Our day for flying arrived, and Mark's brother and sister-in-law gave us a ride to the Tulsa airport. They were also sending hugs, since we will be visiting their son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. With all those extra hugs packed, we were loaded when we took off and flew above the clouds.
This is a three flight trip, and we noticed lots of solar farms as we flew into the Denver airport. This is where we had to show that we had a negative Covid test administered within 72 hours of the take-off time of the flight that would land in Canada. We had done the math, and found a place that got us the PCR test (aka the longer molecular test) results within 24 hours after we took it. So we didn't have any problems getting a boarding pass. We can't say the same for the woman that was scheduled to start a Canadian tour in Toronto. Her travel agent had scheduled her Covid test, and didn't do the math. Her negative test was six hours too early, and they wouldn't let her board the plane. Canada is very strict! Our next flight was good, and we watched the sunset as we headed east.
We were in Toronto by 10 p.m. Welcome to Canada! We had booked a hotel close to the airport, mainly for its free shuttle that picked us up at the airport, and was supposed to return us there for our third flight the next morning.
It was a cloudy bumpy flight further east into Canada's most eastern province--Newfoundland and Labrador. We have family working in Newfoundland, and they've invited us to come for a visit. They took this picture from their deck as our plane was coming in for the landing.
We're excited to see the sweet family that we've traveled so far to visit!
That would include our nephew, Brian. It's his job with Exxon-Mobile that has brought them here for a temporary (two year) work assignment. We visited them when his job took them to South Korea several years ago, and we had planned to come to Newfoundland ever since they got here a year and a half ago. But for most of that time, Covid has restricted travel. When Canada announced that they were opening their borders to U.S. travelers, they called to invite us. The flights were booked quickly, and here we are! Welcome to Canada.
His sweet wife, Alexia, met us at the airport and was our day-time tour guide and hiking partner. She drove us near and far so we got a great look at Newfoundland.
Our first drive was to pick up their four children from school that day. First we picked up 3-year-old Cooper.
He attends a montessori pre-school two days each week. We love visiting someone that actually lives in a new-to-us place so we get a feel for real life, rather than just the tourist stops.
Our next stop was to pick up 10-year-old Cole.
He goes to school in a building that sits right beside a beautiful old church here in St. John's, Newfoundland.
Our next drive was to pick up 13-year-old Camden,
and 15-year-old Katrina.
The high school they go to this year is an majestic old building near downtown. It's interesting to us that they have an hour for lunch, and the students are free to walk to any of the eating establishments downtown for lunch.
We were a little jet-lagged from our three flights and two-and-a-half hour time change. We have never gone anywhere that has a half-hour time zone, but Newfoundland does. It's just one of the ways that this island is unique. After a wonderful meal, we were treated to a beautiful "welcome to Canada" sunset.
The cotton-candy pink clouds could be seen even in the east this evening, as the sunset seemed to surround us on all sides.
We have big plans to explore this island, but on our first night we're just enjoying one of God's amazing sunsets over the lake from their deck. Welcome to Newfoundland, Canada!
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