Economic Studies in Edmonton

Today was another day for sleeping in. However, I was up early and immediately hit the hotel pool. It was really cool here with a large whirlpool and a view of Rogers Place.

At 9 a.m., we met in the lobby to go have breakfast together. We headed to OEB breakfast co. Well, it was mentioned in the all-knowing document, but honestly, it wasn't necessary. The menu didn't really appeal to us. What Jörg ordered was... well, just so-so. Comparison to Eggspection is not even fair. Neither in quality nor in value for money. I just got scrambled eggs with toast, which was okay to eat. For Mücke and Andi, there was coffee. I don't need to do that again.
We returned through the Edmonton City Centre. A lot was still closed, but a manga store was open. Everyone went in, and whether it was Pokémon cards, lamps, keychains, or a Pokémon unicorn, everyone, except for Jörg, found something 😂 I had hoped to find at least one of my tokidoki unicorns, but sadly, no luck.
Since our hotel is very centrally located, you can reach it from almost anywhere downtown via the overhead pedestrian walkways. We just weren't clever enough for that. At least we made it across the street to the building opposite, then stepped outside for some fresh air. The weather was pretty nasty, but sitting around in the hotel wasn't an option.
We quickly stopped by the fan shop, dropped off our purchases at the room, and headed to the Druid, an Irish Pub a block away. We arrived just after 10:30 a.m. Upon arrival, we were faced with locked doors. They don’t open until 3 p.m.? Well, checked Google and found Campio Brewing Co. A nice brewery where we spent some time in a chill atmosphere. After much fanfare and excitement, we unpacked the Pokémon cards. Sadly, all were duds. By the time we left the brewery, it was already past noon, so our next stop was Firehouse Subs. Just a short 20-minute walk, and we were there. We wanted to try it out. It’s like Subway, only a bit spicier. It was actually pretty good. From Firehouse, we returned to the Druid. By then, they were open. We stayed there until dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory, where we had a reservation. When we came out of the pub, it had transformed from wet and nasty into a winter wonderland 🥰
The food at The Old Spaghetti Factory was, like in Vancouver, really delicious. We all had a 3-course meal—starter, main course, and dessert for under 20 dollars each. Well, it was still early in the evening, so back to the Druid. Jörg preferred a cozy evening in the hotel. A few others from our travel group were already in the pub. Everyone sat together, and it was a fun crowd. They eventually left, while we remained seated 😅 I think I managed to leave just before 1. The other two? No idea.
Although we didn't do much today, it was a relaxed, fun day.

Note: In Edmonton, they really don't care if the ladies wear high heels (see street grates).