Ottawa, Canada’s Big Secret

Shhh!  I’m letting the cat out of the bag … Ottawa.

Move over Toronto and Montreal, Canada’s little sister capital is flexing its muscles these days. We were two lucky souls invited to partake in the super showing of the fall foliage in this city and for the life of me, I was hoping Canada’s capital wasn’t going to be like Washington, D.C.  Mind you I have nothing against D.C., but it’s not a place that gets to the jugular if you know what I mean. Capital cities are sometimes a mystery, they either have it or they don’t.  They’re a draw for the everyman who’s feeling patriotic. I’ve never felt much excitement for D.C. as many times as I’ve visited but perhaps I just wasn’t on the inside track. One thing’s for sure … I was on it in Ottawa.

 

First of all, things here are different from the get go because I’m talking about Canada.  Canadians are more laid back and down to earth than we state siders. They’re at one with their country, taking full advantage of the natural beauty it offers.  While Americans are fitness crazy and work out at gyms, Canadians exercise naturally in their great outdoors with activities like skiing, ice skating, biking, hiking and kayaking. It’s second nature to them.

One of the natural wonders of Ottawa is Gatineau Park.  Just 15 minutes from downtown, the park offers a ton of activities including swimming, kayaking and canoeing and there are numerous trails from easy to challenging for walking or hiking.  It was early October and the leaves were turning from green to red, to orange and gold.  We power strolled along a beginner trail close to the park’s visitor center where we were awarded with a cinematic shower of leaves falling all around us.  During the winter, cross country skiing and snow shoeing are popular here.  What I love so much about Canadians is that instead of complaining about the cold, they embrace and enjoy it with a great spirit.

 

After leaving we pointed ourselves in the direction of downtown Ottawa and Parliament Hill.  Driving along the Ottawa River past Remic Rapids, there was a fascinating art installation along the shore constructed of rocks.  Every year since 1987, artist John Ceprano has formulated a series of intricate balanced rock sculptures in the river and displayed along the banks.  Talk about patience! He starts building them in summer and they last through the fall but once winter hits the sculptures break up and dissipate.  With the spring thaw he returns and starts the process all over again. The day we visited the Canadian geese seemed to be appreciating them along with joggers and bikers to this scenic area.

 

The UNESCO World Heritage listed Rideau Canal put the city of Ottawa on the map and it’s an integral part of the town’s history and culture.  Connecting Ottawa (via the Ottawa River) with the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario, it’s the oldest waterway in North America and the center of all the outdoor action in town. We decided to tour it with Paul’s Boat Lines to become more familiar with Ottawa and get to know the ropes.  There’s kayaking, paddle boating and river cruises on the canal in summer and in the winter it freezes and becomes Canada’s largest ice skating rink. Skaters can be found along the banks enjoying hot refreshments along with “Beaver Tails,” Canadian doughnuts that are stretched to resemble a beaver’s tail and come in great flavors like lemon and chocolate with bananas.

 

Since it wasn’t exactly skating season yet, we opted to rent bikes at Rent-a-Bike and cycle along the canal. The fall air was still warm and perfect for cycling. We followed a circuitous path that wound around the city taking us across the Ottawa River to the province of Quebec which shares borders with Ottawa.  The city of Gatineau functions as part of Ottawa city and this side of the path affords great views of Parliament Hill.  At the juncture of the city center we stopped in at the Museum of Civilization before heading over the Victoria Bridge and passing the Louise Bourgeois spider statue, Maman, in front of the National Gallery of Art.

 

Situated next to the locks of the Rideau Canal is another of the city’s landmarks, the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel.   Locals call this Disney-esque castle “the Chateau” (Anglicized pronunciation here is like shadow but accenting the second syllable) and it’s the city’s sentinel.  Adjacent to the Parliament compound and sitting high on a mount above the ByWard market (more on that soon) it’s a building whose rich history parallels the city’s.  Be sure to check out the grand lobby with original photographs by Yousuf Karsh, whose studio was in the hotel for years. You’ll recognize his acclaimed portrait of Winston Churchill even from 10 feet away. If you’re lucky enough to be staying here, don’t miss the Olympic sized Art Deco pool downstairs. The Château offers a self-guided tablet tour, created in 2012 for the hotels 100^th anniversary.  Guests can borrow an iPad from the front desk to experience this interactive historical tour featuring a narrative walk through time.  A free APP is also available to download on tablet devices so you can take the tour even if you aren’t staying here.  The Chateau’s famous Canadian High Tea at Zoe’s Lounge off the lobby is a memorable experience that’s steeped in the tradition of grandeur featuring a glass of champagne, finger sandwiches, pastries and exotic teas in a myriad of choices.

 

One of Ottawa’s central attractions is the ByWard market.  Not only is this one of Canada’s oldest and largest markets with over 175 stands selling fruits, vegetables, plants, flowers and arts and crafts, but it’s also the city’s hub.  The market is the center of the neighborhood and offers dining, pubs, cafes, coffee shops and even shopping.  President Obama toured it on his first trip to Ottawa when he became president and at Moulin de Provence Bakery his picture is proudly displayed eating the cookie that’s since been named for him. We were fortunate to tour the market with C’est Bon Gourmet Food Tours, a small group tour lasting about two and a half hours which flew by.  This is a more personalized way to discover the marketplace, visiting the stands and talking with the local farmers who bring in fresh vegetables, fruits, and even eggs.  Smaller semi-private tours like this are great for getting the local perspective and the unique thing with this one was that we got to taste different things all along the way.  We went from the stands to the stores including an Italian grocer, a cheese purveyor, a Naples pizzeria, a tea shop and even the Cupcake Lounge where 7 daily flavors of the yummiest cupcakes made with all natural ingredients were waiting for us.  We loved the Key Lime!  Every tour with C’est Bon is different as stops vary from day to day. Ours ended with a demonstration by the sous chef at Play restaurant, who prepared two dishes that prompted us to stay on for lunch.  What a wonderful way to be out in the elements meeting the people that make Ottawa so interesting.

 

What would a visit to Canada be without doing something completely different? It’s become something of a tradition and in the case of Ottawa, it stepped up to the occasion in the form of a 1939 Waco open cockpit bi-plane. We arrived at the Canadian Aviation & Space Museum a little early for our daredevil spin in the skies over Canada’s capital. The museum’s permanent collection of aircraft dating back as far as the Pioneer Era included the A.E.A. Silver Dart, a magnificent specimen from 1908, designed and built by Alexander Graham Bell and cohorts without brakes.  I was already a little squeamish about scrunching into an open cockpit and wondered how these brave men from the early 20^th century just did it, without even a thought about stopping. When our allotted time came we stepped outside to the roar of the engine from our bright orange and black flying machine.  Putting on our skullcaps, goggles and ear guards (for the noise) we burrowed into the tiny seat and strapped ourselves in.  My heart pounded as the propeller started spinning and after a short taxi we took off smoothly into the air.  For the entire 20 minutes I felt nervous and excited at the same time.  We climbed high above the city with the colors of fall everywhere then banked over toward Parliament Hill for an amazing view.  We could spot the Fairmont Chateau Laurier and the ByWard market below us and then we did a graceful figure eight looping back in the direction of the landing strip.  Before touching down we were able to get another good look at the city’s natural beauty.  What a great way to catch the fall foliage in its full regalia from this thrilling aerial adventure, an experience I’ll never forget.

 

A biting rain surfaced the next day which could only mean one thing – spa day.

Holtz Spa, located across the street from the Rideau Shopping Centre, was an oasis away from the bad weather.  Among the offerings were Indian Abhayanga or Table Thai massages with Shiatsu massages and acupressure also on the menu.  Holtz Spa believes that treatments should create harmony and balance.  If you’ve ever experienced a Thai massage you know that all throughout you are really one with your therapist!  Although the wetness continued until nightfall, we were oblivious to it after leaving this blissful place.

We made a conscious choice to discover the Hill (the governmental side of the city) last.  Consisting of a suite of 3 distinct Gothic Revival buildings that were built between 1859 and 1927, it’s the home of Canada’s Parliament and attracts over 3 million visitors annually. You can’t come to Ottawa and miss this as there are guided tours all day long. The Library of Parliament, the heart of the compound and the only original structure that survived a 1916 fire, sits at the rear of the center block and reeks of history. Having undergone a four-year restoration, it’s pristine. Walking through the Library’s massive doors into the main reading room with its vaulted ceilings is a moving experience especially when staring straight at the large white marble statue of Queen Victoria. Towering pine shelves lined with books throughout remind the curious that this is still a working library, containing over half a million books and documents which are at the ready should any of the members of Parliament or Senate need to research anything.

 

One of Ottawa’s liveliest thoroughfares has got to be the famous Sparks Street, founded in the early 1800’s by Nicholas Sparks and converted into the Sparks Street Pedestrian Mall in 1966, Canada’s earliest. It hosts three annual festivals yearly including the International Chicken and Rib Cook-Off in June, the Busker Festival in August and the one we got to experience, RIBtoberfest in October (beer plus ribs, get it?).  Seventeen rib stands from all over North America set up shop, with names like Horn Dawgs, Blazin’ BBQ and Sticky Finger. Grillers hawk their offerings like barkers calling out to one and all to try ‘em – brisket, sausages and chicken. It’s tough choosing which but you can’t make a bad choice. We loved it so much we went back two more times!

So, I’ve shared my secret … Ottawa.  We went for the fall foliage but got so much more. We’d love to return for skating on the Rideau Canal, the annual Winterlude Festival in February, the Canadian Tulip Festival in May or the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival in June.  That’s just a small selection of what Canada’s capital has going on every year.  So, I hope when you go, like me, you won’t keep a secret either.

www.ottawatourism.ca

The area code for Ottawa is 613.