find their accessible rooms to be spacious enough for our needs, and for those who need an additional carer, they will provide an extra room for free. So they’re a good option, especially for an one night stop over. This one had the added advantage of an interconnecting door between the accessible room and the carers room. The next day we were up again ready for another day of travelling, but not until after a hearty breakfast. We set off for the underground once again, with a few people offering to help us with our luggage. Being independent souls, we turned down the offers and managed with our big backpacks on our backs, our small backpacks on our fronts, one pushing Racheal’s wheelchair and the other wheeling two suitcases. At least we had been able to cut down and get rid of one suitcase while we were in Canada. As ever, Racheal enjoyed the journey on the underground, the train and of course in the car when Summer’s dad collected us from the station. Nice to be home for a couple of weeks, but we will soon be off on our next adventure!!

Land of the silver birch Home of the beaver Where still the mighty moose Wanders at will Blue lake and rocky shore I will return once more Boom did-y-ah-dah Boom did-y-ah-dah Boom did-y-ah-dah, boom Nova Scotia certainly has a lot of silver birch trees, and when we woke up on our first morning in the Fisherman’s Cottage, we realised that we were totally surrounded by them. Beautiful. Our new ‘home’ was at the northernmost point of Big Tracadie Island, and sat high above the water with fantastic views. Again, the owner had built us a ramp so that Racheal could access the single story building. Once inside it was nice and spacious with a twin room for Racheal and me, a double room for Summer, a big sitting room and kitchen diner with a sunroom on the side overlooking the bay. Steps climbed up to a small deck which looked out to sea. Unfortunately, the weather on our first day here was not at all nice, we can’t really complain though as this was the first really bad weather we had had during our whole trip. We drove to Pictou hoping to find some indoor things to do, but everything was closed for the season. We found about three shops open and even the cafés were closed. We were about to give up when we spotted a restaurant overlooking the sea. When we went in to ask if we could just buy a coffee, the lady couldn’t have been kinder, she took our wet things and told us we were welcome to stay as long as we wanted we didn’t even need to buy anything. Of course we did have a coffee and there were some very appealing desserts on the menu - yes I gave in to temptation! The only picture we took was of a sculpture on the quay. On the second day we decided to explore Antigonish which was the nearest town, though still half an hour away. We started with lunch at a waffle restaurant that had been recommended to us, then we walked into the town and did some souvenir shopping in the main street. It was a pleasant town and the weather was at least dry, if not sunny. The third and fourth days the weather was much better. We even had some sunshine. We used both these days to explore a little of Cape Breton. Driving up the West Coast one day and enjoying a walk on the beach at Inverness. And the next day driving to Baddeck, which is on Bras d’Or Lake. At Inverness, I was pleased to see a changing places symbol on the outside of the public toilets. This is the first we had seen during our entire trip to Canada. The excitement was short-lived because it was locked, presumably because in Nova Scotia everything is shutting down for the winter. We were able to use the boardwalk and rather steep, rocky ‘ramp’ down to the beach and enjoy a walk on the sand. The route to Baddeck took us along the Trans Canada Highway, so there were a few more places open along the way . As this was our last day in Canada, we decided to have lunch out and we found a traditional Canadian diner in a farm shop on the way to Baddeck. We also did some thrift shopping and souvenir shopping to use up the last of our Canadian dollars before we flew home. By the time we drove home, the sun was setting and Summer got a very nice photograph of the sun through the bridge as we crossed over from Cape Breton Island to the mainland. We still had all our packing to do ready to fly home, so it was a busy evening! A few more photos of our island before we fly home.

We were a bit sad to leave the Boathouse with its beautiful views over the river, but it was time to move on. The main roads across Nova Scotia are not really very exciting. Miles and miles of highway or divided highway (dual carriageway), often with little traffic, doing 100 to 110km/hr. The autumn colours are beautiful, but after two hundred miles of the same scenery even they can get a bit boring! We broke our journey, roughly half way, at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park. This is a conservation centre where orphaned and injured animals are cared for, and endangered species are bred. The aim is to release them back to the wild wherever possible, but in some cases they will have to remain in the park. These are the animals on display to the public. Unfortunately we hadn’t realised the park closed at 3pm, so we took our time having a picnic and looking round the visitor centre, where Racheal enjoyed the tactile exhibits on offer. We only set off to look at the animals at 2.30, so we didn’t have long before an announcement came over the tannoy to say the park was closing and we should return to our car. We did manage to see raccoons, porcupine, white deer, elk, beavers, eagles and a bear, albeit very quickly. The second half of the journey was similar to the first. We did have the excitement of seeing the sea as we started to descend from central Nova Scotia, and could also make out Prince Edward Island in the distance. At Truro we joined the east bound carriageway of Trans Canada Highway, the road that would take us to our final stay on this leg of the gap year. The final two miles were on an unmade road, over a causeway onto Tracadie Big Island, and then along a track to the end of the island where we found a steep driveway up to the Fisherman’s Cottage, another delightful Airbnb. We made it just before dark!

Our first Nova Scotia was spent in a budget hotel near Halifax railway station. As we only slept, showered, ate breakfast and waited for our hire car to be delivered, I’ll skip straight on to Bridgewater, just over an hour south of Halifax. Our accommodation was an Airbnb in Upper Lahave, a small, riverside boathouse with open plan living downstairs and two ‘haylofts’ above, and our own jetty. Racheal had a double bed, while Summer and I each had a ladder to climb to our ‘bedrooms’. Sean, the owner, had made a ramp up to the decking so that Racheal could get into the tiny house. Once we had moved some furniture, it was perfectly adequate for our needs and a beautiful place to stay. I won’t describe it further as the photos do a better job. Our first day at the boathouse was spent stocking up on supplies at the local supermarket, spending some time at the launderette, visiting the local museum and exploring the town centre The DesBrisay Museum was small but had some interesting information about the local area, and the curator shared ideas for places to visit. The town centre was not particularly inspiring, but we were impressed with the lengths they had gone to to make small parks accessible. One park had a zigzag of ramps leading down to it from the main street. Having got the essentials sorted out, the second day we set off for Lunenberg, a town on the coast which has many original buildings and is a UNESCO world heritage site. After a picnic lunch we looked in the museum which was housed in an old fisheries building. The museum told the history of the fishing industry and the town, and had an area dedicated to the indigenous Mi’kmaw people. From the museum we climbed the steep hill into the town and enjoyed looking at the old buildings and inside some shops. Access wasn’t always easy due to the steepness of the streets and steps into buildings, but Racheal probably preferred sitting outside in the sunshine while we took it in turns to go in the shops anyway. Day three saw us return to Halifax to have a proper look around. I would like to have gone to the Immigration Museum, but we ran out of time. Again it was a lovely, sunny day. First we explored the waterfront, mainly because it was flat. Halifax is built on a steep hill, a common theme in this part of Canada. We managed to book onto a Harbour Hopper tour. This is a guided tour on an amphibious vehicle, part of the journey being through the roads of the city, and part seeing the sights from the harbour. They had a portable wheelchair lift which they wheeled to a door on the side of the vehicle and, having removed some seats, raised Racheal manually using a crank handle. Our guide, Riley, was fun and informative. It was a big improvement on the tour we did in Toronto earlier in the trip. The splash as we entered the water was impressive and Racheal loved it. On our final day around Bridgewater we didn’t want to go too far as we needed to pack. I visited the laundrette for the third time in four days, while Summer and Racheal went thrift shopping. This was the first big thrift shop we had found and great excitement for Summer! Then we drove along the south side of Lahave river (the Boathouse was on the north shore) to Lahave Bakery - a spot recommended for coffee and treats! There we also found a craft shop and bookshop. The building was an old ship’s outfitters and chandlery with the bakery still using the original tills. From there we found a road onto Lahave Islands, first driving along a spit of land before crossing a number of old wooden bridges between the small islands. It was great fun. We could even drive on the beach! I’ll finish with some photos taken from the Boathouse. The reflections were incredible and the mist made the place feel eerie. We took far too many sunsets and even a sunrise! We loved it here, but time to move on to another part of the province.

A short video showing the accessible room on the VIA Rail train from Montréal to Halifax

One of the big adventures on this trip was to take the overnight train over 800 miles from Montreal to Halifax. A scheduled journey of 23 hours, which actually took nearly 26, through three provinces, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and crossing a time zone taking us one hour closer to UK time. The train was due to leave at 6.30pm, so we arrived at the station in plenty of time. On this train we could check in some of our bags to make more space in the cabin. This was an easy process but just like an aircraft there’s a weight limit for each piece of luggage, which seems a little strange as it’s only going in a train carriage. Our luggage was within the weight limit so no problem there. Then we just had to cross the station concourse to the first class lounge. At the entrance to the lounge our tickets were checked and I reminded them that we would need assistance for Racheal to board the train. There was a little wait before we had to join a queue to check in for the journey and choose which meal sitting we preferred. In our case, meals would be served in our room as Racheal wouldn’t be able to get to the dining car. At this point two members of staff were called to help us down to the platform. One took our luggage and delivered it directly to our room while the other operated the stair lift to enable Racheal to get to the platform. At Montréal, the platform is at the right level to access the train and we were shown to the door directly adjacent to the accessible room. Summer had the room next door. As there was still half an hour or so before the train was due to leave, we took the opportunity to explore the room which had a bench seat which converted into a bed with a fold down bunk above, two fold down tables and some storage space. A curtain divided this area from the bathroom area which had a toilet with grab rails, a sink with space beneath for a wheelchair user and more storage space. There was another curtain which just screened the toilet so we chose to keep the centre curtain open as it made the room more spacious. Toiletries, bottles of drinking water and chocolates were also provided. Had we needed them, there were straps to secure Racheal‘s wheelchair, but we felt it would be more comfortable if her wheelchair was free to move around. It’s not possible for wheelchair users to move around the train due to the narrow corridors, so this was the only space Racheal could be in for the entire trip. Apparently there are plans to make more of the train accessible in the future. Summer‘s room was very small. Again there was a bench seat which folded down to make a bed with a bunk above. A very narrow space between this and a folding table and small cupboard, and in the corner a door which led to a tiny toilet area. For two, it really would’ve been a squeeze, but Summer had this room to herself and during the day we were mostly altogether in the larger room or exploring the rest of the train. The train left promptly at 6:30pm by which time it was dark, so after we watched the lights of Montreal through the window, we settled down to Racheal‘s usual evening routine until our meal arrived at about 8:30 pm. The portions were quite small, so we were glad of an extra meal as Racheal was also entitled to one but had had her tea before we boarded. The beds were narrow, and I wasn’t sure how safe Racheal would be on the bottom bunk, as it had no rail. Instead we took the mattress off the top bunk and put it on the floor for her. The night was interesting! Racheal slept well in her bed on the floor, I was not quite so comfortable on the bottom bunk as it was so narrow. I was disturbed frequently during the night by screeches on the brakes, stops at stations, our door rattling and sliding partly open, the suitcase rolling around the floor. Sometimes we seemed to be going incredibly fast, other times trundling along slowly or even going backwards! None of this disturbed Racheal at all! Sunrise was beautiful, with a pink sky reflected on the water, and made up for the lack of sleep. Each carriage has an attendant, which is an impressive ratio as we worked out the maximum number of passengers in a sleeper car is 18. Sam had introduced himself to us at the beginning of the journey and was always on hand to answer questions, fetch our meals from the dining car or help in practical ways. He would have put our beds down in the evening and folded them away in the morning, but it was easy to do so we saw to that ourselves. During the day, Summer and Racheal spent some time catching up with the Canada log book. This involved cutting out and sticking in leaflets, pictures from magazines, tickets and other goodies collected along the way. I tried to read my book, but the scenery was so beautiful I couldn’t stop looking out of the window! Meals were brought to our room by Sam, and I was able to blend Racheal’s using our portable blender. She had bison meatloaf for lunch and haddock chowder for tea. My lobster roll followed by carrot cake was delicious. Although the portions were small, the food was very good and we had taken plenty of snacks to keep us going. Somewhere along the way we were informed that the train was running two hours behind schedule. This was apparently due to leaves on the line which had to be cleared before we could continue, and explained the periods of time when we didn’t move or went backwards. We were actually nearly three hours late arriving in Halifax, but Racheal enjoyed watching stories on her iPad and we were able to continue with her usual evening medical routine so we wouldn’t be too behind when we got to the hotel. The platform was lower than the train, so Racheal had to use a manual lift which was brought to the door of the train. Then there was luggage to collect and a 10 minute walk to the hotel with all our luggage. (Last two photos taken the next day when I returned to the station to get our hire car.)