Ottawa, Canada

Wednesday, July 26- Gananoque, Ontario- Canada

We were up early at 7 A.M. A dewy fog had blanketed the River. Wisps of gray tendril, fog-smoke drifted around our complex. We had coffee in the room, packed and prepped for the day, checking out at 9:00 A.M. We followed Rte.#401 East to Rte.#416 North and then #417 East towards Ottawa. The surrounding countryside is rural, with conical silos, the odd brace of horses and farm houses dotting the countryside.

On #417, we exited onto Metcalf St. and took a circuitous route through the city along Slater Rd to Elgin. We pulled up in front of the Lord Elgin Hotel. It is a solid, multi-story edifice built in the 1940’s. Check-in was a bit hectic, as the beleaguered valet scurried to the hotel lot to retrieve exiting cars and park incoming. We were assigned Rm. #448. It was spacious and clean. At $139 per night, it was a bargain for Ottawa. We unpacked and settled in. As we were leaving, a fire alarm sounded and the building emptied. We were headed out any ways and followed the exiting throngs to the street below.

We espied a small Starbucks, at Elgin and Slater, and settled in for coffee and croissants. Then, we found and walked along the Sparks Street Pedestrian Mall. It is a six-blocks long string of open air restaurants, tourist shops, street performers and office workers, lolling for lunch or a break. We listened to a musical group, watched another street actor and then browsed a few shops, buying some postcards and stamps. It was warm, sunny and hot out.

From Sparks Street, we walked up to Parliament Hill, a few blocks over. In a U shaped Court are three principal government buildings. They are an eye catching combination of London and Paris in the 1600’s, though constructed here in the 1860’s. The 1867 Act of Confederation, by the British Parliament, had established Canada as a separate nation. Queen Victoria had selected Ottawa as the site of the new nation’s capital. It sits strategically on the Ottawa River, astride the border of Ontario and Quebec Provinces. The Main building looks more like the English Parliament than the real item in London. Roof lines, flourished in black wrought iron, and the cathedral shaped windows reflected the beauty of the French influence on the two flanking buildings. The green copper roofs, waving Maple leaf flags and crowds of tourists gave it a holiday flavor. The sky was an impossible blue and the bright sun showed the area off to advantage.

We walked by and admired a casting of females in bronze, a tribute to the early leaders of the Canadian Suffragette movement. Queen Elizabeth, astride a magnificent copper steed, was next. In various other monuments you can read in copper, about John McDonald, the nation’s first Prime Minister and other worthies of the emerging Canadian nation. In 1867, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Ontario and New Brunswick had been merged into the New Nation of Canada.

Behind the Main Parliament building sits an elegant Library, circular in shape and faced in brown brick. It is surrounded by flying buttresses like the rear of Notre Dame Cathedral, in Paris. It is an eye catching masterpiece in stone. We looked out, from our perch on Parliament hill, and could see the twin silver spires of the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the beginnings of “Embassy Row” along Sussex Street. Over 120 nations have embassies here, some impressive. The New U.S. Embassy had cost over $200 million. It looked like a granite faced fortress, a sign of the times.

We photographed a uniformed RCMP Mountie on her horse. It was a big draw for the tourists. Then we wandered a bit enjoying the spectacle of a Nation’s Capitol in Summer, tourist throngs enjoying their heritage. It is impressive by any one’s standards.

From Parliament Hill, we walked along busy Rideau Street, passing another eye catcher in stone. The Chateau Fairmont Laurier is a turreted fairy style castle in the grand manner of the Canadian Rail Road mega hotels. They were built in the 1800’s, from Quebec City to Victoria on Vancouver Island. You could easily visualize knights and princesses running along the battlements. The proud builder of the hotel had never seen it completed. He had gone down on the Titanic in 1912.

Along side the hotel, we could look down into the Rideau Canal. It is 10 feet deep, about 50 yards across. It runs 200 km, from Ottawa to Kingston on Lake Ontario. A series of 47 locks are needed to complete the journey. The British had originally constructed the canal as a system for military transport from 1826-1832. It had been dug by hand using Irish Laborers, making $.50 per month. Near the conclusion of the project, it had run out of funds. To keep the laborers digging, they were promised land along the canal. Even today many of the settlements, along the 120 miles canal, are peopled by descendants of the original diggers in distinctive irish conclaves.In Winter, the canal is drained to a depth of two feet. It then freezes soild. Thousands of ice skaters enjoy the largest ice rink in the world.

We had booked a 2-hour, gray line city tour. It was to pick us up at at Elgin and Sparks Sts. ($20 each) The guide was both informative and amusing. We drove by the enormous Beau Arts Center, the huge War Museum and the much used Museum of Civilization. All are impressive in size and design. A Veteran’s monument stands near the Beau Arts museum to pay tribute to Canada’s fallen.

A quaint “little Italy” lies along Preston Street. Nearby, on Somerset, is a colorful “China Town.” Both have lots of restaurants. Next, we viewed a seemingly anomaly in the very center of Ottawa, a nations Capital. Here sits an 800 acre experimental Farm, used for agricultural research. Rows of corn and other food crops sit next to small orchards. Farm animals completed the rural juxtaposition. It is also a well used park for city residents.

The guide commented on the rising price of gasoline. Canada is self sufficient in its oil needs, getting most of its supply from the oil fields in Alberta. yet the price of gas here was now $1.07 a litre, well over $4 a gallon U.S. They are a net exporter of oil to the U.S. So why the high prices here? Go figure.

We stopped briefly at a small park, called Hogback Falls, for R & R. Then we proceeded to the very pricey suburb of Rockcliffe. We passed by the “Rideau House, “ on Sussex St. It is the residence of the British Governor General of Canada. He has little actual official power, but is the ceremonial representative of Queen Elizabeth in Canada. Two of the “toy soldiers,” with their red jackets and black bear helmets, stood guard at the gates of the home. Only the dull, matte finish of the lethal looking M-16 rifle, that they carried, alerted you to the actual reason for their presence. Nearby are the home of the Canadian Premier, Stephen Harper, at 24 Sussex, and several other magnificent mansions, housing various embassies and officials. The homes in the area start at 1 million and range quickly upwards to $30 million. This is where you live when you have made it in Ottawa.

If you here the name “Rideau” mentioned several times, it is because it is on many named places in Ottawa. The term means” curtain” in French. In 1613, the French explorer Samuel De Champlain had surveyed the area by canoe. Noting the the waterfall on the Ottawa River, he remarked that it looked like the curtains (Rideau) in his apartment in Paris. The name had stuck fast through the centuries.

Lastly, we drove through Gatineau, a French suburb. It had been named Hull until two years ago. It had originally been founded by ex patriate Americans, fleeing the American Revolution in the 1770’s. Then we exited the tour. Ottawa is a beautiful city in Summer. The Rideau Canal, the Ottawa River and the government complexes and embassies all create a tapestry of forested urban beauty. It is eye catching and impressive, as befitting the capital of a Country as large and affluent as Canada.

We walked across the Sparks Mall and on to our room at the Lord Elgin. We were tiring from the day. I wrote up my notes as we sipped a glass of cabernet and then drifted into a conversation with Ozzie Nelson. (nap.)

Later that day, we dressed for dinner and walked along Elgin to “Darcy McGee’s Irish Pub. “ (Darcy had been a founder of the Canadian Republic but was assassinated near Parliament Hill in 1867.) It sits at the end of the Sparks St. mall, just across from Parliament Hill. It was hot and humid out. The place was wall to wall with diners. The outside cafe was laden with beer drinkers. We settled in to an Irish style bar, with wooden tables and pleasant waitresses. We had some Smithwick’s ale, then Atlantic Salmon and salads. The food was pretty decent.($54)

After Dinner, we walked across to Parliament Hill. It was dusk. They were getting ready for the nightly “light and sound show” that is projected onto the face of Parliament building. At 9:30 P.M. the show started. The crowds were considerable. Thousands of tourists coming to watch their nation’s heritage on display. It was a 30 minute version of “La Belle Canada,” featuring, in light and sound, the considerable bounty of the Canadian Republic. We enjoyed the production.

It was 10:00 P.M. and we were tiring, but set off for one last experience. We stopped by the luxurious bar, of the Chateau Fairmont Laurier, for a glass of cabernet. The lobby is elegant, befitting a grand hotel like this. We enjoyed the brief stop. It was 11:00 P.M. as we walked along Elgin to our hotel. It was hot and sticky out. We were tired as old logs in a swamp. We settled into our room, read for a time and then drifted into the welcome abyss of sleep.

Thursday,July 27- Ottawa, Canada

We were up at 7 A.M. It was rainy, muggy and already in the 70’s out. We had coffee and read the papers in our room, as we watched the T.V. news. At 9:15 A.M., we set out for Parliament Hill, stopping at Starbucks for coffee and croissants. We wanted to catch the 10:00 A.M. “Changing of the Guard” ceremonies. A large crowd had already gathered, around the roped off quadrangle, when we arrived. Martial music was blaring from a sound system, waiting for the arriving soldiers. We heard them before we saw them. Two troops of twenty soldiers, bedecked in scarlet red jackets, tartan kilts and tall bear skin helmets, marched up along Elgin and Rideau Streets to the center of Parliament Hill. I noted the black watch tartan on the kilts. They might look like toy soldiers, but they weren’t. Americans had looked down the sights of their rifles at these men in two wars and fought alongside of them in a dozen others. They were hardy warriors fully prepared to rock and roll if they needed to. The snub M-16s signified their lethal intent. They were to stand in pairs, in one hour shifts as guards, at the gate of the Governor General’s house on Sussex street.

The Commander of the Watch barked out shrill orders to the troops. They marched, wheeled and stood at arms in synchronized movement to the delight of the crowd. The incoming troop then stood at attention for the inspection of their arms and attire, by the Sergeant of the Guard, while the outgoing troop stood at attention. Finally, the pipers wailed out the stirring melody of “Oh Canada,” the Canadian National Anthem. The crowd and the soldiers sang along in unison. From scores of hockey games in Buffalo, the music was as familiar to us as our own. Then, the departing troops lifted their colors and marched off down Rideau and Elgin to their barracks, pipers piping and drums drumming.

After the ceremony, we walked down busy Rideau St. to the “By Ward Marche.” It is a large collection of stalls selling fruits, vegetables and other items, surrounded by restaurants, small notion shops and other attractions. It reminds me of the Quincy Market area near Boston’s Fannuel Hall. “The Fish Market Restaurant,” Oregano’s,” “Dublin’s Aulde Pub” and many other emporiums were already doing a brisk trade from the many tourists and natives come to shop.

From the Market, we walked along Sussex Street, past the U.S. Embassy. The high fencing, manned gate and gray granite walls gave the appearance of a heavily fortified outpost, like our other embassies in many parts of the world. It is a sign of the times. Next , we found and entered the twin spired Cathedral of Notre Dame. It is old,from the mid 1800’s, with carved oaken shrines and dark wooden pews. A Mass in French was being celebrated. We sat for a time enjoying the silent ritual of yet another age old ceremony. Just across from the Cathedral sits the large Veteran’s Monument, a tribute to Canada’s fallen. I noted that Canadians had been involved in many wars that Americans had not. Actions in India, South Africa, and other venues of the British Raj, had been supported by Colonials from all members of her Common Wealth.

Next to the Veteran’s Monument is an architectural vision in steel, glass and gray granite. It the Fine Arts Museum. Three stories of granite, with floor to ceiling glass windows, catches the eye. The rear of the building is a modified geodesic dome, in glass that sparkled in the the noon day sun. For $6, we entered this stone and glass pyramid, marveling at the size and grandeur of the facility. “The European and American hall” first drew us. Boucher, Van Gogh, Renoir and Pizzaro all had interesting pieces. Two of Dali’s were fascinating.

A a brief stop in the Beaux Arts Cafe for coffee, was pleasant. The glass walls, over looking the scenic Ottawa River Valley, are restful and eye candy. After coffee, we found the “Canadian Hall.” It is an interesting collection of rural and Winter tableaus celebrating Beau Canada. Jackson, Thompson, Morrice and others depicted the full wealth of Canadiana. Two others painted in a fashion similar to Marc Chagal and Edward Hopper. It was well worth the visit.

Lastly, we visited the “Inuit Hall” in the basement floor. In whalebone, basalt and green native stone, are depicted scenes from fishing, whaling and village life. It is an interesting portrait of native Canadian life on the far shores of the Arctic Ocean. The natives had recently succeeded in creating a new Province in Canada, Nunavit. It is carved from the Northwest Territories and is peopled by native Inuits along the Arctic shores of Canada. The “two hour Museum glaze” had overtaken us. It was time to leave.

We walked back along Sussex St.. to the Marche, looking for a place for lunch. Everything was awash with hungry tourists. We found and entered the “Blue Cactus Grille.” It is open and airy like Sloppy Joe’s Grille in Key West. We settled in for Louisiana Shrimp salads and ice tea. ($35)

After lunch, we walked along Sussex St., to the Rideau Center across from the Chateau Laurier. It is three stories of pricey shopping, cafes and small bistros. We delighted in the air conditioned luxury of this elegant oasis. We people watched, browsed the shops and enjoyed the beauty on display before us. A second story pedestrian bridge took us into the lobby of The Westin Hotel. It is spacious, airy and luxurious, befitting the arm and the leg that they charge you to stay here. From the Westin, we walked along the Rideau Canal. Outdoor restaurants were serving lunchers. Pleasure boats were moored all along the canal. The boat names, with home ports on their sterns, were from everywhere.

We crossed the canal and walked through a small park across from our hotel. Then, we proceed along Elgin St. to a “real people’s” neighbor hood. Ottawa’s City hall, a delightful Norman Style Church, from the mid 1800’s, are the gateway into several blocks of small shops, restaurants and other facilities that serviced the thousands who lives nearby in a many storied collection of condos and apartments. We browsed and looked for a restaurant for this evening. “Johnny Farina’s” looked promising. It was hot and we were tiring. We walked back to the hotel, had coffee in the outdoor star bucks and then retreated to out air conditioned room for a glass of Cabernet and a conversation with Ozzie Nelson.

Later, at 7:30 P.M. we set out along Elgin St., to Johnny Farina’s. It is a two story , comfortable place with brick walls, wrought iron railings and lots of charm. It was pretty crowded, but we were soon seated on the second floor. We noted an enjoyed the presence of “young people” here and in Ottawa in general.” Full employment drew people in their 20’s and 30’s to Ottawa by the thousands. A half litre of a delightful Sicilian red(Dio Naboli) entertained us before dinner. I had chosen the Linguini Pescatore, Mary, the Penne and red sauce. Clams, mussels, shrimp and scallops, over Linguini in a blush sauce, was exquisite. At $60, the pace was a find.

After dinner, we strolled along Elgin Street up towards the Sparks St. Pedestrian Mall. It was hot and humid out. At Darcy Mc Gee’s Irish Pub, we stood for a time and listened to the Sons of Scotland play some stirring music on their bag pipes. They were dressed in full Scottish regalia and were fun to watch and listen to. We bought some SOS raffle tickets and enjoyed the evening. Throngs of tourists were already headed up to Parliament Hill to watch the nightly sound and light show projected onto parliament Building.

It was getting late and we were tiring. We walked back along Elgin to our hotel, where we settled in with our books and waited for Morpheus to claim us. It had been a lovely, albeit brief, stay in a beautiful City. Canadian’s should be proud of their Captial. It shows off well.