A little more snow last night, but the temperature has skyrocketed to between 0 and 2 degrees so well-worn areas have melted and formed over-large puddles at most intersections. Another local condition.
There is a popular area of streets close by to our accomm called the Bytown Market. The aim of the morning was to suss it out. It is an area of trendy single-storey shops and specialty food places. Once again we stumbled onto a pastry/cake shop where the choice was nearly overwhelming. The three of us drank from small bowls, French-style. We were hoping for an area like the fantastic Jean-Talon market, but not to be.
Next aim was the National Art Gallery of Canada. Getting there we passed another impressive monument, this time to honour Canada's long participation in Peace-keeping forces. The country's recognition of patriotic valour and commitment to fellow-man is heart-warming. We have also noticed a casual multi-cultural mix amongst the population. The thirteen cooks/chefs behind the "Joey Rideau" kitchen counter was prime example.
Once again, the building housing The Gallery was grand and impressive. The three of us went our separate ways and rendez-voused 2 hours later. I particularly wanted to see the subject matter of Canadian artists in comparison to what we know of European and Australian art. It reveals the history of a nation.
Tonight we had also planned to see the light show projected onto Parliament House. This began at 5.30. We filled in our time by buying a "Beaver Tail" and eating it at the cabin like the locals. The Tail is a rectangular pastry shape, elongated to look like a beaver's tail (!!!), fried, and then topped with sugary combinations that Nth Americans seem to do so extravagantly. We opted for apple and cinnamon, aghast at someone's choice of nutella, smarties and caramel topping.
The lightshow was similar to a laser show during White Night in Melbourne. However, Melbourne could not provide me with a perfect, windless, cloudy sky above an impressive expanse of white snow as the setting. It was nearly another surreal occasion. I loved it.
Time for tea and we sacrificed JR for the ClockTower Brewery. Not as classy but it did the job. Chris was surprised that her bacon and cheese chips turned out to be crisps. Another local quirk.
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| Not crisp snow anymore. |
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| Couldn't drink all of my bowl of chocolate. |
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| The Big Ben look-alike, not surprising considering the English heritage, would feature in the light show. |
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| Intrepid runner. |
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| Honouring Peace-keepers. |
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| I was amused by the young boy who was not amused by the Rodin sculpture. |
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| Fur trappers catering for the European market. |
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| Indulging in a Beaver Tail. |
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| The child was playing in the snow as if it was sand. Gentle music accompanied the show and everyone watched in silence. |
Your topping sounds preferable to the other concoction
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