Ottawa Adventures

Angie and I are excited to be in Ottawa visiting my brother, Paul. He is a wonderful host who always treats us to good food, good conversation, and interesting and enjoyable outings! Despite the rather heavy snowfall yesterday morning..(think constant snowglobe) we headed off to the center of the nation's capital to take a tour of the Parliament Buildings and to go up the Peace Tower to take in the view. Both Paul and I grew up in Ottawa and remember taking many Parliament Hill tours with people who would come to visit our family, but it was fun to take a tour a few decades later and re-visit this national treasure.

Paul and Angie stand in front of the Centennial Flame

lit on Parliament Hill in 1967 to commemorate Canada's 100th birthday

The intricate stone carving and gothic windows are beautiful

The highlight of the tour was seeing the beautiful library which was built in the mid eighteen hundreds. A fire in 1916 destroyed most of the parliamentary buildings except for the library, which boasts beautifully carved shelves and beams along with a magnificent ceiling.

The parliamentary library with its intricately carved wooden alcoves

Another view of the library shows the beautiful arched windows

and skylight in the high ceiling. A statue of Queen Victoria, the reigning queen

when the library was built, graces the center alcove.

We ended the tour by taking an elevator up to the top of the Peace Tower. Because of the snowy day everything looked like a black and white photograph.

The outside of the library, the Rideau canal, and the bridge to

Quebec as seen from the top of the Peace Tower

Then is was off to have some coffee with our friend, Jane, and is visiting her Mom who lives here in Ottawa.

Don't you just love those cafes that make an art piece out of your latte!

We ended the day by walking over to a local Thai restaurant and having a delicious dinner.

Life is good!

This morning, the sun is shining and beckoning us to further adventures! Time to go and explore!