Reception I

   May 6th we headed for the airport to take an AC flight to Winnipeg, a city we've never been to. Leaving Buddy behind made it more relaxing since we had only each other to keep an eye on. At the departures level there was just enough time to get our boarding pass, drop off our luggage and take the very long path to the gate. With an Air Canada app that I had downloaded I had all the flight details right at my fingertips. And it surprised me when we were just seated at our gate and got an an alert. I gazed at my phone in disbelief. The gate had been changed and the flight was delayed due to plane tech problems. Really?? I had received this info even before it was announced to all the passengers sitting around us. How cool is that? With an hour to spare we decided to have some lunch. While we sat munching I heard our name being called over the public address but Hubby who didn't hear it said I was just imagining it. Later when being boarded the staff asked us why we had not responded to their call. They had wanted to let us know about the seat change. Funny thing and no app to tell me this? Guess apps still have many limits. 
   We had great seats with lots of leg room. The flight was smooth and lasted 2 1/2 hours. I watched The King's Speech to pass the time. Hubby dozed. After landing it didn't take long to retrieve our baggage. We opted for a limo to take us to our hotel, the Fairmount selected by Hubby, where we were given a lovely room. Once settled we took a stroll outside the place and  discovered we were in the heart of the financial and theatre district of the city.

 We found this statue of John Hirsch and Tom Hendry outside a theatre very interesting. Those two created the Manitoba Theatre Centre (MTC) in 1958 and in1961 the regional theatres began throughout North America. A friendly local person offered to take our photo beside those famous dudes. On our walk we saw many gorgeous older buildings. Sadly they were often unoccupied and neglected. What a waste of real estate! Below is a Confederation Life Place for an example.

 When my eyes caught the golden letters on this structure I grinned and just had to snap a photo. Who knew there would be a white house in Winnipeg? Notice it's vacant too.

  After our walk we treated ourselves to a fancy dinner at the Velvet Glove. I chose poached pickerel from Lake Winnipeg served on a bed of lentils mixed with capers and fresh local vegetables. He opted for the filet steak and had calamari as an appetizer. Of course we did the wine and dessert too. And he ended this eve with a bit of a cigar. Saturday would be busy so we headed to our room and retired before midnight.
   At noon we met up with his relatives who were also staying at the Fairmount and planned our trip together to Portage La Prairie where the wedding reception was to take place at 5:30pm. A van that accommodated us was rented for that purpose and at 3:00pm we headed out of Winnipeg. The hour long drive took us past the Assiniboine River and we could see how very high the water level was. Fast too. Predicted to crest a few days later, by today things have turned for the worse. Much rain has fallen. It is likely to seriously flood its banks this weekend. And the water will remain on the flat prairie for weeks to come. Farmers expect to loose a lot. Canada grows much of the world's wheat on those fields.
   The Herman Prior Hall was rented for the occasion. Much work went into the detailed decorations. The bridal party wore the same attire as at the alter to add to the charm of the event since over 3/4th of the guests were not able to be at the ceremony in Mexico. The reception was lots of fun. Hubby made it his point to be the bride's uncle to remember and he was a hit with many of guests. His many years as a Rotarian have taught him to find the right words in any situation. He knows how to be humorous and relaxing with any audience. He wooed and charmed the ladies and of course he took any opportunity to share his best Cuban cigars with those who dared to puff them! A live band blasted some familiar tunes and there was dancing and lots of food and drinks. That's how weddings are. Lots of fun. In the wee hours of Sunday our designated driver returned us safely to our hotel.