Days 53 – 57 (July 20th – July 24th) Winnipeg, continued

Following our adventures at the lake and in Winnipeg we had a few days to regroup, organise, get haircuts, visit Rene and replace dwindling supplies before heading up north to Churchill on Hudson Bay.

Louise took us to Winnipeg Zoo which is well-known for its Polar Bear enclosure which also doubles up as an exhibition for the unique natural features of Churchill. The bears were incredible, the display allowed for unique views of them in the water, their grace belying their huge bulk. Some of the bears were transported from Churchill as they were in need of veterinary assistance and, upon recovery, became part of the exhibit.

And, of course, another pair of red chairs…

That evening we were invited to dinner by Jon, Alycia and their 4 charming and engaging children Alexa, Dawson, Avery and Brooklyn. A 5 minute visit to Dawson’s room to see his lego structures turned into ½ hour grilling over the differences between pants/panties, bathroom/loo and the various different names they have for seasonal hats/hats by Alexa..

A tasty meal of wild salmon and roasted vegetables was rounded off with chocolate puffed rice cake. Another lovely evening spent with the Marshes.

The next day we had been invited to Jules (Louise’s dad) house on the outskirts of Winnipeg along with his wife Gladys. When we were told we would park on the road, we envisaged a residential street but were wowed with a wooden house, hidden in 2 acres of grounds.

We were treated to a traditional Ukrainian pie made by his daughter Pauline (a baker) with savoury minced beef and pork and various herbs and spices. Delicious!

We learned a lot about her fathers life and he was kind enough to sign and give us a copy of his autobiography “A Bowl of Cherries”.

The house he built himself and the garden is Gladys’s domain and she grows a selection of fruit and vegetables. We walked around the 2 acres and saw a deer and a fawn and the river but no turtles. Then after a quick trip to his workshop and a view of his latest invention as a work in progress we left.

Time to prepare for Churchill.