Edmonton

Judy. Word on the street was that we shouldn’t bother going to Edmonton—nothing there. Well, that waiter could not have been more mistaken! 

We chose a Servas stay for the first two nights with Sharon, whose delightful personality jumped right through the phone to us. Sharon was a great host, giving us, as Patty did, a downstairs “apartment” as well as time in her dining room, eating some yummy home cooking, including a welcoming dinner of Ukrainian food. 

Sharon

One of the things we were looking forward to in Edmonton was their famous Fringe Festival, so on our first night, we drove downtown, parked and just walked around, catching a couple of buskers, and spending a fun few of hours talking to Jay and Sherry, a couple with whom we shared a picnic table. Jay’s been an Atlanta Braves fan since 1969, so he shared some great stories about traveling to the States to see games. They both had wonderful suggestions of things to see and places to eat in town, and we all bragged on our grandkids.

Jay and Sherry--check out Jay's vintage Braves cap!

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The next morning we drove outside the city to visit the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. Several people had recommended it, and it did not disappoint! Evidently Canada was a favorite destination for Ukrainian immigrants. The “village” here was filled with houses, churches, farms, and shops that had been moved from their original locations. Several buildings had guides dressed in costume to answer questions, or explain the uses. It covered the years 1900-1930, when the bulk of immigrants arrived. Our absolute favorite was a replica of an original hut, called a burdei, where the costumed guide explained that they were only allowed one trunk, and brought their millstone, farming tools, two panes of glass, and two shirts each. Talk about downsizing! 

Burdei--their first homes

Our costumed guide in the burdei

Note the Ukrainian writing on the wall

Ukrainian Orthodox Church--one of three different churches

We spent the afternoon chatting with Sharon, and that night, she took us dancing at the Canadian Legion Hall, where she dances four nights per week! (She also plays badminton and pool regularly.) She says when she retired at 50 (she’s now 73) she promised herself that whatever she did must involve movement. Sharon is a real go-getter, and sure cut a rug on the dance floor. She was so popular we didn’t see much of her, but we chatted with Lee and Elmer about Canadian football!

Our one dance

 

At Sharon’s suggestion, we visited the St. Albert Market the next morning when we left her home. Wow! Biggest I’ve ever seen! If they don’t have it, you don’t need it. 

Crowds at the St. Albert Market

We checked into our hotel on Whyte Ave., just a couple of blocks from the Fringe Festival. 

Edmonton's Fringe is the largest in North America

Badges

Advertising shows

Friendly volunteers

                

Buskers

If you’ve never been to one, find a way! They’re all over North America and the UK, and are a great way to see good, interesting, and plain old funky performances. We caught three, and our total bill was about $33 each. People are happy to be there, and the atmosphere is so much fun! There are more shows I wish I could have seen, but it was time to move on to Alaska.

And that’s a story for another post.