Road Trip - Ottawa

I think we'd be considdered rather poor Hosts if we did not take our visitors to our Nation's Capital for at leat one day... so we all piled into a rent-a-car and headed west.

Captain Didier...

Co-Pilot Leo and Navigator Misster-Kitty...



And the passengers... a.k.a. ... Les Enfants!

We landed in Vanier first at friends Andre and Francis and then made way directly to the downtown. We walked from the Byward Market , past the Mint...


... and over to the cliff face overlooking the Rideau Canal and Parliment...

Then 'round the Chateau Laurier and up to the Hill...

Self Portrait...

Look up, Look waaaaaay up!

As it happened we were there just in time for a guided tour. You get to see the House of Commons...

Walking the Halls you see lots of Portraits... Personally, If I was Liz I'd be a bit miffed at the size of my protrait. Next to her Father and other family members... she seems a little ... well... Little!

Ole Victoria knew how to give good portrait!

We then went to the Senate, these are the inside of the main doors..

and the Library...

All are incrediblly impressive when you are there. The camera just does not do any of them justice.

After the guided tour, you're allowed to wander and wonder... I took a ton of pics... surprise I know!... here's a few of the Main Hall...

We then went up the Peace Tower. (I never knew there was an observation deck there before!) After a short elevator ride up you are greeted to 360' views of not only the Hill but the city as well.

The Back...

...and then down in front...

...and WAY WAY UP!

I think this impressed me more than anything... not because it's all that high, but just the complete surprise that the observation deck was there and open, that and the Memorial Chapel inside the tower itself where all the books containing the names of all the armed forces, men and women that dies in service to Canada are kept. Whether you believe in the previous or current wars, armed conflicts, it's peace keeping missions and so on that Canada was/is a part of it's a very powerful place... You cannot help butfeel awed.

And this impressed me just tha much more... this is just over the door to the chapel...

After that... A quick walk around the hill to see the recently restored Library facade...

... visit a few queens...

Ole Victoria

...and Lizzie the Second...

After that, we headed back to the Market, had a drink at the Look Out, and then went for a quick bite to eat at the Black Thorne and then off to a friends condo in Gatineau to watch the fireworks competition at the Lac Lemay Casino. Suffering from Fireworks withdrawal we needed a fix... It was Venezuela...

Not bad, but they do not broadcast the music that accompanies the fireworks so you lose a bit of the intesnty. As well, it's a much smaller competition with only Competitors and the a Finale by the casino itself.

*Sigh* ... now we have to wait til December for the Winter Festival fireworks... *sigh*

After that we headed back to our friends Andre and Francis... for an incredibly sleepless night! It was still over 30' after midnight and *sniff sniff* no A/C! ARG!