Days 9 & 10 - Calgary

Calgary Saddledome

As I prepare to leave Calgary, I have mixed feelings about the city. While it’s really not a bad city, like everyone tried to tell me before I arrived here, it really doesn’t seem like a great place to visit solo.

in the Olympic Pavilion? Pink prairie dogs... I don't get it.

in the Glenbow Museum

It probably didn’t help that there was construction everywhere, making it difficult to get to get to anywhere (including my hostel), and the weather was crap. I am ill-equipped for rain at the moments and, for the most part, that’s exactly what Calgary did: rain.

On my first day in Calgary, it started out nice enough and I set out to do the tourist thing, starting with the Glenbow Museum. I really enjoyed the exhibits and was there for the last day of the Karsh portraits. His work is stunning; I could appreciate even the photos of those people who I didn’t know or recognize even by name. The only problem with the museum was that apparently I chose to go the morning it was field trip day, so there were kids absolutely everywhere. I also visited an art gallery, but it was very sparsely filled and mostly uninteresting. Thankfully, that was free.

one of the 8th Ave. skywalks, with strange decoration

After winding my way through downtown, I made my way back to the bus depot to get my ticket to Winnipeg. As I was returning along the Bow River bike path I wanted to cry. I tried calling home, but got no answer. Then just all the being tired and sore and moving further and further away from home got to me. And then it started to rain. How fitting. I got back downtown as quickly as I could to avoid getting totally drenched, including my sandaled feet. One of the things I love the most about cities that get exceedingly cold in the winter is their skywalk system. And a lot of Calgary’s look funky. I used this maze to stay out of the rain as much as possible before heading to Original Joe’s to watch the hockey game.

I don’t know if it’s just because I’m away from home or that it’s the playoffs (and the Canucks are in it), but I’ve suddenly become very intent on actually watching hockey not just checking the score online. However, by the third period I was barely paying attention and instead writing up postcards which I can’t send now thanks to Canada Post’s strike situation.

Upon returning to the hostel, I had a lengthy conversation with my chatty, older American roommate about hockey and, oddly, politics.

Hearing and reading about the rioting in Vancouver made me want to cry. My province is better than that!

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My second day in Calgary was mostly uneventful. At least this day I knew to expect more rain and put on slightly more suitable footwear: stiletto boots. Not exactly weather appropriate, but it was the best option at my disposal. I spent most of the afternoon navigating the system of skywalks while in search of a birthday present for my mom. And when I was on the street, these footsteps came in handy for keeping me from slipping through the cracks. However, I noticed in the evening that if you follow the footsteps on the longer vents, they make you walk like a cowboy.

I ventured only by accident into the artist’s block full of art studios and shops. And later, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to dine at a place called The Unicorn Saloon.

For more photos of Calgary