Tuesday 1 July 2008

Happy Canada Day!

Today Betty was picking me up at 10 a.m. to attend the Canada Day Festivities downtown and for a lady's day out. She actually arrived at 9:30 a.m. Luckily I was ready!

We drove back to my sister, Margie's place and her husband, John drove us to the bus station. It was much easier taking the bus downtown today as a lot of the streets were blocked off for the celebration. Margie supplied bus tickets, thanks Margie!

First stop was a tour of the lab where Danica is working this summer. Here she is in her lab coat.

She showed us all around the various areas and in where the fish are that she's working on. Unfortunately the only fish photos that turned out were the goldfish and she works on trout!

From there we bussed it back to the downtown area and had lunch at Palermo's on Sparks Street. Sparks Street is a pedestrian mall here in Ottawa with all kinds of shops and restaurants. Betty bought lunch, thanks Betty!

From there we walked toward Parliament Hill. There sure were lots of people around today.


The crowd in front of the Peace Tower at the Parliament Buildings. There were lots of people dressed in red and white.

Left to right: Margie, Danica and Betty

We sat around on a planter wall for a while waiting for the Snowbirds to fly over. Unfortunately my camera didn't do well on photos of the Snowbirds.

A Mounted Policeman

Then we walked down by the locks between the Parliament Buildings and the Chateau Laurier Hotel. There are 7 locks here to get from the Rideau Canal down to the Ottawa River.

From there we went to the Rideau Centre which is the downtown shopping mall and the only thing open today for shopping except for the Byward Market which is also in that area. We spent a couple of hours walking around there. Betty bought a dress at an outdoor shop in the Market, Danica got a couple of pairs of shorts at the Rideau Centre and Margie bought her husband some shorts at Giant Tiger (a Canadian discount store). I didn't buy anything! No money and no room!

This is the view looking towards Parliament Hill from the bridge over Rideau Street at the Rideau Centre.

After that we walked back to the University of Ottawa campus area to catch the bus back to Baseline Station where John was waiting to pick us up. They dropped me off at the RV where I have collapsed!

4 comments:

  1. Hi from another Ontario native

    Have been reading your blog for ages. We enjoy it and your photos.

    Just had to make a comment. I am originally from Haliburton Highlands so know the Lindsay area that you go to quite well. I am sure that you both will miss the month there this summer, if you are unable to go.

    Read todays blog and had to let you know that my husband's Father was a Bernardo Home Child. Did you send and get your Father's records? What ship did he come across on in what year? Just curious. Doug's Dad came across on the SS Minnedosa in 1921.
    Have a Happy Canada Day

    Bonnie- www.cruising-in-our-rv.com

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  2. Happy Canada Day to you and Gordon!!

    Debbie

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  3. Anonymous6:44 am

    Thanks for the Canada Day pictures from Ottawa. I've always thought it would be special to be there on July 1 !! Glad the weather co-operated.

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  4. That really is a lovely area. I was supposed to have immigrated to Canada years before I immigrated to the US, but I thought that it would be too cold. That was when I was younger and had dual citizenship, Brit. and US, as my mother was born in San Francisco. Hindsight is great, as I could have summered in Canada, and wintered in the US. I would have had no trouble getting into the US, then.
    Wouldn't it be great to have the knowledge in our younger years that we have in our older years ?
    I really would like to visit there one day, it looks beautiful. Thanks for the pictures.
    Happy Trails, Penny.

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