Goodbye to Canada: A Surprising City
Hello my Friends! As always, thank you to all of you for taking the time to read about my Canadian adventure. I appreciate all your comments, loves and thumbs-up! I can’t believe that this journey is just about over. The best times really do rush by, don’t they?
As much as disliked leaving the little town of Banff; I eagerly anticipated the next stop. A bus arrived and I slowly watched the Canadian Rocky Mountains get smaller and smaller in my field of vision. After about an hour, the mountain region turned into hills, green fields and a sprinkling of small towns. We passed a town called Canmore. The driver told us that it was a small town of about 30,000 people. Apparently, many Canadians choose to retire there. From this trip; I learned that Canadians. who lived and worked in big cities, prefer to live in small towns when they retire, because they find it cheaper. About 30 minutes outside of Canmore; I started seeing a glistening skyline in the distance and the traffic started to pick up. This, my friends, is the city of Calgary.
Calgary is a modern city of about 1.4 million. It combines its agricultural roots with oil, gas and the world’s growing tech sector. Calgary represents Canada’s growing economy. As the bus dropped me off; the driver remembered that I was from New York and wasted no time in telling me that Calgary was clean and safe and that I shouldn’t worry. Interesting piece of information, which I filed away in my brain, because I never felt unsafe in Canada yet! I found that Calgary offered a fresh vibe and a growing arts and culture scene. Its CTrain public transit system is the first light rail system, in North America, to be powered entirely by wind generated electricity. Did you know that the trains, in Calgary, are also free on weekends and since this was Friday night, that was included! Good deal!
I quickly checked in and took the train to Steven’s Street. Steven’s Street is a main artery, in the city, that has shops, restaurants and art galleries. I decided to eat outside, at an Irish Pub, and sat down to enjoy watching some very lively, interesting characters walk by.
The next day was my free day in the city and I discovered that Calgary has many urban parks with great trails. It’s also home to several professional sports teams including the National Hockey League’s Calgary Flames, the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampede and the National Lacrosse League, the Roughnecks. I wanted to explore so much, but soon discovered that Calgary was under a heat advisory that day. I thought, since when does Northern Canada get this hot? Well…folks, welcome to climate warming. It was indeed very hot…almost 93 degrees! We were advised not to venture too far. But, away I went to explore Center St Park. This park is located past a few city blocks, over a big bridge (over the Bow River) and into a neighborhood. After climbing up to the park, you can see that it overlooks the city. Houses around the park are small, close together, but charming. After walking, walking and walking some more, it was a relief to descend the hilly park for the coolness of a restaurant in Chinatown. As some of you may know; Chinese is not my cuisine of choice, but I’m always up for trying something new. It also came highly recommended. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The restaurant had Chinese staff that rolled little carts around, filled with unrecognizable food in little pots. They did not really speak much English. I pointed to things that looked good and tried numerous things, but whatever it was did not have much flavor. Well, live and learn, right? If you ever go to Calgary, you must visit the Sky Needle. It is located just above the downtown core and offers the best views of the city! You can see the Rockies, the foothills and the prairies all around. Prince’s Island Park has scenic flower gardens, picnic areas and walking trails. It also hosts many Canada Day celebrations. That night I went back to Steven’s Street because it is literally miles long and I wanted to see more of it. There were many different shops as well as the Art Block that features rotating exhibits and educational programs. I’m not much of an art person, but I have a healthy respect for the artists and the creativity they have. But, truly, half the time I don’t understand what I’m looking at. I did notice that the city has a lot of galleries, theaters, ballet companies and orchestra venues. That night, while packing my suitcase for home, I was treated to a beautiful fireworks display outside my hotel window. Somewhere, in one of the parks perhaps, brilliant fireworks were shooting up in the sky. I had one of the best views!!
Well, my friends, this concludes my Canadian Rockies series. I must say that I enjoyed something about every place that I visited….the hustle and bustle of Vancouver and Calgary, the simple life of Quesnel, the western feel of Whistler and Jasper, to the majesty of Lake Louise and small town Banff. I loved it all. You bet I will return…and to make it even more special, I would love to bring my friends along!! Till next time…
