The Canadian - Part 1

Finally it started. Train 1, Wagon 111, Seat 01L.

The train left Toronto and it started snowing. Hour after hour, the landscape became more wintry. I was a bit bored and decided to switch from my reserved seat to the front panoramic car. The view was great, but there wasn't much going on here either. Then came the call for lunch. I was generally 'Second Call'. Lunch and dinner were always served at two different times, and I just got the later one at the beginning and stuck with it.

Each time I was seated at a table with other people, so I inevitably got to know almost all the travelers. I had my first lunch with Joe Urie, his daughter Athena, and Steven, the Englishman. Joe gave a lecture about Canadian wildlife on the train every day, he is the guide of his own tour company in Jasper and a really funny guy.

He told us that he was in Toronto on business and he met the writer Margaret Atwood and her husband on the way there. Joe is truly a great storyteller. You just enjoy listening to him. That was also the case with his lecture about beavers.

At dinner, I met Marius, who spoke with a terrible French accent because he is from Quebec. However, he is a nice retired guy who loves to travel, practices yoga, and loves to talk about it. John and his wife from Kentucky also sat with us at the table. They were on a vacation trip through Canada and they also had a strong accent. It was a fun group and we were the last to leave the dining car. When I got to my seat, my bed was already made. The bunk bed was wonderfully warm and the night was starry. I lay right by the window, counted shooting stars, and couldn't get enough of the full starry sky even after hours. So here you are, you wonderful Canada!