The Purple Penguin

So stayed at Gatwick airport last night, up early to head into the terminal and to our WestJet flight to Vancouver. I booked the holiday ages ago, but only just realised that tomorrow Canada celebrates it’s 150th birthday. So this should be interesting . . . 

Had breakfast at Jamie’s Italian, which was very nice. A short stroll around the terminal, then to the gate. We were actually flying posh class this time –  WestJet doesn’t have business or first, just plus, which has larger seats. We figured a 10 hour flight needed more comfort, so splashed out. So boarding and we get to go on the first round, board the flight and get handed a small Canada flag pin, round the corner and each seat has a paper Canadian flag or 150 Years multi coloured maple leaf flag on the seat back. Ok. Get seated and get handed a sparkling wine and OJ. Ok. Everyone gets on and settled and the announcements start – the first announcement was about Canada day and celebrating 150 years so the government had them hand out the pins and flags. Then a rousing patriotic speech about Canada. Ok. We were also told to ask for whatever we wanted – so I asked them to make the flight shorter please. The flight was long, but we got to see Greenland. And then Canada which looked a bit like Greenland. Lots of snow, glaciers, and icebergs in strikingly blue water.

As we neared Vancouver, watching the Rockies out the window, we get the announcement about the couple who are returning to Canada after living in the UK for over 30 years and how wonder it was they were returning on the 150th birthday. Ok. Then one of the flight attendants sang ‘Oh Canada’ and we were all to wave our flags and say ‘happy birthday Canada’. Ok. But we’d already packed our flags, so. It was an interesting flight. And it was actually early! So they do actually get what you want!

The Vancouver airport is impressive – with a waterfall in the immigration hall. It was eerily quiet in the first corridors and it wasn’t until we got to immigration that we saw any other people – then there suddenly hundreds! Immigration was mostly painless and bags arrived fairly quickly. A bit of a wait for the airport shuttle but here we are. Tired but looking forward to celebrating Canada’s birthday tomorrow.