Canada Day in Ottowa.

Overnight I had to venture out of my cell ,to go to the loo.The lights were out on the corridor and it was pitch black..Slightly uncomfortable going round the cell blocks in the dark ....but survived.
Breakfast with the inmates was OK, bread, fruit ,cream cheese jam, boiled eggs cereals . No porridge here !😅The tea wasn't great though,il take a Yorkshire tea bag tomorrow
Going out 1st thing today ,my mission was to find Ottowa University as Fr John Chaloner, who was a huge part of my life and my family's life was here in Canada for a while and did a course at Ottowa University
I was delighted to be told the campus was just up the stairs at the back of the hostel..
Today is Canada day, so finally in a country when its a significant day ....having missed the new yr in Cambodia and the Maori new yr in New Zealand
It wasn't long before I was confronted with a sea of red and white ... the whole area was heaving with people on a level I've rarely seen...more red and white than a Man united match!
I managed to make my way to the hop on hop off bus and did the 1hr tour ,but nipped into a pub for a drink as it is an extremely hot day .
The tour passed thr British High Commission , a nice building and the USA embassy apparently the largest and most expensive build of any of the embassies
Following the bus tour I mingled with the crowds in the Parliament buildings area.
Ottowa has a really nice vibe .Its much nicer than Vancouver. Banff is different, its a large town ,but does have a nice vibe.
I' m glad I came and not regretting missing the Calgary stampede.
Mark Carney,currently Prime Minister, has an office on thr 2nd floor of one of the buildings ,none of the hoo ha and security of 10 Downing St
The Parliament building is a mini version of our houses of Parliament...I learned later the British actually built the building here..so no wonder it looks similar .
There was a fantastic folk band playing at the roadside ,I didn't hear them for v long ,but spotted the fantastic painted euphonium
I asked to have a photo with it,which was agreed to
People were clamouring to see pipers and Scottish dancers. Although I tried to see ,it was impossible, not to worry. It was so hot and the crowd so intense that one girl almost fainted .
The security staff were quick to assist
There was a free water station provided where people cuddles fill a bottle or have a paper cup of water .
At 4pm ,the Canadian Air force did a formation fly over display ..flying over and round the Parliament buildings several times..They are known as the snow drops ,flying in white planes
I decided to go for food after this was over ,before the rest of Canada decided it was tea time ! Passed a piper playing on the bridge over the canal.
Restaurants were heaving ,but the bonus of solo travel ,meant I could have a table immediately, bypassing the groups waiting!😅🥳.
After my meal it was too early and too nice weatherwise ,to go back to the hostel, so I went and sat on the canalside....until it started with torrential rain!!
I started to walk back to the hostel, but spied a taxi and jumped in.Taxi driver wasn't happy the journey was so close.
I spent a while in reception on the only comfy sofa in the place, doing my penguins app...its actually quite interesting to see who my cell mates are ...they all look dodgy !😅😅I've .spoken with a guy from Chile and another from the Quebec area
Its interesting to see how interchangeably French and English are spoken here. The tour guide gave a totally bilingual commentary.
In the restaurant, a grumpy woman who arrived nexr to me asked Parle vous Francais and without thinking i replied" un Peu..a little ...I suprised myself
There are fireworks and a public concert tonight, which, I initially thought Id go to ,but based on my experience of the crowds today Im not going to bother .
Actually, with being in reception at the hostel the staff told me the fireworks were being live streamed.. .perfect effortless way to see them.Læs mere