Calgary
After a few weeks on the road, a night of sleeping (sort of) in Toronto airport and a 4hr flight we were in need of a friendly face or two. Lucky then that we had arrived in Calgary to catch up with Rich, a friend from Uni and his better half (Emma made me say it Rich), Liana. Having spent their previous year living and working in Calgary they were perfect hosts, and for once we opted out of any of the tourist bits that we'd been occupying ourselves with and lived as locals (or ex-pats at least) do.
After getting acquainted with Calgary (not a stunning city but one with hidden charm and quite a laid-back feel) we divided our time between sampling some great food in the local cafes and restaurants, as well as Rich and Li's generous hospitality. It would've been rude not to try some of the local(ish) brew as well.
We also spent a fair share of our time on 17th Ave, where Calgary's snowboard shops are to be found. Beyond my expectations, not only did I get a board, boots and bindings for a very reasonable price, but Em took the plunge and got kitted out too. Only one thing for it, pray to the powder gods!
