So I flew out to Ottawa, Canada for a 3-day business trip. While I was there I used what very little personal time I had to see the city but had to limit my exploration to within a 3 block radius of my hotel. Fortunately, my client arranged for me to stay at the Fairmon Chateau Laurier. My hotel was right next to the Canada Parliament House, in the Major's Hill Park area, and right along the River Cideau and canal.
I've always felt that morning runs are a great way to explore and get a feel for a new city so I made an effort to do this during my trip. On my first run, I ran around the Major's Hill Park area, across the Alexandra bridge (which is already Quebec) and back towards Parliament House. The following day, I ran past the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier then along the canal towards the direction of Ottawa east. My client hosted a dinner and cocktail reception at the Canada Museum of Civilizations, which is on the Quebec side of the River Cideau. The museum provided a introspective of Canada's history, including vignettes from the daily life of the different communities that make up the country. I even learned a litle bit about the whale industry. Apparently, whales were historically hunted for their oil, which was used as a key ingredient in many day-to-day products like soap. (I guess this was before science discovered plant based oils like coconut and olive oil). I even learned that 1 whale can produce approximately 100 barrels of oil and that the present value of 1 barrel is equivalent to CAD$8K, Who knew, huh? The Museum was right along the river and I actually walked back to the hotel with several of my colleagues. It took us 20 minutes to walk along the river, cross Alexandra bridge, go around Major's Hill park and get to our hotel. :-)
Ottawa is a stunning and a very walkable city. It's a shame that I didn't have the time to explore Bytown which is lined with local designer boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. I'll be sure to put this in my itenerary the next time I am in town.
