The Northern Clan headed even farther north to Ottawa so that they could take in the grand spectacle that is the Canadian Tulip Festival. NorthernMommy has had this event on her "must-do" list for several years, and NorthernDaddy couldn't put it off any longer. (NorthernDaddy has a love hate-hate relationship with the Canadian city closest to home - Montreal. The root of the problem is that the primary language in Montreal is French. The residents there love to be snotty about that fact when their visitors do not speak French. NorthernDaddy doesn't speak French. That makes navigating the streets, making purchases, and interacting with anyone very difficult. In addition, NorthernDaddy doesn't particularly like the layout of the city, either. The only saving grace for Montreal is Restaurant Ruby Rouge - a dim sum joint that is worth repeat visits - even though English is third down the list of languages used there.) So, when NorthernMommy brought up the suggestion to travel to another Canadian city, NorthernDaddy managed to delay the trip...for a year or two. After NorthernMommy pointed out that most of the rest of Canada speaks English, and that NorthernDaddy was a chicken-livered xenophobe, it was time to travel to Ottawa....
The Northerns arrived in Ottawa, eager to see some tulips in bloom. Things didn't start out looking promising. Four hours passed and the Northerns hadn't seen one tulip in bloom.
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| Parliament Hill |
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| Also Parliament Hill |
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| Same building as above, just closer detail. |
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| Rideau Canal |
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| Camera-hogging Glamour Shot |
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| No tulips out there.... |
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| Blooms? Dunno.... |
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| Buy the boy a lollipop to stop the whining. Six-year-old boys do not like walking around to look at flowers. |
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| Behind the scenes - everybody has a camera and is looking for the perfect shot. |
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| NorthernDaddy was disappointed. This variety of tulip was not as advertised... |
Despite the initial dearth of tulip sightings, the trip turned out quite well. Ottawa is a beautiful city, with a downtown that is easily walkable, wonderful buildings, and fun places to explore. (And they even speak English.....)
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