Ma Voiture Dans La Nuit

Under the twinkly Xmas lights.

My New Car

Living in chilly Perth, heated seats are vital features rather than a luxury. So that narrowed down the options to two: the Mazda3 SP20, or the Renault Megane GT-Line Premium. After tossing a coin, the latter won, and I picked it up from the dealer today. Being French, there's a permanent fragrance of baguettes inside, and the sat nav speaks with a haughty French accent.

Err, somewhere in Canada...

Sunbeam

People often call me sunbeam, but here's a real one, over Beauvert Lake, near Jasper. This was taken on my way to the bar at the Jasper Park Lodge.

Snappy Dragons

In the distance is Jasper's visitor centre.

Daylight Elk

The next morning, I came across an elk beside the road, likely the same one that had scared me the previous evening.

Elk Alert

Last time staying at Jasper Park Lodge, as the sun set, the wolves in the surrounding forest started howling. This time, eager for another magical wildlife experience, I sat in a deck chair beside the lake, late into the evening. Hearing a distant call gave me hope, and I stayed and stayed. The calling eventually stopped and I was nearly ready to give up when a large noise right behind me startled me. A few metres away was an enormous male elk, munching on a hedge. Keeping the hedge between me and the beast, I got my camera ready and then as he moved away towards the cabins, I followed. A few startled guests encountered him, and pet dogs started barking. Strangely, he stopped and sat outside one cabin (see first photo). By this stage, the hotel staff were heading over, and tried to chase him off, back into the woods. My photos were handheld, in near darkness, so it was tough avoiding blurriness. In real life, the scene was very dark, and the elk was barely visible in the shadows.

Meadows

More Rockies

Just another tedious scene from the Icefields Parkway.

Burgess Shale

One of the greatest deposits of fossils in the world is in Yoho National Park in the Canadian Rockies. You can some of the exposed Burgess Shale rocks from 508 million years ago in this photo. Look for the rocks on the ridge, above stunning Emerald Lake.

Yawn...

Still on the Icefields Parkway.

Ridiculous Autumn Colours

Along the Icefields Parkway, this is the major attraction, the Athabasca Glacier.

Meadows in the Sky

Reaching the famous Meadows in the Sky, it was a little sad to see that the wildflowers had all but gone - it was a few weeks too late in the season. However it was still a stunningly gorgeous scene.

More from Mt Revelstoke

Ten minutes up the summit road I reached a lookout.

Hoary Marmots

Driving up the stupendously beautiful Mt Revelstoke in the Canadian Rockies, I found Mr and Mrs Hoary Marmot sitting in the middle of the road. I apologise for confusing the German tourists who came along a bit later by calling them marmosets. They are curious creatures, not afraid of humans, instead interested in observing us for a while before continuing on their way.

Stanley Park

Stanley Park  is well worth a few hours' exploration. It's a short walk from downtown Vancouver.

Sea Badger

The star attractions at the Vancouver Aquarium are the sea badgers. They put on such a show for the crowds, swimming around with their playthings, teasing each other and showing off.

Vancouver Sea Life

Jellyfish at the Vancouver Aquarium, the best such facility I know of.

Icy Seal

If Only I'd Read the Sign

Secret Squirrel

This squirrel was sprinting around near Juneau's Mendenhall Glacier.

Banana Slug

A fellow tourist licked this very slug. Apparently it results in a numb or tingly tongue. I'd already had lunch, so didn't feel the need for a taste myself.

Bergy Bits

Where is this? It's definitely Alaska, but I don't remember where.

Fading

12 More Minutes

Another 10 minutes...