Canmore & The Rockies

We have both been working very hard over the last few months, so when a quiet weekend arose, we grabbed it, and took a short trip to the Rockies.  Starting with a leisurely drive, we stopped off at this Historic Church near Morley, west of Cochrane.

The Church was constructed by hand in 1875. At this time the local First Nations people were still hunting bison on the prairies. This church became the heart of a thriving community, Morleyville, which was the largest settlement in Southern Alberta and this church represents an important chapter in Alberta’s settlement history.

It is only used today for special occasions such as weddings, so unfortunately we couldn’t see inside. But it is lovely to stroll around outside in such a pretty and calm setting.

We were surprised to see gophers running around so early in the year.

The church overlooks this now frozen lake.  We bet it is beautiful in the summer.

What started off as a lovely bright and sunny day, turned cloudy rather quickly.  We only just made it back to the car before the snow/hail started to fall.

We moved on.  It was snowing quite hard at this point but the ice on the river was just amazing as it was cracking and falling into the water.

We arrived in Canmore and stayed at the Falcon Crest Lodge, where we had a lovely big apartment style room.  It had a separate bedroom, huge bathroom, and a patio with its own gas barbecue. It was very comfy.

Having not really explored Canmore much before, we decided to check out the Main Street.  Like Banff, it has a backdrop of stunning mountains wherever you look.

After a good look around the shops, we decided to head off to Banff for something to eat. There is no lack of eating places in Canmore and they looked good, but we had a particular restaurant in mind.

We were a little early for dinner so we decided to take a drive up the Bow Valley Parkway in the hope of seeing some wildlife.  We weren’t disappointed.

The antlers on the Elk at this time of year are enormous, and just watching them walk around and navigate through (or plough through really) the trees is quite amazing. This one was right by the car, and they really are huge beasts.  We later read that a male elk can weigh around 1100lbs which is more than a grizzly bear, which weigh about 700lbs!

 

We apologize for posting more pictures of mountains, but when we are there in the thick of it, no matter how often we have seen it, we just can’t help ourselves!

Vermillion Lakes is another favorite short drive, but all we came across were these two Canada Geese who had managed to find a spot of melted water.

It was also amazing to see such an amount of colour, when, in your mind, you just think things are brown (and white).

We had a quick visit to Lake Louise and came across these very tame birds - a bit bigger than the Chickadees we are used to, with bigger claws and a very big beak!

Icicles on the trees looked fantastic glinting in the sun

All that was left of the Ice Sculpting

Lake Louise

More Icicles

We think we were being followed!...

All in all it was a lovely relaxing weekend away and we can't wait for the next one.

J&E

Trust

In any walk of life or business, trust is not easy to earn, but once you have it, and so long as you never abuse it, it makes for great relationships!  What a special way this was to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon ...

 

 

J&E

The Great British Chippy

After reading great reviews about the new British Chippy in Bridlewood we finally tried it for ourselves a few night's ago.  The chippy is located at 162nd Ave SW (near Sobeys).

The first thing we noticed was that Only Fools and Horses was playing on the TV - what a great touch (they also show Ab Fab and Fawlty Towers).  We were instantly cheered while we waited expectantly for our Haddock, Chips, Mushy Peas, Curry Sauce and buttered bread (well we had to give it a good try).

It was great to see drinks on offer such as Irn-Bru, Lilt and Dandelion and Burdock!

The food arrived and it certainly looked like the real deal. We couldn't fault it, the fish was moist, the batter was excellent, (so often, in other establishments here, it is soggy and stodgy, but not this, it was light and crisp).

The chips were lovely, chunky and real and very filling as a result!  One of the owners told us that they spent a lot of time and effort to source good produce and use organic where possible.  The chips are made from organic potatoes and were perfect for making a big fat chip butty!

The mushy peas and curry sauce were good too and great for dipping chips in.  They also have a selection of pies (which looked really nice) and  gravy, so we still have a few more things to try.

(Curry Sauce - mmm)

We got chatting to the joint-owner (Simone - a very friendly Manchester lass who makes a great host) who explained that Chip Shops have run in her husband's (Gary) family for 3 generations.  What's more, here at The British Chippy, they were using the same (secret) batter recipe that his grandmother used many years ago.

Thoroughly recommended.  Here's the website. 
The British Chippy

Jamp;E

Applewood Real Estate - $385,900

Those who follow our story will hopefully indulge us as we use the blog to make people aware of Eamonn's latest real estate listing, a very well cared for, 1994 built, circa 1,600 square foot, home in Applewood, Calgary SE.

The home is on a pretty, tree lined street and is a short walk to both a playground and a park.

There is a living and formal dining area just as you enter the home.  The hardwood, which runs through almost all of the main level, is lovely.

The kitchen has white cabinetry, a good sized corner pantry and flows nicely through to a Breakfast Nook and from there to a Great Room with a Gas Fireplace.

There's also a Den on the Main Floor, with a glass paneled door.

There is a half bath on the Main Floor, which leads through to the laundry room and there is also access to a fully boarded double attached garage.

Upstairs, you have a good sized master bedroom with a 4 piece ensuite (which includes a jetted tub) that also has a separate (and generously sized) walk in closet.

There are two further bedrooms on the upper level.

The 4 Piece Family Bathroom has a skylight, which is a nice feature, given that so many such rooms have no natural light.

The basement is fully developed and has a massive 4th bedroom, and an enormous recreation area.  At one end are built in entertainment units that will accommodate the largest of large screen TVs plus all the other kit that you want or need for a cinema experience!

The Furnace Room also offers masses of storage space.

All in all, it is a lovely property, in a nice community and Eamonn doesn't expect it to hang around for long!

Eamonn is a Realtor with RE/MAX Southern Realty.  Anyone wishing to buy or sell real estate in Calgary and its surrounding towns should contact Eamonn at Eamonn@MoveWithMe.ca - he'll explain how he uses many forms of modern technology and an outstanding work ethic and focus on his clients, to help you achieve your real estate goals.

J&E.