Trail of Heroes: The end of the tour

In October 2025, Shane and I visited Angers, France and London, England for 10 days of performances and adventures. These posts capture the details of our trip.

On Thursday morning, we woke to intense rain and wind in London that made us feel our departure day was well timed! We braved the weather to the nearby pedestrian Pavillion Road, and Shane selected the trendy Ottolenghi cafe for our last meal abroad.

We splurged on a fancy British breakfast: a cinnamon brioche pretzel, fresh mint tea, a mocha, and a Dutch pancake with fig, cheese, orange compote, and coconut. It was scrumptious. Then we checked out of the hotel, hailed another black cab, and enjoyed our last disorientation of travelling again on THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD.

The London-Heathrow airport was latitudes warmer, way more organized, and loads more attractive than Paris’s. Even when my backpack got flagged as a potential bomb threat (true story), the security manager was downright charming in interrogating me (was it just that British accent?).

After clearing my good name, we had plenty of time to browse the shops (including to my delight another small Hamleys) and snack. Interestingly, our gate was not assigned until just prior to boarding, so there was really nowhere to go up until that point.

The trip home—while direct—was predictably brutal. We flew Air Canada for 10+ hours: the flight was full, the seats hard as rocks, the food inedible, and the only joy came from coincidentally sitting by a skating fan who had been on holiday in Spain (to watch her daughter play professional basketball!).

Sleepless and sore, I more or less stumbled off that plane. But we were finally on Canadian soil again.

As excruciatingly long as the final flight had been, the trip in hindsight all felt like a whirlwind. The days were both intensely full and yet sped by. We covered so much ground in such a short period, it was impossible to process at the time.

In the weeks that have passed, though, what sticks with me are less the places we went and more the performances we witnessed. Yes, it was a privilege to see the sights and experience (just a sliver of) the rich history of France and England—but the modern mastery of living, breathing humans moved us most.

I needed to feel that, maybe more than I knew.

In an age of suffocating technology and in the midst of a truly dehumanizing work situation, I needed reminding that people worldwide continue to strive for human-centred greatness; that beauty is still nurtured and appreciated everywhere; that teamwork and artistry and celebration are always occurring someplace, regardless of what I might see on a lifeless screen or feel in someone’s mean-spirited moment.

I have taken comfort in that reminder since—and in reuniting with what I missed most during our time away.

Thank you to anyone who’s taken time to read (or just peek at) these posts and to comment or chat with us about the trip. We appreciate your interest so much.

We hope we’ve given you a good sense of what we experienced…and maybe even sparked a little joy of your own in knowing that these magical moments existed. The world really is a marvellous place, isn’t it? =)

Wishing you all the best in 2026 – Tisha & Shane