Canada's diverse cities

Victoria

Victoria is my favourite city in Canada. It has everything in a city that I love. There's the harbour that has spectacular views that lead out to the sea, as well as museums, cafes, restaurants and an awesome book store! The city has a very English feel to it. The Empress hotel felt very British, it's a remarkable building that is sadly sinking into the ground at a relatively slow speed.
The city is also a great base. Being on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, you're just a boat ride away from the mainland, with Vancouver to the east and Seattle to the south. If I could pick one place to return to in Canada it would most definitely be Victoria.


Vancouver

Only a shortish boat journey away from the quaint city of Victoria lies a more modern take on Canada. Vancouver didn't feel like one city to me but several miniature cities creating one big one. There's the old town, which is worth visiting just to witness the steam clock strike the hour. Chinatown is how all Chinatowns seem to be, once you're in it everything and everyone turns Chinese, a very surreal experience. The modern part of the city is filled with skyscrapers and attractions to see and do. There also seems to be North Vancouver and West Vancouver. The only negative thing I found in this city was a long street of run down buildings, dodgy looking hotels and closed stores, littered with homeless and rough looking people. Hopefully this street no longer exists...


Nelson

Although so small I would class it as a town, Canada doesn't have many cities, so have to claim what they can! Nelson is a very laid back city, with many friendly people all seemingly willing to help you out or have a friendly chat. There's a great little market, that sells a range of items from varying stalls. Nelson is also well known for a great number of restored heritage buildings. This is a city to take it easy in and chill out for a few days. A great spot to do this is down by the river, with the view of the mountains and a pretty red bridge.


Calgary

An underrated city in my opinion. It is a city that is under constant construction, but when you have so much space to build like the Canadians do then why knock anything down? Just keep building! There's plenty to do in Calgary, such as the Calgary Tower, which isn't as tall or grand as the CN Tower in Toronto, but still is well worth the trip to the top. Calgary is also a nice city to bike round, especially towards the suburbs. 


Ottawa

The capital of Canada is somewhat overlooked in my opinion. It is a great city for the sightseers. The parliament buildings have a very European feel to their architecture. There are also museums and art galleries filled to the brim with culture and history of the country. Ottawa is positioned right on the border of two provinces, the predominantly French speaking Quebec to the east and Ontario to the west.

Toronto

Toronto is modern, big and in your face. There are skyscrapers galore, including the CN Tower, which was the tallest tower in the world at one stage. It's littered with bars and restaurants and there's so much to do from cinema or theatre to ice hockey and sightseeing. Toronto is a vibrant city and a week can easily be spent enjoying the sights and culture.

Wwoofing Eh?

"Wwoofing Eh?" was the reaction I received from most Canadians while I was over there for four months. From everyone else - before and after the trip - I received confused silence or comments on how a dog communicates.
However, it is simply a way in which a cash strapped person can travel a country for a length of time, and "contribute" to a farm or garden, in which they will work 4-6 hours a day and 4-5 days a week. In return the wwoofer will be given food, a bed and possibly be shown around the local area.

My plan was simple; to spend four months wwoofing my way across Canada, from Toronto to Vancouver Island (missing out Quebec, because, well, I couldn't be bothered to learn any French)
As well as my aforementioned poorness, I had many reasons to why I wanted to wwoof, such as learning how to farm, gardening techniques and to understand a different way of life to my own. To my dismay, my first wwoofing experience was not quite what I was hoping for: on a farm in eastern Ontario with a volatile woman, a dozen cats and a deaf alsatian, I realised the two weeks I had planned to stay at the farm were too long to contemplate.
I travelled for over two months across Canada, before meeting up with my mum, who had been travelling the world for five months.
I found myself working through sixteen feet of snow and in the scorching temperatures of the Canadian desert. I slept on a school bus, began eating plants and experienced life like I never had before.
So...wwoofing...nothing to do with dogs.