by true nomad

Created on: December 12, 2006   Last Updated: February 15, 2010

Canada is huge. More than 7000 km from the flat east to the mountainous west, this country is synonymous with ice hockey and maple syrup, and it may be cold but where else can you see drifting icebergs, aurora borealis and polar bears all in the same country? The icebergs are best spotted in the east, in the states that gave name to some of our best friends Labrador and Newfoundland. These provinces are also former homes of Vikings whose weapons and other possessions are now displayed in local museums. With moose, puffins and a climate similar to Scandinavia it's not to wonder they came here. The Scots found the landscape similar to their Highlands in aptly named Nova Scotia, where their traditions live on. The British came to the neighbouring New Brunswick, (the place to see the world's fastest tides); and the French came to Quebec. French is still the official language here, and aromas of croissants and cafe au lait still fill the streets of Montreal and Quebec City, the centre of French Canada. The neighbouring English-speaking Ontario is home to Canada's capital Ottawa, the country's largest city Toronto, and the famous Niagara Falls.

From here, drive west along the shores of the Great Lakes to Manitoba, where a trip north to Hudson Bay is a must for those wanting to see that famously cute and deadly white teddy bear that is known to occasionally wander off its usual track and end up on the streets of the polar bear capital Churchill, so watch out for that big paw, it'll grab ya! If you survived Churchill, back south in Winnipeg, the Trans Canadian Highway continues west to Saskatchewan, the province in the middle of vast prairies and rich with both native and Ukrainian heritage. The flat landscapes change soon as the road approaches the Rocky Mountains in the next province west, Alberta. The road north of the state capital Edmonton is the only access road to the wild, endlessly empty and freezing cold central Northwest Territories, so if you want to see aurora borealis or fancy a ride on a dog sled, this is the way to go. South of Edmonton is Calgary, the host of the 1988 Winter Olympics, and west from here, towards British Columbia, a stretch of Trans Canadian Highway with heavenly views of turquoise blue lakes amongst snow topped mountains must be one of the most beautiful roads in the world.

British Columbia on the Pacific coast is Canada's California. You wouldn't think there are sunny beaches with warm waters in Canada but here you are. As cold as

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