Weekend in Banff & our new Abode

I've been offline for a few days due to moving to our new apartment, but it has been all go.  The weekend before last, Stuart and I decided to get out of the city and head to Banff. We had taken a day trip up there when we were here last summer, but it was nice to see it in the snow.

cheeky old deer!

When we arrived we took a walk through town and it was not long before we encountered our first glimpse of wildlife which was a deer making it's way across the icy river, It was a bit of a distance away, but i got the camera out and managed to get a few photos... we then followed the river around and realised that a zoom lense was not required, as the same deer had reached the bank that we were walking along. We were quite impressed to be so close up to the animal (and lets be honest Stuart was a little scared as it had quite big antlers!) quietly I took another couple of shots as it nibbled the grass, then it looked up at us quizzically and then just wandered right by us!! turns out they are practically tame and don't pay much attention to people!

We had a friend who was also in town that night so went to the ubiquitous irish bar that you find in every town in every country in the world to meet him for a drink and some grub.

Summit of Sulpher Mountain

catching some rays

On Saturday we took the Gondola to the summit of Sulpher mountain. Again Stuart was a bit aprehensive, not being the greatest with heights, but he did well and I tried not to shake the car too much! We were met with spectacular views from the summit which is over 8000 ft above sea level, many photos later we decided against the trek down the mountain and took the Gondola back again.

We had planned on trying out our new ice skates that we got from a second hand sporting goods shop for an absolute bargin, but after speaking to a few folks we found that it wasn't just quite cold enough yet for outdoor skating on the lakes (ice would be too thin) and the only alternative would be indoor skating, which didn't seem as much fun... so we took a wander around the town and a woodland walk around the banff springs hotel, which is where I think Stuart should be booking for our next visit!  http://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs

Onto Sunday and we decided to do some proper mountain climbing, this time we tackled one of the smallest peaks in the area Tunnel Mountain  a still impressive 5551 ft above sea level, sounds like quite a hike, but when you are starting from 4541 ft, you realise it's just a wee jaunt! Got the lungs going all the same!

We then returned to Calgary via Canmore and prepared to say goodbye to our first Calgary home and hello to our new apartment. We are now staying further south of downtown on the top floor of a fairly new apartment complex, as it's the 21st floor the views are stunning when you have a clear day, otherwise my head really is in the clouds.  It's great just watching the world go by. Unfortunately  the furniture we are having shipped from Scotland will not be arriving until early or mid January, so until then we are just having to make do with what we have which thanks to a visit to a well known Swedish outlet is a sofa bed and some lamps!! but it's ours and it won't be long until we have our own things around us again... however we are thinking of postponing Christmas until then!

view at night

and by day

Let’s go Hitmen!!

On Wednesday night we went to our first Hockey game. The snow had come on again heavy over Tuesday and all through the day, but that doesn't stop Calgarians getting out to support their team.

The Calgary Flames are the big league team in town, but at the moment the NHL (National Hockey League) is having a lockout (basically they are on strike). I’m not going to try and pretend to know what all of this is about, but my understanding is that an agreement which set out how much hockey players were paid and how their contracts are written etc expired earlier in the year and the team owners and the players union have been unable to reach a new agreement.  

This has had quite an impact across Canada and the US. Hockey is huge business here, with everyone from small companies who use games as corporate entertainment to lure business their way to the beer brands and liquor stores who can expect to see a spike in sales when there is a game to watch. Not to mention all the loyal fans who need their hockey fix.

So, without the Flames to cheer on, we got tickets to see the Calgary Hitmen who play in the WHL (Western Hockey League).  

We're cheering for the guys in red and black, the other guys in white are the Lethbridge Hurricanes

Now I don’t watch a lot of sports at home and have been to even fewer live games you see I don’t really get it. Going to the football  for example, you spend ages getting to the ground, once you do you are searched to make sure you are not carrying anything you shouldn't  you then stand in the cold and wait for something exciting to happen – such as a goal, of which you might get 2 or 3 a game. In between times you can’t even get yourself a beer to cheer yourself up.

At the end of the game, you and the rest of the fans are herded out the ground onto crowded trains or buses and then likely to be banned from entering any pubs because you are wearing shirt or scarf to show support to your team – Okay, I know there is a lot more positives to football, I just don’t get them.

So without much more to compare to, I was apprehensive as to what to expect – especially given it was already in the minuses outside and we were going to be sitting around a huge sheet of ice!

The evening went a little like this. A quick bite to eat and a couple of beers, followed by a 5 minute walk to the Saddledome http://www.scotiabanksaddledome.com where we hand over our tickets. The place is busy, but by no means chaotic and so we get our bearings and find our way to our seats, getting a beer on the way. 

Fight, fight, fight, fight!!!

The game starts and although I’m 1 row back from the ice, I’m warm enough to take my coat off. We’d been warned that the game can be quite fast and difficult to follow, but we followed it easily enough. Now what I think is the best thing about the game is that rather than being broken down into two long halves with not a lot likely to happen, it’s played over periods of 20 minutes, where you can expect goals, attempts at goal, the odd tumble and more than likely a bust up! This really gets the crown going! And if that’s not enough, there’s the half time entertainment and you will probably get the chance to meet the team mascot, who in the case of the Calgary Hitmen is Farley the Fox.

So after the game, we headed back through the stadium and to the C-Train, in good spirits but refreshed enough for work in the morning. We’ll more than likely return again.

Finally, a bit of history for Shinty fans, I was curious if there were any connections between the National game of the West Coast of Scotland and the National Game of Canada, I thought that with so many other references to people and places of the old world that it was more than likely, however I’ve been unable to make a definite connection, most histories of hockey seem to cite the game as having Dutch or Icelandic origins, with some first nations customs thrown in too, however I’m 99% confident that ‘Shinny’ which is a term for an unorganised and light-hearted version of the game played by undefined numbers either on ice or in the street, is more than likely to come from Shinty. 

Oh, yeah, the score - The Hitmen won 3 goals to 2!

Another one of Farley, he's adorable!

Everything's Great When You're Downtown..

Downtown Shopping

Our first impression of Downtown Calgary was that it was all just offices and a few bars, so other than our foray there last week to look at apartments for rent and our wee expat night out, we didn't have any great desire to see much more of it. But knowing that this is more than likely where I will be working I decided to have a day out and wander around at my leisure. I also figured it would be a fairly cheap day out, with my only expenses being the C-train  (more on that in a future post) and perhaps a spot of lunch.

My first stop was the Scotia Centre, as there is a recruitment company there that I plan to visit next week http://shopscotia.com/  After a quick wander round I figured out where I needed to go, then took a dawdle around the rest of the centre, when I discovered the +15!

I had heard of this before thinking it a maze of corridors and bridges that join the downtown offices together. As it happens it’s a bit more than that. Getting it’s name because the corridors and bridges are around 15 feet above street level, (although there are also some at 30 & 45 feet) it is also home to a variety of food courts, boutiques, department stores, medical centres, movies and bars and an indoor park! I was quite honestly blown away, but not quite as quickly as the budget I’d set for myself!

After exhausting almost all of my finances I stopped for a bite to eat, it was just such an amazing place to enjoy your lunch, all white, bright and airy and really relaxed, it's only when you look up that you are reminded you are in the middle of a busy business district.

Oh and the food is good too. There are you're usual Subway, KFC & A&W (I've seem very few Macdonalds, which is interesting) there is also a mix of Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean and Poutine (will explain this one once I've figured it out), which I'm starting to find is the usual choices you can expect. I choose some Asian place, can't quite remember now what it was called, I've attached a picture of it, half eaten.. I got this (and the rest) for around $7. It really was delicious, but as usual just too much for me.

A step or two away from the food court and you reach The Devonian Gardens. The living walls, palm trees, fountains and coy carp provide a calming oasis away from the retail hustle and bustle and lunching office workers.  You never quite forget where you are though, as occasionally you will be reminded that you are in the heart of downtown Calgary with a glimpse through the windows at the towering office blocks or will reach the outer edges of the gardens where the palm trees are framed by the steel girders of the building. http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Locations/Downtown-parks/Devonian-Gardens.aspx?redirect=/parks/devonian

On to 17th Avenue...

As it was early in the day, I then took a stroll down to 17th Avenue which I had been told was the place to go to enjoy good food and drink and that during the day there are some great shops to look through. http://www.uptown17.ca/ The shops here tend to be more unique, with lots of vintage and boutiques, I didn't have time to stay long or the money, so it's on the list of somewhere to return with the husband in tow (and his wallet). I'll be sure to let you know how we get on, meantime, I'll resume my hunt for slimline tonic...

Geography Lessons

It's 4'C out today, a bit of a jump from the -12'C we had on Saturday! but that's Calgary for you. Apparently it's all down to Chinooks - here's the science bit;


Chinook winds occur when a mountain range (in this case the Rockies) is exposed to a strong prevailing crosswind. Moist air is removed and the descending air becomes warmer and drier as it is forced down the leeward (downwind) side of the mountains. I have also been reliably informed by today's new purchase "The Calgary book of Everything" that Chinook is a First Nation Tribe word for 'snow eater.'

So, the Chinook that has been warming the city for the last 2 days has melted a lot of the snow that fell over Thursday and Friday - what Albertan's describe as a 'dump' (hee hee), but the ground is still white for the moment.

It's hard to realise, when everything around you is so flat, that Calgary is situated 1,128 m above sea level - compare this to Ben Nevis, which stands at 1,344 m above! the main result of this is the air is thinner, which when combined with the dry cold air and the million layers, can make even light exercise feel like a major work out.

Geography lesson over, now for more of our social studies. We found Ikea at the weekend! I know, really dull, but we have to furnish a whole flat for the 1st December and it's a cheap place to help us on the way. We went back to Kingsland Farmers Market, where this time I made a better choice on the food front and got an Indonesian beef curry - it was amazing, but glad we got 1 to share as the portion was huge!

We had our first night out downtown on Thursday with some fellow Brits who are also finding their Calgary feet. It was great to have a conversation with someone other than Stuart and luckily our new companions were good fun and fond of a beer!! Mind you they could have been axe wielding psychopaths and I would have enjoyed their company -  provided they were fond of beer!  We went to the Design District Urban Tavern http://www.realpubfood.com/photo-gallery/ where you drink your beer out of a jar, we all had some 'trad' ale which I think was called 'fat pig' how apt! We didn't stay out too late though as we were afraid that if we got too drunk we'd never get home!

No interesting pictures this time, as  we've not been anywhere that interesting, but thought you would like to see the (squashed) Scotch pie and beans we had for Sunday night dinner (there's also half a sausage roll there too!). The meat filling was just as you'd expect, but the pastry was a bit of a let down, too crumbly in my opinion, however we'll go back for more if we start to feel homesick!

What I must now find is slimline tonic.. Schweppes tonic seems to be easy enough to find, but no diet or slimline - this could spell disaster for me, so I best get on and research where I can find it...the job hunting is but a minor issue and can wait for the time being!  xxx

09/11/2012 Scotch Pies & Farmers Market

Today was Stuart's Friday off. It's been snowing for the last 2 days and there is a lot still on the roads, so we decided to leave the car at home and head out and explore.

We took the C-train, Calgary's rail network to Southlands and went off to find MacEwan's Meats at Suite 17-9620 Elbow Dr SW, Calgary, AB T2V 1M2 where we were told we could find some scotch pies - we found it and found the pies, but they were a bit squashed by the time we got back - they are still edible though - i'll let you know how they taste!

Next we went off to find Kingsland Farmer's Market http://kfmcalgary.com/ this was a good find, lots of local produce and in walking distance of our new apartment which we will be moving to in December. Stuart was delighted at being able to get an excellent curry while I had a tex-mex hot dog, I made the wrong choice.. if I go back i'm going to go for the Indonesian curry.

By then we were really cold, as much as we had wrapped up, the snow was blowing into our faces and our scarves just weren't up to the job, so we took the C-train from Heritage back up to Chinook where we went in search of some warmer gear including some layers. We found these fairly easy at Sportcheck www.sportcheck.ca although to get decent thermal wear we found it's going to cost you - but what price for comfort? Finally we headed back to our apartment, where Stuart tried on and modeled his new thermal underwear............

Week 2

After 2 weeks we are finally settling into day to day live in Calgary   We arrived just as the cold and snow did, so it's right in at the deep (freeze) end for us! 

We have finally secured an apartment right beside Heritage C-train station, this location makes it an easy commute for Stu to get to his work in the south east and handy for me to get downtown and anywhere else I need to be.

Getting the apartment was a bit of a nightmare, firstly we found that if you don't move fast when looking to rent someone else will get it.. we met some lovely folks from Ireland on the train last night who said the same, in one case they had made an appointment to see a place and it had gone before they had managed to get there! so you need to be on your toes. When you find somewhere most will ask for a deposit to take the property off the market, then they will do some credit checks and get references - this poses a bit of a problem when you have just got off the plane and have no credit history in Canada! we nearly lost out on ours because of this - but a bit of quick thinking and a copy of our UK credit reports from mycreditexpert.co.uk seemed to satisfy them - so we move in on the 1st December.

This is where our next problem starts.... the apartment is unfurnished. we have furniture being shipped from the UK, but it's not even left yet! We've been told this will arrive in Vancouver on 24th December, it then has to clear customs and then be railroaded to Calgary, so we don't expect this any time before mid January! so this weekend, we're off to Ikea to get a sofa bed which fulfills at least 2 major furnishing requirements - sitting and sleeping...until our gear arrives it's either paper plates, takeaways or eating out every night - i reckon eating out is the best option - after all this is still being covered by the relocation allowance, so we will get the money spent back!! mind you if we go for this option i'd be as well telling the shipping folks to keep all my clothes where they are as they ain't gonna fit!