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Saturday 21st September 2019 – OTTAWA!

So here we all are, people, despite all of the prophets of doom and gloom. Strider, Strawberry Moose and Yours Truly nicely settled down in Ottawa in the bosom of another branch of family – one that I never knew that I had until I posted a casual remark on a page on the internet.

This world is far too small for my liking, as I have said before, except for my cousin Sandra.

And do you know what? It’s two years TO THE DAY that we met on the only other occasion, in Kingston.

A rather late-ish night last night but a really good sleep, and awakening to find no less than FOUR voice files on the dictaphone, one of which goes on for 00:08:42 and I’d love to know what that is all about.

I had a laze around for a few hours and then a shower, a shave and a general clean-up before slinging all of my gear into Strider.

A walk took me around the shops to buy some deodorant as I have run out, and some food for the next stage of my journey. And the crisis is over, it seems. Epinette, or Spruce Beer, is back in the shops. They are minus two bottles now.

On the road now for Ottawa and fighting my way through the roadworks and traffic jams and breakdowns. It took me ages to pass through Montreal this afternoon.

But soon I’m on the clear road and Strider and I can open up a little. I’m doing 100 kph – the legal limit on the highway – and everyone is going past us as if we are standing still.

What’s the matter with Canadian drivers? Don’t they understand anything about speed limits?

There’s a rest area ahead so I pull in for lunch. Baguette, tomato and hummus again. A ride on the porcelain horse and then a trip down the road to the service station where I saw fuel at $1:13 a litre (I saw it at $1:09 a little later) even though Strider didn’t really need it.

Back on the highway in the heat and I’m in Ottawa in about 90 minutes. Roadworks everywhere of course. But I find the chocolate shop to buy some chocolates for cousin Sandra who is kindly hosting me for the night.

Sandra has a lovely house right by the river, so it’s a good job that I have o holes in my socks or anything to let the side down.

Recently, I had heard from “a reliable source” that there was a really good Indian restaurant in Ottawa. “Ohh yes” said Sandra. “It’s on the corner here” so off we trot. A tiny place and we have to wait 20 minutes for a table and then another 45 minutes for the food. But I do have to say that the food made it worth every minute of the wait. It was delicious.

Sandra’s sister was passing briefly so she called in for a chat too.

Back at the house we exchanged family stories and then I went off to bed. Sunday morning so a lie-in, I hope. I think that I’ve earned it.

So now that I’m in Ottawa, what will tomorrow bring me?

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Sunday 7th November 2010 – I DON’T THINK MUCH OF OTTAWA

parliament buildings ottawa canadaThe Civic Centre and all of the Parliament buildings are really quite beautiful and well worth a journey to go to see but 10 minutes out of the centre in any direction you have quite a seedy and down-at-heel inner city. Something like Brussels or Washington DC for example.

motel concorde ottawa canadaMy motel was right next door to a Salvation Army thrift shop and there was a pawn shop just across the road. And outside my room this morning was a …. errrr … pavement pizza.

But before anyone becomes too excited by my comments, where else would you find an adequate (because it was) motel or hotel at 68 dollars per night within a short distance of the epicentre of a Capital City?

parliament buildings ottawa canadaBut I had a good couple of hours around the city even though it was absolutely taters and what with all of this and with yesterday at Exporail I’m a day behind.

But I don’t regret the delay for a moment, as you can imagine looking at these buildings. Sticking around the Parliament buildings, you can see why.

spectacular setting bluff river ottawa canadaThe setting of the Parliament buildings is quite spectacular too, on a bluff looking over the Ottawa River.

You can see why it might have been that this bluff at Bywater, as Ottawa was originally called, overlooking the Ottawa River, was chosen to be the site of the new Canadian capital (much to the chagrin of the Quebecois who refuse to acknowledge its existence and have all their road signs pointing to Gatineau, the town across the river.

typical rural road ontario canadaBut I had a belt through the high Ontario plateau across the top of Toronto on some really stimulating roads that reminded me very much of my wander around the Trans-Labrador Highway and I’m now in another cathouse of a motel at an even-more-reasonable $59.

Tomorrow I’ll be back in Windsor where Strawberry Moose
will be meeting up with his big sister again.

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