West Canadian Highlights

I’m leaving Canada and felt like I should reflect on the highlights from this first stage.

Presenting at an international conference and doing outreach there was great. Super pleased with the quality of the talks I heard and discussions I had. My talk was recorded by the Optical Society as an added bonus, although with restricted access to members.

Presenting my research at the OSA Advanced Photonics at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver
Presenting my research at the OSA Advanced Photonics at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver

Driving through British Columbia and Alberta is a must if you like a road trip. The scenery was beautiful; I hoped you enjoyed the pictures! I should have set up a selfie booth in the car to capture the moments shared on the road with Anna, Peter, Flintstone, Tim, Xavier and Diana.

Tim Cline (left), travel companion and host in Revelstoke
Tim Cline (left), travel companion and host in Revelstoke

Kelowna was an awesome place. The cycling was amazing, and the atmosphere of the town super friendly. Eternally grateful to Tim for letting me crash at his for a few days. On my list of places to check out in winter.

At the summit of Mount Revelstoke!
At the summit of Mount Revelstoke!

Giving a talk on my research and life as a PhD student in Southampton for the University of Calgary’s Student Optics and Photonics Society was a great experience, as was the added bonus of visiting loads of cool research labs.

Presenting my work on integrated polarising couplers.
Presenting my work on integrated polarising couplers.

Finally, there were some unexpected reunions along the way. Great to catch up with Shanghai-Fudan-buddy Wayne and his girlfriend Louise in Vancouver, and bump into Eleonora and Federico from the Grenoble Nanotechnology Class of 2013 in Vancouver and Banff!

Unexpected catch-up in downtown Vancouver with Wayne, a friend from my time in Shanghai in 2008
Unexpected catch-up in downtown Vancouver with Wayne, a friend from my time in Shanghai in 2008

Next up is Boulder, Colorado in the USA. Thanks for reading. Watch this space for more research and adventures.

British Columbia

Welcome to the gallery of my road trip through British Columbia. Great driving. Enjoy the view!

IMG_0734
Vancouver Bay from Canada Place

 

University of British Columbia Botanical Gardens
University of British Columbia Botanical Gardens
Flower collections
Flower collections
The Chief, North Panoramic, Squamish
The Chief, North Panoramic, Squamish
The Chief South Panorama, Squamish
The Chief South Panorama, Squamish
Olympic Plaza, Whistler
Olympic Plaza, Whistler
A spot for lunch at Gott Creek
A spot for lunch at Gott Creek
Seton Lake
Seton Lake
Kelowna beaches
Kelowna beaches
Myra Canyon
Myra Canyon
Trestles at Myra Canyon
Trestles at Myra Canyon
Walking to Cosens Bay, near Vernon
Walking to Cosens Bay, near Vernon
Wild flowers
Wild flowers
Revelstoke, with Mt Bigby in the background
Revelstoke, with Mt Bigby in the background
Mount Revelstoke summit
Mount Revelstoke summit

Road trip

I’ve got a car and, finally, I have a plan on where to take it.

I’m off to Banff, and then Calgary. Thanks to a very helpful lady in the Vancouver Tourist Information Centre, I also have the tools to get me there. I’ve cut out some maps, and found some campsites, that will take me to the

  1. Squamish, the Canadian response to Yosemite
  2. Whistler, world-renowned skiing (and good summer hiking too!)
  3. Merritt and Kelowna down in the Okanagan wine valley
  4. Revelstoke, on a recommendation from top lad Henners Nixon
  5. Banff National Park, including Lake Louise.

That’s about 1,164 km in total that I have to do in the next 8 days. It’s going to be busy and the drive of a lifetime. Watch this space!

"Home" for the next 10 days
“Home” for the next 10 days