Our Canadian Adventures: Downtown Calgary

Friday July 15th

It's another warm sunny blue sky day. We're going to meet Annie, John's Mom today at a Downtown restaurant. Instead of using the Transit we realize it's actually cheaper for us all to drive and pay for parking. We park easily in a Downtown Parkade and walk the short distance to were it's all happening. Annie's been delayed so it gives us a chance to watch some of the colourful First Nations display on the Calgary Olympic Plaza. There's music, dancing and First Nation Chiefs in full regalia on pony's.

The Plaza is very pretty, decorated with baskets of colourful begonias. It's buzzing with music and people. Cowboy outfits and hats are much in evidence.

Much of this area of Downtown has been through a regeneration program. They've cleverly left all the great 19th century brownstone and granite building and and many have been used for a thriving cafe culture for the area. This old Bank of Nova Scotia building has been regenerated into a extremely posh upmarket restaurant. Blue leather sofas and seating, very tasteful. A hugh crystal chandelier dominates the center of the restaurant.

Is it a bank?

..no it's a restaurant.

more views of the plaza and floral displays.


First Nation dancers

Chiefs in full regalia

Plaza Art

This building has been turned into a Performing Arts Center.

Performing Arts Center.

Dream Catchers

While the Stampede is on this street has been pedestrianized. Stalls selling Stampede paraphernalia line the streets interspersed with buskers performing their music. Oh, and many of the streets and roads here are called trails.

Lunch in another impressive building. The restaurant is called Teatro Ristorante. It serves really good Canadian/Italian fusion food.

This is my Calgary beefburger. No kidding the burger is an inch thick topped with four layers of cheese and a thick slice of a beefsteak tomato. Good fries too.

Downtown Calgary

After Lunch we all go a short distance to the Glenbow Museum. It's a modern spacious museum and we spend a good 2 hours wandering around the exhibits.