[banff]

More pics from the interventions conference location:

[lake louise]

Supreme gorgeousness:

People skating, skiing, and playing hockey on frozen Lake Louise.

Yup, that's right. That's me, standing on frozen Lake Louise!

[snowed in!]

 

  

  

Snow fight!

 

And yes, my Hunters' wellies aren't quite adequate for Edmonton snow.

[views from royal alberta museum]

[little italy in edmonton]

One of the many highlights of moving to Edmonton is our proximity to Little (though very little) Italy and the delights this area brings. One of our favourites is the Italian Centre Shop. Visiting this supermarket is like a little taste of home (my Vasto home). Upon entering, all your senses are bombarded by a plethora of culinary treats. The sound of prosciutto slices falling onto waxed brown paper and the salty buttered taste that employees let one try before buying. Then there are the shelves, each bursting with hundreds of types of olive oils, balsamic vinegars, passata, Crodino, and anything one might need. A shopping trip here is like a little trip to Italy.   

[october skies]

[difference in edmonton]

As I've mentioned before, driving to and from uni gives me time to notice all sorts of differences between the village in Hertfordshire (Kimpton, just north of London) where I was living in England and now Edmonton.  Exiting the Anthony Hendy motorway (or rather, highway here) and travelling east on 100 avenue (all the streets go north and south, all the avenues go east and west), I found myself marvelling at the six lanes of traffic, all going in one direction while the next street north had six lanes for the opposite direction.

Although there are a few traffic lights, there doesn't seem to be a build-up and we flowed along nicely. Also notable each time I'm on the road is the sheer size of the vehicles. Most drivers here seem to prefer trucks though there are a few smaller jeeps and SUVs.

[dawson bridge]

[capturing downtown edmonton]

 

 

 

[views from the car]

Driving home from uni I always catch myself marvelling that I'm here. In Edmonton. Living and working back in Canada. It feels amazing. And, as many of you know, I'm seldom without my camera, so I find myself nabbing shots when at a red light or waiting my turn at four-way stop.

 

 

 

 

 

[labour day weekend: elk island national park]

 

  

[downtown edmonton on whyte ave]

I've been told that there's some great people-watching to be done on Whyte Ave in Edmonton.

This is what I spotted the other day:






Yes, that is a man, walking down the street with a snake around his neck. And yes, that's a young girl petting the snake.

[views of edmonton]

[edmonton, alberta]

click here to see a bigger version

On a recent wintry visit to Edmonton, Alberta I was quite struck by the snow; it was a very different texture from what usually falls in the Greater Toronto/Niagara region and definitely different from the few flakes that have fallen across South/Eastern England this year. Edmonton is so dry that the snow falls more like glitter, it is soft and ever so sparkly.