Friday, October 21, 2011

Canada: The Forks

“The Forks” is an area near downtown at the junction of the Red River and the Assiniboine River.

We were tired of the wind blowing fifty miles an hour..so after the Zoo we escaped indoors.

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There was an indoor market where you could buy almost any kind of food you like..with an emphasis on Sushi. ( I have never had Sushi..and I am not sure I want to try it.)  I heard that there was an antique shop in this area..someplace.  I asked a little old lady.  She said “I have no idea..I traveled 400 miles to get my reading today.”

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Now this gal had an “Authentic Crystal Ball”  versus an non authentic one..and she was busy with the travelers.  Someone came out and called names just like in a Doctors Office..unbelievable.

We wandered around..finally I asked two Paramedics ( not sure why they were in the market..might have been there for Sushi victims or maybe for Palmistry gone awry) “Where is the antique shop?” They “thought” it was next door in the basement.

I asked a custodian in the building next door.  She just shook her head.  Far Guy said later that she was foreign speaking only..and had no idea what I had asked her.  I finally asked at a Tourist Info Kiosk..where they spoke English.

The Antique Shop was great, I found some old black and white snapshots that were different than what I can get here in the US.

We would have been hopelessly lost without Jen and Andy's Garmin.  There was lots of road construction and a few detours.  It guided us through and around..and got us from one place to another.  It is an amazing piece of technology. OR at least we thought so..then it told us to make a U-Turn..and we both questioned that..but sure enough we did have to make a left and another quick left into a parking lot. I did most of the driving..Far Guy hates traffic and makes me nervous..so I am better off driving.

We eventually found a motel and a place for supper..but we both had breakfast..because who can mess up eggs?  I wouldn’t write home about any of the food we had on our trip..next time I will pack lunches to take along.

I was surprised at what a melting pot Winnipeg seemed to be. People from all different countries..and most of them owned a restaurant or a store that specialized in their food or their goods. 

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This is the Canadian Museum for Human Rights that is being built in the forks area.  It is a Canadian National Museum..and the budget for this building is 310 million dollars. Entering the building at ground level you will travel through walkways and spaces and end your journey at the tower of hope sometime next year after it has been completed. It is supposed to be an International Landmark in the heart of Canada:)

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16 comments:

DJan said...

If you ever run across a non-authentic crystal ball, I hope you buy it! :-)

Nice tour of Winnipeg, I enjoyed it. And also your Halloween banner. Oh, and I am truly enjoying my prize book, and I certainly understand why you buy them to give away! I may be doing the same...

Anonymous said...

That museum looks impressive!

You should definitely try sushi - it's delicious. Mind you, I only eat the vegetarian sushi!

Lattice said...

I've never had bad sushi, and I've only had it in MN. My choices have been limited and I've had some w/not much taste, but never anything that tasted bad or made me sick. Have you ever tasted salmon lox? Do you like avocados? In my family, those were the two strangest ingredients.

PeeJay said...

Try sushi - it's lovely! I had it for the first time about 3 weeks ago and since then have found a local Japanese restaurant and had it again. Use the wasabi, soy and ginger with it as well .... delish! I've also had sashimi, which I prefer if I'm honest, as I'm not a lover of rice.

Your trip sounds fascinating. Not sure I'd find having so many different nationalities and their shops that unusual as it's pretty much par for the course here in the UK but then we do benefit with all the diversity the different cultures make available to us.

Judy said...

Glad you had a good trip...smart couple...skip the sushi...

Looks like it'll be quite a museum when completed...

Just Stuff From a Boomer said...

My middle daughter told me to try sushi, and because she's a picky eater, I tried it and do like it. I would want someone to make suggestions for the first time espcially.

I once knew a real Hungarian gypsy,with long skirts, long dark hair, bracelets,the whole thing and she was 60ish then. She read my palm. It was fun and she didn't need an authentic (where do you get one of those) crystal ball.

Country Gal said...

Where abouts in Canada are you visiting, when I read the forks I thought you were in Ontario at the forks of the credit river in the country in a small country town this place is well known. Sorry the food you had wasnt very good never had that problem in Ontario B&Bs or Ma & Pa resturants that are in the villages or small towns. Hope the rest of your trip is good and goes well. Have a wonderful day !

Linda said...

Sushi=fish bait in my opinion. Sounds like you had an interesting trip but I wish us Canuks wouldn't be spending such ridiculous amounts of cash on museums like that.

Karen said...

I'm enjoying your take on Canada. We are certainly a melting pot of a lot of different cultures.
The museum...impressive...but $310 million dollars...really? I'm sure some of that money could have been put to better use. But then what else is new?
Larry was born in Winnipeg, but other than his hospital stay, never lived there.

RURAL said...

Awwww Kanada through the eyes of Far Side....LOL.

So don't judge the food in WINTERPEG by one perogy. We do good food out here, come to Vancouver, we are known internationally as one of the absolutely most beautiful cities in the world.

Sushi, may be acquired taste for some, but once it takes hold, and it's good sushi, you never forget that it's one of life's best foods.

And we have been voted the best food trucks anywhere. We will show you some good eats. And some wonderful antique stores.

I love that you could find some antique photos, I am hard pressed here to find anything.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

I'm enjoying your stories about Winnipeg. And I forgot to mention that I do love your banner.

Lanny said...

What a fun trip! I'm a sushi eater from way long time ago, my folks had a neighbor friend who was Japanese and made sushi all the time, she would often have leftovers from big parties and then we would get platters of the leftovers. At the time it was not anything anyone else ever saw, I'm not even sure we would call it by its proper name, just that Anna had brought over more of "her treats".

I would definitely not travel 400 miles just to have my "reading" done! But then I wouldn't travel 4 miles to do it either.

Terry and Linda said...

Someday I want to go to Candad so this is a true delight to me!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

lisa said...

I had to read yesterday's too! Thanks for sharing. Glad you are having a good time!

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Lynda said...

Hooray for GPS and also for finding the antique shop. I won't eat the raw fish sushi but the vegetable sushi is fine. When you are somewhere where you can get individual ones on a buffet line or something similar, try the vegetable - - - but make sure to take a picture for us first.