Left our driveway at 9:45 a.m. Had a quick stop at the downtown library to grab the next book in Katie's series since she finished the previous one the night before, and then hit the highway. We opted for the northern route to Ottawa instead of the less scenic 401 which we tend to already travel often enough for hockey games and tournaments. Needed a quick pit stop in Bancroft long enough to stretch our legs, use the washroom and keep on going. The rest of the drive to Ottawa was beautiful through the forested and very unpopulated small towns along windy roads. Had some traffic on the 417 on the way into Ottawa with a bit of a rainstorm. Arrived at Kathy and Ken's around 3:30 and were greeted excitedly, although cautiously, from their adorable 10 year old dog, Wiket. Unpacked had a little visit while the rain finished. Then drove downtown along the canal, parked at the NAC underground parking and walked to see the Parliament buildings. We made a stop at The famous Fairmont Chateau Laurier to see the intricate architecture in the lobby. Our rule-abiding Katie was hesitant to go in and was relieved when we finally exited the building since she felt like we were doing something we shouldn't be doing :).
We stopped at the war Memorial and learned about its significance. Wandered on to the grounds of parliament and discovered there is a massive reconstruction project happening that will take 3 or 4 years to complete. While we walked around we discussed the political significance of each of the buildings. There seemed to be a high presence of the PPS (parliament protective services) which we wondered was normal? As we were about to leave the parliamentary grounds, our phones went off with a tornado warning. We hurried back to the car, walking through the promenade along Sparks Street. We couldn't help but notice how many vacant buildings there were. A sign of the changing economy? On our ride home I pointed out the area that Laura and Mike lived when they were working in Ottawa and acknowledged how lucky they were to be so close to the canal and explained that they used it to its fullest, biking to and from work in the summer, and skating or skiing to work in the winter months. As the rain started to pour, we also drove past the house at 65 Aylmer that I lived in while on a co-op term, and then past 35 Ossington where Ken and Kathy used to live.
Fortunately the rain was short lived and the tornado never arrived. We drove back to Kathy and Ken's on Adelaide, waited for the rain to fully stop, and then wandered over to Lansdowne park that they are so fortunate to live beside. We met up with my cousin, Kris, who had skipped his soccer game to meet us. We were able to snag a booth at the popular Local Public Eatery and enjoyed some half priced margaritas with our meals. Walked back to the house where we enjoyed some coffee and ice cream for dessert while we made the most of our remaining time together through conversation. We dreamed up plans for our next trip to Ottawa, hoping that the kids hockey schedules will allow us to experience the canal in the winter.
