Had trouble with blog site while in Alaska so will have to find time to do those entries later on. So will get on with our Calgary tour. Arrived yesterday afternoon around 3.30pm and little choice but to hang around the hotel to meet our tour directors. Managed a few birthday drinks and dinner. The lovely lady playing the piano in the bar played happy birthday and the whole bar sang it to me....nice.
My first impression from the air anyway was that Calgary is bigger than I expected. Country appears flat, certainly after being in the Rockies anyway. It has a population of around one million people. It is grassland and prairie country so cattle country to me. It has the Bow River flowing through it and it was this river that of course caused all the flooding a couple of weeks ago. They have a very pro active mayor who said from the first day of the flooding disaster that the stampede must go on and it has thanks to a large number of volunteers cleaning and preparing. There are many locals still not in their homes which is sad, but that is how these things play out, it will take time. All the businesses and hotels are decorated and staff dressed in the stampede theme, even flight attendants at the airport were sporting cowboy boots and big hats, very cool. It will be a big day today, leave for stampede grounds at 10am for free day but we have tickets to evening show which wont finish until midnight. Can't wait to get started. Shopping list today......a huge hat to wear for the duration of our stay. More on stampede tomorrow.