Hello and welcome, it’s Monday so time for a blog post about the wonderful city of Ottawa, Canada.
The statue of Samuel de Champlain, cartographer and founder of New France and Quebec City on the Rideau river, Ottawa.
As mentioned in my previous blog I arrived in Ottawa last Monday. I have now had the pleasure of being in the city for the past week. Ottawa lies on the border between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It was situated there by Queen Victoria to integrate the two provinces into the newly formed Canadian Federation. If you want to know more than that just Google it- or read it yourself in one of the museums here. Passing between the two provinces involves crossing the Rideau river near the entrance to the Rideau canal.
As with any capital city, no it’s not Toronto, Ottawa contains Canada’s parliament, many government buildings and Maple Leaf flags everywhere. Visiting the parliament was a great experience. This is especially the case as it will be closing at the end of this year for around 10 years of extensive renovations. Tours are free, but get there early if English is the language you want it in! In addition to that, at 10am there is the changing of the guard ceremony, very familiar to anyone who has visited Buckingham Palace. On the day I watched the ceremony it was very hot, I did feel sympathy with those wearing bearskins and red tunics. The history of the building is very interesting- but I’ll leave that for now.
Parliament’s Library, with a statue of Queen Victoria in the centre. This was the only part of the building to survive intact after a fire in 1916.
Another highlight of Ottawa has been the War Museum; it’s massive! It covers from the arrival of the First Nations to return of Canadian troops from operations in Afghanistan. The museum also forms part of a network of memorials to Canadian war dead that includes the Peace Tower in the Parliament building. If history and conflict are of interest to you then be sure to include this when in Ottawa. The air conditioning system was also a blessing, so much so that I actually felt cold for the first time in Canada this summer. Speaking of heat it has cooled down a little here. On Wednesday the mercury was reading 37 degrees Centigrade feeling like 42 degrees with humidity- phew.
Continuing on the theme of history the hostel I am staying is a former prison- closed in the 1970’s. Now the only inmates in here pay for the privilege. The prison held a number of public executions and the gallows area is still very much in evidence. There are apparently a number of ghosts and the like, I have yet to experience anything of that nature. That said, someone in my dorm last night had a night terror- so who knows! I am currently sitting under a half-vault ceiling basement designed to amplify sound to make guarding prisoners easier.
The city of Ottawa is smaller and less hectic than Toronto. There are not as many skyscrapers and less of a 24 hour lifestyle. A lot of the city quietens down after government workers have gone home. Night-time here too is quieter, although there is still some fun to be had. The end of any good night out involves a serving of poutine or chips/fries with gravy and cheese curds. I discovered that here it is pronounced poo-tin rather than poo-teen, still it is great to savour a Canadian institution. I’m unsure whether it shall, as a Brit, supplant cheesey chips from their crown but we’ll see!
Poutine with (Canadian) bacon and sour cream. Purchased sometime between midnight and sunrise.
My stay in Ottawa has been brilliant, but could be improved in one aspect. Being in North America means that the car/truck is king, but please sort out the cross-walks (pedestrian crossings). Either get diagonal ones or ensure that pedestrians aren’t hanging around for ages waiting to cross! 😛 All jokes aside, this has been a really enjoyable segment of my trip and I’m looking forward to the next stop- spoiler alert- Montreal. It has been great to spend time with people from the local area and all over the world. Canadians are a great people and yes they apologise too much! If coming from elsewhere, please don’t skip over Eastern Canada and head straight out west. There’s plenty to discover here. Thank you to the locals who have been so welcoming and hospitable- you know who are.
Finally, a little soap box moment. It’s so sad to hear this week of the deaths of the travel bloggers over in British Colombia. May it also serve as a reminder to all of us that live this life short or long-term. Wherever the road leads treating people, places and environments with respect, diligence and care is of upmost importance. By all means get out there: there’s a world to explore and experience! I’m not one for inspirational quotes but one by Neale Donald Walsch caught me this week: “Life begins at the edge of the comfort zone”. Bearing that in mind, please stay safe and remember that continuously and consciously pushing boundaries of yours and others can have unintended consequences. Above all, just have fun!
That’s all for this week. I shall be in Montreal next Monday so I shall update with what happens then. For more regular updates, don’t forget that I have a Twitter account @mrlukeniktravel and an Instagram @mrlukeniktravels. As always, stay safe and keep travelling!
A view of the Rideau river from the view are at the top of the Peace Tower, Parliament Hill, Ottawa.
Dedicated to the residents of room 501- the best times- you know who you are too! 🙂