Sure, I'll give it five stars. So what if Canada's most-important government landmark turns into a…read moreDisneyland spectacle every night?!? Lights, music, and fog machines - oh my!! Anyway, you just walk up to Parliament Hill 15 minutes or so before it starts (start times posted on their webpage), find a good spot to sit on the grass, and wait for the show to start. Bring a picnic blanket or something if you like ... if it's rained recently, the grass might not be too nice. The entire front face of the Parliament Building is the screen for this culture-infused video/light show that is Mosaika. It was somehow politically charged. I'm not too good with symbolism in the arts, but the European hand kept taking stuff from the First Nations hand, and gave very little in return. Plus there was a lot of French-English controversy. and no Asian representation. Spoiler alert: it all ends happily? Somehow all these differences come together through lights and music to form a happy Canada today. Also, there was a turtle involved somehow. I will admit that it got very very very very awkward at the end when people started to stand up and sing "O Canada!" I was just kicked back on the grass chillin, and I didn't know what to do. but hey, all this for a grand total of zero dollars!! It's definitely worth the cost of free, and that's why it gets five stars!

This is a trippy patriotic offering at Parliament Hill from July to September. The 30 minute shows…read moreare free, twice a night and with seating available anywhere on the lawn, including some bleachers. The Sound and Light Show mainly attracts tourists and families, but I often see many different people out at the show. It basically feels like a crazy, amped up Cliff's Notes version of elementary school social studies. You can't help but get drawn into the energy and feel happy you're able to partake in something like this on Parliament Hill's lawn. Obviously, there are parts where you feel like you're partaking in a bit of propaganda, so take the show with a grain of salt. Actually, the last time I went, the show was usurped by a couple of protesters, including one who peed on the building. I guess it offered a balance through extremes? Anyway, I would definitely recommend this free offering to anyone looking to do something a bit stereotypically Ottawa (capital of Canada, not city of Ottawa). It's a good time, energizing and kinda weird/funny.

The Jeanne D'arc Courtyard Gardens is a beautiful little courtyard in the Byward Market between…read moreYork St and Clarence St. There's a sculpture in the courtyard called The Dancing Bear which was installed in 1999. The sculptor is an Inuit artist named Pauta Saila. It's made of bronze and is beautiful. It's surrounded by benches, which are a great place to sit and rest from sightseeing in the Byward Market if you are a tourist, or for us locals who work in the area, it's a great place to eat our lunches in the summers to get some fresh air and Vitamin D ;) It's fairly quiet and because it's somewhat hidden, it's away from the hustle and bustle of the Byward Market. The entrances have gates that close between 11pm and 7:30am, so it's not accessible to the public overnight. Those who live in the buildings or own businesses along Jeanne D'arc Court have exclusive access during those hours.

As of late, I seem to be visiting Chinatowns while being a tourist in my travels. It's fun…read morecomparing. My rating for Ottawa's Chinatown is 3.5 stars. I'm rounding up. I got to experience walking the entire area on my birthday, on a hot summer day. This Chinatown spans several blocks. It's twice as long as Winnipeg's! As you can tell, I have been on both sides of the Chinatown coin. I have lived in cities where their Chinatowns are either super tiny (Winnipeg) or non-existent (Rochester, MN). Both required that I import favourite products from the GTA. GTAers shouldn't take our access to numerous Chinatowns for granted. Ottawa has a good Chinatown where, if I lived there, I'd be content getting what I need and then some. Shrimp-flavoured chips? Yes. Bubble tea with six different types of coconut jelly? Check. At least half a dozen Vietnamese places to get high on pho? Definitely. I liked the Chinese gate. I've had dim sum in this area in the past and had a great experience. It's cool seeing what's here and how it continues to grow. I felt at home, which is the best feeling when you are on vacation. (274)

This is a no frills Chinatown. The main stretch is Somerset with a few side streets. If you are…read moreexpecting authentic Chinese shops and restaurants please get back into your car. If you are ready to take photos of Chinese monuments or statues, put your camera back in your pocket. There are more Vietnamese restaurants than Chinese who are heavily "pho based". Then there is a sprinkle of Indian and farm to table restaurants. It is a shame that the streets are filled with garbage and smell like urine. I do enjoy passing by though. I did pass by the Asian festival and enjoyed the dragon dance. Other than that, the food was astronomically high to the point that I could not fathom paying $13 for cut mango.

When I was heading back home from my trip to Ottawa in November 2015, I wanted some bagels and a…read moresnack to keep me content during my drive. I stopped by Kettleman's and got my onion bagels, and snacked on a chocolate puff as I drove home. It took me this trip to realize that I had stopped by the Kettleman's location in The Glebe. I have been here. I just didn't know it! Earlier this month, I got an extensive tour of The Glebe (thanks, Jennifer!). I learned that glebe, the word, means church lands. It was originally known as the glebe lands of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. How fascinating! The Glebe reminds me of Osborne Village in Winnipeg. There are a ton of eclectic, unique stores. You can walk for hours, exploring various stores and stopping for a bite to eat or a drink as you continue leisurely checking out everything. Parking can be a challenge. I remember parking in a lot where construction is happening next to Kettleman's these days. I parked on a residential street this time around and walked over to check out 613flea. Even though it was a three-hour parking limit, I exceeded it by nearly an hour (oops). Luckily, the parking police were probably consuming a baked good in the area somewhere and I was okay. The residential part of this area felt great to walk through. There is a sense of community, with folks being friendly and smiling as you pass by them. This area has a nice, safe vibe. I need to return and explore some more. (297)

Ok folks, I'm trying to make it through some more Ottawa Local Flavour. Today it's The Glebe. The…read moreGlebe is a very eclectic neighbourhood. Technically I think it spans from Highway 417 to the north, to the Rideau Canal to the south and east, and then Bronson Ave to the west. However, the action really is along Bank St from about Glebe Ave to Lansdowne Park. There are a variety of businesses in the Glebe that range from kitchen supply stores, to specialty paper stores, to a compounding pharmacy (called The Glebe Apothecary - sounds a bit archaic yet cool, huh?). There are also lots of restaurants, cafés, and bakeries. It's considered a well-heeled neighbourhood, so prices are set accordingly. It's no surprise that The Glebe is home to Ottawa's only Whole Foods, and only Sporting Life. Since The Glebe is an old neighbourhood, houses are mostly very old and large, but some have been torn down and newer in-fill construction have been erected. Walking around, you will see lots of "book sharing structures" that people built and put on their lawns. They are like mini libraries. Very cute. Yay, literacy! The Glebe is home to the Great Glebe Garage Sale which is always the fourth Saturday in May (rain or shine) and it's been going on every year since 1986! Glebe residents pretty much sell things from their lawns, driveways, or porches. I've heard of people who don't live in The Glebe renting people's driveways/lawns in The Glebe to sell their stuff because the event attracts so many potential buyers. I hate crowds, traffic, and getting up early, so I have never been to this famous event, but apparently it's awesome (if you like garage sales). At the northern part of The Glebe, there's a park called Central Park which is quite pretty. You'll often see couples taking wedding or engagement photos there. Central Park is also where The New Art Festival takes place every June (it used to be called Art in the Park from 1992-2008). It's essentially an outdoor art exhibit that features artists from across Canada. The art is in all media - paints, woods, ceramics, metals, textiles, photographs, etc. This I have been to, and it's cool. Parking is a bit of a pain in this area. There are some paid parking lots and street parking is available but difficult to find. Read the parking signs carefully, folks, because some places are limited to 1 hour, others 2 hours, and others 3 hours, and there are limitations depending on day of the week and time of the day. Each street is different, and some stretches of the same street are different. Parking enforcement are usually out in full force (I see them often when I'm in the area) and ready to ticket you for parking infractions. If you don't want to deal with parking, there are several buses that run along Bank Street. Overall, a charming and eclectic part of town with some interesting shops, good restaurants, and pretty parks.

The first thing I noticed after arrival on Parliament Hill to watch The Changing of the Guard, was…read moreone of the Red Coated soldiers collapse in a heap with his AK(real?), a victim of the sun and heat. He was carried off to a corner of the field, treated, and ultimately taken away in a van. It is easy to understand how that could happen to these fine young men. Their coats are either wool or polyester, designed to hold in body heat. Their black bear fur hats appear thick and also better for winter dressage than a hot August first. Most importantly, a closer examination shows a battalion drilled only for this show, and not for combat. So, it occurs to me that this spectacular Is primarily show business, secondarily nationalistic, and thirdly having anything to do with protecting the realm. That's cool, as it is very well attended, and draws cheers and applause from the thousands present to witness it. Too, the band has it going on! Especially the bagpipers in green. They blow their lungs out!

The Changing of the Guard Ceremony happens every year. It takes places at Rideau Hall on Sussex…read moreDrive, or, more popularly, Parliament Hill. In the summer, from about late June until late August, the Ceremonial Guard march to music and perform military drills. The ceremony begins at 10am sharp, and goes on until 10:30. They suggest arriving early at 9:45 to get more information and for the best view. I've gone to the Changing of the Guard on a few different occasions, mostly as a child. The kids seem to really love it and I remember thinking it was kind of like watching red toy soldiers come to life, with all of the marching. You'll find larger audiences on Canada Day, so it's definitely worth it to get there earlier to beat the crowd, especially if you're with your family.

So this is where the Hallmark Christmas movies are made, eh?…read more This is a cute little town, about 45ish minutes to get to if you are coming from the east end. Super laid back, and an excellent place for families to roam. The fam and I didn't stay that long here during our day trip. We mainly stayed around Gemmill park which connects to the community town center (bathrooms are located inside..YAY), ventured out to the main strip, got some ice cream, had a picnic in the park and went home. I do wish I had more time here to explore, but I will have to make another trip out here in the fall. Beautiful town, can't wait to go back.

Almonte is a small town about 50 km outside of Ottawa. Growing up in Toronto, I feel that even…read moreOttawa is small, and admittedly I had not had much interest in small towns where the population is only marginal greater than the population of my former highschool, lol. However, recently, my husband and I were on our "staycation" and we decided to venture out to Almonte in search of new scenery. I won't be packing my big city bags for the small town life anytime soon, but I'm glad we had our little jaunt into Almonte. So Almonte is a picturesque little town that I discovered is very popular with tourists. I foolishly thought that one of the advantages of a small town was free and readily available parking. The streets were teeming with tourists and we had to circle the main street a few times before we found a parking spot. Parking was free though. So "downtown Almonte" is along Mill St, which is where the touristy stuff is. The newer strip is along Ottawa St where you will find businesses like breweries, distilleries, and coffee roasteries. We visited both areas. The downtown area is mostly coffee shops, restaurants and antique/vintage/second hand shops. It was nice to stroll around, but honestly, the place was not my jam. We had lunch at one of the cafes and it was good, but nothing that I couldn't get closer to home. They had a statue of the inventor of Basketball there, since he was born in Almonte (I think it was actually Ramsey, but after the amalgamation, it's all technically called "Mississippi Mills" now anyway). Yeah, I snapped some pictures like the tourist that I was. Now I'm going to tell you about the real gem of Almonte, and what made our trip worthwhile: a doughnut shop called Healthy Foods Technologies, where the doughnuts are fried in a machine that the owner invented so that they absorb less fat and are thus "healthier." They taste like normal doughnuts and they are delicious! We bought a dozen and I may or may not have eaten 6 for dinner that night, lol.

Fortissimo is a military and musical performance that takes place on Parliament Hill every year…read moresince 1997. It features military bands, pipes and drums, and the soldiers of the Ceremonial Guard. This year we had a corps from the United States Army as well. This year it was July 19-21 (2018). Admission is free. It's a good performance and an entertaining way to spend an evening. I think it's also a nice way to engage the public with the Canadian Military. There is some gun fire and firing of cannons, so just a warning if you are sensitive to loud sounds or the smell of gunpowder. Some years are better than others. Although this was my first year going to see it live, I've seen videos from previous years and previous years had more "choreography" for lack of a better term. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it.

This is my first time at Lansdowne for the City of OM yoga) festival. It was a sunny Saturday…read more There are lots of trees but equally enough sun. If you're there the whole day, I suggest you wear sunscreen. The layout is very clean and green. Lots of restaurants, movie theatre, gyms, stadium and other attractions. The Horticulture and Aberdeen Pavilion are beautiful in architecture. Inside is a big open space. Now I know why it's popular for festivals and markets. The stadium is very easy to get to but right in the park. It can cause an overflow of people in that area since everything at Lansdowne is quite close to each other. With the beautiful weather, a festival and a soccer game expect that vicinity to be packed. If you don't like heavy flow of traffic , I suggest you avoid weekends in the summer. There's expensive underground parking and limited free street parking. The washrooms are very clean, especially for a park area. There was always a cleaner making her rounds (thank you so much!).

I went to check out the Ribfest traditional southern barbecue last night! They had a lot of vendors…read more& yummmmmm food trucks. Dino beef ribs, short ribs, brisket, all 100% Halal. It also had games & kids zone. Entry fees can be paid either online or when you get there. I went at around 9 pm so they only charged me $10 per person instead of $16. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was great. Today (August 13,2023) is the last day here in Ottawa.