I arrived very late on Tuesday night into Calgary and was met by... snow! Snow in April! For those who don't know, Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, approximately 80 km's east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. And being located to close to the mountains, comes the unpredictable weather! Matt was kind enough to pick me up from the airport, and we headed back to his place for some much needed sleep.
On Wednesday, I had a lovely sleep in and leisurely start to the day. Just the way a birthday should be! I then caught a taxi into downtown Calgary, and spent the afternoon exploring the city. Matt works in one of the office towers in downtown Calgary, so I briefly met with him for a quick rundown of the city and then headed off to explore it all myself. Basically you can get around downtown using the +15, which allows you to get from building to building without going outside. Considering is was -4, that was a good thing! After a walk around the shops, and braving the cold to get some great snow photos, I then met up with Matt who had finished work, and we headed to his old work, The Tribune, for a glass of birthday bubbles. The Tribune is a beautiful restaurant/bar on Stephen Avenue. After that we headed to a cowboy bar, for my first truly Canadian experience. Matt ordered me a “Caesar” – a Calgary originated Canadian cocktail. I’m glad he didn’t tell me what it contained before I drank it... it’s kind of like a Bloody Mary, except that instead of tomato juice, they use something called “clamato” juice. Basically clams and tomatoes blended together... ewww! But, surprisingly tasty when you don’t know what it is! Here I am at the Palomino Cowboy bar with my first Caesar. 
After the Palomino, we picked Sherry up and headed to the Laurier Lounge for my birthday dinner. One of the guys that Matt worked with at the Tribute now owns the Laurier Lounge so we were well looked after. We had some very yummy tapas and wine. And Sherry bought birthday cupcakes from a bakery near her work for dessert when we got home. A lovely birthday spent in the snow with friends! 
On Thursday I had another great sleep in and leisurely start to the day. Again I caught a taxi downtown and met up with Matt when he finished work. We then went for a drive out to COP – the Calagary Olympic Park. The park is currently used both for high performance athletic training and for recreational purposes by the general public. During the Winter Olympic Games in 1988 the Park was the primary venue for ski jumping, bobsleigh and luge. These facilities are still maintained for training and competitve purposes. In the winer the park is also used for downhill skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing. After this we made a stop in a Bowness Park, one of Calgary's most popular parks for picnics in the summer and ice skating on the frozen lagoon in winter.
After arriving home, and with the snow starting the melt, Matt and I took the opportunity to make a snowman in the front yard.... complete with snowman making kit!
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