Rise and Shine!

Ikea will be here sometime between 10am and 4pm today with our sofa (since moving in, Ben and I have been battling it out for our one comfy chair). I just love appointments that require you to stay at home for six hours at a time. So anyway, this provides ample opportunity for me to update the blog!

Yet again, our weekend was amazing. I realize that having been here for only a month, we are still in the honeymoon phase with the city of Calgary, but so far I have only good things to say. People are just so darn friendly and the weather has been so nice for us!

We started the weekend early Saturday - as in 5:30 in the morning - for our sunrise hike with the Calgary Outdoor Club. Ben, Alicia, Almu and I joined up with a diverse group of hikers who have moved here from all over - Vietnam, Ireland, England and another American. (Many have been here for quite a while.) This seems to be the case with Calgary - like Nashville these days, very few residents are actually from Calgary. Most arrive with the intention of visiting temporarily and wind up staying. I can see why: the quality if life is high here, with an ample job market, tons of urban parks and trails, close proximity to the mountains, decent public transit and great entertainment and dining options.

Don't worry, Mom - my heart still belongs to the South!!

The hike was lovely - after catching the sunrise at a high point in the hills, we followed the trail into town for a big meal at Nellie's, renowned for their hearty and delicious breakfasts.

I destroyed a huge tostada - loaded with scrambled eggs, veggies, cheese and avocado, plus a mound of fruit that was actually fresh and not pulled from a freezer. Can't wait to go back and try the pancakes! The hike back, on a full stomach, was more challenging, as we off-roaded and did a bit of sliding on the ice. It was a great work-out, though, and I always love trekking through the woods, complete with the smell of fresh pine.

All that hiking in the cold worked up an appetite. Lucky for us, Almu had offered to prepare a traditional Spanish dinner. After recovering for several hours, we headed to her new place - a chic high-rise apartment in downtown - and feasted! Homemade sangria (absolutely delicious), a thick tomato soup, hearty Spanish omelet and crisp salad were the perfect ending to our day. We wrapped up with a trip to a nearby piano bar - oddly, there were no actual pianos being played, but it was fun nonetheless!