Day22 Ottawa (Sat)

We’re up at 6:30ish, bags out by 7:00, on the bus by 8. Skipped breaky this morning and had a deep and meaningful instead. Feel a bit like I haven’t seen much of Montreal but we don’t know where to go or what to do except the underground shopping which is not real alluring after what we did already.
We’re on the bus heading for Ottawa (the capital of Canada), Ontario province, the provincial capital is Toronto. South is great lakes, west is mountains, 25,000 lakes, they manufacture more than half of Canada’s industry, 25% of farming, and hydroelectric power, Niagra most famous. Ottawa used to be the centre of Canada’s logging industry in the 1800s. Reedo canal from Ottawa west, the oldest canal in operation, mainly for defence but used mainly for goods and people. Some very good museums in Ottawa.
This time 3 weeks ago we were on our way to Brisbane, actually at the Rocky airport seeing Rel and John off. Seems like months ago. More lift music from Lay (our guide) and some anniversary presentations, 1 year and 1 week anniversaries, an older couple (Mrs Bukket and Graham and the young couple from Brisy). The countryside is green as sual with lots of water. Quite a bit is cleared, the trees all tall and some browning. We head mainly west, the sun rising behind us. GPS batteries keep dying and I need to charge some tonight.
Lay, hands out a quiz to keep us occupied and gives us the run down on Ottawa, then hands out maps. We drop off our baggage at the Lord Elgin hotel, a real nice place but they all seem to blend into one another except for the bad ones that you tend to remember more. We are an hour early so I go for a walk up to parliament house for some pics, a stretch and look around. A real nice city, perhaps not as nice (just different) as Quebec but better than most I’ve been to so far. I walk back to 2nd cup but Chris had just left.
Back on the bus the guide does her thing and shows us around the city explaining the history and sights to be seen. After a couple of hours we pull up at the markets for some lunch, sushi for main and beaver tail for dessert. Some pastry thing in the shape of a beaver tail with lots of different toppings (we choose cinnamon and maple syrup). We do the markets, then walk up to parliament house for the 5 ladies tea party and a look at the old man who keeps the cats, but the tours don’t start for another 20 min and the canal tour starts before then. The canal water way is beautiful with, paths and trees lining the way and people riding, walking along the way and enjoying the warm day, blue sky and gentle breeze. The 20 minute trip to the lake and boat turn around is very relaxing and we nearly fall asleep on the way back after the commentary has stopped.
We go back to the market to get some cheap canned maple syrup which adds another kilo to our luggage, not to mention, which I am, the local chocolate which rivals the Swiss. We get back to the hotel about 4:40pm and get ready for dinner at Friday’s Roast House restaurant with the group. Its a nice time in the old refurbished house, the nice roast meal and pleasant company. Afterwards we go for a walk up town but the weather turns bad and starts to drizzle so we duck into an Irish pub a couple of blocks from the hotel. They have a local live band and we enjoy some Bob Dylan songs redone before heading back on the wet streets to the hotel all dry.