4.21.2012 Winnipeg (Part II)

The thing I love about walking is that you often come across unexpected sights. Such was the case with the walk to the Manitoba Legislature Building where I was greeted by this group of polar bears.

 

Behold. The Legislature Building.  You can barely make out Golden Boy on top of the dome.

A closer look. And an even closer look.
Officially named Eternal Youth, the statue is the symbol of Manitoba. It carries several meanings, one of which being the eternal pursuit of prosperity.

 The south face of the building.

Left: To the south, the building faces the Assiniboine River.

Right: Louis Riel stands guard over the southern entrance.

The trouble with traveling solo is no one can help take a picture of yourself.

In a pinch I find that a flat surface and a quarter will serve nicely, as long as the camera has a timer function. How's THAT for innovation and self-efficiency?

You know you love it. 

Left: Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba and that of the Royal Family whenever they visit.

Right: The "official" northern entrance of the Legislature Building.

Unfortunately, I didn't know the building was open to the public and ended up missing out on seeing the Grande Staircase amongst other things.

Also, it would seem that there was a public rally/event of some sort the day just before because by the entrance road, there were small mountains of garbage as well as portable toilets.

Walking back towards the train station, I saw only a handful of people walking about. Very surprising since it was downtown Winnipeg on a Saturday morning. Maybe everyone was still resting from whatever it was the night before.

Union Station in Winnipeg. It's celebrating its centennial this year. 

On the recommendation of a fellow passenger, I decided to tackle Portage&Main. The intersection known as one of the windiest spots in all of Canada. For a spring day, it was pretty windy at that spot.

Back at the train station, I had just under an hour to kill, so I decided to visit the famous Forks Market.
Not before taking a shot at the beautiful dome in the station lobby.

I don't know what I was expecting from the market but it certainly felt more like a tourist spot rather than a local market.

So I quickly left and explored the rest of the Forks park instead. 

 

Eventually, I made my way across the Esplanade Riel once more and into the French Quarter. 

I have to say I was quite disappointed with what I saw of the French Quarter. Maybe I didn't walk far along enough, but instead of quaint buildings, small bakeries and boutiques, I saw a sushi restaurant and an electronics store.

Near the end of my walk, I finally came across two buildings that satisfied my expectations. The old City Hall and the Postal Office .

4.21.2012 Winnipeg (Part I)

There's a four hour stop at Winnipeg while the train changes crew and load up on fresh supplies. The train arrives at 8AM and departs at 12PM. A good chunk of time for some sightseeing. The fact that the train station is located right downtown certainly doesn't hurt. 

I had already mapped out all the sights I wanted to see. All in all, a 5k walk, which should give me plenty of time to explore. The sight I most wanted to see was the St. Boniface Cathedral and the Golden Boy.

Left: The view from the train as it's pulling into the station.

That building in the distance is the on-going and highly-controversial  Canadian Museum of Human Rights. Not exactly sure what the architect is trying to convey, but it sure looks like a witch's hat.

Right: The Esplanade Riel, which bridges across the Red River. I didn't get a chance to try the Salisbury House on the bridge, which is supposed to be a local dining institution. Next time.


From the bridge, you get a glimpse of Saint Boniface Cathedral, which was burned down in 1968, leaving only the stone shell intact.

It was so early in the morning that I pretty much had the place all to myself. It was majestic but hauntingly so.

A smaller church was rebuilt onsite, directly inside of the original. When you look straight down the pathway, the doors of the modern church lined up with the arches of the old church. Very very cool.

Near the church is the grave of Louis Riel. The great Metis hero. Of course I had to go and pay tribute, or rather, just gawk at it for the sake of all the grade school history memories.

The early morning walk along the Red River was eerily quiet. And of course, me being the crazy person that I am, I just had to touch the Red River for myself. And what did I have to show for it? Two very muddy shoes, a slightly wet sleeve, and an indescribable feeling of satisfaction. It may be a symptom of early onset OCD. You've been warned.



St. Boniface Cathedral again, from across the Red River. Very serene.

And finally, the point where the Red River and the Assiniboine River converge, hence the name The Forks.

4.21.2012 Sunrise in Winnipeg

 

Makes waking up extra early worth it.

4.20.2012 Sunset

I sat in the dome car for the longest time after dinner just watching as the sun set.

These are two of my favourite pictures of the entire trip. If you look carefully at the second photo, you can see the planet Venus in the sky.

4.20.2012 Dinner

Just look at that picture. Doesn't it make your mouth water?  I ordered the pickerel with remoulade and it was absolutely delicious. The picture is not doing it proper justice.

This was the scenery as dinner was enjoyed by all. I don't know how the patterns in the ice are formed but they were very interesting to look at.

Almost like flowers that have been etched into the ice, no?

And dessert. A lovely maple syrup mousse cake with peppermint tea. :) :) :)