Ottawa
Today I traveled to Ottawa on a business trip. Two of us took an Air Canada flight in From Boston. From there we drove to Kanata for our meeting. By three in the afternoon our were on our way back to Ottawa and ready to go for a walk. The weather was cool and sunny - a perfect Autumn day for a walk.
We parked and headed for Sparks Street which only allows pedestrians. This area is tastefully filled with restaurants, coffee shops, souvenir stands. The were others walking there, but not enough to for me to say it was crowded. The pedestrian area goes for several blocks and as you cross the streets you can see into the other downtown sections. There are many tall office buildings and each has its own style. Many of the building have a well decorated from entrance… flower pots, etc.
Next we walked over to Wellington street and along the river dividing the Ontario and Quebec provinces. Above the river here is a walkway along the river and a railing. While walking along the trail there are monuments, gardens, and great views of the city. We stopped to look at Canada’s Parliament Buildings, watch a few squirrels, and to read some of the engraved plaques on the monuments. At this point it became obvious that Ottawa is a beautiful city and the citizens work hard to keep it that way.
After that it was time to head back to the car. On the way back we saw that the sidewalk was getting crowded in the area of the bus stops. Work was getting out and it was obvious that the government was a primary employer. As we arrived at the car, we found a parking ticket. (I guess the three US Quarters didn’t do the job. In less than an hour we were having a beer at the airport.
It was a great day to be in Ottawa!
Filed under: Canada on October 25th, 2007 | No Comments »
Web browsing has taught me a little about Ottawa. Previously I knew that Canada’s Parliament was there. That’s it. Here what I know now:
Over the years we’ve decided to travel in October - possibly because it’s our last chance to enjoy the remaining warm weather before Winter closes in on us. Our trip to Niagara-On-The-Lake was no exception - and we did have warm temperatures. Since the trip was suggested by our friends Steve and Kathy from Guelph, Ontario, we invited them to join us. All of us stayed at a Bed and Breakfast in the nearby Wine Region.
As you probably have guessed, Niagara Falls is pretty close to this area. And, if you haven’t been there, you should - but you also need to see Niagara-On-The-Lake. The town was named the Prettiest Town in Canada and all you have to do is go there to see why. We traveled from Massachusetts flying into the Toronto Airport. On the way to the Bed and Breakfast we stopped by Niagara Falls. The rest of the time was spent walking around the Niagara-On-The-Lake area. If we travel there again (and we will) we’ll do the same thing. Looking back, we spent a day walking through the wineries, a day at a wine festival in nearby St. Catharines, and a day at Niagara-On-The-Lake. All offered good walks. I would say The Best Walk was along the Lake. As for the best wine tasting, …well, they were all good. (There’s no such thing as bad wine tasting.) We also enjoyed the company and the dining and everything about this trip.
All of the walks through this area are easy and pleasant. The photo to the left is of Fort Niagara, now a tourist attraction in the State of New York. The picture was taken standing on the lake shore of Niagara-On-The-Lake. It’s a close as it looks and is completely unguarded (at least it was when we were there). As you can tell, we are very fond of this area. And, there is no doubt that this is a great place for walking. Try it!
A few years ago my son and his wife drove North to Montreal, the to Quebec City. When they returned, the raved about Quebec city saying that although it was much further than Montreal - it was well worth the extra time. They said being there was like being in a European city. French is the dominant language, the city is walled, the streets are narrow, etc. Their favorable review was all it took to convince my wife and I decided to take a drive.
We chose Columbus Day weekend to travel. This gave us an extra day at the risk of competing with other North bound travelers. To beat the traffic we left work early Friday afternoon. We arrived at our Hotel Friday night. Early Saturday morning we were ready for a walk. It was October and there was somewhat of a chill in the air. We dressed accordingly. From our hotel room we walked to the first intersection. To the left we could see a long string of outdoor cafes on both sides of the street. We took a right heading towards
the city walls. We walked through the entrance to a vary well decorated area. Most of the buildings were of brick construction and had window boxes. As you would expect, this was a commercial district with every thing from t-shirt shops to high end restaurants, yet the area had a great feel to it. We walked to the end of that street and over to another. And yes, we did stop a couple of times. (Did I forget to say my wife was with me?)
It seemed that the more distance we left behind us away from where we entered, the more the scenery improved. We just kept walking around. A little bit later the weather became much warmer. We were delighted that we picked such a perfect day to explore Quebec. We found ourselves removing our jackets as we watched a street performer. Next we saw that there was another lower section to the city. For couple of dollars we took a funicular - a glass elevator down. The short ride offered a view of Saint Lawrence River and the lower city. 
