Paul and I went to Ottawa for Canada Day this year. It was the kick off to our vacation, which ended up in Newfoundland. Here is my travel diary, first published on facebook:
Ottawa, Day Two:
We got in yesterday evening. Today was mostly about getting our bearings, once we settled into the hotel (we are staying at the super-fancy Chateau Laurier). Yesterday’s highlights include: Byward Market, late lunch/early dinner at Black Tomato (flank steak sandwich with melted brie), a nap, more market exploration, and Wall-E at the Mall.
Today was our tourist day. After a quick Starbucks stop, we walked down Sussex Drive with the goal of touring Rideau Hall. On they way, we stopped at the Royal Canadian Mint, one of those “Oh, what’s that building” kind of stops. It’s awesome! Even though there is no actual minting done on the weekend, our tour guide pointed out the many interesting machines and metallurgical facts.
We saw the die to cast the $1 million coin, of which there are 10. And did you know that the Mint makes not only Canada’s coins (the Ottawa location does mainly the fancier collector and investor coins; Winnipeg does the circulation ones) but also the coins of various other nations in the world? And that the Mint can make gold to a purity of 99.999%, the highest in the world? It’s true.
Then it was back on the street, down Sussex. There are fancy embassies along the way, of course, but I couldn’t help but notice that only Kuwait had a “Happy Canada Day” sign up. The Americans, Saudis, French, and English didn’t. Well, we all know who’s getting a date to the prom this year.
And there was a Boston Terrier out for a walk! I miss Henry terribly, but I managed to get a little fix of puppy kisses from little Blackberry. So sweet.
We walked by 24 Sussex, which is closed to the public, but the grounds looked really beautiful. Then, the entrance to the Rideau Hall grounds, with two guards in big furry hats. It was 25 degrees and humid this afternoon, so that couldn’t have been fun.
The Vice Regal home proper is lovely. We only saw the few public rooms, like the ballroom where they swear in PM’s and give out awards, and the very interesting Tent Room which is literally a tent. They built an indoor tent thing to dress it up because otherwise it was constructed to be a tennis court.
Lots of paintings of GG’s. Jeanne Sauve’s was gorgeous; very abstract, showing off Her Excellency’s white hair and white gown. Our tour guide told me that she selected a sculptor to paint her portrait, which is why it is so structured. And there was a exhibition of art from Newfoundland, my favourite was a series of constructed mermaid’s purses (shark egg cases).
Then, it was back to the hotel for an Afternoon Tea. There is nothing I love more than heavily buttered finger sandwiches. There were three served: smoked salmon, turkey salad, and cucumber. Then, two scones (plain and cranberry) with Devonshire cream and strawberry jam. Yum. Dessert was a fruit custard tart and a slice of lemon cake. Delicious, and very pretty.
But the day was not over! At 5 p.m., we were cutting things pretty close, but we decided to try to get to the Museum of Civilization. Sadly, it was pretty much closed by the time we got there, but the IMAX theatre was still running shows so we saw a great film about the ocean habitat on the East coast of South Africa. Gannets diving for herring, shot from underwater! Dolphins eating, eating eating! Sharks being terrifying! And South Africans enjoying it all, because where gannets and dolphins are, so are the fish, which they catch by the bucketful.
Hull and Ottawa aren’t too far apart, which makes the official bilingualism make perfect sense, rather than a bureaucratically mandated curiosity. So instead of taking a cab back, we walked across the bridge. Back at the hotel, we took a refreshing swim– did I mention that it was humid?
By the time I got dried off, it was around 8:30, so we headed out for more food. After all the creamy, sugary goodness of tea, I felt like something really fresh and light, so we ended up at a sushi place called Wasabi. At the table next to us, there was a cute family– the mom looked just like Meadow Soprano, and her baby had huge brown saucer eyes. The food was good, too.
So now I think I’ll read a little (I’ve got Mark Doty’s Dog Years with me) and fall asleep. The beds here are insanely comfortable. And oh, the pillows! I have to admit that generally speaking I find travelling to be really stressful, but having a bed this comfortable really takes the edge off being away from home. So far, this vacation is awesome.
Ottawa, Day Three:
A sunny morning, spent at the National Gallery. Hello, giant spider!
The feature exhibition is about the 1930′s and the concept of the New Man, which means either fascist notions of eugenics or anti-fascist realism. Very intense. The highlights? Seeing a couple of Dali oils close up and in person (despite the now-kitsch factor, the dude can really paint. With tiny brushes, apparently. Such precision! Such control!) and the big-eyed, distorted portraits by a Dutch painter I forgot the name…
It was kind of exhausting. But we did manage a quick whirl through a few more contemporary art rooms, where I saw a Belgian video piece of a man who drove confusedly around in a white car to see what the other cars would do around him. Sorry, I should really write down titles and artists. And another video piece of a rotating animation, reflected onto a metal cylinder. I forget the name of that technique, but it was really beautiful.
And a pleasant surprise: the gallery has a nice, cheap cafeteria! I had a smoked salmon sandwich. Back to the hotel for some reading and strawberries from the market, then Clinton and Elena arrived. Lunch, again at the Black Tomato (chicken avocado salad, somewhat underdressed and disappointing). We needed to pick up a few things at the mall, and after that, naps.
We all overslept a little. It was a long day so far, so we decided to see the late show of Get Smart with some mall food court dinner. Good enough. Dessert and cocktails, then bed!
Ottawa, Day Four: Canada Day
Things were obviously underway already by the time I woke up– and it was at the relatively early hour of 8 a.m. What can I say? I was excited.
I could hear bagpipes from the parade, and crowds were starting to gather. We got to Parliament Hill at around quarter after 10. It was packed, so there was basically no chance of getting close enough to the lawn to see the RCMP Musical Ride. My only chance was the giant TV, and even those were out of my sight. I need to be quite a lot taller.
But Paul– such a sweetheart!– offered up his shoulders, so I got a really great view of the ride. I love the Musical Ride, but the endeared me even more as they trotted out to Bad Moon on the Rise. This was the biggest reason I was excited about the Ottawa part of the trip. The only bad thing about being on Paul’s shoulders was I couldn’t jump up and down and clap my hands.
But the crowd got the best of us, so we started walking along the canal. It was hot and sunny, no sign of the rain from the other days. Beautiful. As we passed the first of the locks, Clinton or someone wondered if they were still working. We figured yes. And sure enough, there were a couple of boats coming up the way, so we got to see how it works– the locks are hand-cranked! It was pretty impressive. And then a couple of costumed old-timey soldiers demonstrated some musket fire, as a chubby groundhog bounced along the banks.
We went back to the hotel for a swim and lunch. We were booked in for another tea, but they realized that they weren’t doing them so we had to settle for a regular lunch. Lobster and asparagus croissants– not a bad compromise. Then, it was time for some reading and a nap. I finished the Dog Years book, which made me miss Henry. It’s amazing how big a space my little dog takes up in my life. Thanks again, Amber and Alex! I am so glad you’re showing him a good time.
So by the time we all woke up and got ready, it was time for dinner at Haveli, a tasty Indian buffet. Then, we went to find a spot to watch the fireworks. Ottawa spent more than $100 000 on fireworks, so I was really looking forward to it. Lucky for us, there was plenty of space on the Chateau Laurier terrace, where we got a great view. And as it turns out, $100K on pyro is totally worth it. It was beautiful.
Ottawa/St. John’s:
The last day in Ottawa, we walked around Parliament Hill and had a look at the top of the Peace Tower. There was a yoga class on the front lawn. Then, back on the plane!
St. John’s is lovely. At Wit’s Inn is our B&B, and so far they have been super nice. James, the owners’ son, brought us cheese and fruit at midnight when we got in. Breakfast this morning was a fruit cup, eggs and sausage, raisin toast. The room is huge.
After breakfast, we walked around a bit, found the Lieutenant Governor’s House and The Rooms, which is the museum/archives/gallery. The building itself is gorgeous– windows huge enough to take in the harbour scenery. And the exhibitions were great: Newfoundland furniture, wildlife and traditional fishing, hunting, First Nations’ history, a photography exhibition by a guy who spent years in Labrador.
We had lunch there, too. I had a steak and mushroom pie, very tasty and reasonably priced.
Oh, and everyone covers their garbage on the street with cloth or netting. What is that?
St. John’s Day Two:
After my nap, we went to pick Clinton and Elena up from the airport (lupins grow by the side of the road here!), then a walk down Water St. where very much cute shopping is found. I got a belt from Twisted Sister. On the street, we ran into Paul’s friend Trevor, formerly of the Sidetrack Cafe. Didn’t even have to call him up for a drink! There he was.
Dinner was a traditional Newfoundland place called Velma’s, where I finally got to try cod tongues. They have been talked up a lot by my grad school friends when they were here for the Learneds way back. They are quite tasty, it’s true. Sort of like clams, without the rubberiness. But it’s a lot of friend stuff, with more fried fat on top (the scrunchions). So next time, it’ll be appetizer size for me.
Then we stopped back at the B&B for a quick rest and a glass of port before meeting up with Trevor and his friends to be screeched in. It sounds totally corny, but it was quite fun. And the rum wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected.
Tomorrow, Signal Hill and then off to the Carew family cabins in Cape Broyal. There will not be internet access there.
St. John’s Day?:
I am back in St. John’s, but I have spent the last…4 days? 5 days? I don’t remember… well, in any case, quite a few days at the Carew cabins in Horsechops, near Cape Broyle.
The property itself is on a lovely bit of forested area. No running water, no electricity, at least not at the cabin we were in. There’s power up at the first one, which meant we had home-cooked meals every night courtesy of Clinton’s mom. Just the ticket! After dinner, we usually had a card game or two. Paul and I had a lucky streak at crib, but broke it in a big way last night. Clinton’s folks are pretty entertaining, though. Lots of stories, and always well-told.
Did I mention we went whale and puffin watching? We booked ourselves onto a tour, which meant the six of us (and three others) suited up and got into a zodiac, where our guide motored us out into Witless Bay where a couple of humpback whales were feeding. There are rules about how close boats are allowed to get to whales, but no one told the whales anything about that: one of them swam under the boat! They are huge, so it was thrilling. And the puffins! With their cute chubby bodies, somehow supported by these stubby wings in flight– it’s quite touching. In the summer, they return to the shore to breed, hence the colourful beaks and bright orange feet. I’ve never seen pictures of puffins in their winter plumage; they are as rare as celebrities without make up.
But it’s so easy to see whales everywhere here. Lunch up at the Ferryland lighthouse: whales. Getting an ice cream: whales. Driving up to Admiral’s Cove to get a look at an iceberg: whales. It’s really something. Especially at Ferryland!
Yesterday we got reservations to picnic at the lighthouse. There, they give you a blanket and take you order (choice of ham and brie, curry chicken, shrimp or vegetarian sandwich, orzo salad, choice of cupcake or chocolate cake, and lemonade) and they bring you out a basket with all your goodies while the whales go by.
Several minkes were feeding right near the coast. We saw some earlier when we hiked around the lighthouse the day before, but they were even better yesterday. Why? A mother humpback and her calf started breaching: big splash, then a small splash! A puff of spray, and a small puff of spray! They did it about a half dozen times. It was thrilling! Star Trek IV jokes ensued.
Afterwards, we drove out to La Manche Provincial Park, where there is a beautiful swimming hole with a waterfall. The water was the colour of weak tea, but otherwise it was clean and cool. Perfect, considering it has been about 30 degrees and humid every day we’ve been here. As far as I know, it never rains in Newfoundland, though the locals say otherwise.
The food has been very fried. The best fish and chips were at Bernard Kavanaugh’s in Ferryland. The batter! But I’ve also loved the scallops and chips and the cod tongues at the Riverside in Cape Broyal. Such a bargain, too, at $9.99– I paid double that in St. John’s, and it wasn’t as good. Thankfully, there was always those home cooked dinners. A broth-based fish soup is pretty refreshing after those kinds of lunches.
As far as critter sightings, it’s not like Alberta where you’re trying to avoid elk on the street. However, a moose obviously walked though Camp Buckety and ate some lupins. And there are frogs in the marshes! And we saw a fox today, just sitting in the middle of the road. A big red fox, probably eating those frogs.
That’s all I can remember off the top of my head. I can’t believe it’s almost over. But you’d love it here. There is nothing touristy about Newfoundland. It’s like they’re just inviting you over, doing the things they’d do anyway.
Back in St. John’s:
We’re staying at a B&B called The Chef’s Inn. They’re not kidding– for breakfast, our host, Todd, baked us bagels and biscuits with fresh fruit, yogurts, and three kinds of juice. Figuring him as one to know, we asked him where we could find a lobster dinner in town. He said there were lots of places to go. So I asked him where the best place was and he said, “The best place is to bring some home and cook them here.” And he offered to boil us up some for dinner. Who could refuse?
But first, we had to get through the day. First stop: The Fluvarium. It’s a river centre located on Rennie River that runs through the city that shows an underwater view of the freshwater habitat. A nice tour guide told us about the brown trout, which are an introduction from Germany. They’ve been here long enough to have evolved into a different subspecies, which are distinguished by pretty red and green spots. The Fluvarium’s third floor is built into the water, so it’s like an aquarium, but in an open system. There is also a display of other fish that live in the area: Atlantic salmon, brook trout, and a very meaty looking eel. Plus, there’s a toad and a few frogs which she brought out for us. I touched them all.
Afterwards, we drove down to Quidi Vidi, which is an old fishing village that is now part of St. John’s. Specifically, Paul wanted to visit the Quidi Vidi brewery. I’m not a beer drinker, but I love visiting factories. This is a good one. Our tour guide took us to a room overlooking the harbour where we were given several Quidi Vidi beers to sample. QV is the standard beer, which was fine. 1892 is the traditional, which I found a little too beery. The Honey Brown, on the other hand, was quite good. They make it with real honey and chocolate. 7 is a 7% beer that was also really good. Apparently, the higher alcohol content sweetens it up, and gives it a bit of a fruity flavour. Iceberg beer is made from iceberg water, and it’s really light and refreshing. But my very favourite was the Cranberry Cloud, which is a cranberry beer cooler. Like I said, I’m not much of a beer drinker.
In fact, I’m not much of a drinker at all, so I got drunk on my thimblefuls of beer. A little walk by the water helped out a little, but after lunch (at Coffee Matters, again: avocado BLT, which was delicious) I had to beg off for a nap. The others went to Value Village.
When I woke up, I had a headache! But after an hour or so, I felt fine and was ready for dinner. Holy crap, people.
Todd boiled us up some lobsters and made three– three!– gorgeous salads. Bocconcini and tomato, potato salad, and a green salad made from lettuce from his garden. The salads were as good as the lobsters, which were sooooo good. I think I ate the equivalent of three of them, right down to sucking the meat out of the little legs and scooping out the green stuff from the carapaces. No butter necessary. These were perfectly cooked and briny. Jeepers. I recommend the Chef’s Inn to anyone. One of the best meals I’ve had.
Tonight is a relaxation night, I think. Tomorrow, just walking around and shopping. Then, home!