Our Itinerary (Friday, August 7, 2015 - Sunday, August 9, 2015)
Friday, August 7
We stayed at the River Gate Inn in a stately and beautiful neighborhood in Winnipeg. We couldn't have picked better accommodations. The home is grand with all sorts of antique knick-knacks, furniture, lighting fixtures, etc. The hostess is a bit kooky but well-meaning and we enjoyed our breakfasts, though they were probably the weakest of the trip. Our room was huge, clean, and comfortable. Our biggest complaint would be that due to the old character features of the house, you could hear every movement that anyone in the house made. The floors creaked with every footstep so it would be difficult for a light sleeper to get through the night uninterrupted.
Our first day in Winnipeg was brief. We arrived late morning after getting up in the middle of the night to take two flights so needless to say, we were exhausted. We were also hungry so we popped up the street to Stella's Cafe & Bakery, a local chain, and had a delicious salmon-centric brunch.
Following our meal we went back to the Inn to rest our eyes.
We got all dolled up later to attend our friend's rehearsal dinner about an hour away in Portage la Prairie. I was surprised by how flat everything was but I guess that's silly since, well, it's prairie land.
The dinner was held in a community center with catered food. It was a nice evening where we got to spend some quality time with the groom and had the opportunity to meet a lot of family members and the bridal party.
Saturday, August 8
We had some time before the afternoon wedding so we took a themed walking tour (General Strike) in the Exchange District. I hate to say it but I don't think either of us got a whole lot out of the tour. Our goal was to learn about an event that was really significant in Winnipeg history and I just didn't absorb much of the information. I don't think it was the guide's fault but perhaps the research material could've been presented in a more engaging way. Regardless, we did take a nice walk around one of the nicer parts of Winnipeg.
This is a performance cube. It retracts to make a stage as shown but it also closes to become a cube.
This is tyndall stone. It's unique to the Red River in Manitoba and often times has embedded prehistoric sea life as shown here. Pretty neat!
For lunch we went to Cibo Waterfront Cafe. Our entrees weren't exceptional BUT the appetizer of fried pickerel with potatoes and cauliflower (what looked like a healthier alternative to poutine) was outstanding! Evan and I practically fought over the last morsels.
Our afternoon and evening was consumed by the wedding and then the reception. The two half-Jews (Evan and I) had a heck of a time during the Presbyterian service. There was a point where we were instructed to pick up a book (there were three to choose from) and sing a hymn. Evan played eeny meeny miny mo and then fumbled through the pages only to discover it was the wrong book. We ended up looking down and around awkwardly while everyone around us sang. Oh well. The groom didn't sing either!
The reception was right on the lake in the bride's parents' backyard. A lovely time was had by all.
In talking to some of the bride's local friends we heard an interesting saying in Manitoba. Apparently, they joke about the mosquito being the national bird! It was funny when we were talking about it but not so funny when we were getting eaten alive for four hours straight. I normally wouldn't share a picture like this but it really illustrates how persistent and aggressive those pests are.
That night while lying in bed, even after applying cortisone cream, I rubbed my legs together so vigorously to scratch the itch while also not scratching the itch that I legitimately pondered, could I spontaneously combust? The heat I generated from rubbing my legs together must be akin to the heat generated when rubbing two sticks together to ignite a fire, hence my fear. Fortunately, I'm here to tell the tale so, I did not spontaneously combust. Although, I guess in this case it wouldn't have been spontaneous, right?
Sunday, August 9
Today we had an entire day to ourselves to explore Winnipeg so we took full advantage. The sun was out and it was probably the best weather we saw on our entire trip (stay tuned for a tack-on trip after Winnipeg).
First we went to the Forks. It's a huge outdoor complex with park-like features, a farmer's market, and also some indoor restaurants and shops. It's a hugely popular place for locals and tourists alike.
Our next stop within walking distance of the Forks was the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. What a phenomenal space and truly, a one-of-a-kind museum and experience. It's a must-visit if you're going to be spending any amount of time in Winnipeg.
I really enjoyed the numerous interactive opportunities and multiple offerings of video testimonials. The museum's architecture reminded me a lot of the Sydney Opera House in its modernity and incongruity. It moved the eye upward and offered a beautiful flow to the various exhibits.
I really liked what I perceived to be a focus on indigenous rights. It's important to acknowledge injustices and I felt that the museum was in part acknowledging Canada's role in decimating the culture of their indigenous tribes. I watched a particularly moving documentary about indigenous children being stolen from their parents and placed in state-sponsored schools to be indoctrinated and in many cases, abused.
There was also a short documentary on the first level in a small circular theater that talked about the indigenous cultures and their respect for the land and its gifts and wildlife. I gathered that the circular theater was symbolic of the circle of life. I have so much respect for indigenous cultures. I feel like we could learn so much from them. In so many ways they are wiser and more in touch with the world than we (Westerners) are, though we like to think otherwise.
We ended our evening on Osborne Street. One of the guests at the Inn recommended it to us as a cool street for boutique shops and places to eat. We each had a hankering for a good burger so we tried out Nuburger. I like that they use organic, local meat but frankly, I wasn't impressed with the flavor or the preparation and neither was Evan.
The beautiful Manitoba Legislative Building:
We couldn't close out our time in Winnipeg without a memorable dessert so we paid a visit to Bridge Drive-in.
Look at these lines:
I'm so impatient that I actually wondered if we should just give up and leave. Thank goodness we stuck it out because it's some of the best ice cream we've ever had. SO creamy. And there's a bridge you can walk over while eating your treats (we did) which immediately brought to mind "Ode to Billie Joe". You know, "...Billie Joe MacAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge."
That about sums it up. We made the most of our time in town but I sincerely doubt we'll be in Winnipeg again. No offense to Winnipeg, but there are more exciting cities to explore.
No comments:
Post a Comment