A 6.30am start from our North Vancouver hotel, Capilano. We sailed through to the airport and found a smooth check-in awaiting … up until the point where Tom and his bag got taken aside – Dad in tow! We’d forgotten that the knife he’d purchased in Banff was nestled safely in his rucksack! 😂😂😱😱
A good flight and the added bonus of no passport control… ✅
The last time I flew into Toronto airport it was spinning so fast I failed to take anything in! An unexpected upgrade and an attentive air steward who provided me with a whole summer’s worth of champagne in one flight meant that I didn’t make it out of the airport that night.. it was my first night of a full year travelling around the world on my own and I spent it on a spinning bed at Toronto airport! This time around, I arrived as a mum of three – desperate for a cuppa! 😂😂 Oh how times change!
Car hire duly sorted… and on to our city centre apartment! All I can say is that I am relieved we didn’t START our Canadian experience in Toronto!!
5 lanes of traffic to contend with and a random man to find! We had a postcode and a promise but not a lot else! But, sure enough, when we turned up and called the phone number provided an eager man appeared literally to the left of our car, frantically flagging us down! He ran in front of our car into a basement car park with instructions for us to follow him! As he guided us into our spot his glamorous assistant appeared out of nowhere … a beautiful, immaculate little oriental lady with a beaming smile! The boys were under strict instructions to ‘look sensible’ and we marched behind, handing over the keys to our brand new, expensive looking car, to a complete stranger who explained he’d move it to ‘the proper spot!’
I just love AirBnB.. with its opportunity to deliver the unexpected.. I love random and the opportunity for surprise… I love the fact that you are dealing with individuals and not companies … and, to date, I’ve had nothing but good experiences of them.. from our ‘middle of nowhere, midnight cabin in Iceland’ to the heart of high rise Toronto city centre tonight!
‘The WiFi server is Gotham City and the password is Batmanxxxx’ – If you could sell an apartment on a single sentence that would be it! The boys were sold. 32 floors up of 35… with thankfully a silky smooth lift to shift us and our bags up to bed!
Wow! All I can say is WoW! A perfectly proportioned, modern apartment in the sky!
When I planned this trip it was always my intention to go from the wilderness to the city.. to give the boys a taste of different places and an experience and appreciation of travelling… for Callum I think this leg of the journey may well be his favourite! He lit up as we drove into the city and looks so at home… me, I’m missing the mountains … but looking forward to our last week of city adventure!
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Sacha Brakenbury
As mum to three sons (and auntie to ten!) Sacha is kept busy trying to keep the kids alive, safe, fed and watered.
Having specialised in Child Psychology and Linguistics at the University of Reading, Sacha went on to complete her Postgraduate Certificate in Education before taking up her first teaching post as Head of Boys Sport and Year 6 teacher. After 6 years, Sacha was fortunate enough to awarded a travelling fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, enabling her to undertake an extensive research project overseas. Sacha has worked with some of the world's top professional sports and educational institutions across Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand - researching ways of engaging young people through the medium of sport and in particular how this can help to reduce drug use and gang membership.
After returning to the UK Sacha became Education Director at Ipswich Town Football Club, leading in the government's 'Playing for Success' scheme. She went on to establish three highly respected Study Centres back in the East of England, each of which used sport as a means of motivating children and young people. After successfully completing her National Professional Qualification for Headship in Cambridge, Sacha went on to study for her Masters Degree in Education.
With the arrival of her three sons, Sacha decided it was time to 'go it alone.' She set up her own business consultancy, supporting a range of charities and organisations across the UK. Securing funds in excess of £2 million pounds, Sacha was able to 'give wings' to a wide range of charitable causes close to her heart. She continues this today with work specifically for Child First Trust.
It was her own kids that were the inspiration behind her establishing Learning Academies (www.learningacademies.co.uk) - a tutoring company that has the simple mission to motivate and encourage its students to become confident and assertive learners who are not afraid to 'take risks' and challenge themselves.
As a passionate photographer, Sacha is never more at home than when she's travelling, camera in hand, boys in tow. As a qualified medic with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, she is able to combine her love the outdoors with her passion for wild animals.
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Essex Boys in Canada 🇨🇦 