March 22, 2007

Hope springs eternal

My paternal grandparents spent their honeymoon at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, so it was somewhat nostalgic to spend a few days at this iconic hotel in the Rockies. It must have been quite a journey to travel by train from Southern Ontario in the 1930’s during a time when taking a honeymoon would have been a luxury. So, as I arrived in Banff at 1:00 a.m. after 9 ½ hours of travel I couldn’t really complain… But, isn’t it only supposed to take an hour to get from BC to Alberta? Anyway, I don’t think there is a more spectacular slice of Canadian scenery than the majestic Canadian Rockies and the Banff Springs Hotel is certainly the Castle in the Mountains it is positioned to be. Since I would not have a chance to ski while in Banff I soaked up every minute I could at the hotel including every last drop of water in the mineral pools. I was also delighted to learn that we would be visiting the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. It has always been a dream of mine to skate on the lake in front of the hotel. Unfortunately this chance was preempted by heavy snow so a horse drawn carriage ride would have to suffice. Oh well, hopefully one day I will skate at the Chateau Lake Louise… with my honey… under the moon.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

So you were paying attention during all that talk about family history! I hope you fulfill your wish to skate under the stars.

M.

Anonymous said...

I think it is so romantic that they spent their honeymoon at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel....mine spent it at the Strathcona in downtown Victoria- true. but i swear it was nice in 1947....somehow the visuals of my grandparents and rooftop volleyball do not mesh.
love the blog.
k