Heritage X Urban: Walking the Capital - Ottawa

2022 Places Ontario Series - Ottawa - Jul 29-31, 2022

Beautiful places are not without a little adventure to get by. May it be an adventure on the land, sea, or the sky above. Lucky are those who live just a stone-throw away to architectures of grandeur, places of history, or simply right in the middle of a hub where everything goes. We live in Toronto and our city is not without marvels. Toronto is one of the most beautiful places to live in Canada if not the world in all. Relics, ancient, and stories of the glorious past, however, were scattered far across from where we are. One of the most visited places in Ontario, where the nexus of heritage and urban is the cosmopolitan Ottawa, Canada's capital city. Eager to bathe in the Capital's magnificence, we head out to the road with Mazy The Car and drove miles ahead, the highway stretched as far as the eye can see, the plains and clustered greens on both sides abound, snacks aplenty, music on high, Ottawa - here we go!

 

The Journey

MBG travels with a company on this trip. We are 2 and a half with ate Clang and Ronnel that makes a party of 4.5 with impress-me-Ottawa vibes. We left Toronto a little past 8 in the morning to grab coffee and bagels at Mickey D's. Satisfied and ready for the road, our appetite laid elsewhere, the lunch at Ottawa, anywhere in ByWard Market, we heard will be scrumptious. The long highway of asphalt concrete and greens was forgotten, lost in our merry conversation, happy munching, and music tripping. We were 5 hours on the road, we didn't bother stopping, and the next thing we know, we were in Ottawa.

 

Day 1

ByWard Market

Our party headed straight to the ByWard Market eyeing lunch but was lost in the exuberance of the many vendors and their stalls of anything the world has to offer, clubs and pubs litter around, and tourists alike and locals perhaps crowded the place. From edibles, trinkets, souvenirs, restaurants, and shops - ByWard Market is the place to go.

With so many good restaurants to choose from, we settled in a little Taiwanese food place. Their food is godly, especially the pork chop and chicken bbq. The food takes longer to get ready considering we were starving from the long drive, but an overall awesome lunch.

 

Maman Sculpture

One of the attractions I am eager to see is the Maman Sculpture. It is said to be one of the world's largest ever made and presumably peculiar. The giant arachnid even had eggs on its belly luminous in contrast for anyone to see. This has been my top attraction, I do not like spiders, many don't but I love the uniqueness. I thought the giant spider symbolizes beauty even for those that are considered less attractive, less desired, and shunned away. The eggs obviously symbolize rebirth, not essentially life but rebirthing the meaning of the word beautiful, to throw it out there that there is beauty in uniqueness. The arachnid stands tall and proud, sending a message to those who felt unloved. Learning the story of the spider, I fell in love even more. Anything we do or say that honors our parents deserved permanence that should challenge generations to come.

The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. My family was in the business of tapestry restoration, and my mother was in charge of the workshop. Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother.

— Louise Bourgeois

 

National Gallery of Canada

The building behind where the giant spider stand is North America's largest museum of art. The exterior facade is a combination of Gothic architecture but with artfully designed glass panels and roofs. We were able to get into the lobby where a wide and long ramp entices anyone to venture in and gaze at the treasures of arts and artifacts the museum holds. Unfortunately for us, the treasures were left to our imagination as we arrived 30 mins before closing. We will be back, I would love to.

 

Rideau Canal

The canal was established in 2007 as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. During winter, the canal transforms into a natural ice skating rink and was added to the Guinness Book of World Records in 2005 for being the largest in the world. Presently, the canal is a summer fling for the rich and their yacht for pleasure boating. Oh to be like them, cruising on a historic waterway, lazing in the sun with wine and tan.

Rideau Canal brings cheers and laughter no matter the season, but it was not originally constructed for that purpose. The canal was built to protect Canada from invasion leading to the War of 1812. More of the history here.

 

Chateau Laurier

Impossible to miss due to the grandness and luxury it commands, is the Chateau Laurier. Regally located just above the Rideau Canal by the downtown core with imposing grand Gothic architecture and a hefty price for accommodation. A night or two perhaps can be afforded but not during this trip, we just left awe-struck, that's it.

 

Bridging Gatineau - Alexandra Bridge

Setting foot in Quebec City is just a few steps by Alexandra Bridge. That's easy. The main bridge is obviously used by cars and a boardwalk to the side is for travelers on foot and bicycle to traverse safely. We crossed over the Ottawa River to Gatineau in Quebec and we couldn't be more thrilled. 

 

Water Taxi

Going back to Ottawa from Gatineau gave us another option to cross the Ottawa River. This time, we hailed a water taxi to ferry us back. Our first day in Ottawa was spent splendidly, and before returning to our hotel, we had an early dinner at the Fat Boys. They have for me, the best and yummiest fried chicken in Ontario! Hands down! No arguments are welcomed.

 

Day 2

We started the day breakfasting at the Hilton Garden Inn pavilion. This is our hotel for our 3-day trip, located 15 mins off downtown but boasts an unrivaled space to any of the many hotels we've been to. From the wide hallway to an overly wide suite, it was a nice overall stay.

The Parliament Hill.

The architecture and values of the archival Parliament building have endured the tides of time. The government played a major hand in preserving Canada's national symbol as evidenced by the ongoing renovation when we visited. The construction marks of the towering metal crane did not hinder the beauty that the Parliament commands. It stands impressive as well as the surrounding buildings in the vicinity.

 

Touring House of Commons

The House of Commons guided tour is informative and certainly one that I enjoyed albeit my poor understanding of the Canadian justice system. It is with a hopeful heart to see any live proceedings but given that we went on a weekend, that hope was lost.

 

Notre Dame Cathedral

Across the street from where the National Gallery of Canada and the Maman statue stands is the equally stunning Notre Dame. The Cathedral is the oldest church in Ottawa and was baptized as a Canadian National Historic site in 1990. The Cathedral is a majestic masterpiece and an example of a rich history that travels the poignant passing of time to tell a story through its walls and stained glass windows. To send a constant reminder that our present time is labored on the backbone of the past.

The exterior of the Cathedral is beautiful in its simplicity but the interior ornate and decorations scream another dimension. The heavy Gothic ornamentation, from the arches running through the main altar, to brightly colored carvings and statues and beautifully curated stained glass windows. Jaw-dropping is an understatement. 

Royal Canadian Mint.

The Mint in Ottawa produces Investor and Collector's coins. They no longer produce the circulation coins, that task was charged to the Mint in Manitoba. The tour of the coin production is entertaining and educational. Did we leave a few thousand dollars poorer and why not? The coins on display were for investment grabs.

We went back strolling the ByWard Market for souvenir shopping and had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant that served real Vietnamese cuisine goodness. We went back to our hotel to rest for the afternoon and come nighttime, we head out to see the Parliament's light and sound show. 

The Parliament Light and Sound Show.

The Parliament transforms into a canvas at night for the light and sound show. Laid on the grass fronting the Parliament, we were told of its history through a masterful presentation of arts, lights, and sounds. A late-night sandwich and milkshake at Zacks ended our second day in Ottawa.

Day 3.

The third day of our trip was meant for the road back to Toronto. The party agreed on having to stop twice along the way. We could not resist having a glimpse of Kingston and shopping at the Big Apple in Colborne.

Suzy Q.

We had a penchant for anything yummy and this holds true to most of us, to foodies alike. We had our wheels straight to Suzy Q to grab a dozen of their famous donuts. There was already a queue when we get there, as early as 9 am but the crowd just keeps on coming. The hold-up was worth it by the way.

Kingston.

Arrived at a quaint place by the lakeside called Kingston. We just had a quick impression of the downtown core but the vibe told us that the place holds so much more. We will be back hopefully to explore Kingston.

Lunch at Diane's

The place did not disappoint. They delivered goodness sizzling hot. The combo fish and shrimp chips are a good reason enough to be back.

The Big Apple.

After a bomb of lunch, we were an hour again on the road making our way to Colborne's Big Apple. It is a factory making and selling anything apples. What surprised me was how huge the place is and to call it a factory is a mortal sin. Big Apple is more than that. They have a huge selection of home-baked goodies, toys, and souvenirs, and the jack in the box is the mini carnival and farm on the property.  It is no wonder travelers took an off-road visit to this place, it has everything that soothes the exhaustion on the road.

We had an awesome 3-day trip to Ottawa. The Capital is a melting pot of old and new, of parties and flavors, and a scenic and informative walk. A confluence of elegant and romantic Gothic architectural displays with an effervescent crowd. Every turn in every street has one or two impressive buildings, statues, and structures, with lots of smiling faces around. The quick trip to Kingston calls for another bucket on the list, but for now, The Capital impressed us greatly.

Leaving this with a Sushi Manga for the road :)

*MBGXOttawa*    *TheMarcosesXOntario*     *2&1/2GypsiesXCanada*