Day 51: Zero Day - Winnipeg

Date: Wednesday, July 5, 2023

I woke at Iris's and she was up right behind me and getting coffee and breakfast.  I opted to join in on the coffee because she uses a moka pot and it makes a nice strong brew!   I said no to breakfast because I was planning to go out and find a bakery and stuff myself silly.  We chatted more as she prepared for work and got to know one another better.  (I'll tell you more about her in the next post).

Iris went to work and I set about mine.  First was shaving.  Then laundry.  My clothes were der.tee.  As I did laundry I wrote blog posts.  This took about 2 hours total and once laundry was done I changed and set out for a bakery.  But - because I'm cursed or something - the bakery I went to was closed.  I eventually found a bagel shop and opted for lox, cookie, and coffee.  I continued trying to catch up on the blog post.

I now needed a haircut.  I'd shaved my hair down low when I left, but that was over 50 days ago now and it was starting to stand up in places when I woke up.  I found a spot called "Waltz On In Barbershop" that looked perfect.  I waltzed on in.  And was immediately asked if I had an appointment.  I didn't.  And I was told I wouldn't be getting a cut today.  So I waltzed on out...

I guess barbershops in Winnipeg were busy, because I had to do some calling and online research before I found one with a single spot to cut my hair!  I got an appointment for 3:30pm and went in search of a library to continue blogging.

As I was walking down the street I saw two people on bikes with all the gear.  Clearly on a tour.  They biked past me and stopped nearby.  I decided to go say hello.  He was biking to Montreal and had started almost one year ago on a world wide bike trip.  She was a friend from Germany who had joined him in Calgary and biked here to Winnipeg with him.  We exchanged info and decided to meet up for dinner!

It's crazy.  It was the same corner I had come around the day before when I entered the city.  At almost the exact same time.  If I hadn't been there, I never would have met them.  Complete coincidence!

And that's how I met Larry and Claudia.

I found the local library branch.  And guess what....

It was closed today.

I don't know what I did to have this happen to me so often.  But so it goes.

I opted to explore a nearby neighbourhood and found a park where I sat and just enjoyed the day until my haircut.  At 3:30 I went to The Loving Barbers Company and got my cut.  Bryan did an excellent job and I was now shaved and shorn!

I wandered back to Iris's apartment, continued blogging, and did a quick phone call with some friends to check in.  Iris, Larry, Claudia, and Rory all agreed to meet for dinner at the same place we'd been the day before (The Forks Market) so we all headed there.

We all met up - travelers on different journeys - at this place in Winnipeg: The Forks.  A traditional meeting place for the peoples of this area for thousands of years, it just seemed fitting that geography had forced us into this spot and we all got to meet and spend time together!

Rory was leaving to go join some people for a social bike ride where everyone dresses up as cowboys.  We said goodbye to him and he headed off for the bike ride and the Folk Festival for the weekend.  I was happy I got to meet him and hang out with him that day.  He's a cool guy and a fellow cyclist who is involved with pushing for better bike infrastructure in Calgary.  I was happy we got to finally cross paths and get to know another.  Have fun at Folk Fest Rory!!!

Iris, Larry, Claudia, myself, and a student from the University of Manitoba who was hosting Larry - to my shame I cannot remember his name - ate dinner together and talked about our trips.  Larry is a university professor at McGill specializing in composites and is currently focusing in the recycling of wind turbine blades.  His ride around the world is part of his sabbatical, and he's giving talks at universities as he travels.  Clauia is a friend of his from Dusseldorf and biked with Larry in The Netherlands when he started his trip last year, and then joined him here to see the Canadian Prairies.  I was happy to hear that she enjoyed it as much as I had!  She was flying back to Germany the next day.

We ate and drank and enjoyed one another's company.  It was an awesome time, and I'm going to stay in touch with Larry as he continues his trip.  He's going through the U.S. from here as he is giving some talks at universities in Michigan, but I will definitely look him up in Montreal once I'm back there.  You can read more about Larry's journey and project here.

I managed to snap one picture of the group.  It's sadly blurry and poorly lit.  But it was a great night of new friends and wonderful company.

Iris and I biked back to her apartment and talked a lot more.  In the morning I'd be leaving.  We eventually turned in.

I didn't tour Winnipeg while I was there.  I didn't try to see anything special or particular.  I got a lot of smaller busy work done to prepare for Northern Ontario (which is almost two weeks of remote biking).  But I did manage to spend a lot of time with people I really enjoyed!  What I did see of Winnipeg I really enjoyed.  It will be there the next time I come back.  The people likely won't be!  So I was happy I'd spent time with the cool folks I'd met in the city.  Especially when it was just a chance encounter on a street corner!

Remember, the real adventure is the friends we make along the way!