Day 0 and Day1 1: Calgary
Travel from Tampa airport to Calgary was on a non-stop flight, one of the few available. Westjet (a code-share partner of Delta) is another cheap, tightly spaced airline with few amenities. That being said, our six hour flight was long, but uneventful.
We arrived at Calgary airport to beautiful weather, in the low seventies and a beautiful blue sky. Fingers crossed for more of the same over the next ten days. Immigration was quick and easy, all automated. We were picked up at the airport and brought to downtown Calgary, staying at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel, an older beautifully appointed hotel smack in the middle downtown.
Wendy was starved, so we collected Patti and Bob and headed out just a block away for the pedestrian St. Stephen’s street, a jumping and very loud venue on a Friday night. Found a decent restaurant where we had a pleasant dinner of burgers for the gentlemen and a steak/dumpling combo for the women. Back to the hotel, our ears still ringing from the loud music, we fell into bed hoping the two hour time difference would not affect our sleep.
On Saturday morning, we awoke to chilly weather outside (47 degrees) and a delicious breakfast downstairs. Our plans for the day included three stops before we returned to meet our fellow Tauck tour mates and Tanya, our fearless tour guide.
Our first and longest trip was a 15 minute walk away, the Studio Bell Music Museum. A very unique eclectic museum of all Canadian music which included the inductees from both the Canadian Music as well as Canadian Country Music Halls of Fame, interactive lessons on how to play guitar (complete with actual guitars to use), costumes and other memorabilia of performers, including Grammy video clips and more.
There was a special exhibit about Oscar Peterson, the great jazz pianist with many clips and recordings of his concerts and albums.
As an extra bonus, a current well known Canadian jazz pianist, Chris Tauchner, performed a concert based on Peterson’s music and style. He was great— one of those unexpected pleasures that make trips so memorable!
We had a forgettable lunch at the museum cafe— except we struck up a conversation with a local woman who raved about the musical diversity in Calgary. When Wendy asked what she liked best, she said the Calgary Chamberfest. Diana Cohen and her husband Roman, who we know from Cleveland, run that festival, as well as the also popular Cleveland Chamberfest. Such a small world!
A quick trip down the street to the gorgeous new modern Calgary Library followed by an iconic touristy trip up to the top of Calgary Tower completed our afternoon tour of Calgary. All places were within about a mile of our hotel, easy walking. We really enjoyed our whirlwind tour of this beautiful clean, modern city especially since the temperatures warmed up this afternoon to the mid seventies.
After a short afternoon rest we headed out to meet our tour group in the very crowded lobby. There was a huge weekend wedding there so we headed out to our bus to take us to Heritage Park, a Sturbridge Village- like huge place with restored authentic building celebrating and educating about the Wild West in Alberta. It has been used as a set for a number of movies and TV shows. We weren’t there to experience it though, as it was closed after hours except to private groups— ours and yet another wedding!
Pre- dinner food and entertainment included an excellent 13 or so member fiddler group who were outstanding, followed by a group of outlaws, “ Black Bart and his gang”trying to do a skit about finding a horse thief. Cute and entertaining except perhaps the constant loud gunfire.
A lovely dinner inside an old “ opera house” followed and ended with information about tomorrow and introductions.
Our first early morning is tomorrow, luggage ready early and wheels rolling at 8 AM.