And now's the time to really leave comfort behind and officially start the journey! First stop, Ottawa and Gatineau (May 18-19).
We left a little later in the morning than we wanted to initially, which meant we would arrive in Ottawa in the afternoon. Luckily for us, this also meant no traffic, and because it was Saturday, we got free parking at the City Hall! (Parking is free all weekend, make sure you take advantage of it!)
Our first impression of the city was that tourist season wasn't open yet... it was so quiet! Except in front of the Parliament, THAT was full. In general, the streets were almost empty, even on a Saturday night. Also, foodies beware! Restaurants are hard to find, and though the ByWard Market is full of pubs, you'll be hard-pressed to find good dining options even around the Parliament.
Anyway, as soon as we walked out of the City Hall, there was Confederation Park, unfortunately a little less green than we had hoped for, but pleasantly empty, leaving us plenty of time to check out the sculptures around. There was also the Tulip Festival happening on that weekend, so we had fun taking pictures! It was a shame it was so cold still, not the tulips were in full bloom; they were still very pretty though. From there we walked up to the Rideau Canal Waterway, which was really beautiful and peaceful, and then on to the National Gallery of Canada, where there was an art exhibit about Nietzsche (of course, we went in for Joel, the philosopher).
Then there was also the Parliament, and we were happy to get a view from across the river too! It has fascinating architecture, and the fountain was very impressive. There were just too many people to our liking, though, so we decided to call it a day after a little more walking and went to have a bite. We parked overnight at Leamy Lake (at the entrance, the poor park was flooded), and "set camp" for the night.
The first activity on the Sunday was the Canadian Museum of Nature, housed in a beautiful historic building and FULL of amazing exhibits! We were especially impressed with their collection of dinosaur skeletons, most of them being real ones, not casts.
Then we were off to the Royal Canadian Mint! We were lucky enough to get tickets for the French tour in the afternoon, as all other tours were booked. It is always a good idea to book in advance, but hey, we like to live on the edge. ;) Pictures were not allowed inside, but it is very impressive and chock full of info about collector coins, quality control, and value of materials, plus a little history. Then we visited Notre-Dame Cathedral, another beauty in the heart of Ottawa. Then it was time to pay ByWard Market a visit, and that's where we found the Ottawa sign! Always fun picture ops, but there were much more people here so it can be kind of tricky. We also took a selfie on the other side (since phones flip the lettering as in a mirror), so you can also do that as people don't seem to think about that strategy. Also, just sharing a random pic of some pretty weird statues we stumbled upon...
We ended up going to Gatineau for dinner, and upon recommendation from one of my bellysisters (I do oriental dancing), we went to La Papaye Verte, a Thai restaurant right on the other side of the bridge from Ottawa. Really good comfort food, just spicy enough, great service, and huge portions! Thanks, Steph. ;)
So, after two busy days in Ottawa, we went back to sleep at the same spot, and made plans to visit Gatineau Park the next day. We were visiting primarily for the Carbide-Willson Ruins near Meech Lake, which were more easily accessible than we thought! It was a very nice hike, and the ruins were quite impressive. A lot of barriers will "try" to prevent you from exploring, but nobody really listens to those, eh? We had a lot of fun posing and looking around the property.
We treated ourselves to a nice little Airbnb in Gatineau, took a hot shower, and went right to sleep. Next up, a little stop in Almonte, and then off to Gananoque and the Thousand Islands! Stay tuned, folks! 💜
TL;DR: We liked Ottawa, but it was a little too quiet for us. Loved the different viewpoints on the Parliament, and fave activities were walking along the Rideau Canal Waterway and the Canadian Museum of Nature. The National Gallery of Canada's Nietzsche exhibition was awesome, and you should check out the Royal Canadian Mint, too. If you're looking to snap a shot of the Ottawa sign, it's in the middle of ByWard Market . In Gatineau, the Carbide-Willson Ruins are fun to explore and the park offers nice trails in general.
Comentários