|
Monday, October 20, 2003
Ottawa!
Ottawa!
Is beautiful in the fall, standing out behind the Parliament buildings, looking at the coloured leaves, smiling at the stray cats, giggling politely at the tourists, chatting up the cute guy at the LCBO (thanks for the Henry of Pelham recommendation, wherever you are), driving around the Experimental farm, driving down to Barrhaven, wandering along the canal, eating maple candies, visiting Record Runner on Rideau Street, walking to the Tim Horton's on Greenbank, hanging out with old friends, loving it all.
Ottawa!
Is beautiful because whenever people ask me where I grew up I'm quite insistant that it was not in fact Toronto, lovely though that city may be, and often I remember that I in fact grew up in Nepean, but given that I took the 95 bus from Baseline Station along the Ottawa River Parkway to downtown Ottawa every time I had the opportunity (from my dad taking me to the Nature Museum to admire the dinosaurs followed by ice cream at the Mayflower pub, to going down with friends in high school & drinking pints of Guinness at now-defunct Irish pubs, to clubbing or whatever that may be at Zaphods and other such places), I think Ottawa - the whole bloody new amalgamated city of Ottawa, yes, the whole damn thing - is home.
Ottawa!
Is beautiful because I can take the train up from New York to Montreal and have friends meet me at the train station & go out for very yummy sushi (though I actually just had salmon teriyaki). And then drive through crazy mist, stopping at Tim Horton's on the way, on to Ottawa.
Ottawa!
Is beautiful because I've been slowly managing to convince a Californian (yes, a Californian!) that being able to skate along the Canal as a regular activity may, in fact, be almost worth the coldness.
Thanks to everyone I saw in Ottawa, for making me feel at home in a place I haven't actually lived in for over five years. I love you all.
jane 12:47 PM [+]
|