A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

POST # 556 

For all of the people out there who look at my blog, because they like to read what's been happening with The Thoughtful Wanderer, you're going to be very disappointed with this particular post.  Since my last entry, I have travelled back to my old hometown of Calgary, aka Cowtown.  The story today will be explained mostly with the photos that I have collected this past week.  It's been quite a week, so let's get started.  The photo above was taken at the Vancouver airport, after I cleared security, and before settling in on a bench for the night, I decided to treat myself to a beer, as Dora-dog watched over me.

So let's get to the photo part of the blog, shall we?

Flair Airlines flight # F8800

After a sleepless night on a bench, the sun begins to rise.

Calgary Hostel

My bed in a six bed dorm room.  It's been many decades since I stayed at a hostel.

 

Hostel guests in the 21st Century.  Cell phone city. 

Breakfast at the hostel

The Calgary Tower which was the tallest building in Calgary in 1967.  It is now only the 7th tallest.

The Burns Building where dad had his first Goldsmith and watch repair shop.

Centre Street bridge over the Bow River

Nova Tower

C-Train

What would Calgary be without the occasional Buffalo?

Waiting for the # 6 bus to my old neighbourhood.

Here comes the #6

Passing Sacred Heart Church en route to my destination. We attended 10:15 am mass every Sunday and sat in the front pew.

The alleyway I walked down every day to go to my elementary school.

Formerly St. Charles Elementary

My grade 1 classroom

A view from the front of St. Charles.

Overlooking the playground behind our house where I used to play ice hockey.

Where our family house used to stand at 2432-28th Ave. S.W.

Looking up the hill, I rode down on my tricycle at the age of 6.

Looking down the same hill.

Formerly the Warehouse Supermarket where I worked as a stock boy.

The shop across from Sacred Heart church where mom and her two sisters worked at a thrift store.

Morning coffee at the Hostel I stayed at this past week.

Squirrel company while I have my coffee.

Overlooking the hostel(low building at centre of photo) from the top floor of the library.

St. Gregory School with friend Tim.  This is where we met, 12 and a half years after both of our mothers had us, two days apart, in the Holy Cross hospital in Calgary in 1955.

Front entrance at St. Greg's

The confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers.

Visiting my old high school.

Clouds reflected on downtown buildings.

Hanging out with mom and dad.

A local T-shirt.

Library interior

Heading up to the Calgary Tower

Defying gravity

Doing it again, to make sure that it wasn't a fluke the first time.

Calgary Tower opened exactly 55 years ago today.

Looking North

East

Southeast

South (St. Mary's High School at the end of the road (top)

West

The Holy Cross hospital where I was born (tan coloured building near the centre of the photo

Defying gravity again, this time on my back

8th Ave. Mall Architecture

Palace theatre on 8th Ave. mall where I used to go to a movie once a month with my elementary school friends

The only remaining wooden building in downtown Calgary

Calgary City Hall

A new tower downtown

It wouldn't be Calgary without a horse roaming the streets

Words of wisdom from Ernest Hemingway

It's now late in the day, and I want to get this posted, but I have one more photo (and maybe another one or two tomorrow) to share.

I was meant to have lunch with two of my nieces today, Laura and Melissa.  Melissa was planning to pick me up here at the hostel and she arrived at the appointed time.  I was pleasantly surprised, when she arrived with her mom, my sister Lynn.  I had no idea that Lynn was even in town, as she lives in the town of Sicamous B.C.   We drove to the restaurant, where we met Laura, and settled in for a long overdue visit.  Later on another surprise.  My nephew Nick arrived, and we all enjoyed our visit.  The journey continued with a trip out to Nick's home, and for the first time ever I got to meet his wife, and their three young girls.

Here is a photo from the lunch earlier today.

                             L-R The Thoughtful Wanderer, Laura, Nick, Melissa and Lynn

It has been a wonderful day and week, and I am very happy that I made the decision to return to my home town for a visit.  Tomorrow, I'll be returning to Vancouver for the night, before heading off on the road again.  More on that when I post again on July 7th.

Apologies for any spelling and grammatical errors, as I need to be heading out soon to my friend's house for my last night in Calgary.

I hope to add a couple more photos before I leave town, and I will tack them on to this entry, once I am settled in at the airport tomorrow evening.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

So here are some extra photos to complete this adventure.  

My other High School, Bishop Carroll

Downpour while driving back to the hostel with my niece, Melissa

The "jungle" front yard at my friends Daryl and Chris's home

No trespassing?  No problem, just rip open the fence

Luna

Leela

Fun with dogs behind Daryl and Chris's home

Arriving at Calgary airport about 3 pm, June 29th

A sign of the times, and I was about to share a similar fate to these delayed flights

One final view of the downtown prior to the darkness of the night

My flight was meant to depart at 9:30 pm, and finally after four delays, we lifted off right at 5 am, June 30th.

Finally getting close to touching down in Vancouver

So that's all folks for this very lengthy post.  As I write these words, I am sitting at the ferry terminal in Nanaimo, getting ready to head back to Vancouver, and then down to Washington later this afternoon on the Amtrak train.  I was awake all night, so it has certainly been an interesting adventure to say the least.  I hope to get a bit of shut eye on the train ride, prior to meeting up with Mary and Dora-dog later this evening.