Visiting Ottawa Canada Day
As planned ,Lynne and I headed off for Ottawa to be there for Canada Day. We had never done this ,we thought it was about time. It was to be a special Canada Celebration with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in attendance. There visit to Canada was their first as a couple and there was a great deal of anticipation of their visit to Canada wondering how they would be received and how this young couple would handle themselves.
With the excepting of a few Québecois angry types who cannot get over the fact that the French were defeated on the Plains of Abraham. and then abandoned by their cultural homeland, France , for 2 or 3 hundred years, the visit was hysterically well received, even in Québec. The couple charmed us showing poise and dignity while at the same time being very relaxed and obviously enjoyed meeting and talking to people wherever they went.
Lynne and I travelled Route 7, which is actually the Trans Canada Highway although it is not a major expressway. It was an opportunity to see some of Eastern Ontario, going through some small towns and countryside between Toronto and Ottawa.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (aka Will and Kate)
We were not fortunate enough to even see the lovely couple let alone shake their hands. There were about 500,000 people in attendance. My sister, the Royal Stalker, was also in Ottawa and did get to see the Duchess up close. (It was my sister who went to London for the wedding to sleep in the street so she could get a good view.) A black suburban pulled up in front of her as she waited for Will and Kate to arrive at the War Museum. The door opened and Kate stepped out in from of her. She was thrilled and recounted the event while we enjoyed a meal of South Indian food (Tamil) later that evening.
Lynne and I were just enjoying the celebratory atmosphere and watching people as they appeared with bits and pieces of patriotic regalia on. It was a scene of some of the diversity of Canada young to old, families. friends and couples, decked out in ways from the sublime to the ridiculous. My favourite was a young woman in a very white hijab with a red stove piped hat on top.
John and Susan (aka bloggers AC and Cuppa)
On the way into Ottawa, Lynne and I dropped in on a fellow blogger and his wife at Carlton Place outside Ottawa. AC and I have read each others blogs for a few years now and exchanged emails when we had more to share than could be contained in a comment. I always enjoyed his blog and felt we shared some things in common. I was pleased to be able to spend some time with him and his wife to discover that they are as nice as they revealed themselves to be through their blog. I think this is probably true of most people who keep a blog. Over time, we all reveal our true selves. It would be hard to maintain a false persona. I hope we will return to Ottawa again, as there is a lot to see and do there, and have another opportunity to visit AC and Cuppa
A Couple of Canada Day Pilgrims ( Ma femme et moi)
Here we are sitting on the curb of Wellington Street, which runs in front of the Parliament Buildings. At this point we were just people watching. There was a big viewing screen in the road for the crowd on the street, unable to get on the lawn in front of the parliament building .
Our view of the festivities was obstructed by a row of "port-o-potties" We were content just to soak up atmosphere and glad not be in a big press of a crowd, above and behind us.
Statue of Oscar Peterson
One of the things I really wanted to see in Ottawa was this statue of Oscar Peterson, one of the world's greatest jazz pianists. It is outside the National Arts Centre. His music is playing when you approach and the thing to do is sit on the piano bench along side him
Me and Oscar
You can see I am a man of simple pleasures. Besides I have painful knee joints that always remind me that to sit is better than to stand, even if it is just for a moment.
Statue of Maurice (the Rocket) Richard
I could not resist taking a picture of "The Rocket". He is the hockey equivalent of Babe Ruth or Willie Mays. (if you are not a hockey fan, or very young) When I was young he was the French Canadian player to watch while Gordie Howe was the best English Canadian player.
We had a lovely time. We stayed in the ARC hotel three blocks from the Parliament Buildings.
We ate out at some interesting restaurants (always a special infrequent treat for me) We made use of the "hop on /hop off tour bus" to get around and see the location of site in the city. We got off at the Museum of Civilization and spent several hours there (not enough time), in the First Nations' people section). We went to the famous Byward Market, once to look and once to eat, (not enough time there either). We saw where the Prime Minister lived among the rich and famous and were not able to drive by the the Opposition leader's home as it was among the richer and more famous. Actual this well healed area is where a lot of ambassador residences are as are some of the more important Embassies.
The American ambassadors residence has the best view, high in a bluff overlooking the river.
The new US Embassy is closer to downtown. It is a well fortified building on the street. My reaction was that it was obvious what country is at war with the World. There were at least three levels of security barriers on the street side of the building as well as some suspicious (defensive) sculptures on either side of the door. I would have liked to visit the American Embassy but I was not sure where the entrance was. It is too bad it does not have a more inviting appearance.
I like the current American ambassador to Canada, David Jacobson. I read his blog regularly and think he is very gracious as well as knowledgeable about Canada. The previous ambassador , Wilkins, from South Carolina, I felt did not know much about Canada and the one before him Cerutti, from Massachusetts was rude and bullying toward Canada.
(He criticized Canada for not going to war with the US against Iraq. In the spirit of Bush's "You are with us or against us" view of international affairs. he accused Canada of not being a good friend to the US. I would have so liked to have replied to him, "What kind of a friend tries to drag a good friend into a illegal and immoral war?" He owed Canada more respect for taking an independent sovereign (and as it turned out a correct) decision on the war.
Sorry for the political aside.
On the Fourth of July the American Ambassador holds a barbecue for his 5,000 closest friends at his lovely residence. I would have loved an invitation. If I had know it at the time he was just in front of us while we watched the Changing of the Guard, July 3rd, (The band was marching to American tunes in honour of the Fourth of July the next day.) (If you read his blog you will see his account of this), I would have love a chance to speak to him.. . . .blogger to blogger! It is worth a try.
We went on a tour of the parliament buildings. I did this years ago and Lynne has never done it.
While most school children do this at some time , like graduation from grade eight, Lynne decided when she and I were in school the best we did was a tour of the St. Lawrence Starch Works, that always gave our home town of Port Credit a distinctive and offensive cheesy smell, and a tour of the Ford Motor Car assembly plant in nearby Oakville. This tour I wanted very much to see the parliamentary library, . . . . truly beautiful.
We had a lovely time. But I was glad to get home and gather up Heidi. My son told me on the phone that Heidi accidentally bite Dylan, my eldest grandson. My son was about to leave for Arizona (he likes the heat) while his mother was visiting from Arizona to care for the children and not necessarily for Heidi.
After less than a week away I have long grass to cut and flowers in my flower boxes to try to revive.
Oh yes one of my cat had a kitten and brought it out of its hiding place while I was away. So I now have a wild (half grown) cat that has never been handled by a human in the house. It makes life interesting.
Canada Day was a great success this year with the biggest crowd in Ottawa ever on a lovely sunny day. I trust my American friends had a wonderful Fourth of July.
posted by Tossing Pebbles in the Stream @ 12:29 p.m.
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6 Comments:
John and I had a great 4th. We helped people enjoy a sunny day on the lake here at the state park, then watched fireworks from our front yard. We are very grateful for our country and our freedom.
It sounds like you had a great trip. You sure saw a lot to have been gone no longer than a week. Such a nice picture of the young couple (and the older one). I love the ladies hats!
Be glad your cat just had one kitten instead of coming home to six wild kittens.lol
Sounds like a wonderful journey and meeting John & Cuppa must have been such fun. I hope I can meet you all someday.
It is fun meeting blog friends!! Having already met, we know that!!
Looks like a wonderful trip was had by you and Lynne! I would love to see the Royal couple but have followed them on TV instead.
Sounds like you had a real good time. Good for you!
Welcome back! Glad to read about your good trip. Your beard is much shorter than photos I've seen before. Interesting post about your experience. Thank-you for sharing.
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