Mini Road trip

 Worlds largest Ukrainian Sausage, Mundare, AB

Worlds Largest Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter Egg) Vegreville, AB)

Another random train (there are lots of these about in towns)

Moose (honest!)

 



This week I spent two nights staying in Vegreville, Alberta with my Manager (Cara) as we were  training on a new banking system at the local branch in Mundare just down the road.  This area of Alberta is largely Ukrainian Canadian hence the giant sausage and Easter egg.  These objects were funded  by a special federal government grant to encourage small towns to embrace their heritage.
The staff at the Mundare branch were very welcoming and took us for lunch both days and made sure we got to the local quilt shop (opposite the branch) and the Ukrainian sausage shop. There were some small moments of training but mainly lots of chat about the history of the area and what's the best place to get pierogies. 
All the staff at the branch were from Ukrainian families and most only learnt to speak English from the age of twelve.  Some very odd accents about that's for sure.
My Manager is also Ukrainian but by her own admission a "bad Ukrainian" as her family are not orthodox in their celebrations etc. 
On our travels to and from north Alberta (5 hours from Ralston) we saw a fox, coyote and three moose which is pretty impressive.  To me anyway, Cara was not that impressed but then she has seen these things all her life!
An amusing part of the trip was the conversation I had with the Branch Manager, Shelley.
Me (showing off): Oh, I make my own sausages
Shelley (delighted): You hunt?
Me (bemused): Goodness, no.
Shelley (confused): Where do you get your meat?
Me: Costco
Much laughing at this remark.  Around those parts there is no Costco and if you want meat, you shoot it! 
Though it was a fun trip it is nice to be home. Not much happening here in Ralston, weather slightly warmer than last week thank goodness.