After the last couple of days of "full on" activities, today was decidedly more low key.
We started off with a visit to the gym before breakfast. We both needed stretching after yesterday, so low impact exercise was the motto.
After getting ready for the day, we headed down for the "deluxe continental breakfast" - in our books this is one of the best we've had at any hotel. It's been available every day and we think it is misnamed. Yes, it is a full continental, with yogurt, pastries, fresh fruit salad, eggs but then the hotel also has a chef making muffin breakfast sandwiches to order. Any combination of fried egg, ham, bacon, sausage, cheese on a muffin supplemented by mini potato cakes. Yummy and filling.
The road we took brought us up to Wellington Street opposite Parliament's West Block. Looked good in the morning sun. Di is standing near the corner of the other side of the road, you can see her if you peer closely.
Ottawa is definitely a bike and pedestrian friendly city, a fact that's been reinforced further every day we've been here. As we neared the Ottawa River Pathway we saw this "bike count" meter (171 so far today). It literally counts bikes that ride over a sensor on one side of the bike path. So far 126,000 bikes have been counted as crossed in 2013 and that's going only one way. Plus we saw a few bikes cross and not be counted. So 126,000 is an understatement.
Hans realized he had not been counted when he rode past here yesterday - heading the wrong way. Damn - he wanted to be counted as he loves anything that encourages cycling (and hiking and kayaking...)
The Ottaway River Pathway is for bikes and pedestrians and goes for miles and miles. We were only doing a short stretch around the base of Parliament Hill. Very nice and clearly something locals do on a Saturday morning. Looking eastward down the river.
This image made us smile - on the Quebec side of the river they had a few tepees contrasted with a background of ugly 1960's apartment buildings. A bit of a mismatch but interesting anyway.
We loved the Ottawa Locks staircase and returned - to a nice spot on a bench under a tree - to have a mid morning juice break and to watch all the action. Today was a very different crowd both as boaters and spectators. The boaters seemed more weekenders or day trippers and the spectators more family groups and tourists.
The group below, loading the boat on the left, attracted our attention as they were clearly "on show". The guys had their gym worked bodies on display with expensive haircuts, tattoos and sunglasses and the girls soon started to lounge around and smear on suntan lotion. They got reprimanded for smoking in the lock too. They loaded their boat with heaps of eskys and sun gear while waiting for the water to fill up.
We started to theorize about where they were headed and who owned the boat. Made us laugh as they were so different to the middle aged lady from Montreal we spoke to on a boat earlier this week. Pure show.
By Ward Market was nearby so Di suggested we head down that way. A few more photos of the activity on a Saturday near lunchtime.
Turned out Di had an ulterior motive - the specialist cheese shop! She "convinced" Hans of a picnic lunch of nice cheese and bread so Hans went to the bakery nearby while Di drooled and tried to limit her purchases.
Two cheeses bought - a soft creamy blue and a strong spiced Gouda - with Hans nice sourdough bagette and lunch was organized.
We found a nice shady bench along the Rideau Canal path and had our simple picnic of great bread and cheese. Yummy. Di hummed with happiness (she loves good cheese particularly if they are a bit smelly).
Around 1pm we took a break from the heat and had a short rest in our room before heading for drinks.
We went for a drink at Pancho Villa which is down Elgin Street a bit. Yep, not bad.
OK, the best pub around, and the best pub in North America so far (BIG call, but that is Hans view) is John A. This is where we went yesterday for a drink, and guess what, we are back... This Muskoka IPA is seriously good shit. Can I have a pint please? And one more pint please...
And this photo is taken from where we sitting outside and looking back into the bar. Lots and lots of beer on tap. Respect!!!
We finished up around 5pm and went back to our room, which incedentially is just across the street.
A lazy evening where Di is cooking garlic chicken in our room so that it had to smell garlic way out in the corridor. Perfect. Good night.
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