Canada - part eleven

Saturday 8th August 2009

Obviously I’m now updating yesterday’s events LOL

It was arranged that Connie and Doug would pick us up at 10am but again they were early – they arrived and rang us at 9.45 :-o When Doug rang I was only just about to put my lenses in. In fact I was in the bathroom area when he first rang and I actually missed the phone, he had to ring back again LOL

I think we got down at around 9.55 and Doug said he’d drive us to the bank and then I could take over from there :-) We went into the bank to change traveller’s cheques. The lady who was serving us wasn’t sure what to do, she said she was usually on the enquiries desk so didn’t often deal with traveller’s cheques – at first she was even writing the wrong information from the passport :-o She did my mum’s cheques first and then when she was done mum went to look in the shop next door so I was on my own. When the lady realised I was from England she started telling me how she loves Coronation Street so I had to tell her it’s literally years since I’ve seen that!

As I was going out of the mall I realised I’d forgotten to ask Doug if he’d have the car facing forward for me – luckily he did anyway :-) When we got to the car it was all change as far as seating position was concerned cos originally mum was behind Doug and I was behind Connie but Connie said she wanted to sit behind me cos she knew she’d have extra leg room with me only being small LOL Once I’d got in my seat and Connie in hers I think Doug was putting stuff in the back or getting mum settled or something cos I just started adjusting the seat myself as I knew how to do it from last time. I seemed to be moving forwards for ages (the seat moves electrically) so as I was getting further and further forward I waved and said “Bye Connie!” hahaha. By the time Doug had come round to help me get my position sorted I’d done it myself :-) and I remembered to do my proper cockpit check today and I adjusted my mirrors before I moved!!

The drive was uneventful but I felt really good :-D I really enjoyed myself, and my left foot most of the time knew it wasn’t needed!! I had to ask Doug a few things but most of the time apart from giving me directions Doug was able to sit and not do anything. We even went on the highway and it wasn’t a big deal – in fact I was actually on it before I really realised ;-D The speed limit on the highway is 100 km/h but it didn’t really feel very fast at all.

When we got to the Botanical Gardens there were quite a lot of spaces available and no-one near me so I decided to try to reverse-park, that was the first time I’d gone backwards in Doug’s car and I had a car full of people :-o I deliberately picked a space where there were 2 spaces together so I had room for error. Because everything is so much bigger here, including the parking spaces I didn’t actually need that much ‘shuffling’ space :-)

When we went into the gardens we had leaflets that gave you 50% off one adult entrance fee per party so we split into 2 groups and pretended we didn’t know each other so we got 2 sets of one full price and one half price :-)

Once we’d got past the entrance bit we joined up again and began wandering. There is LOADS to see in the gardens. There were some models and things that were for sale but they were very expensive, I think the cheapest piece was $6,000USD :-o

At one point there was a country-type path with steps at one bit and ups and downs at another place, I took the steps and all the oldies took the ramp bits LOL When they got to about the half-way point where there was a bench they were all worn out – I wasn’t haha. We walked round many gardens and I took photos of loads of different plants and artworks. There are also lots of photos of me cos Doug kept telling me to stand in front of things to have my photo taken.

Just before lunch we went to the shop and I think we all bought stuff (except Doug). Mum and Connie both bought jewellery, I bought a calendar and a fridge magnet. We then gave the stuff to Doug to take back to the car while he got the lunch

At lunchtime we found a picnic bench under a tree at the front. It was very pleasant and I think we ate more than the day before cos there was less to take back to the car.

After lunch we found there were more bits of the garden that we hadn’t seen before so off we went to see them. By this point Connie and my mum were already beginning to get tired :-o We found the kids section so I did my big kid bit and went on some of the things. There was a model of a turtle on a tricycle so Doug made me take a photo of him and Connie holding an arm on either side. When I’d taken the picture he said to label it “Connie and Doug with child” hahahaha.

We went round the Mediterranean garden which had a downstairs bit and an upstairs bit. When we got to the upstairs bit there was a sign that said there were lizards roaming free round the garden so Connie decided to go on a lizard hunt – she didn’t find any :-( By this time Connie and my mum were definitely fed up and wanted to go and sit in the little area near the shop with 4 chairs and coffee table. Doug was saying there was another bit of that same garden which we hadn’t seen so he and I went back to complete that bit of the garden. We didn’t see the lizards but we did see 2 pictures of the lizards so we took photos of the pictures to make it look like we saw the real lizards to make Connie jealous – when we went back to the lazy ladies the pictures had the intended effect hahahaha. They were saying we should’ve brought the lizards out to show them LOL

Earlier in the day we’d seen a marquee in the gardens which looked like it was being set up for a wedding, near the sitting area there was a room that was obviously going to be used for the reception. When Doug and I came back Connie said I had to go and take a photo of the room cos they wanted to see it but they didn’t want to go and stick their own heads in!!!

We then all sat chatting for a while and trying to decide what to do next. By this time it was 3.30pm and we’d actually only gone round 1 garden out of 4! We figured it was probably far too late to begin another garden if it had taken us about 4 hours to do one!!! Jokingly (I think) we’ve said next time we come back to Canada we need to do both the Botanical Gardens and the African Lion Safari again cos we didn’t get to do all we wanted to in either place :-o

When we got back to the car I asked Doug to take some photos of me near and in the car seeing as it was the day I’d done the most driving so he gave me the keys and then took pictures :-) That was also the first time I’d got to turn the engine on cos before that Doug had got out of the drivers seat to let me in.

On the way home Doug was a bit late telling me to get into the right lane for the highway so I had to ask someone to let me in – once I was in the correct place he then looked over and said we weren’t going on the highway cos it was all backed up so I had to squeeze my way back out again :-o Thankfully there wasn’t too much traffic at that point so I could get back into the normal traffic fairly easily.

At one point while I was driving and I got beeped at for sticking to the correct speed limit *rolleyes* Talking of speed limits, it’s so easy for the auto box to creep up in speed, when I took my foot off the gas it didn’t always go down in speed, presumably because of the tendency for automatic gearboxes to creep naturally. I find it much easier to keep manual cars to the correct speed than I do Doug’s car.

We were chatting on the way back and Connie revealed that before we came over and I’d said I wanted a car and / or to drive over here Liz had said she wouldn’t feel comfortable with me driving!! :-o At that I asked Doug if I could drive to fish & chips cos Liz had invited herself to that so she could see me in action!!! He said yes of course – he was quite happy about me driving and it was his car I was driving!!!! A bit later on in the journey Connie was practically asleep in the back of the car so I commented that she was obviously comfortable with me driving haha.

When we got back to the apartments there was no sign of Liz’s car so we hoped that maybe she’s changed her mind and wasn’t coming :-D Unfortunately the reason her car wasn’t there was because AB had had to work late so they hadn’t quite arrived home yet – George let us into the apartment and then AB and Liz arrived about 10 minutes later :-(

Connie and Doug went up to take the dogs out for a bit before we went out for fish & chips so about half an hour later we were all ready to go. Liz didn’t know where the fish & chip place was so Doug was trying to tell her, eventually she said she’d follow us – and she knew that I would be driving cos we’d already told her before we left the apartment and Doug had given me the keys :-D

As I was driving along I knew Liz was following ME and knowing how Liz felt about me driving over here it was a very good feeling :-D :-D A couple of times I had to change lanes and almost lost Liz – no such luck unfortunately LOL

When we got to the fish & chips place Doug said we were going in the side entrance and told me we were turning into the next opening. Because I wasn’t sure where we were going in and the opening was quite small I was slowing down but not signalling until quite late so the idiot in a little yellow sports car behind me beeped me – Doug was funny, just laughed and said “bite me” :-) Doug’s a great person to have as a co-pilot, nothing on the road gets to him, he’s so calm – and I’m sure that influence rubbed off on me :-) I spotted my space at the fish & chips and decided to go in backwards as normal, I lined myself up at an angle and went into reverse so that the reverse lights would come on and got ready to go in. Liz came along and it really looked like she was going to pinch the space I’d just lined up for but actually she was squeezing past behind me – I didn’t realise there was enough space for anyone to get past :-o I didn’t actually get in very straight but I was at least between the 2 lines hahaha

When we first got into the fish & chip shop it was pretty busy and there wasn’t enough space immediately for 6 of us to all sit together. We were willing to wait a few minutes to see if space for 6 became available but as usual Liz stuck her beak in “no I want to eat now, I’m hungry!” As it happened, just a few minutes later we could’ve slid a 4 and a 2 together but that still wasn’t good enough *rolleyes* Then Connie was ordering my mum’s and my meal for us and Liz snapped at her “they’re not children I’m sure they can order their own food!” We weren’t bothered, Connie was just being nice but as usual Liz had to have her say!! At one point Liz said “is there a problem? I can go home” I felt like saying to her why don’t you!!

The meal was nice – well, the chips were average but the fish was nice. Mum and I ordered mushy peas, not thinking about this is Canada – when the order came they were huge!!! Far too big to eat a portion to yourself!! Mum and I shared a portion and we got the other portion to take-out and we gave it to AB

Doug knows the people who own the shop and he was given a free beer after his meal!! Alright for some LOL As we were leaving Connie told AB exactly what she thinks of Liz and said she’s not prepared to go out anywhere with them if Liz invites herself along – I really can’t say I blame her the way Liz has been getting at her recently!!!!

I also drove back to the hotel, at one point Doug said “I’ll direct you onto Cawthra Rd and you can find your way to the hotel from there” :-o He wasn’t serious but Connie told him off and called him a bugger for it anyway hahahahaha

We weren’t too late getting back to the hotel so we just pottered around and we had our own dessert before going to bed :-)