We had a bit of a lie-in this morning before getting up, packing up all our stuff and going down to the Inn at the Forks dining room for an enormous Canadian breakfast. I really felt as though we wouldn’t want anything to eat for the rest of the day! Trevor and I have often wondered what our transatlantic visitors must think of food portions served in hotels and restaurants in Britain; they’d think they were being given child’s portions or something!
After checking out of the hotel we left our cases with the concierge and set off to explore the neighbourhood on foot.
Across the road was a shopping mall with lots of interesting shops and stalls, selling clothing and traditional Native Canadian souvenirs such as wood carvings, totem poles and feathered head-dresses. We had a good browse around the shops (and it kept us out of the cold!) as well as a walk down to the river. We then decided to go and find a pub/bar and have a couple of beers apiece.
We went back into the mall and discovered a bar; we went in and got our drinks. At the back of the room was a couple of comfortable-looking settees in front of a big flat-screen TV. The telly was showing the Canadian inter-state Firefighters’ Games. It was really interesting; feats of speed, strength and stamina while wearing full fire kit. Kamloops Fire Department won.
We had another drink each, looked round the shops a bit more then made our way back to the hotel to collect our bags and wait for the bus to the airport.
Winnipeg Airport isn’t really equipped for long waits; it only provides domestic flights so there are no duty free shops or restaurants and only one fairly boring little bar. By this time most of our Canadian dollars had been used up so we had to make our bottles of beer last ages 🙁
Once on the Air Canada flight to Toronto, however, we were able to purchase a sandwich and some wine each. I always find the long-haul flights back home to be a bit of a drag; they lack the excitement and anticipation of the outbound flights when you’ve got your holiday to look forward to.
So for the rest of the day/night that was it: Air Canada overnight from Toronto to Heathrow, then a wait around (and a couple of drinks in the Crown Rivers!) for our British Airways flight back to Newcastle, then in the car and back home again.
Another unusual and memorable holiday had come to an end. Roll on the next one! 😀