On my second day in Ottawa, April had class in the morning, so I headed downtown to the Supreme Court by myself. I was let up the marble staircase into the wood paneled courtroom at 9:00am. Inside, I watched as the litigators got their pictures taken by proud family members in the audience. To argue a case at the Supreme Court would likely be a career highlight – I can only imagine the hours of preparation, anticipation, and nerves leading up to this day. As we were instructed to rise, 7 of the 9 Supreme Court justices entered the courtroom and took their seats on the red leather high-back chairs. For the next four hours I watched as the litigators made their best arguments and fielded questions from each of the judges. It was, in a word, phenomenal. The case was relevant to what I had learned about in school during my 1L year (but due to a publication ban, I unfortunately can’t write about it). However, I will say that it was so surreal to see those judges whose decisions I have read and re-read for the past three years. I loved watching how the litigators presented their arguments, what issues the judges hung onto, and how they framed their questions. Four hours later, I emerged feeling proud of my chosen profession, and inspired by what I had seen in the courtroom. What an incredible experience.
When I returned home, April and I dug into a yummy charcuterie platter and salad, before getting ready for an afternoon of shopping. She had heard that the Westboro neighbourhood of Ottawa was cute, so we drove there in the cold darkness. While we could definitely see the charm of the area, with its historic old homes, quirky hipster boutiques, and cozy coffee shops, there weren’t long strings of shops to pop in and out of, which required quite a bit of driving around. We especially liked Victoire, a pretty boutique with gorgeous displays (pictured above).
Oh, did I forget to mention that we happened upon an impromptu photo shoot? No big deal. Just some modeling whilst dodging bicycles hurtling down the bike path. #ringring
After touring through most of Westboro, we headed back toward Byward Market, and stopped off at Suzy Q’s, a doughnut place, on the way. April had heard about it, and with only 20 minute before closing, we popped in. Obviously, I cannot eat doughnuts. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying the smells of the freshly baked doughnuts that the owner kept bringing out of the oven. Massive trays full of plump doughnuts with thick glazes lined the shelves. Flavours like salted caramel, maple bacon, and raspberry cassis were enough to make my mouth water. April splurged on four different flavours, while I snapped photo after photo of the food I will never eat again…wah. Just kidding, it didn’t bother me at all. Back in April’s jeep, as she took a few bites of her doughnuts, we broke into fits of laughter. April exclaimed, “what kind of friend invites her Celiac friend who is visiting her to go to a doughnut shop, and then eats the doughnuts right in front of her?!?!” Bahahaha. It was hilarious.
For dinner we went to Murray Street, a snout to tail restaurant near the market area. The restaurant itself was warm and cozy, with a rustic vibe to it. I ordered the mussels, followed by the duck confit with quince. April had the “hearts & bone” (beef heart with bone marrow), and then the beef short rib. Just like our meal the night before at Play, everything was spot-on deliciousness. I really really enjoyed my food and will be thinking about that duck for a while. Seriously, the food scene in Ottawa is super impressive. #watchouttoronto
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