No wonder you want to leave Canada! 🥶

Grown too large for its own good.

I hate this airport.

Here, Here, Bill.
Here for Bike Travels, not PPO! (Personnel Political Opinions)

Yeah, I usually try to avoid certain airports (Pearson, CDG, Zurich) for various reasons. If not avoidable, I try to allow lots of time in case things go awry, as clearly you did. Unfortunately, not enough to cover the big delay in Calgary.

Often there is no choice but to go through a big airport, and then short transfer times demand assistance. CDG does try, but for us, for example, they had to stickhandle two or three wheelchairs, one train, and one bus. It's not surprising that they eventually dropped such a slippery ball. I shudder to think of negotiating the place without a guide!

It’s sounding to me like the “assistance” offered at airports isn’t really worth it. Or maybe it’s just CDG?

We are detouring slightly by Monfrague on the Via Plata - it's famous for vultures. Don't know Maison des Vautours - where is it?

Maison in French anyway is just a house. Don't know how to say mansion, except maybe chateau.

Is Maison des Vautours on your route? I thought I had found another castle to stay at - mansion equals Maison in French, right? But it's a birding spot for Vultures (Vautours).

Ha! The moderator agrees with us. But seriously anything related to the cycle tour is traditionally fair game. The cyclist may see evidence of history, religion, poverty, food, traffic, etc etc A changing world order is interesting and relevant, we think.

Careful!

Moderators might take umbrage to politics... I'd hate to see this disappear!

The parts of WA and OR west of the Cascade crest would be amenable. (Channeling my best Br'er Rabbit) Please, please Mr. President, don't let them force universal healthcare on me.

I'm quite happy to spend $$$ in Canada. Idaho? Probably not in my lifetime.

I’m always amazed at what I don’t observe until it’s in my focus. Varied thrushes are quite common up there. Listen to their song on eBird - it includes sound clips, in case you hadn’t noticed before. It’s quite a distinctive call, not really like any other bird in the woods.

We totally support Canada in this stout rebuke to US shenanigans. Washington and Oregon would probably agree to join British Columbia, for that matter. When the idiots who voted for that idiot find out that Canada isn't going to buy their corn or oil or whatever, maybe that will pry open their tiny eyelids a bit. We are finding that only pocketbook issues are going to mayyyyyybbeeee move the needle on the insane spell that's been cast on millions of Americans.

We met Ken and Judy in Portland quite a few years ago, we pored over maps together and are still on their mailing list so we can travel vicariously with them.