OK, so Fred was absolutely right – I couldn’t possibly have had two more extreme experiences. The flight from Regina to Vancouver was on one of the oldest planes in the Air Canada fleet – tiny, dated interior, no TVs, etc. Fast forward 12 hours and I’m entering into the Executive class cabin for my flight to Sydney. It’s difficult to wipe the smile off my face as I get comfy in my pod and enjoy a glass of complimentary champagne. Take off is prompt and then it’s time for the food.  The appetizer arrives – smoked salmon with a fennel and orange salad (mine’s better!).

This was followed by a delicious cajun halibut with tomato mango salsa and a lovely Sauvignon Blanc.

The cheese course was next which I didn’t photograph as it was pretty straightforward, and then dessert – warm chocolate lava cake and ice cream. Oh, and also a nice Port from Portugal. Yup, I was feeling pretty good by dessert!

With a full tummy, and realizing that it was about 2:00am Regina time, I settled down for a good night’s sleep in my lie-flat bed. It took awhile to figure out the controls…

but then I realized that if I just kept pressing all of them, I could eventually find a position that supported every inch of my body. I still couldn’t get the smile off my face…

I slept a little fitfully, occasionally waking up with a start, wondering where I was. And then I realized where I was, and the smiling would begin all over again. Hours later, breakfast arrived. The BEST warm chocolate croissants I’ve ever had (and that includes the Guelph ones), with tea and fruit, followed by a delicious parsley omelette and chicken sausage with an apple and raisin compote. Just the thing to get you fortified for the strenuous day ahead. I must mention that I had a wonderful flight attendant who was quite attentive, and seemed to appreciate the fact that I was having so much fun. The Executive cabin was filled mostly with older cranky-looking men who didn’t crack a smile at the staff. It was then that I realized I had entered through the Looking Glass where everything was backwards – cheerful attendants and cranky passengers! My flight attendant insisted on taking a picture of me so I could send it back to my husband, so this one’s for you, Fred:

I caught my first glimpses of AU as we came in for the landing, but it wasn’t until we got to the terminal that I began to realize the I was in a VERY foreign country. We were not allowed to get off the plane until the AU quarantine agents walked through the cabin and sprayed the whole interior and our carry-on bags with insecticide (it smelled like OFF). Then, it was off to customs, where they confiscated my homemade trail mix, but thankfully not my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Skor bars that I brought for Cathy and her kids.

AU has one of the strictest quarantine procedures in the world because it is an island. Any food, wood, plant or soil material was strictly prohibited. It was fascinating to watch people unloading their suitcases at customs – a lot of strangely marked packages from Asian countries were confiscated and tossed in the garbage. I even saw one woman holding up what looked like a mesh bag of potatoes. It was all very orderly and I was through in no time. Out into the airport I went, trying to see Cathy amongst the crowd gathered around the exit. I looked, and looked, and looked some more. The thought occurred to me that it would probably have been a good idea to write down Cathy’s phone number before I left, as I really had no idea where she lived. My brain was just beginning to go into “oh, shit” mode when I saw her running towards the gate. She was here! And she looked exactly as I remembered her. Tears came to my eyes as we flung our arms around each other and squealed, drawing smiles and glances from the people around us. It was as if we were back in high school again.

My first day was full of activity, but that post will have to wait until tomorrow. I’ve managed to stay up until midnight, but I am rapidly feeling the effects of the last 24 hours. I’ll leave you all with some of my first glimpses of the continent.

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