Friday 20th January 2023
Day 1 Arrival in Whistler
I arrived in Whistler around 12.30 pm and leave all my luggage including my insulated bag full of groceries in the lobby of the Cascade Lodge like I normally do.
I take a walk to Twin Peaks to the off site check in office to see if I can check into my apartment earlier then 4 pm. I had pre emailed to advise that I did not have a credit card only a local debit card for the security deposit. No problem I was able to check in earlier at 2 pm which was only an hour more as my apartment was almost ready. This gave me enough time to renew my library card which has expired after 3 years and walk to the Fresh St supermarket at Marketplace Village North ( the former IGA Marketplace supermarket) to get supplementary groceries. I leave a message for the couple that come from Montreal each year at the check in office. I never knew their names but I know they came from Montreal every week 3 to Whistler. I always thought they had a unit on the 3rd floor on the opposite side of the Cascade Lodge - the quieter side but I find out later that they are actually on the 4th floor.
A perfect day to be on the slopes nice and clear but not for me as I arrived too late to go skiing.
After 2 pm I finally finish my grocery shopping and take all my luggage and groceries up to my apartment. It is almost the same as it was 3 years ago. Welcome home.
I am so tired I sleep as I am feeling a bit sick . I turn the fireplace on and take the spare blanket out of the basket and just sleep on the lounge in front of the tv and fireplace.
I thought I saw a red sticky patch on the blanket but ignored it as I am too tired to deal with it and noticed that there is no food network channel on the tv again! Oh no I'm going to miss Guy's Grocery Games and some other new food show series I enjoy watching . Not happy.
I also blended a banana and strawberry smoothy. I can't believe I have already finished off a tub of yoghart I just purchased at the supermarket today! Luckily I purchased 2 tubs.
Saturday 21st January 2023
Day 2 in Whistler
This morning I had my first bath and shower in my apartment. I have to get use to the deep bath tub and how long it takes to fill up. No more cold baths and showers instant hot water! The fan now works in the bathroom and hopefully no more clogged toilet!
After a nice bath, I am surprised as I look out my balcony door that it is snowing at 9 am. Bucketing down with snow. So pretty. The village is covered in white but there is low to no visibility of the mountains.
It snowed continuously until 3 pm when the mountain closed to skiiers and the visibility of mountain becomes perfectly clear.
I decided to test out my new poles and go snow shoeing around the village and valley trails today. I did not want to pay $12 to snow shoe around Lost Lake when most of the trails around the village were covered in snow.
Today I also prepared an Anzac biscuit mix ready to bake for Aussie Day.
Feeling a little better today but still tired and have a very runny nose and a scratchy throat.
Bed very early. woke up around 10 pm and trying to catch up on blogging and YouTubing. Uploading photos still not working very well. I also created a new blog just for my week in Whistler as I am having trouble typing without getting gobbly goop coming out as I type on my blog.
Today brunch was a sandwich of Chinese whole-wheat bread ( slightly stale), maple goat cheese, tomatos cucumber mixed leaves and a cheesy crusted baked chicken with plum sauce .
I also tried a hot chocolate made with Hershey's cocoa powder - not nice. Save it for baking. I also tried the jumbo blue berries from Mexico - so sweet! I hope they are not genetically modified or full of chemicals.
Sunday 22nd January 2023
Happy Luna New Year! Year of the Rabbit
Another beautiful day today, the morning started off with a light sprinkling of snow which stopped and started to melt. The mountain was covered in a blanket of fog but started to clear up again in the early afternoon. The mountain cleared up again by 4 pm when the mountain closed for the day to skiers.
Today I slept in made myself a hot breakfast of chicken congee ( on Luna New Year it should not be eaten as it is a poor person's meal) which consists of thin slices of chicken breast meat slivers of fresh ginger fresh coriander chopped shallot rolled oats pre cooked rice vegetable stock cubes soya sauce sesame oil salt & pepper egg and mixed greens. I had a bath and then went out to explore.
I picked up a few brochures on snow shoeing tours but the one I really wanted to go on was not running yet as there needs a minimum number of people. I don't feel like going skiing as I am still feeling a bit sick and because I did not renew my Edge card in time could not get a discount on lift tickets which are CAN$206 plus taxes for a one day ticket. To save on costs I might just buy a sight seeing ticket and a beginner ski pass as I don't think I should be skiing top to bottom when I'm still sick. The beginner ticket apparently is only CAN$45 plus taxes and will get me up to mid Station. A sight seeing ticket is close to CAN$100 including taxes.
Walking around Whistler you find things that you don't think you will find eg At Whistler Hardware they had the CAT TRAX for my ski boots for half the price they are in Vancouver ( if you can actually find any!). I also stopped off at Source Sports but disappointed that the new owners no longer sold ice skates or accessories and the staff working there are mostly injured. I purchased a pair of ski socks there as I only bought one pair with me. These were so comfy and the best pair of ski socks which cost me CAN$25 plus taxes.
Next I was hungry again so purchased 2 fish tacos - Will they be better then El Furnitures? No equally as good even if it was takeout this time. Final stop was Shoppers Drugmart which has been cut in half and it don't have much stock. I went to the larger Rexall pharmacy and they also did not have the moisturizer I use but I did purchase a very cute hand cream in the shape of a strawberry.
Tonight I plan to go ice skating from 6 pm . It's no longer free even if you have your own ice skates it's CAN$2 entry and it is a limited session time.
I almost forgot Sunday nights are the weekly Fire & ice Shows.
I waited until the fire and ice show was over with the minute fireworks . I have never actually watched the show from the village as I like to see the fireworks from my apartment balcony - all 1 minute of it. This year there were strobing lights that I could see from my balcony as well. After videoing the fireworks I grabbed my skates and headed for the ice skating rink for the last half hour of skating . The session starts at 6 pm and ends at 8.30 pm. The fireworks usually occur after 7.30 pm.
Monday 23rd January 2023
Today was a do nothing day and the mountain was pretty typical. It was pretty quiet on the mountain being a Monday.
I am still feeling sick with a cold which is making me achy congested and tired no real cough or fever just really tired and congested.
I booked a beginner lift ticket for tomorrow to test out any new replacement equipment I purchased and as it will be my first day skiing and I'm still sick it is a good idea. I also booked a night snow cat ride and fondue for Thursday - Australia Day. I have done this previously on Australia Day and got up to some mischief with someone daring me to put my Australia flag over the Canadian one up on Crystal Hut.
Have been watching the Australian open on and off. I also did laundry today and made a soup hoping it will make my cold feel better.
Sleep early. No I'm still awake and it's 9 pm. catching up on my blog again.
Tuesday 24th January 2023
My first day of skiing and it was an almost perfect day. However towards the afternoon the mountain was covered in a blanket of fog causing poor visibility.
So yesterday I purchased a lift ticket. I initially inquired about how much it was and was told that a day ticket cost approximately CAN$206! Outrageous. However I was advised of a "Beginner" lift ticket which cost only a little over CAN$45 including taxes. What's the catch? It only allows you use the lifts up to Olympic Mid Station. That's ok as it was my first day of skiing and I'm not 100 percent feeling well and want to test out all my ski equipment. When I loaded the gondola up to Olympic Mid Station that continued up to The Roundhouse, I asked a ski instructor on board about this beginner lift ticket and was advised that there is not really a beginner lift ticket and that I could go all the way to the top to The Roundhouse although he did not recommend it ( what he didn't know was that I am not actually a beginner skiier and I did not mention it) Well that was pretty cool so I could sight see on the Peak2Peak if I wanted to and I was going to purchase a separate sight seeing ticket which would have cost me another CAN$100 or so including taxes - damn taxes!
My first run was from Olympic Mid Station down to the Village - most of my ski equipment was functioning well. My mini skis did not need waxing after hibernating for 2 years during COVID, my new helmet was fitting well except the strap was a little loose and needed adjusting. My new ski goggles fitted well and were fine until they started to fog up after the first run - not good I may need to take them back to Sportchek and my fold up poles from Anaconda were perfect and did not collapse when set.
Next was taking the gondola back up this time all the way up to The Roundhouse and instead of skiing all the way down taking the Peak2Peak gondola as a sightseeer getting off on Blackcomb Mountain for photos at the top of The Rendezvous. Back on the Peak2Peak it was a quick toilet break at The Roundhouse and a snack before deciding to ski back all the way down to the village via Upper and Lower Whisky Jack. I reached the bottom by 1 pm. That was enough skiing for today.
I have uploaded a video onto my YouTube channel live from the Peak2Peak gondola already for my readers to watch. Skiing into the fog on the way down with poor visibility is not fun.
I lost one of my cat trax on my way to to the mountain and was wondering why I kept slipping on my skiboot.
Back in my apartment I took off one ski boot then the other with my calves and feet cramping really badly. I was in pain. I hate the hot tub but had to use it to relax my calves and feet. I have a shower and head down and wait a while before getting into one of the 2 hot tubs both full of people. No other people were wearing their to Cascade Lodge Owners robes. I wore mine for the first time which was far too big for me.
The hot tub made my flu or cold worse due to the chlorine stream fumes f coming off it. I now had this horrible cough.
Whilst I was in the tub there was a man that was also wearing a Cascade Lodge Owers robe about to get into the hot tub so I asked if he was be an owner with Elevate.
I am still feeling sick mainly really nasal a bit of a foggy head and a bit of a cough . The next part of my blog I am still trying to process.
This man in the robe had been trying to look for me . He had been coming down to the hot tub around the same time daily asking any Aussie if it was them that left a message for his partner and her late husband at reception. It was only coincident that I had come down to the hot tub this afternoon saw his robe and asked him if he was an Cascade Lodge owner. It did not click that I was the one that left the message for the couple from Montreal that come to Whistler every year at the same time as I do. I had to tell him that that it was me that left the message for them at reception. But I wasn't even sure if I had left a message for the right couple. He didn't look like the husband of the couple from Montreal but then again it has been 2 long years. This man firstly did not have the thick French accent and he was a lot skinnier. It was only when he explained the story that it made sense. I never knew the couple's names only that the couple come to Whistler every year at the same time to ski and did not want to ski anywhere else just like me. The late husband would always tell me that his wife did not like the hot tub ( just like me ever since I got really sick from it one year) and that they will never sell their timeshare unless they died whenever I saw him in the hot tub.
The story hasn't quite sunk in yet. I will continue. During COVID AGMs were by Zoom and the AGM before the last one was scheduled at 6 am in the morning Australian time. I could see and hear everyone but they could not see me ( I did not want them to see me at 6 am in the morning when I am still half asleep!) At that AGM I remember everyone waving and wondering who they were waving to. I had a whole list of questions I asked about including the malfunctioning bathroom fan that another owner was also complaining about. I also made a shoutout to the couple from Montreal unaware if they were listening in on the AGM and their current situation.
So the story is a sad one and I am still trying to process it. The man in the robe is the new partner of the wife of the couple from Montreal. I find out that her name is Louise and her late husband's name was Carmeil. The name of this man in the robe is Jacque. Carmeil became sick during the COVID pandemic and died from a stroke.
Was this real? I was still expecting the husband of the couple from Montreal to appear in the hot tub and in his thick French accent greet anyone that happened to speak French with a Bonjour Madam Mademoiselle or Monsieur and continue a conversation in French. It never happened. The story till has not sunk in - am I absolutely sure this is the same couple from Montreal that come to Whistler every year that I have known since goodness knows when? The husband can't have passed away. He wasn't even that old.
After 30 minutes in the hot tub choking from the chorine fumes and calves still aching it's time to get out - 412 and I always thought they were on the 3rd floor on the opposite side in the apartment block. No they own a 1 bedroom with a view. My view is better!
I have a quick shower and it is off to my late night event. A free movie night at Whistler library from 7 pm. It is a long movie so I don't anticipate that I will be back in my apartment until around 9.30 pm. Apparently it's a long movie and there are always technical difficulties. I show up and there is only one other couple - in past years this event is very popular. I discover that the Cinema in Whistler is no longer - closed permanently so I would have thought more people wiuld have come to watch this free movie at the library. No free snacks this year due to COVID so I byoed a hot tea and chocolate. So what was the movie ? It is only a year old and it was up for nominations - It was Everything Everywhere All At Once. Not my type of movie and I felt like falling asleep during it. Because it was Luna New Year they had a quizz before the movie screening where you could win a prize. This year there was no competition with only 3 people attending and the question was What year is it in the Luna New Year calendar? The correct answer was The Year of the Rabbit. The prize was a green Tuke ( beanie) with the Whistler Library logo on it! ( Photo below - another freebie to take home with me)
Yes there were technical difficulties and I got back to my apartment close to 9.30 pm. So tired and still aching from my ski today. luckily the library is only a short walk across the road.
Wednesday 25th January 2023
An absolutely clear sunny beautiful day but I'm getting sicker and so it is another do nothing day today. I wash & dry my clothes. I start packing and attempt to put my new Yak trax onto my ski boots again - success after a few attempts. ( I throw away the remaining old cat trax as it is no use since I lost the other one yesterday)
I baked some chocolate cupcakes ( they were meant to be brownies but I forgot to add the chocolate and had no sugar so they turned out dry rather then fudgey. Not enough butter perhaps? It's difficult when everything is not metric here.
Thursday 26th January 2023
Happy Australia Day!
I am too sick to go skiing or do anything today so I continued to pack and washed my clothes dishes and took my rubbish to the dumpster ( I hate going to the dumpster as I am always scared that if I spend too long in there I will get locked in by someone who accidently doesn't see me or by the automated door timer.
I had to have a walk around the village to see what Australians are doing for Australia Day. Nothing much it's all a little too quiet for Aussie Day this year in Whistler. Whistler Pride week is more obvious with all it's rainbow flags everywhere. Not a single Aussie flag displayed except I did see a guy wearing a bright yellow Vegemite jumper around the Long Horn. I asked if there was an Aussie Day Party on at The Longhorn tonight - sure is starts at 7 pm and cost is CAN$50 ( probably not including taxes) which includes a DJ .
Strangely enough Garfunkles has absolutely no advertising for Aussie Day Celebrations but there is definitely something going on according to the posts online that I checked out.
I was going to go ice skating but I am so sick. My nose is still running like a tap and I have this hideous cough now.
I purchased a chicken mushroom and leek pie with potato mash and gravy. Yeah not so good. Take out and they didn't even bother to put the gravy in a little plastic container like they do in Vancouver for takeout. That's right just let it leak all over the cardboard takeout container! It is also at least CAN$2 more expensive in Whistler then in Vancouver. The tiny hole in the wall cafe was packed today . Back to my apartment I ate it but am still sick.
In the lift there was a man wearing a Drizlerbone and Akubra with tiny Aussie flags inside around his neckline. I said you're not Australian ! You don't even have an accent! He said yes he was born in Australia but living in Canada. Unconvincing! Then I also noticed since when did the Australian flag have red stars,? They are white! So he is definitely not an Australian!!! Just because you have a 4 pack in hand of beer wear a Drizlerbone and an Akubra as well as wear the Aussie flag does not mean you are an Aussie!
Well I didn't go skating as it is raining and cold so here I am catching up again and paid one bill my private health insurance which was overdue but I could not pay it prior to leaving for Canada as I was still waiting for their bpay information.
I had planned to go for a skate but wasn't well so just continued packing until it was almost time to head to off to check in at the Canadian Snowmobile office downstairs at Carlton Lodge for my snowcat ride up Blackcomb Mt to The Crystal Hut for hot chocolate upon arrival fondue and chocolate brownie dessert with a glass of wine and water.
I had to wait a while for the snow cat which did not depart from upstairs at the Carlton Lodge at 7.15 pm . The snow mobile guide canelooking for it's participants at around 6.30 pm. Someone came up to me and asked if I was waiting for tge snow catfonduetour yep and tgerwere quite a few others waiting for the tour as well. At one stage you could not tell who was waiting for what inside the Carlton Lodge as it was Australia Day and Ausduewere coming in and out of The Long Horn
Friday 27th January 2023
Depart Whistler
Finally departing Whistler this morning and I'm just getting over my bad cold ( so I thought) . The fondue last night was so good I wish I could have eaten all of it and the chocolate brownie for dessert but my stomach was popping ( literally the buttons on my ski pants burst open several times) and my chest well it didn't feel so good from all that gooey cheese and carbs I was trying to shovel into my mouth and down my throat ( I felt awful with my cold - I was eating but I really didn't feel like eating and I felt as if I wanted to puke because I was feeling so sick and congested) but early this morning I coughed up a whole heap of phlegm that was the consistency and colour of the fondue and what do you know I feel so much better although I still have that hacking cough which is a lot less then last night. Sambucol my former manager used to tell everyone to take if they had cold and flu symptoms - it has natural ingredients such as elderberry that are meant to lessen the severity of cold and flu. So I am taking it in the form of gummies.
I finish packing and take each of my bags down to the lobby . I empty any final trash and take it down to the dumpster. I do a final check that I haven't forgotten anything in the bedroom washer & dryer bathroomklounge room and fridge in the kitchen.
TV off and as requested by property management prior to checking out , I pop 1 dishwashing tablet into the dispenser and load the dish washer with all the pots pans trays crockery and cutlery mainly already clean set the dishwasher to the normal cycle press the start button and close the dishwasher door letting it run as I exit my apartment.
I had left some notes for housekeeping about the red blobs on the blanket the washer and dryer shifting too far right and other minor issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment