By: Samie

Travel Dates: July 18th-22nd, 2024

Day 3

(A l’Epi de Blé French Bakery, The Forks Market, Thermëa Nordik Spa)

After a good night’s rest, the next morning marked the dawn of our first full day in Winnipeg! We had one big thing on our agenda, which left the rest of our day easy-going and flexible.

When it comes to traveling style, Luke and I have a much more exploratory feeling towards visiting new destinations compared to the rest of the family. However, something we all agree on is enjoying a nice and easy morning whenever possible, so we were able to sleep in a little and watch some TV before moving further into our day. I, however, am much better at sleeping in than Luke is, so while I enjoyed the comfort of the bed for a little while longer, he made a trip over to a cute little French bakery that was conveniently located across the street from our Airbnb.

There were so many tasty treats to choose from that Luke and the family member that went with him (I don’t remember who) made sure to pick out an assorted variety of different delicious delectable delights!

It wasn’t until around 10:30 that we decided to start getting ready to head into the city. One of the places Luke and I wanted to visit was The Forks Market, and we figured this would be a great time and day to do it. The one set in stone thing we had planned for the day was visiting a Nordik Spa that Annie recommended as our expert guide for the long weekend in this fun, foreign city. You have to book your time to visit, and our scheduled time was 2:00, so we had about 3 hours to fill first!

A little history and information about The Forks and The Forks Market; The Forks itself is a 14-acre historical site located where the Red River and Assiniboine River meet. Several archeological digs have led to the proof of early Indigenous groups arriving and setting up camps in the area. Discovered artifacts lay evidence to First Nations including Nakoda (Assiniboins), Cree, Anishinaabe (Ojibwa), and Sioux. The Assiniboine River provided a great course for the arrival of European fur traders to initiate trade with the local people. The area remained a trading hub for fur into the 1880s. Around 1886, the rail yards of several different railroad companies became the dominant features of the Forks site. The Forks Market was actually created by joining two of these railway stables together. The market now houses two stories of vendors selling a wide variety of local foods, wines/drinks, fragrant products, souvenirs, apparel, and a plethora of items from local Canadian artisans.

We were fortunate enough to find a pretty decent parking spot as we pulled up to The Forks lot. With The Forks Market being so large, we decided the best plan of attack was to divide and conquer. This let Luke and I to our own devices.

We started in the souvenir shop closest to the entrance where we found a surprising amount of items that caught our attention! Some of which included a sweatshirt for me (as I have been collecting one from each place we have visited), a magnet to add to our collection, a set of Héritage musical spoons for Luke, a little Canadian flag, some stickers, and some pins.

As we continued our way along the first floor, we came upon a retro arcade. One of the long walls was completely lined with the largest assortment of pinball machines I’ve ever seen. There were also a few skee-ball machines, some different prize-playing games, and other electronic video games a little more recent, like racing games, etc. There was also a claw machine filled with little rubber ducks and creatures that caught my attention. Not that I have an obsession or collection of rubber ducks or toys (even though I realize I had also tried to catch one at the claw machine in Nashville in case you missed that post), but I absolutely love claw machines! However, there was still so much to see, so we put revisiting the arcade on our list if we had extra time.

We continued on our way and came across a coffee shop, and it was well-past time for a caffeine boost, so we hopped in line to sample some local coffee at Fools and Horses Coffee Company! We kept it simple but classic with some iced lattes to sip on while we continued our way around the market. We came across some very cool stops such as a shop filled with colorful and eccentric items, a crystal shop, a candy store where we purchased some iconic maple candies, and a carefully curated shop with prints, paintings, foods, pottery (I was tempted to purchase just about every piece), and hand-made items from local artists.

Along the way, we found some things we wanted to try for lunch. Luke visited a few placed to get some poutine and a hot dog from Wienerpeg, and I stopped at a bakery called Tall Grass Prairie Bread Co. where I got a cheesy bread twist and fruit pastry. I also got a pecan square for later. Our meal was very tasty and enjoyable!

The very last place we came across was a huge antique mall in the basement of the second railway stable in the Johnston Terminal. I was absolutely in love at first sight. The very large area was absolutely filled with all kinds of vintage keepsakes and antiques, including glasswares such as Fenton, which has become my absolute obsession in the last year or so, with the reasoning unclear. Either way, I could’ve easily spent hours upon hours wandering through the aisles and aisles of trinkets and Knick-knacks. Unfortunately, since it was our very last stop, we didn’t have hours and hours, and the time dwindled down all too quickly. I didn’t have the time to see everything and make an informed decision on one thing to buy. I settled on a cute vintage white perfume bottle shaped like a rocking chair (yes, it also actually rocks) with a golden cat perched atop as the lid for the bottle. It was then time to head to Thermëa to keep our spa appointment.

We parked and were walking up to the Thermëa Spa building about 10 minutes before 2:00. We got checked in and received our spa bracelets where we could charge any extra purchases to (similar to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland) during our time there. The lobby and outside the building is the only place that phones are allowed. Upon entry to the locker/dressing rooms, mobile devices have to be stored and locked in your designated locker. This contributes to the peacefulness and tranquility of the spa.

Once checked in, you are allowed to stay at the spa for as long as you’d like. The spa focuses on thermotherapy and relaxation techniques. There is a wide variety of wellness installations including 4 different outdoor baths, 4 distinct saunas, an exfoliation room, numerous outdoor and indoor rest areas, and a restaurant and lounge if you need a meal during your time.

There is a recommended Thermal Cycle that they can walk you through. However, since Annie had already been here before and was familiar with the cycle, she walked us through it instead. The cycle is a heat therapy treatment based on a 2,000-year-old tradition that began in the Nordic countries that involves alternating hot and cold temperatures, followed by a rest period. To receive the maximum benefit, it is recommended to complete the three steps in order and repeating them three times.

Step one is the hot cycle and is performed exclusively in a sauna. This cycle lasts 10-15 minutes and as the body stores heat, the skin pores open and expel perspiration to regulate body temperature, which eliminates toxins that have built up over time and impede proper functioning. The next step is the cold cycle, which is 10-15 seconds and can be accomplished in a cold bath or under the icy waterfall. Although definitely not my favorite, this step is important to lower the body temperature after the intense heat of the sauna. This step creates a thermal shock which stimulates the contraction of skin pores and release of adrenaline. The final step was probably my personal favorite step. It is the rest step, which is 20 minutes in one of the many different relaxation areas. The rest period allows adrenaline secretion to slow down and make way for endorphins to allow the feeling of relaxation and calm to fill the whole body. Some of the ways to fulfill this step is in the relaxation pavilion around a fire or in a hammock. My favorite spot to relax was the warm bath.

There were several other rituals and experiences that we took full advantage of and enjoyment from. Once every hour, the facility performs the Aufguss ritual. A gong sounds ten minutes before the start of each ritual to allow you time to make your way over to the Finlandia (dry) sauna if you choose to participate. Something to note is that the sauna does tend to fill up very quickly for these rituals, but it is also definitely worth attending at least one for this unique experience!

The Aufguss is a German ritual whose ancient practice is designed to heighten the effects of traditional vaporization techniques by using water enriched with natural essential oils. You start by taking a seat on your provided towel wherever there is a comfortable space to sit in the sauna. The higher up you sit, the more intense the heat during the ritual, and it is completely acceptable to move down or leave during of the heat becomes to intense. You are encouraged to listen to your body. Each session is lead by a Ritual Artisan. The artisan starts by going over what is to be expected during the ritual, including scents used and duration, while also making sure you are aware of the safety measures and parameters I expressed previously. Two scents are chosen for each ritual by being infused into a snowball and ice that the artisan drops onto the hot stones of the sauna. With designated music playing, they then use a towel to accompany choreographed movements that whips a breeze and vapors around. Every once in a while, a whip of heat will careen over your face or an ingestion of the powerful yet soothing oils will pierce your senses as the artisan beautifully swings the towel around. It is a very cool and unique albeit intense experience!

Another one of my favorite areas I discovered while exploring ways to relax I never previously thought possible was located inside the Relaxa Relaxation Chalet. Yes, it is aptly named. Inside the chalet, there is a tea station where you can help yourself to one of their refreshing cups of hot tea (it is important to stay hydrated during your visit). There are also heated seats that are set in front of a large window for you to overlook the sit or sun bath from inside while enjoying peace and quiet. However, my favorite area of the chalet was called Tellura, a soft lit room without windows that always has gentle music playing. It is filled with resting mats and one large, heated stone apparatus where you are meant to close your eyes and meditate, relax, or even nap. The heating apparatus was my favorite spot. For the longest time, I was the only person in there, as Luke and I had split up to enjoy the spa to our own preferences. One person join me in the room on one of the mats after a while, and we relaxed in complete silence. However, a meditation was scheduled to be held, and a few more people entered the room, including Luke and the rest of the family, and we all laid through a guided meditation. The room filled up but was still much less full than the saunas get at rituals. After the meditation, many people left, including my family, but I stayed to enjoy the warmth and nap for a little bit.

Afterward, I grabbed a cup of tea and found a lounge chair out under an awning to relax in for a while. After a couple more rounds around the spa and a few more cycles, we all met up as we were getting a little hungry. We shimmied into the robes that we had been provided to see if we could get a table in the restaurant for some supper. We all found something to fill out tummies. I tried carpaccio for the first time, and surprisingly enjoyed it! After eating, we decided we were content being done with the spa for the day. We had already managed to spend about 5 hours there. After being relaxed to max, we were ready to spend a quiet evening back at the Airbnb. We had a full day ahead of us the next day as well as being the main event, so stay tuned!