Well, it’s taking me some time to work out how to manage my travel blog, I keep trying to do things that either don’t work at all, or do work when I don’t want them to! Hopefully the more I fiddle, the better I’ll get….! The last four days have seen me leave Edinburgh, visit Toronto and fly across Canada to Edmonton, where I am now, with big brother Greg. It took me ages to work out how to post my first blog (about the plane toilet, but don’t worry the standard will get better although I do quite like all things lavatorial!).

Toronto was great; it was lovely to stay with my dear friend Pop’s sister, Sheana and her family, who so kindly put me up and made me feel at home in a strange city. As Sheana drove me to her house, manoeuvring (expertly!) through the vast highways from the airport, I was wowed by the number of brand spanking new high-rise buildings everywhere; it was night-time and we made our way through this sprawling maze of towering, gleaming buildings like tiny glowing ants on a long grey track. Quite awesome. Toronto by day was no less impressive. The high-rise buildings, no longer set against a backdrop of darkness and lit up like Christmas trees, sat just as majestically against the blue sky, like giant sparkling cuboids in the sunshine. It was a joy to walk around the Harbour front, eat freshly grilled chicken sandwiches (definitely not the same quality in the UK), take a ferry to the nearby Islands, go up the CN Tower (very high indeed, ear-poppingly so) and absorb all the sights and sounds of North America’s fourth largest city. And the weather was beautiful and warm, making everything bright and fascinating.

Yesterday I flew to Edmonton and was greeted by Greg at the airport, which was truly lovely (and quite moving), seeing such a familiar face in a place so far from home. I went with Greg to his university campus in the afternoon and met his friends from the course, which I really enjoyed. Having heard so much about Edmonton when he was in Edinburgh over the summer, it’s been wonderful to put everything into context and see it with my own eyes. Edmonton is not a bit like Toronto. There are plenty of high-rise buildings, but they don’t gleam and sparkle in the same dazzling way. Perhaps a reflection of the economic mood here. It’s much chillier too, I’ve had to put on my winter clothes, a bit of a shock having come from balmy, warm Toronto. It was 2 degrees this morning. Brrrr.