Around the World with Hardy(T)

Canada - Calgary

...from Rockies (2)

I arrive late in Calgary to be met by Christine, sister of my friend Sandy from back in Melbourne. Within minutes, she has whisked me off to the Taj Mahal for a slap up curry. I think we are going to get on fine...

Calgary reminds me of my first ever game of Sim City. The streets are named (or numbered) logically on a grid so that you have Centre Street running N-S and parallel to that you have 1st St SW, 2nd St SW, 3rd St SW, 1st St SE, 2nd St SE, 3rd St SE, 1st St NE, 2nd St NE, 3rd St NE, 1st St NW, 2nd St NW, 3rd St NW, etc. Running perpendicular to these you have 1st, 2nd, 3rd Ave, etc. I think the intersection of Centre St and 7th Ave is the middle of town, but hey, who knows?

7th Ave is for buses and C-train only, 8th Ave and 4th St W (N&S) are pedestrian and most streets are one-way, with the direction of flow alternating between one street and the next.

Another thing is the streets are totally deserted. It took me about 2 days to realise this. In winter it's too cold to venture above ground - I was tere in May and it was snowing! - and in summer it's too hot. So Calgary has this whole Narnia-like subterranean world of shops and walkways. Weird.

Equally weird was the Rocking Horse Saloon, where Christine gave me my first tastle of line dancing. Luckily I was fuelled up with the local Big Rock "Traditional" Beer, so it wasn't too bad, but I didn't feel the part without the boots and the ten-gallon hat. Maybe next time...

The weather and hangover abate sufficiently to take in a bit of live football. Canada are playing the USA in an U23 friendly at the Mewata Stadium.

My final day in Calgary sees us take in the Kensington area. This is the best bit of Calgary for me as it's above ground and away from the Sim City grid. We have a spot of lunch before I head up to Edmonton on the bus. From there it's back on the "Silver and Blue" across the plains (not called "plains" without reason) of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and the frozen (it's May fer chrissakes!) lakes of Ontario, before...

...next stop Toronto...