We arrived at Ottawa’s airport from Winnipeg in the early afternoon and grabbed a cab to our hotel in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. We stayed at a Day’s Inn on Rideau St. We were not impressed as it is need of a renovation. Once getting settled, we headed out for an abbreviated day in Ottawa and find food, drink and most importantly, our bearings. On the food side, we found that we were very close to the Bywater District, a wonderful people area of shops and restaurants in the downtown core. This is a shot off of Rideau St at the beginning of the area. It encompasses a large area and appears to be the go to area for nightlife and dining.
We settled on a pub that looked like it would have a nice lunch and sat in. The place was called “Aulde Dubliner” and it served excellent pub food. In my worldwide quest for the perfect beer, I ordered a local brew called “Hogsback Vintage Lager“. It was definitely vintage. I would rate it about 80 on my 100 scale. I liked it so much, I had 2, or maybe it was 3. Who knows, it was good and they tasted like another one every time I finished one.
After lunch, we headed off towards the Parliament Buildings. I had seen them twice before, but for some reason they seemed much more impressive this time around. The place was crowded with people even though it was not the greatest of days. I was impressed by both the amount of security coupled with one’s ability to still get up close to all the important pieces of the complex. One pretty much had complete freedom in all areas of the grounds, yet you were completely aware that you were being watched. A nice balance. As it was getting late, we snapped a few pictures and took off.
The obligatory picture.
The Library is a beautiful piece of architecture. The building was started in 1859 and completed in 1876. In its history it has caught fire twice, once in 1916 and again in 1952. It’s original roof was ripped off by a tornado in 1888. The library contents were saved in each event.
There are spectacular views in most parts of the Parliament grounds. this picture of Lori was taken from above the Rideau Canal on the opposite side from the grounds.
This is a shot from behind Parliament looking upstream on the Ottawa River. Gatineau, Quebec is on the right.
We ended our sightseeing, now secure in knowing our way around and with a plan for a busy day tomorrow. We made our way down a very busy Rideau St and turned in for the night.