Last week was our November reading week, and in an effort to make the most of my time off, I booked a trip (months in advance) to visit April in Ottawa! Unbelievably, I had never been to Ottawa before. #badCanadian. Not really knowing what to expect, I can say that I was so so so surprised at the beauty and charm of our nation’s capital. I loved it!
I flew with Porter airlines, out of Toronto’s city centre airport. It was my first time flying alone with Porter, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it only takes one hour from my condo until the time I’m sitting at the gate. So efficient.
When I arrived in Ottawa, April took me into the city centre to see Parliament Hill, the Supreme Court of Canada, and the canal. The sun was just going down over the hill, and it was truly the “golden hour” of photographers’ dreams. What a pretty introduction to Ottawa!
We headed straight for the Supreme Court, passing the Parliament buildings and the gorgeous Fairmont Chateau Laurier (the castle above), on the way.
When we arrived at the Supreme Court, we saw an Aboriginal man standing at the top of the imposing granite steps. While our access inside the court was limited to the main foyer area, we learned that I could return the next morning to actually watch a case in progress. As we wandered around the foyer, we saw more Aboriginal people celebrating a case that had just ended. Little did we know that it was the Tshilqot’n nation case that we studied in depth during our first year Property law small group section together. Totally bizarre that that was the case that happened that day.
Excited by the possibility of actually seeing a case the next day, we left happily and headed over to Parliament Hill to soak up the last of the daylight. Honestly, the Parliament building is gorgeous. It is so majestic, traditional, imposing, and downright awe-inspiring. Standing at the gates, looking straight up at the building, must be one of Canada’s prettiest views.
After having a major photo-shoot on the grounds, we weaseled our way inside to watch the House of Commons listening to disrespecting one another. When we had had enough (4 minutes later) we left and headed down to Byward Market. The Market is a cute little part of Ottawa with cobblestone streets, lots of food vendors and cute restaurants, and little shops. It really reminded me of the Fisherman’s Wharf area of San Francisco. April took me to see a random little bakery that has monetized on President Obama’s visit to Ottawa, when he ate one of their cookies. Now all over the bakery are signs saying “home of the Obama cookie!” with pictures of him eating his cookie. Ha!
We grabbed a snack and drink before heading down to Play, a restaurant in the Market where April had made a reservation. Play serves small plates, like tapas, and encourages diners to choose 2 or 3 per meal. The ambiance was cozy and warm, and we had a great time catching up over gluten free potato chips (and bread for April) with some quality wine. The staff were incredibly attentive to my dietary restriction, which made the whole experience that much better. Between April and I, and all our dishes, we had zero misses. Everything was spot on perfection. I’d highly recommend it if you’re ever in Ottawa, and it would be great for a business lunch meeting too!
Having eaten and drank way more than our fair share at Play, April and I headed down to Fat Tuesday’s for some ciders and a duelling piano show. The perfect way to start my vacay in Ottawa. #steaknfrenchfriesreunion
Still can't get over the shot of you "ninja-ing" in front of parliament. Wah come back!!!!!! xx
ReplyDelete