RSD NYC

Calgary Reunion: 11/24/07 - Canadian Scenery

As we drove along, these were the sights from our window. It’s flat, it’s cows and round bales of hay. But it was a smooth drive and the Canadians are disciplined drivers. Wish we could say the same for drivers in our neck of the woods. Photo credit: http://images.google.com/

The source of all steaks.

Evening driving in the Trans Canada Highway.

Calgary Reunion: 11/24/07 - Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons is a coffee-and-doughnut fast food restaurant chain largely based in

Canada

. It is

Canada

's largest quick-service food chain. Tim Hortons has supplanted McDonald's as Canada's largest food service operator; it has nearly twice as many Canadian outlets as McDonald's, and its system-wide sales surpassed those of McDonald’s.

We took a break at Tim Hortons and had a donut and a sandwich for Butch. We all fell in love with the coffee cup so Mark purchased a cup for the price of a donut. We each got a cup for us to remember

Canada

and our road trip.

Calgary Reunion: 11/24/07 - Souvenir of Our Road Trip

We really were not able to take pictures of this milestone event and so the coffee cup is the only reminder, and a pleasant one at that, of our road trip. I saw this cartoon and it captures how we feel about those cups. Mark and I use them in New York for our frequent caffeine jolts.

Calgary Reunion: 11/24/07 - In Edmonton

The only picture we have of our road trip. In the background is the place where Butch stays in Edmonton. Lucky guy!

Calgary Reunion: 11/24/07 - Back to Calgary

We returned to Calgary at around 11 pm. We were all exhausted from the one-day trip but pleased that we achieved our goal and thankful that we were able to get back safely. We took the bus back to Calgary from the airport with Butch and got off at Place Olympique near our hotel.

Calgary Reunion: 11/25/07 - Breakfast at Second Cup

Calgary Reunion: 11/25/07 - Sacred Heart Church

No overseas trip is complete without a visit to a place of worship. Mark, Butch and I went to Butch's church in Calgary. It was a wonderful feeling celebrating Mass with a family member.

A landmark in Calgary throughout the years because of its tree-lined walks and beautifully tended gardens, Sacred Heart Church dates back to the turn of the century when the population west of the Cathedral was burgeoning. The interior has an architectural effect of simplicity; the only decoration on the brick exterior was a moulded, arched opening at the main door where the name of the church was displayed in Gothic lettering. (Ref: http://members.shaw.ca/corcalgary/history.html).

Below are pictures of the altar and the seating area.

Calgary Reunion: 11/25/07 -Lougheed House

This grand sandstone prairie mansion was built in 1891 and enlarged in 1907; the impressive scale and the high quality of the design, materials and interior furnishings of the house reflected the wealth and prestige of the Lougheeds. Lougheed House, also known as Beaulieu, was home to Senator James Alexander Lougheed, Lady Isabella Hardisty Lougheed, their six children and staff. At that time, Calgary had fewer than 4,000 inhabitants.

Lougheed House breathes history to a degree that few other Calgary buildings can match. The house became the centre of Calgary’s social scene as the Lougheeds welcomed oil millionaires, politicians and entertainers into their home.

Calgary Reunion: 11/25/07 - A Yakuza Lunch. Hai!

All that walking and sight seeing took a toll on our feet and our tummies. Butch treated us out to a Japanese lunch and then we walked back to the hotel for a drip in the pool and the hot tub.

Calgary Reunion: 11/25/07 - Vogue-ing in Stephen Avenue

Calgary Reunion: 11/25/07 - Christmas Tree at the Hyatt Regency

We were impressed with this 25 foot tall Christmas tree in the Hyatt Lobby. It was such a perfect backdrop for our reunion and made everyone very happy.