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Vancouver Sun
20 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
What's the best budget airline in Europe? An honest review of EasyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air
Nothing puts the size of Europe into perspective like travelling around the continent by plane (even if we'd rather get around by train). What do you mean you can fly over nine countries in a couple of hours? Take one of Europe's many budget airlines, and it might even cost you less than a cab to the airport. European budget airlines abound: Vueling, Iberojet, AeroItalia, and we all know nothing beats a Jet2 holiday. Their fares are shockingly low — a feat made possible by starting with super-low base fares and charging for every possible add-on, from bringing a carry-on bag to sitting next to your travel companion. Are they worth the dirt-cheap prices? Is a flight that costs less than a parking ticket bound to be miserable? On a recent trip to Europe, I tried three of the most popular ultrabudget options: Wizz Air, EasyJet and Ryanair, to find out. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. British carrier EasyJet operates in more than 160 airports in 38 countries. After navigating the complex website that made booking a ticket feel like solving a riddle, I booked a one-way from London Gatwick to Berlin for C$ 155 . It was costlier than many comparable EasyJet flights, but it was the best option for the day I needed to fly. The fare did not include any luggage. I'd read on the website that all passengers can bring one small under-seat cabin bag free, so I rolled the dice on how strict that policy could be. I could check in online, and I got through the airport without issue. But at the gate with my duffel bag and a purse, my prospects didn't look good. Each passenger's bag was examined before entering the waiting area, and I watched other travellers argue with gate agents over charges for their carry-ons being too large. I was hit with a C$89 fee for exceeding my allotment. The legroom in economy was decent, an entire hand's length between my knees (I'm 5-foot-4) and the seat back — better than my recent Norse experience — but I got lucky with a random upgrade to an emergency row with even more space to spare. Pros: Clean and professional. Cons: Overly complicated website. Hands-down the most cutthroat social media account in the corporate world, Ryanair takes cheap flights to another level — like a Dublin-to-Frankfurt, round-trip (sans baggage) ticket for September for C$59. It's also the largest budget airline in Europe, with more than 3,600 flights daily to 37 countries. My one-way basic fare from Barcelona to Lisbon was C$107, which only included a personal item that must be small enough to fit under a seat. I decided to upgrade to a package including another cabin bag and priority boarding for C$37. Ryanair warns that passengers will be charged about C$137 at the gate for bringing an extra cabin bag or having one that won't fit in the bag sizer (about 15 x 7 x 9 inches) — and if you have a connecting flight, you'll have to pay that for each leg. In the days before my flight, I got emails warning that if I didn't check in online more than two hours before my flight, I'd be hit with a C$99 'airport check-in fee.' There was also a lot of pressure to pay for my seat selection (starting around C$14). I was flying with my husband, and the emails told me I had a high chance for a seat away from my travel companion. Lo and behold, I was assigned an aisle seat in the back of the plane while my husband had an aisle toward the front. Pros: The largest fleet with the most options. Cons: The hard press to pay for seat selection. Wizz Air may have the worst name in aviation, but haters get real quiet once they see the Hungarian airline's prices. If you're planning on flying around Europe regularly, you could also join one of Wizz's discount clubs for further discounted fares. Fans say the membership fees pay for themselves after a couple of trips. I found a July one-way basic ticket from Tiranë, Albania, to Barcelona for C$97 and later added a carry-on bag for C$52. My husband, who was travelling with me, got by without paying for extra luggage even though his backpack slightly exceeded the roughly 7 x 11 x 15-inch cabin bag allotment. If they had flagged him, the fee would have been C$107 at the airport. My husband and I were seated together, despite not paying extra for a seat assignment. We would have been able to sit together even without that courtesy: After boarding, we learned the flight was not full, and the flight attendants allowed passengers to rearrange throughout the plane — a friendly touch. Pros: Extremely cheap. Cons: Terrible name. Ultimately, all of these airlines felt like the same product with a different paint job. They all furnish their planes with wafer-thin seats, among the thinnest nonreclining seats I have ever seen. But the legroom is also more generous than the price would suggest. I've felt more cramped on legacy airlines in the United States and ultrabudget carriers in Asia. Some advice works across the board: Be prepared to pay extra for luggage, seat assignments and inflight refreshments. Be prepared for long lines at the airport if you need to check luggage — lines so long, I'd avoid checking a bag at all costs. Booking with any one of them felt like trying to get through a booby-trapped obstacle course. One stray click of the cursor and you could end up paying an extra fee for a service you didn't want or need. But you should pay for your luggage online early versus waiting to add it on at the airport for a better rate. If you're meticulous when you book and you follow their rules (sticking to the luggage size you purchased, checking in when required), you really can fly for cheap.
Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Vancouver Sun
The Air Canada strike is over. I'm still stuck in Paris
With just 15 hours before my scheduled departure from Paris, the Air Canada cancellation email showed up in my inbox . Air Canada stated they'd be searching different carriers for a flight to bring me home. I scrambled to find accommodations and had no idea how many nights to book. How long would I be stranded? This is my first time travelling alone overseas, and everything to this point went well. I saw the masterpieces of the Louvre, including Marat slumped and murdered in his bathtub. I dined on French cuisine and tried escargots for the first time. I followed my itinerary and explored as much as I could, walking as many as 33,121 steps one day. Now, I'm stuck in an airport hotel, spending my hours waiting on the phone. I've been here since my Sunday, Aug. 17 flight was cancelled. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Each time I call Air Canada, I have the same conversation with an automated system. The robotic voice says all passengers with disrupted flights should refer to the website. When I ask to speak to a human agent, it says all the lines are busy, then it thanks me and disconnects the call, leaving me without any other options. The website pointed its finger at a full refund, but not a rebooked flight. For me, this was out of the question. A last-minute ticket from another airline would have cost me between $1,800 and $4,000 out of my own pocket. I got another email from the airline saying they couldn't find any flights suitable for my itinerary and they left it at that, again directing me to request a refund. I've tried to call several different times and have gotten nowhere. When people hear that I'm stranded in Paris, they have romantic visions of the Seine and bustling streets with fabulous architecture, but really, I'm in a little room with a view of planes landing and wishing I could be on one. It was a WhatsApp text from my dad that informed me the strike was over . When I read that, I was relieved not just for myself but for the other passengers left stranded. But when would I be heading home, exactly? Despite the fact that the Air Canada website explicitly asks 'please do not head to the airport unless you have a confirmed itinerary,' I had no choice. It was the only way for me to arrange a plane home. I waited in line for two and a half hours to speak with an agent who could make it all happen. The staff were friendly and clearly busy, rushing around for supervisors' confirmations and hunkering over computers to test out alternate flights, layovers and dates on a case-by-case basis. In my case, I'll be flying back to Ottawa on Friday with a layover in New York. Air Canada offered to pay for the hotel room, plus accommodations for food. But until then, despite news that the strike is ending, I'm still here in France – waiting to fly home to Ottawa. Hintonburg resident Lauren Roulston is an Ottawa writer and radio producer
Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
5 small towns to visit in Alberta that have appeared in hit TV shows and movies
There's something special about visiting a place that you've seen on the big screen and it's such a hot travel trend that there's even a name for it: 'set-jetting.' You might think of big cities as the ideal location for this kind of film tourism, but there are many picturesque small towns across Alberta that have served as filming locations for television productions and films — including Academy Award-winning movies like Brokeback Mountain and The Revenan t. Producers of the popular HBO series The Last of Us were particularly fond of Alberta, with season one of the post-apocalyptic series filmed in more than 180 different locations across the province . So, if you're looking for a mix of real-world charm and pop-culture nostalgia for your next road trip, these places are sure to deliver. Here are five underrated small towns that served as filming locations for popular TV shows and movies, and just a few of the things they have to offer visitors. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. You may recognize the small-town streets of Bellevue, Alberta from season two, episode two of The Last of Us, where a once safe retreat becomes overrun by a horde of the infected. You can walk those very same streets before exploring the many other attractions and things to do in the scenic Crowsnest Pass . In and around the town you'll find hiking, fishing, wildlife watching and some fantastic historical sites. Don a miner's helmet and a lamp and head underground on the Bellevue Underground Mine Tour. Nearby Frank Slide Interpretive Centre is located at the site of Canada's deadliest rockslide for an educational pit stop. Then go take pictures of beautiful Lundbreck Falls and the Burmis Tree , the world's most photographed dead tree. There are a lot of hikes in the area, but my personal favourite is the Star Creek Falls Loop . Fort Macleod has become a filming hot spot in recent years. In addition to the HBO series, it was a filming location for the movies Brokeback Mountain , Interstellar , and Ghostbusters: Afterlife . There's a lot of Fort Macleod in season one, episode one of The Last of Us, with Main Street masquerading as Austin, Texas during a zombie outbreak. Located about 175 kilometres south of Calgary, the town of about 3,300 people has much to offer visitors. Visit the Fort Museum of the Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP) to learn the history of the NWMP and to watch a reenactment of the NWMP Musical Ride. Nearby, you can also visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserves and interprets one of the oldest buffalo jumps in the world. Many artefacts in the centre showcase Plains buffalo culture. You should also take time to explore the town's historic Main Street, which was featured in the chase scene of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Season one, episode three of The Last of Us starts in the former Beachwood Estates area of High River, which was destroyed in the 2013 floods and has since been returned to its natural state. This area served as Bill's compound in the series. Less than an hour's drive south of Calgary, High River is also well known as the filming site for Heartland , the longest-running one-hour scripted drama in Canadian television history. It's fun to explore the historic downtown area, see the murals and visit Maggie's Diner, part of the Heartland set. About a 30-minute drive from High River, Bar U Ranch National Historic Site is a great place to further delve into the history of farming and ranching in Alberta. On Aug. 16, admission to the site is free in honour of Open Farm Day and there's an old-fashioned rodeo on August 17. You may recognize Nanton's Ranchland Inn from season one, episode five of The Last of Us as the place where Joel, Ellie, Henry and Sam seek refuge and share some touching moments. You may also recognize the town in some scenes from the movie Interstellar. Nanton is about an hour's drive south of Calgary and one of my favourite stops on any road trip. The town of just under 2,500 people is home to The Candy Store in Nanton. The store has a wide selection of candy, chocolates and 32 flavours of ice cream. They also sell classic toys, fireworks and antiques. The Ranchland Inn is the place to stay if you're a fan of The Last of Us, as it was featured in the series. While in town, be sure to visit the Bomber Command Museum of Canada , which honours those who were associated with Bomber Command during the Second World War. The museum houses an impressive collection of historical aircraft including a rare Lancaster bomber. In season one, episode eight of The Last of Us , Joel recovers in the Suntree neighborhood of Okotoks , a community of just over 33,000 people about a 40-minute drive south of Calgary. You may also recognize Holy Trinity Academy in Okotoks as a filming site from season two of the Netflix series, My Life with the Walter Boys. Just outside of town, visitors can see the Okotoks Erratic , also known as Big Rock. The 16,500-tonne boulder was transported hundreds of kilometres from its original Rocky Mountain location by glacial sheet ice between 10,000 to 30,000 years ago. This fascinating remnant of the Ice Age is of great spiritual and cultural significance to Indigenous Peoples. Big Rock Brewery in Calgary gets its name from the Okotoks Erratic and so does the town of Okotoks. The name 'Okotoks' comes from the Blackfoot word 'óóhkotok' or 'okatok' which means 'rock.' Debbie Olsen is an award-winning Métis writer and a national bestselling author. Follow her adventures on . Searching for the best hotel prices for your next trip? Check out for exclusive savings on over one million hotels worldwide. Sign-up is free.
Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Air Canada to resume operations after making deal to end flight attendants' strike
The union for Air Canada's flight attendants said early Tuesday that it had reached a tentative agreement with the company to end the more than three-day-long strike that prompted Canada's largest airline to cancel thousands of flights. Flights will 'gradually' resume operations on Tuesday night, Air Canada said in a statement, warning that the full restoration of services could take up to 10 days. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada, wrote on social media that it had completed mediation with Air Canada and its subsidiary Air Canada Rouge and that the strike that began on Saturday had ended. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. With this tentative agreement, the union said it was required to advise its members 'that we must fully cooperate with resumption of operations.' Air Canada said that mediation discussions began on the basis that the union would commit to have its flights attendants immediately return to work. Thousands of Air Canada's flight attendants walked off their jobs after negotiations for a new contract broke down, defying multiple orders by the government to return to their duties. Part of the contract negotiations entailed raises, with the union saying that Air Canada's flight attendants were paid less than those with similar experience working at smaller domestic carriers. The union was also seeking 'ground pay' — compensation for the hours that attendants work at the airport, such as when passengers are boarding. Other airlines, including Alaska, American and Delta, offer ground pay for flight attendants. The strike caused significant disruptions in Canada and abroad — Air Canada grounded nearly 2,600 flights as of late Monday afternoon, according to data provided by aviation analytics firm Cirium — affecting more than 500,000 customers. 'The suspension of our service is extremely difficult for our customers. We deeply regret and apologize for the impact on them of this labour disruption. Our priority now is to get them moving as quickly as possible,' Michael Rousseau, president and chief executive of Air Canada, said in a Tuesday statement. The day the strike began, the Canadian government asked an independent federal tribunal to order the flight attendants to return to work and submit to binding arbitration. The union refused to comply and then defied a second deadline from the tribunal on Monday to resume work.
Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Vancouver Sun
Action-packed road trip from Alberta to B.C. promises adventure at every turn
By Adam Waxman Carved by time and crowned by snow, the jagged silhouettes that rise out of the western prairies quickly come into view as the imposing giants of the Rocky Mountains. Punctuated by turquoise lakes and wild forests, and ribboned by undulating roads and switchbacks, the crisp mountain air beckons. We rev up to follow. Setting our coordinates for the Mesozoic era, we pass through endless fields of yellow canola that wave to us as we drive by en route to the Badlands . One heart-stopping speeding-ticket later we arrive at the famed Royal Tyrrell Museum . Time was, Drumheller was tropical. A diversity of dinosaurs flourished. Now, within this bedrock of history lies a wealth of fossils that have made this the Dinosaur Capital of the World . Perspectives come into focus when you're standing beside a twelve-foot dinosaur leg. Like kids in a Jurassic playground, we run from one interactive exhibit to the next. With mad scientist grins, we digitally mix and match head, tail, front and hind leg composites which, according to calculations, make the legs of our Parasaurolophus too weak for it to get very far. In our fossil workshop we create our own clay fossil of a Raptor's claw. It is unlike any other museum. Here, we stand where dinosaurs once roamed. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. A short jaunt leads us to the Hoodoos — tall chimneys of soft rock that look like giant king oyster mushrooms. Both the kid in me and the kid with me beam knowing-smiles at each other and bolt up the steep slope of the mesa. 'You're it!' He slaps me as he rushes past. Together we climb. Up top we look down with wonderment matched by accomplishment. The joy of the climb, the exhilaration in this land-before-time, makes for a day plucked out of our imaginations. Back in Calgary at Charbar , Rocky Mountain proteins meet an Argentine-style asado in culinary matrimony. Sidling up to the bar in front of a wood-fired grill we gear up for a feast. The key ingredient is the smoky essence from the mesmerizing 900° hardwood coal and fire pit. Local sour dough is grilled, brushed with olive oil and lavished with a brilliant crunch of pistachios and creamy avocado. These guys know how to walk the guac! Traditional Argentine empanadas — baked not fried — are scrumptious, savoury pockets of tenderly slow cooked Alberta beef. Nine spiced half chicken is so cluckin' crisp and juicy with its chorus of notes from the smoke and all the spices that enliven our palates. Short ribs practically melt off the bone into a chimichurri and charcoal-roasted bliss of apples and greens. A true taste of Calgary. At sun-up we hit the road for the mountains with a detour for a river run at Chinook Rafting in Kananaskis. In an instant, our slow-moving flow picks up speed. We're excited and nervous for that sudden rollercoaster moment when: 'Woosh!' We're sucked down into a vortex. Our raft folds up like a taco. We're shooting down a fury of rapids, paddling hard. Horror turns to elation, as my son screams, 'Again! Again!' We glide through swells and feel the rush from the fast moving waters at the foothills of the mountains. Warm and dry we continue to Banff. As the Rockies loom upon us, the majesty of the mountains evokes feelings of enchantment that lead us to Sunshine for Alpine Air Adventures Rock Climbing . Strapped into our gear, we take turns on the cliff wall and, like The Little Engine That Could , coax ourselves upward. It's a mental challenge. All the safeguards are in place, but we still have to figure out our next moves, exercise focus, balance and trust. There is no better way to be immersed in a mountain region than to climb a section of it. Inch by inch our confidence soars. Time to view Banff from above. Seated within the glass bubble of the Banff Gondola we're pulled up Sulphur Mountain. Full disclosure: I don't do heights! Maintaining a brave face is my challenge right now as we soar ever higher. The views are extraordinary. We look right and left, up and down, filling our eyes with the sky. At 2290 meters up the boardwalk is much cooler than below, still we walk the 1km route to the meteorological station, and stare in amazement as rain falls from the clouds on one side of the mountain. Our window table at the Sky Bistro keeps us on the edge of our seats, and the farm-to-summit menu keeps us proudly rooted in pan-Canadian cuisine. Rich velvety chowder generously ladled with mussels, clams, salmon and prawns, and bejeweled with tobiko reflects the sophistication of the west coast. The smoked Angus striploin with its robust juicy flavours, and the bison tenderloin tartare, lean and slightly sweet, with crisp capers and a beautifully radiant pickled egg yolk are sublimely textured dishes true to the Rockies. But it's the 48-hour sous vide confit duck wings, lightly crisped and drizzled with honey and Saskatoon berry puree that could make us run up this mountain. While the gondola ride back down is equally exciting, my little mountain climber is tuckered out. A new day brings new experiences, beginning with the best views from the base of the mountain over breakfast at The Juniper Bistro . We share the savoury comfort of shakshuka, eggs simmered in a za'atar spiced tomato sauce; and fluffy, wholesome French toast stuffed with apples, brie and candied nuts. Each bite is more flavourful than the one before, and yet we sit in silence, hypnotized by the mountain range before us. So perfect and pristine, it almost looks photoshopped. The clean crisp morning air beckons a ride. We rent bikes from Banff Adventures and leisurely cycle through the woods, along a narrow road passing the Vermillion Lakes, stopping at small docks to relax and breathing in the calm, before riding back to town for a stroll among the shops. To complete our wild west experience, we've got to get on a horse. Banff Trail Riders leads us into the back country for an unforgettable trail ride through the wilderness. Opting for the horse-drawn wagon ride, we sit up front listening to the clopping of horses' hooves. Pine trees stand like combs in the gleaming sunshine. Arriving at 3 Mile Cabin we toss horse shoes, and run around trying to lasso each other before we're called for dinner. The juicy cooked-to-order steaks and buttery baked potatoes of our Cowboy Cook-Out is a feast for kings. There are endless ways to experience Banff, to appreciate unspoiled environment away from crowds, to enjoy a beautiful meaningful moment. After an early to bed, comes an early to rise as we pack up the car for the perfect complement to any trip to Banff: Revelstoke, British Columbia. There are so many scenic stops along the way, and at each one passersby recommend another. Our first stop is Kicking Horse Pass to catch a glimpse of a train barrelling along the 1643 metres high spiral tunnels that connect Yoho and Banff through the Continental Divide. As we continue driving through this veritable Choose Your Own Adventure book, a sign says Natural Bridge . We turn off to a side road, hop out and hike toward a natural land bridge carved by the powerful force of the river below it. Thunderous milky waters lather the rocks. We can see the mechanics of nature at work from the cleaving of massive boulders into narrow slats, to the petrification of sediment along the shore. As we pass from the Rockies to the Kootenays the topography changes. There are lush old growth forests and harrowing turns with awesome vistas, oh, and here's a fun fact: signs at Golden city limits reading 'Last Chance for Gas' aren't kidding. If not for the road winding down the mountain, enabling me to coast in neutral for much of the last hour, we'd probably still be there at the time of this writing. Arriving in Revelstoke with 7km of gas left in the tank, I gratefully fill up. At our next stop are twin attractions outside town: SkyTrek Adventure Park and The Enchanted Forest . Massive Western Red Cedar trees, some almost 1000 years old, stand before us like an army of Gods. Aerial trekking between them is a fantasy come true. It's like tree top trekking meets American Ninja Warrior . Clipping on to a continuous belay, my son knows exactly what to do and within seconds he is high up on the ropes course testing his balance and agility. Unclipping from one challenge into the next he races up a tree like Tarzan. Perhaps it's the fresh air, or the energy of the old growth trees, but with each breath, I, too, feel invigorated. He bounds toward the Adventure Tower . I chase him to the Kid's Jungle Gym and race through a giant spider net, along foot bridges and down a zipline to catch him. For all the thrills and skills that we're exercising in this dreamscape, we can't help noticing all the life-size fairy tale characters through the trees. As we step into the magical world of the Enchanted Forest all our nursery rhymes and fairy tale heroes come to life. We enter the homes of Little Red Riding Hood , The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , among others, and re-read each one as though we're characters in them. Seated inside a towering tree-house fifty feet up in the forest canopy, we imagine that the over 350 life-size figurines around every corner will come to life after the park closes. Oh, what dreams might come. The main draw to Revelstoke is the all-season destination of Revelstoke Mountain Resort . I give in to my son's pleas to ride the Pipe Mountain Coaster . We board the gondola up to the top of the mountain where we wait in line to strap into a teensy sled and careen down a 1.4km twisting and turning pipe at up to 42 kilometres per hour. I feel sick. I absolutely do not want to do this, and am praying he changes his mind. Nope. As the instructions are explained to us, I listen more intently than I ever have before. Holding onto the lever for my life, we're released and begin picking up meteoric speed. I jerk the lever back to slow us down, and can feel the amusement of those watching from above. I don't care. I'm comfortable now. Suddenly, my son jerks the lever forward and hurls us uncontrollably down the mountain. My screams can be heard in Vancouver! At the bottom, my panting is drowned out by his giggles. 'Can we do it again?' He begs. Actually, I have to admit, that was incredible. Within minutes we are back up top, strapping in again. No need for instructions now. We've got this! We're bombing down the mountain, winding through the trees with maximum excitement. What a rush! It's time to leave, but, 'Do you think we should go one more time?' I ask him. 'Yes!' He replies. And away we go! We return in time for a late afternoon paddle in Lake Louise. The captivating beauty of the Tiffany blue water is enhanced by the majesty of the mountains that surround us. 'Take a good look son. I want you to remember this, because tomorrow we're heading home.' He stares at the glacier in silence, and then looks back at me in tears. 'Why are you crying?' I ask. 'Because it's so beautiful.' He wipes his eyes. The swish of swirling eddies from my paddle are relaxing. I teach him how to do a J-stroke so he can paddle us back, and watch him smile. Inside the venerable Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise we dine at the Fairview Bar & Restaurant overlooking the lake. The warm hospitality is so welcoming. In short-order, house made sour dough arrives and we devour every delicious bite. The menu of Rocky Mountain cuisine includes an artfully-plated luscious elk carpaccio with micro-greens. The bison is so tender and has such beefy, umami flavour. Paired with an egg yolk-topped risotto, this dish has a rich confluence of textures. Lamb, seared crisp and tender, cuts like butter and is elevated with a decorative assemblage of charred squash, garlic cloves and citric berry jam. The kitchen aims to impress, and we are happily in their hands. For dessert we spoon a smooth and creamy ambrosial trio of Alberta honey ice cream with a decadent melange of cookie crumb, honey comb and juniper. We're too comfortable in these cushy seats, and don't want to leave, but tomorrow is another day. As the mountains disappear from my rear-view mirror, we have one more excursion before returning to the airport. Veering off to Mountain View County we enter the gates of Painted Warriors Ranch , a 100% First Nations owned facility for traditional-based learning. Tracey Klettl, descendant of Cree and Mohawk, is a riding instructor and National Champion archer. Riding along a trail, we learn about the area from an aboriginal perspective, and then begin a combined archery lesson and medicine walk. With crossbow and compound bow in hand we aim for 3-D targets in the woods to learn the traditional ways of hunting bears, wolves and even fish. At the same time, we're introduced to the nutraceutical properties of berries and leaves along the way. If we steep pine into tea it will balance gastrointestinal disorders—an appropriate segue to 'Itchy Bum Berry', which we're told to avoid. Buffalo Berry is a natural blood thinner to spread on arrow tips when hunting. Yarrow leaves can be used for tea or band aids, but can also indicate the status of one's health. We rub the leaves in our hands. 'If you smell sage, you're either going to show symptoms of a cold soon, or you're just getting over one now.' Klettl tells us. 'If you smell mint then your body is in balance.' True enough. While my son smells mint, I, having just recuperated from being sick, smell sage. For lunch, we build a fire to roast sausages. For an accelerant we scrape a mass of tree sap onto the edge of a stick which, when lit, becomes a torch for us to ignite the kindling. There is so much we can learn from ingredients we would have otherwise ignored. More important than the information, is the stimulation of our appreciation and our imagination. A trip to Alberta and the BC interior offers such a wealth of opportunity to explore and discover, to commune with nature for an epic trip of a lifetime.
