Le Petite Blog: August 2023

So now I am looking back and July has been quite the month. We were invited Ottawa for a party on the 4th of July at the American ambassadors house in Ottawa and so off we went. Going for the long weekend as Canada has it's special day on the 1st really was terrific. I have heard a lot about Ottawa, so it was with trusty mobile phone camera we went. It was also the hottest ever there!!!!

First Stop

Kingston

Love the buildings in Kingston and the one above had all copper piping and gutters! Love that brick work!

Down on the St Lawrence River in Kingston, they were all getting ready for a party and flags were flying

I was looking at all the lovely buildings and saw that these roofs are cedar shakes...I have never seen that before in a row!

Next Stop

Ottawa

Crowds were building

Flags were flying

And fireworks popping!!!!

Next day I heard bag pipes up towards Parliament Hill nd they really do call you! Even if it is a Star Wars medley!

Here is Parliament Hill in the sunshine, with its cranes! So much work going on in Ottawa

and their Big Ben along with gargoyles sticking from the tower

Wonderful street art. Although I couldn't work out was this an elaborate covering of dodgy pavement! Or art? Now that I am looking at it, it seems to be intentional and it was very fabulous

Great teacups. This whole area was a celebration of women!

Had to get that photo. These were all ladies that have been important in Canada. But obviously we are all important even if we don't have a statue

This is pretty perfect with the ladies and the flag flying. No mistake that this is Canada

This optical illusion I thought was ace! The building opposite had all glass and perfectly reflected our building, apart from the area where the sun shone in the side and illuminated the real office and the floors. All that lovely morning light in the city on the buildings behind and making wavy points of light on the street below

This building had been extensively renovated. It had an interesting history. The architect of the building was King Arnoldi and the person who commissioned the building was a Scot, Sir Hugh Allan. Who was the richest person in Canada at the time. Sir Allan was very much enamored with Greek mythology and castles. In fact his own house was copied from a grand house in Scotland and choc full of imagery.

Above each window the are faces on the keystones they are all scowling accept one. It is thought that Sir Hugh had 11 children and the last a boy symbolizes the smile and the hope! The faces by the way are beared men and when I looked at a picture of this chap, well he was bearded and serious. ! The story is just a story and no one really knows why or who the people are depicted. But its a great story

This Sir Hugh was quite the guy and was very into tech. This was originally the telegraph building.

This picture was taken through the café window opposite

And here it is a little clearer

There seemed to be a thing with cars and things stuck on them. I over heard someone saying this car is feature of the city and he has been driving it around for years. He just keeps adding items to it.

As night fell this was my first glimpse of the canal locks. Just so lovely a view and this is just next to parliament hill and the building on the right hand side is a very fancy hotel! What a view from their windows!!!

We went back to watch a boat go through them

It is all rather spectacular

Splendid Architecture

I was almost spinning on the spot taking this all in. So many amazing buildings and architectural features galore. Just look at those chimney stacks and that roof, not to mention the window eyebrows and the fancy block work

This was a favorite of mine and seemingly others too. Carefully resorted and it has a figure way up high on the apex of the roof line. They are a Greek figure representing Hope! seems a thing in Ottawa this hope thing! But then the building is called the James Hope and Sons....

I also liked the building directly opposite it

And who should I spy as if on cue but a lovely Mr F!!! Honestly couldn't have taken that picture if I tried. He just was in the middle of the shot and I was so busy snapping I didn't notice. But the building behind him was lovely and simple in form. From the 20/30's. Tallest windows ever, they give a real feeling of grandeur to this diminutive building in comparison, to the ones either side. The dancing people is also rather lovely

The buildings were all built for grandeur and this is no exception. The moldings really intrigued me

Wonderful columns

Interesting tiled roof

Some sneaky street art high up! Turnip head? And more architecture features. Love that rust red roof and porthole window situation

This is a big box store inside but they have preserved the outside and done clever painting to make you see that it is a shop. That's smart

Both pointing.

The bridge over the canal was rather fancy

I absolutely loved these lions. This is the Canadian Post Office Building. The lions really do look very proud

Even these stairs are an architectural feature

Everywhere I looked was art. Even on this dingy underpass

Rooflines and features, the one above seems French inspired and the building is now an art college and gallery

And this is classic British or Scottish and actually wouldn't be out of place in Edinburgh Scotland!

Down by the Bywater market (Bywater was initially the town name. It isn't very original though!) in Ottawa was this Totem

So much detail

I love a food market and this one in Bywater area is no exception. Street art was brilliant and the food was amazing

Suped up cars!

Indoor sculpture at the Bywater Market. We had gone here a few days running and I didn't notice this on the first pass. But you know who did! Remember look up!!!

These reflections and art combined make a great image

And over to Gatineau and Quebec over the most amazing bridge. We walked it!

They also had a ton of art work and incidental pieces in the sidewalk

This made me do a double take! The person is not real

This guy is to symbolize the logging history of the towns

We followed an art trail and all this public art was just mind blowing

Along the way I saw this roof...with guard rails for snow and ice!!! It is pretty nasty here in winter

They also had tin pieced roofs. I have never seen it done like this before. But then again we are now in Quebec

More art

It really does make this rather grey place lively

We had seen this building from the other side. It is the national museum and it such a beautiful building. Dead center in the picture is parliament hill framed by the buildings

The bridge to Gatineau was a surprise. The pedestrian side was wood planks? It seemed quite old and I wondered what that was like in Winter???

From another bridge I saw this view of the rivers and the original Mill House is on the island in the middle. Just imagine this whole waterway full of logs!

There was just so much to see on both sides of the river and here we are back in Ottawa

Back at the market I see another car with things stuck on it? Patriotic flip flops

I felt this advertising structure was very Parisian

The War memorial was stunning. They have sentries every day. These are just changing and yes kilts!! Different regiments have different tartans. Seemingly that Scottish thing is big here. I really wasn't expecting pipes and kilts