Vancouver and the Canadians

When I was 17, newly graduated from high school, my father took the family on a three week driving trip from L.A. up the coast of California into Oregon and Washington, onto the ferry from  Port Angeles to Vancouver Island, into Victoria, over to Vancouver, up to Jasper National Park, then Banff, Lake Louise, over to Calgary, down through the Tetons and Glacier National Park, down the Salmon River route of Idaho, over the Continental Divide and onward home. It was an incredible trip. Dad worked with alot of Canadian broadcasters and we stayed in the best hotels and enjoyed side trips and perks courtesy of his many broadcast clients.  It was an insider trip of the best kind.  It was also was my first experience with Canadians and I was enchanted.

"What a beautiful country and what wonderful, friendly people,"  I thought, "Some day, I'll live there."

Some day never came.  In spite of all the places I have lived, I never lived in Canada.  I still love it though.  I think the people are welcoming, love visitors and, most of all, are just plain nice.  The parts of the country I've seen are breathtaking:  scenic, uncrowded and filled with promise.  They have national health care.  They have great fishing.  Their lakes are a color I cannot describe.  Their salmon are huge.  The mountains rock!  Their national parks are to die for. 

There are only 9 Canadians per square mile yet they produced 206  Winter Olympic contenders.  The U.S. has 84 citizens per square mile and produced 216 Winter Olympians.  Contrast this with tiny Monaco which has 42,143 persons per square mile but only produced 1 Winter Olympian.  Density of persons does not necessarily guarantee talent.

Living on the East Coast, we have visited Montreal and it too is wonderful.  We've discussed living there.  It's a gorgeous city, very French, very cosmopolitan with some of the most beautiful women I've seen outside of L.A.  My husband was getting a whiplash from turning his head so quickly as they'd pass us walking.  We still want to visit the Eastern Provinces, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, P.E.I., New Brunswick. I only hear accolades for them all.

For now, I'm content to enjoy the rest of the Olympics and watch the beautiful scenery they televise.  My close friend just texted me with a photo of the ski jump.  She's in Vancouver, now, for the first time, at the Olympics.

I asked what she likes best and she said "It's beautiful and the people are great."  What fun!