Saturday, 5 January

Ottawa

Our last day in Canada. Caught a bus to the Pretoria Bridge which is the start of the part of the Rideau Canal that is open for skating. As the canal freezes they open a section at a time until the full 7km rink is open. Yesterday they opened another kilometre but because the temperature was above freezing it was deemed unsafe and closed again.

From there we went to Dow’s Lake to look for some ice sculptures but we were a month too early. Walked into Little Italy to look for our morning cuppa and then caught another bus back into the city centre.

We had some time so decided to visit the Ottawa Art Gallery which is right next door to our apartment. This gallery has modern art and we were particularly taken with the work of Karin Rashid, a designer of unusual chairs as well as perfume bottles, kettles and all sorts of luxury items.

By now it was time to wander up to the Chateau Laurier for high tea at Zoe’s Lounge. We started with a glass of bubbly which was actually pretty bubbly - a first for us in Canada. Enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon of sandwiches, cakes, tea and good company. Had a look at a gallery of photos of special moments in the hotel’s history, which included some very famous faces, and were sad to see that the man behind its building died on the Titanic.

On the way back to our apartment we just had to pop into Joey Rideau for a last drink, and we were stunned and touched when a couple of the waitresses we’d been chatting to this week brought over a postcard they had signed and a bottle of maple syrup. What a lovely farewell to Ottawa and Canada.

Tomorrow we begin the long journey home so this is probably the last entry for this trip. We’ve survived the cold, learned a lot and had a great time. Thanks Karyn for inviting me along on the adventure

Friday, 4 January

Ottawa

This morning saw us wandering through the Byward Market area. It’s not a big market under one roof, rather an area with a variety of delis, bakeries, pubs and touristy shops. Not nearly as interesting as the great market in Montreal. We did find a bakery that I had read about in The Age’s travel segment. Its famous for Obama cookies because Obama stopped there and bought some. We had our morning cuppa and bun there and the cuppa was served the French way, in big bowls.

From here we went to the National Gallery of Canada, another huge edifice, with some wonderful exhibitions. I was impressed by “Anthropocene”, a collection of enormous photos showing the impact of human activity on the planet and its ecosystems. They were both beautiful and worrying.

There was also a special exhibition of the work of Paul Klee and I was surprised how tiny some of his pictures were, especially the ones with blocks of colour. I liked the whimsical ones too.

We had been told that one of the “must do” things in Ottawa is to eat a beaver tail, so we ticked that one off this afternoon. It’s a deep fried pastry in the shape of a beaver tale and you choose from an assortment of disgustingly sweet toppings. We opted for apple and cinnamon, unlike the man near us who had Nutella, smarties and caramel sauce!

Back into town for a quick drink (the tonic in my gin and tonic was flat) while we waited for it to be time for the light show on the Parliament building. Walked up there with a number of other people and thoroughly enjoyed the magical projections on the building. It was a beautiful, mild evening with lots of families, a snow covered lawn, music and lights.

Missed my Bellini tonight but we thought we should patronise a different place. Another lovely day.

Thursday, 3 January

Ottawa

It snowed overnight and when I looked out of my window I saw the little snow plough already hard at work clearing the way for today’s adventures.

We set off in the direction of a nice looking park we could see from our window and on the way we found the Rideau Canal. The bit we saw is not open for skating yet.

There were snow flurries as we walked and a I saw a couple of perfect little flakes on my sleeve.

Saw my first totem pole in the park.

We found a most impressive war memorial with the steps leading up to it being cleared by a council worker. We had a long chat with him about how they clear the snow. He was using blue granules which cause the snow to melt but which are more environmentally friendly than salt. He told us the night team had done a crummy job and they had spent hours doing it properly.

Along past the Parliament building to the library, outside which was a charming statue of a (very cold) cuddly couple sitting on a seat inscribed with quotes about reading.

Crossed the river and walked to the Canadian Museum of History. A terrific building with excellent displays telling the story of Canada.

Then back over a different bridge and into town. It was time to call it a day and quite by chance (!) we found ourselves back at Joey Rideau’s quarter of an hour before happy hour finished. A very good day.

Wednesday, 2 January

Montreal to Ottawa

This morning it was down the narrow stairs, then the icy steps, and into a taxi to the station. While we were waiting we each took a turn at exploring a little bit of the underground leading from the main station hall. Actually saw a nail salon that was open and some cafes behind the main hall. A few people were appearing through glass doors too. Perhaps it does exist after all! Loved seeing a family roll out a happy birthday banner they had made for Marie Christine.

It was a two hour journey to Ottawa through more very flat countryside. Once again it was difficult to get a decent photo through the grubby train window and with the train whizzing along. Saw lots of red barns and silos.

Our Ottawa accommodation is a total contrast to our previous places. We are in the centre of the city in a modern apartment on the 16th floor. Fantastic views both by day and by night.

Went out for a little stroll through nearby streets and found that it is quite slippery and icy here too. Stopped for a little refreshment in a trendy looking bar and rather enjoyed ourselves as it was happy hour and drinks and nibbles were bargain priced. I’m a convert to the peach Bellini.

Tuesday, 1 January, 2019

Montreal

Our plan for the day was to explore the famous underground city of Montreal ... mythical Montreal! When they say everything’s closed on New Year’s Day they mean it. We searched, we tried locked doors, we asked people and then we gave up and went to the big Ferris wheel. I tried to look happy and relaxed, with limited success. I don’t like Ferris wheels!

Last night there was a little snow and some freezing rain (poor New Year revellers!) so today’s weather related phenomenon was walking on crushed ice and through slush.

Had a nice lunch of crepes in one of the few places that were open and returned yet again to the Cathedral. It was closed earlier in the day and after lunch the queues were there again. Decided Anne’s photos were all we needed and gave it a miss.

Had another go at finding mythical Montreal and finally found a corridor leading out of the Victoria Square Metro Station. As you can see it was a very lively shopping zone!

We then tried taking the tube to another part of town but we popped up into the real world - no underground city, just more locked doors. Found a reasonable cafe for a cuppa and headed home, changing trains at Berri-UQAM, a station with some striking art. Love the Metro. It’s fast, smooth and clean.