Two weeks.
It has been two weeks since I left Montreal, and although I have been dancing around the Midwest for some days and then finally reaching my beloved country, there doesn't come a day (still) in which Guy-Concordia Station doesn't come to my mind...with its people, its movement and the gorgeous urban landscape that I got used to seeing every morning for the last three months.
So even though I have made it safe & sound back to Mexico, and it has been more than a month since I have been around the blog (because as usual, life is too crazy & I am quite disorganized myself), for the next few weeks I will be posting about my adventures in Canada. Yes, still. Mostly because there are a lot of things that I have left unsaid about the permanently weed-smelling city that adopted me during my unplanned gap term, but also because soon enough I will moving into yet another place, which will hopefully be my home for some time.
But anyway, back to Canada.
After living in Montreal and being driven insane by the never-ending craziness of its people, I decided to take a weekend off and travel to Ottawa. As some of you know, Ottawa is located in the province of Ontario, whereas Montreal is in Quebec. However, the trip is not long, and with a little planning I was able to catch a two-hour bus into the capital city.
The thing about Ottawa is that even though it is the capital of Canada, it is actually way less busy than Montreal. It is cleaner, more organized, friendlier & picturesque...a true beauty. On the other hand, it is also calmer and the impending sense of night-life that reigns in Montreal is not quite present in Ottawa, to the best of my knowledge.
However, I had the greatest time. Mostly, because I desperately needed a break from the French-speaking population, but also because I was super eager to see the Museums, the Parliament Buildings & more importantly, the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (I am such a cliché).
The first spot I hit was the Canadian Museum of History, located in Île-de-Hull, QC (Not Ottawa, mind you, but close enough). Apart from hosting Temporary Exhibitions, it is home to the First Peoples' Hall, the Canadian Stamp Collection, the Canadian Children's Museum and an IMAX Theatre, making it one of the biggest, coolest and most inclusive museums I've been in for a while.
Not to mention that it has kick-ass views of the Parliament Buildings.
Next stop was Rideau Hall, home to the Governor General and the Canadian Monarch, Queen Elizabeth. The gardens which surround the property are nothing short of an Arboretum, built on the course of many, many years by none other than the dignitaries who visit Ottawa, who are asked to plant a small tree on the property. By taking a small stroll around, I was able to find the trees of a couple of Mexican Presidents, as well as the Mandela Tree and various Queen Elizabeths', among others.
Back in the day, Rideau Hall acted as home-in-exile for various European monarchs during the course of World War II. Among them was Queen Juliana of The Netherlands, who gave birth to her second daughter, Princess Margriet, while in Ottawa. In order for the baby to be solely Dutch, the maternity ward in which she gave birth was declared extraterritorial by the Canadian Government and that is the reason why Netherlands sends 10, 000 tulip bulbs to Canada every year, giving birth to the Ottawa Tulip Festival.
Next up was none other than the Rideau Canal --gorgeous, immense and lively.
Finally, after running to the ByWard Market for an Obama Tail (a variation of the Beaver Tail), I went to the National Gallery of Canada to take a quick look at Maman, the gigantic spider sculpture made by Louise Bourgeois in the late 90's as an ode to her mother. The Ottawa Spider as it is also known, represents strength, nurture and protection.
Even though my time in Ottawa was incredibly short, I can truly say I loved the place. I had been told to avoid it since there's not much to do (concerning social life, I believe), but if you're all about Museums and pretty sights then I think it's a place that shouldn't be missed.
Ottawa, you're gorgeous. Thanks for being so good to me.
It has been two weeks since I left Montreal, and although I have been dancing around the Midwest for some days and then finally reaching my beloved country, there doesn't come a day (still) in which Guy-Concordia Station doesn't come to my mind...with its people, its movement and the gorgeous urban landscape that I got used to seeing every morning for the last three months.
So even though I have made it safe & sound back to Mexico, and it has been more than a month since I have been around the blog (because as usual, life is too crazy & I am quite disorganized myself), for the next few weeks I will be posting about my adventures in Canada. Yes, still. Mostly because there are a lot of things that I have left unsaid about the permanently weed-smelling city that adopted me during my unplanned gap term, but also because soon enough I will moving into yet another place, which will hopefully be my home for some time.
But anyway, back to Canada.
After living in Montreal and being driven insane by the never-ending craziness of its people, I decided to take a weekend off and travel to Ottawa. As some of you know, Ottawa is located in the province of Ontario, whereas Montreal is in Quebec. However, the trip is not long, and with a little planning I was able to catch a two-hour bus into the capital city.
The thing about Ottawa is that even though it is the capital of Canada, it is actually way less busy than Montreal. It is cleaner, more organized, friendlier & picturesque...a true beauty. On the other hand, it is also calmer and the impending sense of night-life that reigns in Montreal is not quite present in Ottawa, to the best of my knowledge.
However, I had the greatest time. Mostly, because I desperately needed a break from the French-speaking population, but also because I was super eager to see the Museums, the Parliament Buildings & more importantly, the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (I am such a cliché).
The first spot I hit was the Canadian Museum of History, located in Île-de-Hull, QC (Not Ottawa, mind you, but close enough). Apart from hosting Temporary Exhibitions, it is home to the First Peoples' Hall, the Canadian Stamp Collection, the Canadian Children's Museum and an IMAX Theatre, making it one of the biggest, coolest and most inclusive museums I've been in for a while.
Next stop was Rideau Hall, home to the Governor General and the Canadian Monarch, Queen Elizabeth. The gardens which surround the property are nothing short of an Arboretum, built on the course of many, many years by none other than the dignitaries who visit Ottawa, who are asked to plant a small tree on the property. By taking a small stroll around, I was able to find the trees of a couple of Mexican Presidents, as well as the Mandela Tree and various Queen Elizabeths', among others.
Next up was none other than the Rideau Canal --gorgeous, immense and lively.
And right afterwards, the Parliament Buildings, which had me snapping so many photos because they are absolutely lovely.
Even though my time in Ottawa was incredibly short, I can truly say I loved the place. I had been told to avoid it since there's not much to do (concerning social life, I believe), but if you're all about Museums and pretty sights then I think it's a place that shouldn't be missed.
Ottawa, you're gorgeous. Thanks for being so good to me.
