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.

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.

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)

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.

I have been ordering from here for YEARS! Some would joke that I moved into the neighbourhood just…read moreso I can be closer to the good eats that this top notch restaurant pumps out. You haven't had delicious pizza unless it's been pizza from here - or back in Italy. Blindfold me while I'm savouring a bite of any of the specials off the menu (or make your own!) and I'm right back in the middle of Napoli where I first fell in love with the tastes and textures and smell of authentic, savoury Italian food. Mmm. Whatcha waiting for? You've gotta eat here! (Bonus - indoor space is so sleek and the bar is fully stocked!)

We have a monthly meeting at the restaurant - service is amazing and friendly and the food is…read morefabulour....especially the cannelloni !

Visited Fratelli for a late lunch, this restaurant has an old school family vibe. It's feels warm…read moreand welcoming. The service was efficient and pleasant and the cocktails were okay and the food was delicious standard Italian fare with good flavour blends. The pricing is a bit higher for lunch but the portions are larger and the meals left us feeling very stuffed The staff was generous with added Parmesan and black pepper. This is a great resto for family style dining.

Terrible service. Condescending, curt, unfriendly waitress. Seemed to lack even basic courtesy…read more Serviced my friend a half frozen lasagna which took over 20 mins to be reheated. No apologies, not attempt to make amends. It makes me wonder which frozen lasagna brand they were serving that night. I am sure there are more welcoming establishments in Ottawa. I would recommend any of them.

Canada is not the United States. One of the very many differences between the two friendly nations…read moreis when they celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday. In the United States, it is set by statute as the Fourth Thursday of November. Our neighbors to the north celebrate Thanksgiving on the Second Monday of October. It has been informally celebrated as such since 1879 and by statute since 1957. Banks and government offices are closed on the day. Like the one in the United States, Canadian Thanksgiving is a celebration of the end of harvest and is an opportunity for friends and family to gather, eat a meal and enjoy fellowship. And yes, there are football games on the day in both countries. Some communities even have parades that include floats. In 2023, I was visiting Vancouver on Thanksgiving weekend and was privileged to be invited to celebrate with new friends. I spent the Sunday evening at the home of my new Yelp (and IRL!) friend Michael L. with his son and his son's friend and the lovely Vancouver Yelper Jasmine A.. We enjoyed a meal that was fabulously cooked by Michael and included an amazing pork roast, a fresh sourdough loaf he had baked, crispy chicken thighs and yes, dessert included a pumpkin pie. I shared a bottle of wine from Napa that went down well with the meal. A tradition of both countries is to express what we're thankful for. So when we held hands around the table, I could say that I am thankful for friendship. Driving around the USA (and Canada), it's great to be able to socialize and spend time with wonderful people and meet new friends. Thank you! (I'm bummed that I did not think to take pictures of the group of us having dinner. Or the spread of food at the table. That garlic olive oil dip was amazingly delicious with the fresh bread!) [Review 20905 overall - 97 in Ontario - 1889 of 2023.]

Doors Open is a annual event that is marked across Ontario. In Ottawa the event takes place the…read morefirst weekend of June. Here is a snippet from the website "communities throughout Ontario will once again open the doors to hundreds of fascinating heritage sites - including commercial buildings, courthouses, theatres, museums, places of worship, gardens and natural heritage sites. What makes this eagerly awaited province-wide program so attractive is the fact that many of the participating sites are normally closed to the public and admission is free." This year I got to see a bunch of cool buildings and museums for free on top of getting a very nice tour of the US Embassy. If you get a chance to check out this event I suggest you check out the Ottawa web page next year to see what buildings are open to the public. This year they had 128!!! http://ottawa.ca/en/rec_culture/museum_heritage/celebrations/doors_open/2012buildings/index.htm The Chateau Laurier had people dressed up in late 1800s to early 1900s clothing giving tours. It was pretty awesome. I can't wait to check out more sites next year!

One of Ottawa's favourite rites of spring…read more Every year, Doors Open Ottawa gets bigger and better. It is an opportunity to discover: - institutions - historically significant buildings - museums - government facilities - embassies - fascinating properties - science labs - places of worship that: a) are not usually open to the public b) would normally charge an entrance fee. As Doors Open Ottawa gets bigger, it seems the participants are putting more and more effort into their free offerings. Last year, the City created a mobile guide for 'Doors Open Ottawa' for iphone/ipad, Android and Blackberry. The spring celebration grants two days of free access to over 100 of a diverse selection of the National Capital's buildings, many of which are not normally open to the public.

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.