Day 154 of international places giving smiles – Remembering Kingston and Ottawa the Capital of Canada
My daughter and me were excited to start this new Canada East tour and felt really blessed to have a friend like Neela who gifted this holiday to us. We were soon on the highway which in Canada start with 4 because in 1865 there were only 4 provinces in Canada.
This highway is 825 kms long also called Road of the hero as highway used to bring back bodies of war martyrs from the airport to their homes. We passed a signboard saying Cornwall where my uncle used to stay probably 45 years ago.
Our first stop was at the quaint little town called Kingston. We drove past the red roof house of the first prime minister of Canada. We saw Canada’s oldest rail locomotive that was left back at the Kingston railway station; we ate a veg hot dog in the park opposite the town hall, we saw the boats on the harbour, and generally took out our touristy pictures. We also drove past the Royal Military College and the Queens University. Caught up on last weeks lost sleep in the bus ride.
Our next stop was at the Canadian capital city of Ottawa. Our first moment was to ogle at the residences of the Governor General and the Prime Minister as well as the Parliament building which with its green roofs seemed as if it were straight out of a story book. We walked across to a hotel which definitely looked like a fairytale castle. We took pictures near the memorial for the first world war martyrs, we saw a quaint pedestrian only street and were back in time for the bus.
A must see attraction of Ottawa is the Canadian museum of civilizations. We saw the tall totem poles of native American Indians in the Grand Hall. We walked through many halls to experience how Canadian civilization had evolved over the many centuries of time. Also saw a sculpture which is present on the 20$ bill of Canada.
We drove away from Ottawa and later along with other fellow vegetarians managed to get a subway sandwich for dinner at a mall on the highway. I forgot to get an Ottawa souvenir and wondered if I would ever come back again.
Two years later I did return to Ottawa, this time to give some company to my husband. There was no novelty factor looking at the fairy tale castle like structures. The eternal fountain of fire and water became another picture spot. However at the Rideau Canal, we were lucky to watch the water levels go up and down as the locks are opened and closed to let a boat pass by. I made friends in the garden with a local, as decided to skip a return visit to the Museum. I went for a long walk upto the art gallery and just had to take a picture with the giant spider on one side and the cathedral on the other.
It was an even longer walk back to the Ottawa bus station and I felt as if I had covered almost the entire city on foot. And yes again I forgot to buy the Ottawa souvenir for my showcase and no I don’t think I want to visit it again for a third time!
So which place made you smile today?
Be grateful for the places that make you smile!
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