Ottawa, Again

Our attempt to live on a low travel budget has often meant living in closer community and it’s been a great way to share information and hear travel stories. It also means that we are exposed to others’ gremlins. After two separate and drawn-out incidents of listening to one family member screaming (swearing, verbally abusing, etc., etc.) at another we placed ourselves out of reach and are privately enjoying some peace and quiet. How does the saying go? “Pleasant speech is like honey to the soul.” And I might add, “music to the ears!” My heart went out to the poor recipients of all that verbal yuck.

We had a rainy start and thought we were in for a stretch of wet weather, however, the sun came out late this morning just in time for our Rideau Canal boat ride. Can’t get enough of that Rideau!

Maybe you don’t know this about me but I love to cook. My menu plans consist of mostly familiar Anglo-Saxon-type fare but I am gradually branching out and today we decided to make it a foodie day. I would love to be a true foodie but I’m afraid I would get so fat I would have to resort to rolling everywhere. But the fact remains that I do love food; the initial taste on my tongue, the feel of it in my mouth, the delightful aroma…boy, have I got the foodie bug! Amanda recommended a book to me called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and it’s taken me a year to open the cover. Now I wonder why because it’s the perfect book for a food lover. Here’s what we experienced.

Cora’s Omelet Crepe Beni, Italian Nocciola Gelato, and Thai yummies (not sure what they are called). Feast your eyes!

Oh, I should mention that we also visited some pretty fantastic sites in Ottawa which included the Notre Dame Basilica, the Supreme Court of Canada (saw a mock trial), the Byward Market, and Sussex Drive.