As you might have noticed on my social media channels, I’m not in Canada anymore. It’s time for different roads and mountains.
After 8 months of mountains, beautiful sceneries, clear blue lakes, sun and lots (and lots) of snow I left Canada.
From hot summer to ice cold winter
My story in Canada started last year, in August 2017, with hot temperatures in Vancouver. I welcomed them, since I was coming from winter in New Zealand. The temperatures and dryness was so intense that there were some serious fires.
For four months the boyfriend and I travelled around in our van, hiking our way through British Columbia and Alberta, two gorgeous provinces. We hiked Garibaldi Lake, Assiniboine Provincial Park, Iceberg Lake and many more.
Then winter arrived… The hard and cold winter really did a number on me. I experienced cold I had never felt before. Going outside in -40 degrees Celsius (-40F) is not something I’d recommend. Luckily it was generally around -20C or higher, but that’s still cold. I did learn how to dress properly for this winter weather!
In the beginning we still cooked dinner and slept in the van. But when we realised that this ice cold snap wasn’t going to end after a month we rented a place.
While having the luxury of a warm house and shower, we explored the region. Our home: Canmore, a lovely little town in the mountains and 20 minutes away from busy Banff.
At the same time New Zealand was experiencing a very hot summer and we were getting a bit jealous. Some upcoming trips to Europe in summer and celebrations in our families made us decide to leave Canada.
It wasn’t an easy decision, as Canada really is a beautiful country, and there is so much left to discover. But I’m so happy with what we got to explore those 8 months, and I’ll definitely be back one day! There are still a lot of blog and Instagram posts in the making, so stay tuned for more snow stories, cool hikes and dorky smiles.
Different roads and mountains
But now it’s time for… Europe! I have the urge of getting to know my own continent a bit more. These next months you’ll see me and Nico going on some European adventures – yes, we still love mountains, so that’s where you’ll find us.
First destination on the list, after our original home countries France and Belgium, is Italy! More especially: their beautiful Dolomites in the north.
A few years ago I spent a week over there and it left an impression. The impressive mountains, picturesque villages and cool roads are some of the prettiest around. I can’t wait to explore the area a bit more. We’ll be road tripping, doing via ferratas and taking lots of pictures! In July we have another big trip planned, a bit more remote, but more about that later!
Now I have a question for YOU! Is there a place in Europe that you’d recommend? Something beautiful, special and worth a visit? Let me know!
