Ottawa (Because Vacation, That's Why! - Part III)

We had arrived in Montréal by plane, taken a bus to our hotel, walked forever, and survived more than one death cab. Our last view of the city might as well cover another mode of transportation.
We sat back and relaxed for the two-hour trip from Montréal to Ottawa on a train.

Okay... she sat back and relaxed. I took pictures out the window!

      

That's right: train window pictures. Like a boss.

We had almost exactly 24 hours total to spend in Ottawa.  We had splurged a little for a fancier hotel right downtown so we were able to get out and about right away.

Georgina consults Google maps to get us going in the right direction.

and we're off to Parliament Hill!
On the way, random piano music which, it turns out, was coming from this guy. Fun stuff!

Our first discovery as we made our way toward the parliament buildings was a site that we didn't know would soon become all too familiar to Canadians, and much of the world, just a few months later. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stands stoically just moments away from Canada's federal buildings and holds the remains of an unidentified Canadian soldier killed in France in World War 1. It is ceremoniously guarded by two Canadian Forces sentries in full dress uniform from 9-5 every day.

 

After getting a few shots and paying our respects, we moved on to parliament.

 The view from the hill:

And then we were down into the streets again, where we counted Canadian flags (there are six in the photo below on the left) and briefly hit up the ByWard Market.

Parliament Hill from the other side of the Ottawa River.



And this imposing structure, standing tall outside the National Art Gallery.

By about this time, it was threatening to rain so we made our way back to the hotel to freshen up and find drier clothes. Once refreshed, we headed back out for an evening stroll along the Rideau Canal.

On our way back: magic!

    

 The next morning, thanks again to Google maps, we found this place:

So much food! So yummy breakfast!
And on the short walk back to the hotel at a little bakery down the road: Heisenberg cookies!

Do you know why? Because Ottawa, that's why!
More walking...

...and back to ByWard Market for a substantially more extended visit.

At about 2:00 we headed back to the hotel. You can see it behind me with the green roof. Swanky!

and with one last shot of the canal with the Parliament buildings and the Fairmont Chateau Laurier before hopping a cab to pick up our next mode of transportation.

The rental car.

Pembroke, Ontario (Because Vacation, That's Why! - Part IV)

First: the rental car. It's called a Spark, and it was the cutest thing I have ever driven. Not a whole lot of power, but fantastic gas mileage.
And it matched my socks.

Despite a construction delay on the highway, we arrived in Pembroke, Ontario, with the perfect amount of time to grab some essentials at the local grocery store, sufficiently ransack our hotel room, and clean ourselves up for supper we had scheduled with all the girls just across the street. By the next morning, we were ready to see something we'd never seen before. Cue: Barron Canyon trail in the stunning Algonquin Provincial Park.

The drive from Pembroke to the trail was mostly dirt road. More than once we suspected we had taken a wrong turn, but the disembodied voice that is Google maps assured us to carry on in the direction we were going. Sure enough, she was right. Why? Because B.F. Nowhere, Ontario, that's why!

Before we hit the trail, a Stop The Car! moment.

Then it was on to Barron Canyon.
The hike was easy with a well-maintained trail, and only took us about a half hour to get to the top. The mosquitos were miserable, but one cool thing I noticed was the lack of 'safety' precautions. There were signs that warned you: things like, "Please remember that this trail visits a very high, unfenced cliff top from which a fall would be fatal" but there were no guard rails, no fences, nothing that took responsibility away from the visitor themselves. You were responsible for your own safety, and that was just fine by me.

The mosquitoes had just about carried us off by this point, so we drove back to town to run some errands and make a visit to the laundromat next door.  As the clothes were washing, I went out shooting.

Mini-golf right in our backyard!

I had no time to tee off, however. There was a wedding rehearsal to attend!

Afterward was the rehearsal dinner, which consisted of a visit to the military town of Petawawa. Here, the mother of the bride had rented a cabin right on the Ottawa River, and we enjoyed an amazing barbeque and bonfire, courtesy of their family.

It wasn't a late night. We all knew we had to be bright-eyed and bushy tailed for the Vacation Grand Finale the very next day....

Cheryl and Corey (Because Vacation, That's Why! - Part V)

By 9:00 a.m. on the morning of August 30, 2014, we were in Petawawa again, at the cabin on the lake. Well, a few of us were. By 11:30 a.m., the make-up lady, the hairstylist, and the photographer, along with a bride, a mother of the bride, five bridesmaids, and a few kids were piled into the cabin, doing what it is they should be doing.

Drinking mimosas, of course.

But wait! Did you say... the "photographer'? Yup, that's right. I sat this one out. Well, I stood this one out. For the first time in my life, I got to be a bridesmaid. This did not, however, deter me completely.

There she is. Melissa Johnston of Melissa Johnston Photography, doing what it is she does best. Meanwhile, I'm spying from the doorway, camera in hand.

The wedding took place in a church back in the town of Pembroke. The hairstylist forgot to show up until two hours after she was supposed to arrive, the flowers were forgotten, but not actually forgotten, the bridesmaids and bride were late to arrive for the ceremony, but there was a wedding after all, and it was beautiful. Naturally, I have no pictures because that would have been a little awkward and all, but you can see Melissa's on her site here.

The reception afterward was held in a barn.
But not just any barn. This is Auberge Northfork in Chichester, Quebec.

 

Melissa posed these, and graciously did not whack me with a blunt object while I shot her subjects from different angles.

I watched for a few minutes, stole only a few shots, then headed back to the reception to investigate what was going on there. It turns out, this is what was going on there.

The meal was fantastic and everything ran smoothly. It was a spectacular evening, and despite my enthusiastic consumption of alcoholic beverages, I managed to capture some highlights. This one was shot with my "pocket" camera and because of that is crazy grainy when you look up close.
But I love it anyway.

Having survived another fantastic vacation, we drove back to the Ottawa airport the next day to bid farewell to Ontario: two peas in our little green pod. We were exhausted by the time we got back to Nova Scotia, and fortunately the next day was the Labour Day holiday because it took the extra time to recover before getting back to real life.... and I wouldn't have had any of it any other way.

Well Played: The Shore Club with Matt Mays

On August 23, Matt Mays played his annual show at The Shore Club in Hubbards, NS. I love that he keeps coming back to this amazing venue so out of the way of the city, and even shot his video for "Ain't That The Truth" there. It was my first visit, and I absolutely loved everything about it. The layout, the crowd, and most especially, the music!

The show wasn't the only thing that was 'well played'. Matt chopped his long 'do! 

Well played indeed.

 

 

Matt Mays was born in Hamilton, Ontario, but grew up in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, just outside of Halifax. He has made a huge name for himself in Atlantic Canada and is quickly being recognized as a stand-out talent right across the country. If you have a chance to see one of his shows, be it accoustic, or fully plugged in, DO IT. His down-home presence and incredible showmanship will leave you wishing you'd discovered this fantastic bit of life a long time ago.