Discovering a New City

This past week I had that special experience.  It’s been a while since I’ve been someplace new, a city that I’ve never visited.

I went to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, to speak at a Protocol Officers Association workshop. (protocolinternational.org).   Taking advantage of being there I set aside Saturday to explore this interesting city, aided by a friend who served as a guide.

What a treat it was.  First visited the National Gallery – a really wonderful dramatic building -  and discovered the Group of Seven, artists who banded together in 1920 to show Canada’s character through their landscape painting.  http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/group-of-seven/

Too visit the Notre Dame Cahtedral Basilica with ornate interior and amazing silver spires.   Then there was lunch and a stroll though ByWard Market, followed by a walk along te UNESCO Heritage site, the Rideau Canal.  Everyone I met talked about the canal that runs through the city and freezes in the winter --- one of the attendees at the workshop shared that she skated to work all though the last winter.  Coming from L.A. it’s hardly possible to image such a commute to work. www.rideau-info.com/canal/   and there’s so much more – too much to list here.

But maybe most unexpected was to see the banners for Canada 2017 – the 150^th anniversary of the formation of Canada.  http://www.ottawa2017    Ottawa is clearly ready to celebrate in even though they'll have to wait 1007 days.  Let’s mark our calendars and share the event with our Canadian friends and colleagues. 

And I you'll agree that every new city we visit has something that may intrigue, excite and engage us in unexpected ways.