This next set of photos were all taken around late April and early May of this year. Minnesota had a very long, cold winter this year. We had probably two more snow storms after these pictures were taken, which is why all of the trees look so barren. I had originally taken a bunch of pictures at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, but something happened to the role and I lost a lot of them.
This is and image of the conservatory. It is much larger than what is shown with another outdoor garden in the back. Inside was humid and filled with beautiful plants. The zoo itself was not that extraordinary. We walked through the entire thing in about and hour or so. There are amusement park rides for children in addition to the animal exhibits and conservatory. The entire park is free, however, so it spending the afternoon there was still pretty enjoyable.
This is us waiting for a bus to return to campus. The bus does not go straight to the Como Zoo, but gets pretty close. It's only a few blocks of walking and the buses usually come every 15-20 minutes on the high frequency 84 line, which runs up and down Snelling Ave. On Sundays, however, they are much less frequent and we just happened to miss the one we had planned on taking! Some bus stops are covered, like this one. These are amazing in the winter because they block from the wind and snow. Some of them in the bigger areas (the southbound stop at Snelling and University) even have heaters to make it more comfortable for passengers. Some stops, on the other hand, are just sign posts on the side of the road, without even a bench. It's really hit and miss. Regardless, it's very easy to get most places in the Cities via bus!
The next photos are from the Cathedral Hill district. For my birthday this year, I went out with two of my friends, Maddie and Lidia. We went to a French cafe on Grande Ave. called Chez Arnaud. We all got a little sandwich and some kind of dessert. I got a delicious cold salmon sandwich, a berry filled tart, and a delicious cappuccino to go with. At school, I always feel deprived of espresso at school. Despite the coffee maker in my apartment, there is just something about espresso that regular coffee just can not match.
A shot of our table and one of Grand Ave. There are multiple sections of Grand that have different shops, both local a commercial.
The image is a little blurry, but the food is still clearly visible. After lunch, the three of us went for a walk on Cathedral Hill, aptly named for St. Paul's Cathedral sits up on the hill in perfect view of the surrounding neighborhood. It's beautiful, especially in the summer or after a big snow. These photos were taken while we were waiting for spring, but are lovely nonetheless.
The shops in this particular area of Cathedral Hill are on the first floor of all these older buildings, complete with apartments on the upper levels. Even in the gloom of the false spring, they look lovely and give off a warm feeling. There are many restaurants in the area as well, each catering to different tastes. I have not yet eaten at many of them, but there is a rather special coffee shop there which I will save for my next post (because it truly deserves its own post).
Since the Cathedral is so large, I was not able to actually get a full shot of it. I may try again when I return for the Spring 2014 semester. I did manage to get some photos of its splendid domes and beautiful masonry. The second picture in this set is the view of Saint Paul from the corner in front of the Cathedral. During the summer months, it looks spectacular with bright green trees dotting the hillside. Sadly, I was not in Minnesota long enough this year to see spring fully arrive, let alone summer.
For my next post, I'll write a little more about Minnesota, specifically my two favourite places: Macalester College and Nina's Coffee Cafe. As it stands, I am current beginning a 7 month odyssey around the world. I have pictures for a few more domestic posts and one or two about Prague, Czech Republic. As soon as I figure out where I can develop (and buy) film overseas, I will start posting things more current.
