We arrived as planned yesterday, September 4th (Andrew's birthday !). We had a surprisingly good flight with Air Transat direct from Manchester. I say this because the reviews for this airline are poor. Checked into the Sandman City Centre hotel, which is dated and due to have a refurb. However our room is clean and comfortable. After a slightly disturbed night we were up early and left the hotel at 8.15 am to walk to a famous breakfast place called Cora's. It was a chilly morning, 5C, so I had a few layers on! The city was very quiet as it is Labour Day and therefore a public holiday.
Wonderful cityscapes on the way!
It's a good job we will be self catering much of the time, don't think I could face a breakfast like this every day!!
By this time my feet were getting tired, so we had another trip to Starbucks for a cuppa then made our way back to the hotel, 3 hours and another few miles since we left after lunch!!
Once fuelled we set off to see the sights. We walked to the Prince's island park in the Bow River, formed when a logging channel was dug for the sawmill. This park was devastated in the 2013 flood when much of downtown Calgary was under water too.
After a coffee to warm up again we visted the Eau Claire market, on the site of the old sawmill. Many of the shops were closed as it is a public holiday. I got some good advice from two young guys in a phone repair shop and we set off back up 2nd St to find the TD Mall and mobile phone suppliers. I got kitted out with a sim for my iPhone, and set it up in my dual sim gadget, so no worries about expensive roaming charges now! We walked back to the hotel, for a break and a snack lunch in our room, total 41/2 hours out.
After a reviving drink and a sandwich we set off again, catching the City Train down to 3rd St. This is free in the city core and is very handy!!
We found the famous Tower but didn't waste precious dollars going to the top. The next stop as the Olympic Plaza and views of the Bow Building, this was a lovely park area with fantastic hanging baskets.
We have been really impressed by the parks and the hard and soft landscaping. There is some interesting street sculpture too, both historical and modern.
From there we walked to Fort Calgary, which is a reconstruction of the original North West Mounted Police Fort and the base of the city! Interesting displays which gave us an insight to the beginning of colonisation of the west of Canada. We walked back another half mile to the city core and enjoyed the pedestrian part of 8th avenue with its 20th century building and the backdrop of skyscrapers!
Michael has just commented that we walked a few miles today!!!!
The programme for this evening is feet feet up, shower, G&T, dinner, bed!!!!
Tomorrow we pick up a motorhome and set off to the Rockies!
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