Ottawa by Double Decker

Today dawned sunny with promises of clear air and temperatures in the 70's.  We decided to drive into Ottawa and take a Grayline Tour of Ottawa in a double-decker bus.  After much searching for an underground parking area (more about this later) we found the tour bus kiosk.  We decided against the amphibious tours due to the recent sinking in Missouri and elsewhere.

This is NOT What Our Tour Vehicle Looked Like!

It turned out that the bus we were expecting from the website was not quite what we got.  Instead of a double decker, London-style bus, we got a funky cut-down bus with a lower upper deck arrangement that bounced and rattled pretty badly on the old Ottawa roads and crossings. It bounced so much on our 90 minute tour, that Pamela's FitBit watch thought she had walked 7,000 steps! Our surprise was the bi-lingual nature of the tour, which sounds OK, until you realize that you only are able to understand half of what was being said, and the guide (who was pretty good) would only be spending half her time sharing information and stories with us.  It sure takes a lot more words to say in French what we say in English!

Parliament Buildings from Quebec Side of Ottawa River

The tour covered a lot of Ottawa attractions, including another trip across the river into Quebec where we saw their large block square Holocaust memorial, made in the shape of a star of David from the air.  While we learned several interesting facts, like their Parliament was meeting in the historic nearby train station, while renovations were made on their main building. Can you imagine our Congress meeting in the Union Train station in DC?  Don't think so!

Got to see the horses that the Royal Mounties use for their famous show, that tours both Canada and the USA. We have seen the show once, we think in Whitehorse, Yukon. The horses undergo three years of training before they can be used in the traveling show.

Royal Canadian Mounties

Rideau Canal that extends for 10 miles

 We decided to stay on the bus for the entire round trip to hear everything. History about the Rideau Canal being the longest skating ring in the western hemisphere was interesting, but not enough to bring us back in January! The bus brought us back to the heart of the city near Parliament and the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel.  We really like the Fairmont Empress in Victoria and Chateau Lake Louise, and this one was not as impressive, either outside nor inside.  It is an elegant hotel, on the banks of the Ottawa River, and when built was the tallest and most impressive building around, but today does not have the ambiance to measure up to other Fairmont hotels we have seen.

Rideau Canal locks next to Fairmont Laurier

We took a quick look in the hotel, bought some tea (of course) and then had a very pleasant dinner at an Irish Pub right across from the towering government buildings.  Parliament has been described as "Westminster meets Hogwarts" because of the towers and steep roofs.

Irish Pub Interior

After our lamb (for Neil) and Shepherd's Pie (for Pamela) dinner, we should have had a short walk to the parking garage...should have.  We could not find the building that we came out of when we left the underground parking garage.  Pamela took photos of our row, our floor number and even the elevator area, but we both forgot to grab a photo of the entrance to the art center building. A trip around a block or two or three and we finally saw the performing arts building. We had just come out a lower level. Once we were reunited with the Toad (Subaru Forester towed vehicle), it took us two tries and a helpful Canadian to find the EXIT out! Sometimes you ignore your phone directions, as we were in rush hour traffic and knew that we wanted to get on Banks Street and STAY on it.  All of the main highways were packed, and after a couple of turns and an illegal U-turn, we got on Banks and stayed on it all the way back to the RV park. The bicycles have their own set of green, yellow and red lights and get go go about 10 seconds before cars do.

Fortunately, tomorrow we just keep heading south on Banks and into New York state on our way to Colchester, Vermont.

Wish us luck on our fourth week of this adventure, please!

Neil and Pamela