Ottawa

We drove to Ottawa Friday morning, and back last night.



This photo isn't about Parliament, or the stance of the photographer up front... it's about the sartorial choices of the man in the turquoise hoodie, wearing plaid shorts *over* his pants.



I really don't know what to think about the unicorn at Parliament, but I like it.

I hadn't been inside Parliament since I was 12, and we decided to do the touristy thing and poke around. An enthusiastic guide (who, in a very Canadian fashion, had a distinct Mexican accent) invited us to take the 45 minutes tour. We declined, but he came back and said that actually, people didn't general know this, but it was possible to avoid the tour but simply go up the Peace Tower and see the Memorial Chamber. So, we decided to do this. Despite, some hassle with security (who were fascinated with my travel chop sticks), we got in and up the Tower after only a short wait. It was really worth it. The view is wonderful and the Memorial Chamber was actually quite moving.





The downtown core really does seem to empty out by 6 pm. We headed toward Byward Market to try and find dinner. We chose a place because I was amused that it was in the building which originally housed the Geological Survey of Canada.

Saturday, RJH played several hockey games (for the Heart & Stroke foundation) and I went to the Museum of Civilization, since I had yet to do so. It's across the river in Gatineau, with a great view of Parliament. Though this child appears to be fleeing, the museum is great. I enjoyed their Japanese exhibit, which rooted contemporary Japanese design in its traditions - for instance tracing robots to eighteenth century automatons, or manga to ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Since I've spent time in Japan, and visited the Tokyo Edo Museum and the National Museum, I wasn't sure I would be impressed, but it was really well curated. Also, I got to pet Paro the Japanese robot baby seal. It was creepy. I also enjoyed the amazing array of masks in their permanent collection, and even the straightforward Canadian history.

Ottawa

I had an hour to kill yesterday, in Ottawa, so I did the obvious. After all, I've been to Ottawa several times, but I hadn't really gone to see Parliament since I was 12. But first, the Supreme Court, a building I really like. It's got great, and somehow unexpected proportions.



I didn't even know why the flag was at half-mast.


I like the real heroes we choose to place across from Parliament.

In the bushes, right before the Parliament steps, there was a semi-stealthy groundhog. It would have been too funny if it were a beaver. I took several photos until the RCMP drove up slowly and then I decided perhaps I was behaving suspiciously and should move along.




As soon as I got to the gate at Pearson, I noticed that the proportion of spoken French I heard went up. I was lucky on the way there. They had me seated next to a francophone woman with a infant and toddler, with an anglophone family with infant behind me - but the stewardess offered me the emergency exit row instead. I took a shuttle to the hotel where the meeting was held. Saw a few people I knew, but it was dominated by atmospheric physicists and oceanographers. Had lunch with N, who complained about the smokers. I told him it was the proximity to la belle province. I wandered off to the B&B in the afternoon - good thing too. It had a) moved across the street and b) did not consider my request for a reservation and their confirmation enough. Apparently I was supposed to confirm the confirmation, which seems redundant to me - but I got a room. Walked the 2 km back to the conference. Then headed to the Hill*, before the banquet (which was a great success**). Flew back home this morning. Security addressed me in French, which I always take as a compliment and an assumption based on my clothes, because it can't be my preternaturally pale-Irish complexion. When he saw my boarding pass, he switched to English. The Indo-Canadian cabbie from Pearson asked where I had been. Then he asked if I spoke French. Turns out he's trying to learn and wanted to practice. He told me how his Canadian-born cousins didn't know much French even though they got it in school. He thought they were missing out, were wrong to consider French unimportant and that the country as a whole should be more bilingual. I agree of course, but was pleasantly surprised.

*As a small child I assumed The Fool on the Hill was about Parliament. This is only semi-precocious, because while I knew 'the Hill' could be a synonym for Parliament Hill, I wrongly inferred this would be true of all Parliaments, including London.

**Though his medal went missing temporarily between the morning at the Mint and the afternoon at the hotel, less than 1 km away. Apparently there was some behind-the-scenes drama.