Sunday, August 3, 2008

Ottawa: the Artful Lodger

Arriving fresh the next day, the Halls were too early for their rooms, so a hasty revision to their flight plan was arranged and they ended up at the Canadian Aviation Museum on the grounds of the Canadian National Air Base. A truly beautiful and well laid out museum, it provided entertainment as well as shelter, during the only inclement weather the Halls experienced the whole trip. By the time they got out, the sun was shining and the streets of Ottawa beckoned enticingly.
They booked in at the historic Lord Elgin hotel, and decided to check out the city life.
After dining on fish and chips at an authentic British pub, the Halls took their usual constitutional around that delightful capital to our north. While strolling around, they witnessed: a wedding party having their photographs taken in front of the main entrance of Parliament, street musicians and chalk artists, traveling chess games and one of the most unusual sculptures they have ever seen guarding the doorway to the National Art Gallery. Like a little bit of Europe just three hours away, Ottawa enchanted the Halls, and they made note that moment that this would scarcely be their last time here.

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