Ottawa: It’s Tulip Time!

Ottawa.  I thought it was about time to explore my own capital.  What better time to visit during the Tulip Festival!  Ok, my visit was just at the end of the festival.

After an eight-hour bus ride, my A Voyagers Bed and Breakfast was conveniently located behind the station on Arlington Ave.  After I checked in and dropped my bags in the room and began to explore

Hitler’s Mercedes-Benz inside the Canadian War Museum

Twenty minutes later I found Palermo Cafe on Sparks Street Mall.  Not having coffee all day, I grabbed a cup ($1.00) just before the 4 p.m.

Sparks Street is Canada’s first pedestrian mall started in 1963.  When its popularity grew, it was decided in 1966 to keep it open all year long.  I sipped my coffee and enjoyed the quietness on the Victoria Day holiday.

With no plans in mind, I meandered around the downtown area.  I decided it was time to eat and found Yesterday on Sparks Street.  The BLT sandwich with fries and a glass of wine ($15.00) hit the spot.

After a good nights sleep, I was ready to explore this walk able city.  Every Remembrance Day November 11^th, a ceremony takes place at the National War Memorial in honour of the dead.  I looked down at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider and paid my respects to those who died during World Wars 1 & II.

Basilica Cathedral Notre Dame

Across the street is the elegant first class Fairmont Chateau Laurier.  I savoured the magnificent lobby of this hotel built 1912.  Maybe one day I’ll bite the bullet and spend a night or two here.

Behind the hotel is Major’s Hill Park.  I walked by the colourful tulips and a small fair.   Behind the park is a statue of Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer who was the first white man to travel through the future site of Ottawa.  Samuel has a gorgeous view of the Parliament Hill, Ottawa River and the Ottawa Locks.

My timing was perfect when I approached the Ottawa Locks.  Two people cranked open a lock by hand let a small boat through.  I watched them do two more.

Time ticked on and I had much to see.  Bytown Museums next to the locks would have to wait until the next visit.  For only six dollars, it gives a perspective of Ottawa’s history.  The city was once called Bytown until 1855.

Ok.  I’m biased Canadian!  I loved Parliament Hill, or as the locals call it “the Hill.”  Being the heart of Canadian government, it consists of the Centre Block, East Block and West Block.  Plenty of statues adorn the grounds including John A. Macdonald (Canada’s first Prime Minister), Queen Elizabeth II on a horse, Women Are Persons (celebrating 1929 landmark victory Canadian women struggle for victory).  My favourite statue is Lester B. Pearson sitting keeping an eye on the Parliament.

Colourful tulips in Commissioners Park beside Dow Lake

Tulips and daffodils brightened the Gardens of Provinces and Territories.  This park is dedicated to the provinces and territories of Canada displaying each of the flags.  I enjoyed the gentle sounds of the fountains as I snacked on an apple, banana and a bag of chips.

Ottawa is filled with museums.  Not being a museum fan, I bragged to family and friends about the Canadian War Museum.  It was worth every penny of the $12.00 entrance fee.  With the threat of rain, the three hours spend here was just perfect.

My eyes widened when I entered a huge room filled with all sorts of tanks and jeeps used in the both World Wars and Korea.  Each vehicle has a description of its history.

The exhibits are well laid out.  It starts from the beginning of war (bows and arrows are the first weapons) on to the Plains of Abraham, World War I, World War II, and Cold war and to the present.

I walked through the makeshift trench with gunfire sounds and mannequin soldiers.  I closed my eyes and visualized what the horror the men went through.  Of course, nothing and compare but nevertheless the exhibit is done well.

I turned a corner to the World War II exhibit.  My jaw dropped.  Wow!  I starred at Hitler’s Mercedes-Benz.  Goose bump appeared on my arms.  The car was captured by the Americans and given to Canada.

Juno Beach in Normandy France is on my “bucket list” but for now this had to do.  With the black and white video in front of me, I felt like I was with the men getting off the water vehicle running through the water toward the beach.

Statue of Terry Fox. Behind is the Frontenac Chateau Laurier Hotel

The sudden 30C one-day heat wave proved to be too much of a difference from the day before jaunt in Montreal where I had to break down and bought another layer, a fleece jacket to be exact.

Ottawa is the tulip capital of the world.  Commissioners Park beside Dow Lake has the largest tulip display in the region.  The colours of the reds, yellows, whites, purples and mixed were so vibrant at this late stage.  I stopped and asked a local how long the tulips would last.

“They’ll be gone by next week,” she said.  “We were lucky for them to still look good thanks to the cool weather we’ve been having this spring.”

After I walked along the park, I headed toward the pavilion by Dow Lake, where there is a restaurant and bathrooms.

I left the park by Preston St. entrance.  Here stood a statue of a man holding up a hat in each hand representing a symbol and link of the lasting relationship and close friends between Canada and the Netherlands.  Canada got the tulips as a present of thanks for giving refuge to the royal family of the Netherlands during World War II.

The bus system in Ottawa is fantastic.  With help from a local, I hopped a bus on Preston St. and Carling Ave ($3.00) and was dropped off near the Ottawa Public Library.

After a quick stop at the library to check out my emails, I headed toward Byward Market.  I didn’t have to fight crowds and savoured the smells and sights of the indoor and outdoor vendors selling items from fresh fruits and vegetables to cheese, meats, and flower.  There are lots of speciality shops and restaurants to choose from as well.

The day was perfect to sit on the cushy seats outside of Cornerstone Bar and Grill.  I sat for about two hours sipped on a Peach Mojitas, enjoyed a Panini ($16.00) and watched the world go by.

In Byward Market

Refreshed, I was ready to hit the sites I had planned for the afternoon.  First stop was Carleton County Gaol (1860-1972) is now known as Ottawa International Hostel.  I considered staying in one of the jail cells or dorm.  This was the site of the last public hanging.  There are tours at certain times but unfortunately the timing didn’t work for me.

I looked for Laurier House (once home to Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier now a museum that houses the Nobel Peace Prize won by Lester B. Pearson) in vain.  I asked at least five people, no one knew where Laurier House was.  Frustrated, I headed toward downtown.  Later, I was sorry I just didn’t go inside a building, cool off and try again.  I knew I was close to the museum.  Next time.  I’m lucky to live close enough to Ottawa by bus or train.

Ottawa is a young capital but rich in history.  And I love historical buildings and this city has plenty of that.  The sparkling steeples of Basilica Cathedral of Notre-Dame captivated me.  This is Ottawa’s oldest church that began 1841.   And there are plenty more of this around the city.

Down the street is National Peacekeeping Monument depicts three peacekeepers standing on walls above the debris of war.  Canada is known as a peacekeeping nation.  It played vital roles in Cyprus, Haiti and the Middle East.  Ottawa impressed me in its commemorative to those who risked their lives, whether by war or peacekeeping.

Unfortunately my plans for the day didn’t go according to plans; however, I decided to head back to “the Hill”.  In the information tent (it’s white and huge); I purchased a free ticket with the tour time on to visit inside the Parliament.

After an airport-like security check-in, we began our 45-minute tour.  The guide chatted and joked as we walked along the various halls.  Down one hall are portraits of each Prime Ministers who chose their own artists.  My favourite is Pierre Elliott Trudeau, once a very charismatic man and leader.

National War Memorial

We passed by House of Commons and the House of Senate on toward the Library of Parliament, a quiet yet elegant area of the Parliament.

After the tour, we were left on our own.  I took the elevator ride up (only 7 allowed) the 92 metre high Peace Tower, a recognizable landmark of Canada, to enjoy the 360-degree breathtaking view of the city and Ottawa River.

If I had known, I would have tried to make reservations inside the Memorial Chambers to witness the turning of the page of the First Book of Remembrance precisely at 11 (done each morning).  The book, in a glass topped case watched over by statuettes of kneeling angels, contains the names of those who died in World War I.  There is another book that contains the names of those who died in the Second World War.  Scattered around the room are poems of war including the famous “Flanders Fields” by John McCrea, written in 1918.

My time in Ottawa dwindled too fast.  Across from the Parliament is a cosy outdoor cafe called Parliament Pub.  I sat outside with a fantastic view of the Parliament and Chateau Laurier.  Next to the pub is a statue of Terry Fox.  Terry was a courageous young man diagnosed with cancer, right leg amputated above the knee.  He walked across Canada to raise money for cancer research, but had to stop due to the return of his illness.  He died at the age of 22.

I pondered the thought as I ate my carrot soup with fresh bread and sipped my wine that I’ve travelled and explored other countries and their capital.  I’m embarrassed to say I’ve waited this long to discover the history and beauty of this thriving city.  I anticipate a return to see more sites that I missed in my nation’s capital, Ottawa.

Tips:

1. Visit Ottawa Public Library.  Get a free card (good for a year) for Internet use to check emails.
2. Local bus transportation is excellent.  C$3.00 exact cash.  Day passes are C$7.00 exact cash fare bought on the bus.
3. Visit website www.ottawatourism.ca
4. A Voyagers Bed and Breakfast, 95 Arlington St., conveniently located on the back of the bus station, two blocks from the local bus that goes directly to the train station.  To most tourist sites about a 20-minute walk or so.
5. Canadian War Museum.  Do not sit on the tanks, jeeps etc to pose for photographs.   On Thursdays it’s free from 4 .m. to 8 p.m.
6. Library of Parliament.  Inside the Parliament Building.  No photographs allowed.
7. Memorial Chambers inside the Parliament.  Only 5 are allowed at the 11 a.m. ceremony of the page turning.  Reservations are made on a first come first serve basis. http://www.parl.gc.ca/Memorial/history_designs-e.htm

A Light In Their Lives – Kathmandu, Nepal

It’s 8:25am, not long from the start of school, and RCDP volunteer Jenny Dea expertly wields a toothpaste tube, squeezing out dollops of toothpaste onto the several toothbrushes held by small outstretched hands in the Light For Nepal Orphanage in northern Kathmandu, which provides rays of hope for several local children.

“Namaste!” they proclaim while holding their hands in a position of prayer at their chest, the typical Nepali greeting. “What is you name?” Where are you from?”

At 8:30am Dea walks with them, two of the youngest ones hand-in-hand, to the Nepal Matri Grihasocial primary school. The kids know all the back-lane shortcuts (she sticks to the main streets when walking back to the orphanage on schooldays) so there’s plenty of help both given and received. A few older kids peel off from the younger orphans at the secondary school. At this point an effervescent youngster grabs my hand, ending my note taking for the time being. But to this writer it feels a privilege to be trusted as an adult by one of these gentle souls.

Rajesh, my new five-year-old friend and I are starting to get to know each other through his good English—the language of instruction at his school. We are falling behind the group, so like, well, schoolboys we scamper up to the rest of the children and Dea. I slowly try to let go to see if I can get a hand loose to write with, but young Rajesh just tightens his hold on three of my fingers. Along the way are tiny general stores, fruit markets, Hindu shrines and a few back-lane surprises, like two Western women who Dea later says were the first foreigners she had seen in the 10 days she had so far volunteered in the area of northern area of the Nepali capital. That alone ensures cultural authenticity in this volunteering project. The random temples and bustling attractions of the area further seal the deal.

We meet up with Dea and the five youngsters she is accompanying as two cars traveling in opposite directions compete to fit through an impossibly narrow stretch of road hemmed in by Newari red-brick buildings on either side. There’s not even enough room for pedestrians to squeeze by in. Eventually might makes right and the bigger vehicle breaks through the logjam. It’s all part of the fun of enjoying a typically urban Nepali street scene.

“With many of then them their parents have passed away,” Dea explains about her young charges. Both Dea and her partner in care-giving, Charlotte Anderson, hail from Toronto, Canada and are in their early 20s.

“We’ve tried to teach them about hygiene. The children had toothpaste and toothbrushes, but they didn’t use them,” explains Dea.

She made lathering up their faces with soap “a kind of dance” in order to tempt the kids into wanting to keep themselves clean. Dea has tried to make a positive impact by introducing liquid hand soap to the center. She made it a habit more fun to pick up by showing the kids they could make ever-popular bubbles while lathering up.

The orphans were using soap to wash their hair with soap before the Canadians introduced them to shampoo. As only cold water is available, the orphans shower just once a week. The water isn’t any warmer for the volunteers. But rouging it and living by local standards provides unique insight into the local culture.

“I’ve never met so many independent five-year-olds in my whole life,” says Anderson, who calls the orphans rather self-sufficient when compared to the rather coddled kids of a similar age back home in Canada.

Still, the children, especially the younger ones, enjoy the attention showered on them by Dea and Anderson, and greatly value the impact they two have already had on their lives.

“Mostly we play with them,” says Dea, who with Anderson have free time from 8:30am when they drop of the children, until 4pm when the two young women pick them up. This is their primary time for getting to know the Kathmandu Valley.

The orphanage is run on a shoestring budget and it is difficult to provide nutritional meals—even the quintessential Nepali meal of dal baht is not made here. Instead both the children and volunteers eat spinach, potato and other veggies with rice. Meat—generally chicken—is served about once a week. Once the couple was befriended by a neighbor who offered them pieces of papa, a crispy, circular Nepali bread that they found delicious.

In the daytime, the duo have done the accessible sides of fabulous Kathmandu, including the Monkey Temple (the Buddhist Swayambunath Stupa) and the capital’s stunning Durbar Square as well as the ever popular Thamel travelers’ district. The fabulous Chitwan National Forest is in their sites as well.

The Canadian duo appreciates how the RCDP programs allow for not only the deep cultural immersion that volunteering provides, but the schedule that affords for seeing the must-see sights—as well as a few diversions off the beaten track.

To follow their three weeks of volunteering and daytrips, Dea and Anderson are looking forward to taking on the Everest Base Camp trek over two weeks.

The twosome strongly believes that volunteering is a good way to understand the local culture.

The older kids do a lot to help out. One teenage orphan cooks breakfast while another prepares dinner.

The volunteers’ day starts at 7am, when they help the children review their homework. Their homework is first at night. It is reviewed the next morning in order to make sure that the kids know the answers cold, and can thus evade the smack of a stick against their wrist or the disciplinary measure of repeatedly writing a sentence about their mistakes on a chalkboard.

The orphanage has a kitchen, two rooms—one for the six boys and one for the five girls—plus a volunteers’ room and red brick courtyard good for playing games in.

The Canadians instilled a token of conscientiousness by getting the children to turn down the TV’s volume when the orphanage’s oldest resident, an 18-year-old, was studying in his room nearby.

“The kids here did not have a parent figure. Volunteers are here 24/7 as caregivers and entertainers,” says Anderson.

The kids are endearing and kind to a fault. The duo was at first treated by what Dea describes as “like royalty”. After at first letting the orphans wash the volunteers’ dishes in the kitchen and clothes on the rooftop, the couple started washing their own stuff to make themselves more down to earth.

“We don’t feel sorry for the kids here. They are taken care of.  They have food and a pace to sleep. They have clothes on their backs,” says Anderson, adding that many of them have family members, albeit ones who cannot afford to care for them. “We are more concerned about the street kids in Kathmandu.”

“At the end of our stay we would like to give a cash donation,” says Dea, who hopes that it could be targeted towards maintaining the upgraded hygiene of the children, lest unclean practices like not washing up with soap after using the bathroom creep up again. They further hope that more funding can go to the replace the kids’ ramshackle shoes and holy socks.

As for what her parents thought about her Nepali adventure, Dea says “All parents have concern when sending their 22-year-old daughter to a third-world country.” But her soothing emails back home made whatever lingering concerns of her mom and dad melt away.

“There was a lack of toys and games here. We brought a Winnie the Pooh jigsaw puzzle that was so popular that after a few days the edges of the pieces had frayed.”

“You can only play tag and duck duck goose so often,” says Dea. “We decided to buy books and toys and games. The coloring books are a complete hit.” Their drawings are displayed on a wall.

Dea says that living in Nepal has been a thrilling, heads-first adventure, summing with great sincerity that “There is only so much a guidebook can tell you about a place.”

10 of the World’s Most Unique Fountains

Many of us enjoy the rhythmic sound of water. Spraying water. Rushing water. Trickling water. The sound of water gently lapping at a shore or raindrops on the roof of our home. We have water features in our yards and spend time near lakes and the ocean. Maybe it’s because our own bodies are 66% water.

Whatever the reason, if you’re missing the melody of water, and find yourself inland or in the midst of urban sprawl, try searching out a fountain to get your fix.

Jet D’Eau – Lake Geneva, Switzerland

This fountain is located in Lake Geneva where the lake empties into the Rhone River and is one of the largest fountains in the world. It is so grand that you see it from everywhere in the city and from a distance of six miles in the air.

There is a stone jetty that you can walk out onto if you’d like to get a closer look but beware, the fountain pumps 132 gallons of water up in to the air each second. If the wind shifts, you are likely to get drenched.

Peterhof Palace Fountains – Saint Petersburg, Russia

There are many fountains located throughout this UNESCO World Heritage Site complex, with the most famous being the Grand Cascade on the northern side of the Grand Palace. It is a breathtaking sight made up of of 64 separate fountains, 200 statues and many other decorations, including an amazing bronze statue of Samson wrestling with a lion.

As you wander the grounds you’ll see many other water features including one that resembles a large chessboard, a pyramid fountain, and one shaped like a disk which shoots out water to resemble the sun’s rays.

Trevi Fountain – Rome, Italy

Rome is a city overflowing with fountains, but this one is the most famous. You’ve undoubtedly seen it at some point in a movie, or perhaps you’ve heard the legend about throwing a coin into the fountain? It’s supposed to guarantee you a trip back to Rome. Two coins? You’ll get a new romance. Three coins? Marriage or divorce, whichever your preference may be. I wouldn’t recommend throwing any more coins, you may go broke. I wonder who gets to clean out the fountain and keep all those coins?

The fountain is located at the end of an ancient aqueduct that was built in 19 BC. It was designed by Nicola Salvi and completed in 1762, and is an incredible work of art. The design is of Neptune riding a chariot pulled by two sea horses & Tritons. On either side you’ll see the two statues of Abundance and Salubrity.

Magic Fountain of Montjuic – Barcelona, Spain

When I visited Barcelona for the Olympics in 1992 I assumed that this fountain was a new modern marvel constructed specifically for the Olympics. Little did I know that it had been created years before for the Great Universal Exhibition of 1929.

It’s been putting on quite a show ever since and is a definite must-see if you find yourself visiting this city. The sprays of water in the 164’ x 213’ pool combine with music, vivid colors, lights and motion to make the fountain appear almost to be dancing.

Bethesda Fountain – New York City, United States

Located next to the lake and near the center of Central Park in New York, this fountain hosts hundreds of visitors everyday for a myriad of reasons. People come in the summer to relax and cool off, moviemakers love it as a backdrop (it’s been shown in many films) and romantics spend time near it being, well romantic.

It was sculpted in 1868 by Emma Stebbins, the first woman ever to be asked to design a major piece of art for New York City, and unveiled in 1873. If you look closely you’ll see that the winged female angel holds a lily in her hand, a symbol for the fresh water brought to New York City when the Croton Aqueduct was built in 1842.

Chocolate Fountain – Cologne, Germany

This is not your typical fountain, but being a chocolate lover it’s one of my personal favorites. Judging from the 5 million visitors the museum receives each year, I’m not the only one. Trust me, dipping a wafer into the stream of chocolate pouring from the fountain and then savoring it, is reason enough for a visit.

The fountain is located inside the Chocolate Museum in Cologne. In the museum you’ll find out everything you need to know about how chocolate is made, beginning with the bean right up to the delicious morsel you pop in your mouth. When you leave there is a museum that sells postcards, books, mugs for hot cocoa and of course, chocolate.

Dundas Square – Toronto, Canada

The Dundas Square splash fountains are the perfect place for urban dwellers to spend a warm afternoon. They are located in the center of Toronto, in what used to be an undesirable part of town, but thanks to a city revitalization project the area was improved and the fountains and square were built in 1998.

The fountains consist of two rows of ten fountains each that run through the main walkway of the square. They were designed with the intent that people splash around in them, so the water goes through a filtration system to keep it clean. If you’d rather not get wet, there is plenty of room to walk around and just enjoy that magical fountain sound.

Court of Neptune Fountain – Washington DC, United States

This elaborate fountain is located in Washington D.C. outside the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. It was created by the sculptor Roland Hinton Perry in 1897.

The fountain shows a scene from the court of the sea god Neptune. Neptune is huge, about 12 feet tall, and is surrounded by the lesser god Triton, sea nymphs and other sea creatures and monsters.

Palais Longchamp – Marseilles, France

The city of Marseilles used to have a serious water shortage and in 1835, after a deadly cholera outbreak, the inhabitants decided they needed a supply of fresh water. They undertook the enormous project of digging a 53-mile canal from the river Durance. To celebrate the arrival of the water, the magnificent Palais Longchamp and fountain were built.

The fountain is a brilliant creation. It consists of four bulls and three female figures. The women each represent something different: the Durance river, grapes and vines, and wheat and fertility. Water pours from these into a basin and then a pond, eventually coming out of 12 bronze fountains lining a cascading waterfall area.

Generalife – Granada, Spain

Generalife is part of the Alhambra palace complex, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building was the summer palace for the sultan rulers of Granada and was built by Muhammad lll in the 1300’s.

The summers were hot, so the gardens had alluring fountains in them to help cool the royal court. The most photographed is the long pool found in the Patio de la Acequia. It is surrounded by eye-catching, fragrant flowerbeds.

Read about author Deanna Hyland and check out her other BootsnAll articles.

Photo credits:
Jet D’Eau and Grand Cascade by stevesheriw on Flickr, Magic Fountain by colinjcampbell on Flickr, Bethesda by Photo Gallery on Flickr, Chocolate Fountain by The Voice Of Objective Truth on Flickr, Dundas Fountain by Kevin Steele on Flickr, Court of Nepture by wallyg on Flickr, Longchamp by orangejack on Flickr, Generalife by Marciela on Flickr, Trevi by khoogheem on Flickr