Lou's selfbuild life

20/09/2026

2.4 kilometres uphill. How hard could it be?

Apparently, quite hard!

I honestly thought I was getting quite fit, but this walk certainly brought me back down to earth. Rob who is in his early 30's was striding ahead without appearing remotely out of breath, while I was behind wondering why on earth I’d thought this was a good idea.

We experienced every season on the way up too, with sunshine, rain and even snow.

But was the view from Bow Summit worth it? Absolutely. Looking out across Bow Lake and the Canadian Rockies was spectacular.

We had already seen Bow Lake from the roadside looking the most incredible turquoise blue. From up here, the heavy cloud made its colour appear much more muted. On a sunny day, the light reflects off tiny particles of glacial rock in the water and creates that beautiful bright blue.

I may not be as fit as I thought, but I made it to the top, and now I’m even more determined to get fitter.

11/09/2026

Stunning Bow Lake located along the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park, Alberta

07/09/2026

06/09/2026

Days 4 & 5

We left Vancouver and drove to Whistler, staying at Northstar in Whistler Village. A lovely, clean place in the perfect location, with shops, bars and restaurants right across the road. I’d definitely recommend it.

We explored waterfalls, did a few hikes and kept looking for bears, although sadly we didn’t spot any. We also took the gondola up the mountain in Squamish and braved the suspension bridge.

At the top, surrounded by the most incredible scenery, we released some of Paul’s ashes. It was somewhere he would have absolutely loved and felt like the perfect place.

03/09/2026

Day three of our Canadian adventure 🇨🇦

We left Toronto and headed to Niagara Falls, and what an incredible place it is! We took the Voyage to the falls, we certainly got more than a little bit wet, but it’s all part of the experience 😀

We also tried Niagara Takes Flight, an immersive experience that makes you feel as though you’re flying over the whole Niagara region. It was so much fun and definitely worth doing.

Rather than staying in the very busy Niagara Falls, we headed to Niagara-on-the-Lake. What an absolutely stunning little town. It’s so picturesque, full of history and sits right on Lake Ontario, with plenty of lovely bars and restaurants.

After something to eat, we finished the night in an Irish bar before heading back towards the airport the following day, ready for the next part of our adventure in Vancouver.

01/09/2026

Day two of our Canadian adventure 🇨🇦

We’ve left our hotel and are now all settled on our Virgin Atlantic flight to Toronto. Tomorrow we’re heading to Niagara Falls, which I’m so excited to finally see. What a way to start the trip!

31/08/2026

Day 1 of our Canada adventure 🇨🇦

This isn’t just any trip. It’s the second half of the journey Paul and I originally planned for our 30th wedding anniversary.

We were going to cruise Alaska, then collect a car in Vancouver and travel through the Canadian Rockies. Covid stopped us the first time, then Mum became ill and passed away, Beth spent a long time in hospital, and finally Paul passed away before we ever got the chance to make the trip together.

Last year, I finally did the Alaska cruise with Rob, Beth and her now husband James. This year, I’m completing the second half of that journey with Rob, my brother Neil and his partner Caroline.

And, of course, I’ve brought Paul along with me. He’s safely tucked inside my bag, as always, and we’ll leave a little bit of him somewhere special along the way.

Our journey began with a flight from Manchester to Heathrow, after a slight delay while we waited for a lightning storm to pass!

We had the most amazing view over London as we came in to land. We could see the London Eye and Big Ben, giving us an unexpected little sightseeing tour from the sky.

Once we arrived, the four of us decided to get a taxi to the hotel. It cost about the same as the Hotel Hoppa bus would have done, so it was much quicker and easier.

The hotel was far nicer than I expected. Check-in was quick and easy, although the machine spat our room keys onto the floor and we had to chase after them!

We had a lovely meal, followed by a few drinks at the bar, before heading back to our rooms for the night.

Day 1 complete. Tomorrow, the real adventure begins…