Last day in #Banff #CanadaDay

​After two days sightseeing we were lucky enough to be in Banff for Canada Day. We arrived early and found a good spot behind a barrier. It is fascinating to see the enthusiasm that some countries have for these celebrations. The people really feel for their country. Everywhere families lined the roads with their bright red t shirts to celebrate the event. The procession started and it was good to see all aspects of the community represented and to enjoy the atmosphere. We even bought suitable t shirts ourselves to wear for the event.

​After an enjoyable parade we followed the crowds down to the park where there were stalls, music and everyone relaxing with picnics etc.

​After looking at the stalls, enjoying the music and generally soaking up the atmosphere we decided to wander the back streets and have a look at the art galleries. I always seek these out on trips and am fascinated by how local artists are influenced by their location. With such beautiful landscapes and such a different environment from my own this should be interesting.

There certainly was a wide range of work and it was interesting to see their interpretations of the local scenes. Again there was a variety of styles and topics covered. Although enjoyable these galleries were aimed at a select clientele and the prices reflected this.

​More interesting was  the selection of art work that was on display on the pavement. Local children had been given a paving stone each and encouraged to draw a range of pictures celebrating Canada.

So after three days it was time to move on so back to the hotel to pack. Thoughts of the first three days:
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The hotel was excellent but a little too far out for our purposes.

Banff is a pretty town surrounded by mountains with some lovely walks available

The Cable car to the top of the mountain looked interesting but the thermal bath looked a bit like a local swimming pool, although a good place to sunbathe.

It was very crowded because of the weekend celebrations and it has become very tourist orientated due to the fact that in winter it is also a ski resort. On the plus side it was busy because of Canada Day and watching this made our day.

So an interesting start to our trip and another adventure tomorrow.