A gas station attendant who saw my license plate just outside of Winnipeg was asking where I'd come from and where I'm going, and then asked me, "Why did you come to the worst place in Canada?" I don't know: I think the kind Manitobans who have hosted me so far would take offense at that question! SR and I have stayed with a Manitoba lifer who LOVES Winnipeg, as well as a family who moved to the outskirts of Brandon from southern Ontario and now love the prairie more than they ever could have expected. Yes, it's very flat here, but seeing the value of this place through the eyes of people who truly love it gives me an appreciation for what is certainly NOT the worst place in Canada.
The endless fields of brilliant yellow canola are gorgeous...
...and we got to visit the beach vacation town of Gimli on Lake Winnipeg, the largest settlement of Icelandic people outside of Iceland.
Our host in Winnipeg was my friend SH's aunt (you will see SH later, as we trek across the Yukon and to Glacier Bay together next month), L, who has spent her whole life in Manitoba and never wants to leave. She gave us great advice for exploring the city. I especially loved wandering around The Forks and the Exchange District.
Then on to Brandon to stay with long-time friends of J, my McDonald's Corners host, on their lovely land. It was the patriarch of this family who used the term "prairie people" to describe himself and others who love living in Manitoba, and I love that. The view from their backyard says it all.
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