Outstanding
Ottawa - catching up
We have had so much fun it has been hard to take time to post photos of this lovely city......
It
is also hard to say too many nice things about the capital of Canada. We enjoyed
outstanding museums and great food along with walks in the public gardens.
The
Bytown Museum informed us about early Ottawa history. The town was originally
called Bytown by Colonel John By who was the chief engineer for the Rideau
Canal. The town owes its existence to
the canal and originally was quite a rowdy place with plentiful taverns and
ladies of the night. So, when the town wanted to become the capital of Canada
and add some polish, the city fathers changed the name to Ottawa after one of
the native tribes in the area. This
museum is housed in one of the original canal buildings with a view of the 8
locks where the canal exits into the Ottawa River.
Our
visit to the Museum of Civilization required a trip to neighboring Provence of Quebec. We walked across the river through a park and
alongside the National Art Museum where we had a view of the building reported
to have no straight lines. In the native culture of the architect, buildings
with curves have no corners that can harbor evil spirits. The outside was impressive,
like many of the architectural wonders we saw here, yet the inside provided
insights on the native peoples of this area as well as a unique look at the history
of Europeans in this county. My little brain would need more than one visit to
absorb all the details and information displayed here. Just one more good
reason to return to Ottawa!
Another
popular stop for us was the Byward Market – just a few blocks from the boat
where we found everything from grass fed beef to shwarmas plus all the fruits
and vegetables in between. Our trolley tour guide informed us that there are
more than 100 restaurants in the market area. We didn’t count, but found the
variety of options overwhelming, yet we suffered through sampling as many as we
could. Another good reason to come here again!
Eating LOCAL
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ReplyDeleteI love this section of your blog! I was in Ottawa this August-missed you by only by about 1 week! I went to meet my birthfather and his family who live in Ottawa. I look forward to reading about your new adventures! Safe journeys with the kitties.
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