Greenfield Books Ltd., Winnipeg

Hidden away in a century-old house in one of Winnipeg's toniest neighbourhoods, Greenfield Books is a repository of some of the oldest, rarest, and just plain neatest books in western Canada. The owner wasn't in when we called, but his charming assistant, Alison, was, and made us feel welcome. All books are neatly displayed, and well organized, on two levels, and range in price from $10 to $25,000. We asked about our particular interest - early formularies and pharmacopeias - and before we could turn around, Alison had checked her computer (all the books on the shelves have been catalogued on a computer database), and found two quite rare, and reasonably priced titles. We bought one, and then had a good look around, admiring the nice collection of rare maps, and fine framed prints, which adorn the walls between bookcases. We wished we could have spent more time, poking around, but our itinerary demanded that we hit the road. But we'll be back.