Friday 27th August

Up and down to break fast for 8.45.  Good breakfast with home made jams, juices, cereal, toast and pancakes. 

Packed up and set off for Ottawa.  Good journey (no Tim stops) and arrived at the hotel early for check in. No problem, they have a room ready and suggest we change to one with two beds (queens) in the bedroom rather than a sofa bed for the kids or us.  This is an apartment hotel and the suite is great.  10^th floor; big well equipped kitchen (dishwasher, big fridge, oven the size of Alison’s) decent size and very comfortable – oh and a balcony overlooking the river.

We have a light lunch of dips we brought with us from Wasaga then set out to explore. 

I LOVE OTTAWA!  It is a beautiful city with great, really interesting things to do.  Out of the hotel, towards the river, we pass through the Garden of Territories and Provinces, to the Supreme Court where a guided tour is just about to start.  At first we have a private tour, but then a couple join is.  It covers the Federal Court (we get to sit in the judges seats - just like Judge Judy says Ellie), the Court of Appeal and some very plush marble toilets.  It’s free, very enjoyable and even J & E like it. 

We then head off towards Parliament Hill where the government buildings are.  It’s all in a lovely setting with traffic kept well away and lots of grass around.  We book the 4.20 tour of the Centre Block and Helen & Jack look round the precinct while I take Ellie for an ice cream – she’s feeling put out about going on a tour – but it doesn’t work very well – she chooses a flavour she doesn’t like!

The tour is about 40 people led by Candice, a journalism student, originally from Toronto.  We have to go through security first which takes ages, but then we are whisked into the Commons chamber which is really quite impressive.  Like a lot of things, they take their cues from Britain so the colour here is green.  Then the library, but we are told we can’t go in because some filming is taking place – the Canadians complain that this is the highlight of the tour (we’re ignorant and think they’re joking).  Candice tells us about what we could have had seen – but then we are allowed into the library providing we’re quiet and it is really quite impressive – white pine carved shelves and very ornate carvings with a staue of the young Queen Victoria looking over everything.  (Just like Harry Potter says Jack)

We then move onto the Senate which is also very impressive.

Helen and Jack, then show us the whispering wall – a curved statue plinth where you can whisper at one end and be heard clearly at the other end.  Very impressive.  The views across the Ottawa River are really impressive as well.

They then show us the memorial to the women who campaigned to get women allowed to be senators - Jack asks whether it is actual size - but it's quite big really!

We head towards town looking for something to eat, passing a jazz band playing to virtually no-one in the middle of Sparks Street, but really entertaining despite this.  We put right a wrong because we have eaten no Subway food this holiday yet, but find one on Sparks Street.  Take them back to Albert at Bay.  J & E then want to go to the gym – although the manual says that there is an over 16 rule, I made the mistake of asking at the desk whether they could use it when Jack was with me.  They are far too nice!  So I have to take the kids to the gym which they love.