Vespa Rental

This is the vehicle I rented. My first reaction was it looked like a McDonald's delivery scooter, but they don't have those here, and it is also pretty close to my actual previous scooter.

I didn't figure out what that building was used for, but what interested me was the wide-open empty space in this area.

Looking a little to the right, I could see the CN Tower. To teh right, that little pink box was the Backyard, where I would go to a punk show shortly after.

Epcor.

I went to Freecloud, only to find it already closed.

The building has been heavily renovated.

There's the Prince of Wales Armoury.

This condo complex is where I worked as a security guard in 2003, when it was under construction.

Some more interesting architecture further north.

My grandmother used to live in this house. I don't remember the two evergreen trees, despite having mowed this lawn for years, nor the weird religious shrine on the right.

I did not park here.

Here's the orthodox church behind my grandmother's home.

And this is the hospital where I was born.

I was curious to look more at this apartment building but couldn't get a good angle in the current sun conditions.

This looks like it would be something less morbid.

This building had a bit of a facade on it that I don't understand the purpose of.

I guess not everyone is happy about the Elks. Or just prefers eating raw meat?

Next I went downtown to look at brutalist architecture like this.

And this.

And this.

This is something else.

Same as the "And this" building.

The whole street was closed off.

Three fairly inocuous looking houses.

My mom said when she was young she used to hang out in that red-brick building. She also said back then it was also empty.

A farmers' market.

I now recall going here while in high school.

Overlooking the River Valley, I could see the pyramids of Muttart Conservatory.

And a bridge I can't name.

Plus a couple more bridges that look unfamiliar.

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Another church that looks pretty traditional.

In the distance is what must be a court building of some kind.

On the backside of the Gibson Block were a few murals.

I liked this representation of the city.

Here's a look at the downtown core.

Another unused building.

Not sure anymore what attracted me to this view.

A good contrast of the old bricks and newer glass of the downtown core.

This building stood out.

Down this street, like down a few others, were these nacelles that are part of Grant MacEwan University.

I really liked the design of these apartments.

This house on the edge of the River Valley was under renovation.

I used to live in this building, and it was probably the best place I lived without my parents ever.

This structure is part of Tipton Arena, a small ice rink I assume is mainly for hockey.

I wrote a book in which some characters used that apparatus to climb onto the roof. I note that they now have a fence up there to prevent people from climbing up.

This is bold architecture.

As is this.

This is a pretty good mural.

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I drove by the streetcar stop.

This house used to be the Sandbar, one of the more memorable punk houses of the city.

Here's a short tunnel for the streetcar.

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I went down into the River Valley, where I stopped here, remembering one snowy New Year's Eve when I was driving a car that almost rolled off a road uphill.

This area on the south end of the downtown core resonated with me. It was familiar but I didn't remember it, but also it has appeared in my dreams.

I stopped here for a few pictures of the bike.

An odd structure up on the flat roads.

The building with the rotating restaurant I'm familiar with.

I don't thinkm the top of this rotates.

A parking garage sign outside a notable venue.

This is a pretty impressive-looking building.

An old bank building.

A fairly impressive apartment building.

Almost back to where I started.

This is a completely new development that I remember seeing on my 2017 visit, but that had not existed on any previous visits.