For my Dad...

For Dad - here's you some falling snow.

Cold enough for you?  Click on it for full size to see snoooow!

Tea and tourists in Ottawa!

So Monday lunch time I arrived in Ottawa, after flying through Detroit.  Last time I came here, immigration gave me eleventy billion questions and nearly didn't let me into Canada, all because I said I was staying with a friend that I had met online 10 years ago.

This time I got the eleventy billion questions again, but was able to say "I've been before, 4 years ago" so it was alot quicker.  It also helped that I was pretty much first in line as I got off the plane, since I was on the 3rd row.

First snow of the season dumped down the night before I arrived (of course), but it's the nice light sprinkling over everything that I find so pretty, rather than the thick blanket of snow.

Yesterday (Tuesday), after a delicious sleep in until 9am, Becka and I went into town, where she took me on a fairly quick tour of some of the prettiest buildings in town.

This is the hotel (Chateau Laurier) that we were having tea in - very ritzy, and really big!

 I think this is the railway station.. Although I'm not sure. (edit - Ottawa Union Station)

 The front of the hotel - the glass atrium you can see is the area we were sitting in.

 This is the hotel from the other side. Really big, and impressive looking.

 This is the Parliamentary buildings - there are three and they're in a U-shape.

Between the hotel and Parliament is the boat lock (Rideau Locks - obviously dry for the winter).  Down towards the bottom, you can see a boat sitting in the lock, which apparently is a tall ship.  There are steps that run along side the locks to the river below.  Apparently some mad people run down them.

The following are some pictures of Parliament.  The photo is a little off-centre, mostly because there were some strange tourists that disrobed, and had their photo taken in front of the building with just shorts on.  brr. There were also some protestors standing around looking somewhat pathetic. The clock tower, which looks like a bigger, more impressive version of the Brisbane Town Hall, is called Peace Tower, which is connected to the Centre Block.

 This is Ottawa's "eternal flame", you could tell it was going, there was steam rising.  Apparently each of teh dates have significance.  Again, off centre thanks to some tourists being..... tourists.

 Queen Vicky.  :)

Cute story -these are the cats of parliament hill.  Apparently cats were originally used by Parliament to control pests, but were replaced by chemicals.  Over time, this area became a Cat Sanctuary, and the cats are aided by a group of volunteers that care for them.  Local wildlife also come to see them as well.

See - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Parliamentary_Cats

The volunteer there at the time brought one of the cats that was sunning himself over to say hi, and give us pets, but also tapped a nut (from in his pocket, obviously for this purpose) on the top of the cat house to entice one of the little black squirrels up... He merrily popped up, grabbed his nut, and went about his day.

 I can not for the life of me remember what many of the buildings along the river are, despite the fact that Becka was telling me what they all were.. :)

This is the Supreme Court

Court is on the left, and Gatineau Quebec on the right

 Victoria Island

Gatineau Quebec

The domed buildings and the wavey buildings are the Museum of Civilisation

This is looking  back towards parliament and peace tower.

 These glass monuments are tributes to police, ambulance and fire fighters that have lost their lives in the line of duty, and their names are listed on each glass panel.  One of the things that I think that we don't do enough is recognise our emergency services. 

This is the parliamentary library.  STUNNING building, and I don't think my picture really shows the colours used in the building well.

the Summer Gazebo

This bell apparently was in the Peace Tower, until it was destroyed by fire (subsequently rebuilt).  They rescued the bell and left it here.

Royal Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge

National Gallery of Canada

 A gothic church! It had a french name, and I'm assuming it's the cathedral.  Apparently it could be Notre Dame

 According to Becka, these are some guys, that did some stuff.  I know I was impressed.  Apparently they are actually - Robert Baldwin (1804-1858) and Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine (1807-1864).  This monument is the only one on Parliament Hill to honour two  statesmen at once. Erected in 1914, it pays tribute to these two men who  played a pivotal role in the peaceful movement towards responsible government in pre-Confederation Canada.

More impressive was the statue tribute to the sufferagettes, although all of them had very masculine facial featuress.

Moving away from Parliament, we headed over to the park around the un-named soldier monument. Lots more statues of people, that did stuff!

the unknown soldier monument, really somber and grey, so the single poppy sitting on the monument really stands out. (Left there from Rememberance Day).

You can see right up her skirt... -snicker-

I took a bunch of photos of this lady... the intracate nature of this statue amazed me.  It was almost like they had dipped a regency lady in bronze - right down to the texture of the bonnet showing through her ribbons, the fabric textures, and seam placements.

A bronze 3D map - I had pretty much walked around the intersections of the road coming from the top, and left.  So much to see!

The Rideau Canal is already lightly frozen.  Once the ice is thicker apparently you can skate from the bridge we're standing on, right up the canal under the other bridges off in the distance.  The railway station is to the left, and their Performing Arts Complex (National Arts Centre) is to the right.

It was then time for tea with Becka and Juli at Zoe's Cafe inside Chateau Laurier.. :)