WE board the train and I found my little cabin. The bed is made, and it occupies the whole space, but as it is my private space I don't mind. I fall asleep being rocked by the train (there are some worrying noises, it feels as if it is about to fall apart), but as we get up in the morning and look around we see that all is well; there are elegant dining rooms, a lounge -narrow, but comfortable with plenty of room to sit, a bar offering drinks and food, some 'panorama' carriages with wide windows
I get to know my fellow travellers. There is a beautiful dark haired Indian looking lady, she describes herself as member of 'the first nation' and talks about the horrible Whites who 'have taken everything from us'. She is on the way to Edmonton , to meet her husband who is working for 'lots of money' at a refinery; 'a very dangerous job'. She also talks about her lovely children. They are doing well, having overcome their hurdles. Then there are couples who have chosen train travel because they 'hate flying'. This particular pair would have find it hard to sit in an airplane seat, they would need at least two, each. They endear themselves to me as they declare that 'Trump is the man to vote for, he will make America great again'. Of course, most people are decent and pleasant to talk to; they travel by train because the enjoy a leisurely journey, are not pressed for time, and wish to admire those famous Rockies. Then there is a young Australian, who is really afraid of flying. He is getting all sorts of advice from his fellow travellers regarding his problem. He works - interestingly- in the computer games field; I would think that a person familiar with gadgets will feel at ease in a flying machine.....
So we talk, eat, read. The Rockies have not come into view yet, they start after Winnipeg, where we have a long stop, long enough for us to have a conducted tour of the city. The sun is shining and we get to see the city really well. As we walk around our guide talks about the rich cultural life of the city and its bilingual - most children are getting an education which makes them fluent in both French and English. We start with The Forks, the national historic site, at the confluence of the Red and Assinboine rivers. This is now a very trendy area, with elegant shops, eateries , displaying some aboriginal symbols. It is early in the morning though, and the place is empty.
Aboriginal symbol decorating The Forts
We listen to our guide as she talks about the multilingual character of Winnipeg. French is widely
used and most children are educated in both languages.
Our next stop is the Legislative Assembly, a splendid traditional building build in 1911. There are many symbols from the Bible, mythology, aboriginal lore which are supposed to be hard to decipher. There is no mystery about the statues of the two bulls guarding the entrance.
The Cupola
The next stop is the Assinboine Park, which also houses the Zoo, which we can't visit. We only get to see a buffalo, one black and a rare white one, through the fence.
We admire the statues in the park. (theirs is the only presence; there are no people around.)
St.Boniface
I walk away with the impression of a city pleasant to live in, and very beautiful.
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