Monday, September 26, 2011

ViaRail: The non-exclusive club! 2011

One of the delights of The Canadian, Via’s premier long distance train... 
  ...is that Joan and I felt we were in a non-exclusive club. 
 At every meal time, we sat with a different couple, and so we met 
Canadians, Americans, French, and British, of every stripe. 
 Dr. Brenda, a vet, brought her daughter who at 13 wants to be a writer.
 Ed and Ellen are train aficionados, as indeed are many we met. In the 
unfamiliar city of Winnipeg they had to find two buses to get 
to my Rand McNally book signing to hear me talk and buy the first two books.
 Kevin (and a colleague in another car) surprised us and other travellers
 with a wine tasting, and other activities...
 ...in the observation car.
 
 So much to see, so many things to do... 
 ...with splendid meals supervised by Robert, the chief steward...
 ..and prepared by chef Benoy and his sous-chef.
 Halfway through the day, the train pulled up at the village of Hornepayne...
 
 ...to allow us to get a breath of fresh air.
 The so-called bullet car at the back of the train has coffee, tea, fruit snacks, 
all through the day and night. Imagine! 
 The comfort of easy chairs, and an attendant to serve any drink you desire...
...as you watch Canada and its triumphant landscape pass gracefully by.

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