Ottawa

We arrived in the bus Station having had an 8 and a half hour ride from Niagara. It was about 5pm and we'd managed to find a small hotel on the web for $99 per night. This compared to $80 for a double in a Hostel... so we thought we'd pay the extra $19 for a bit of luxury.

Wow... what a hotel... it's small and unassuming on the outside however, the Business Inn was right in the centre of Downtown (sorrounded by bars and restaurants.... it had a pool hall right below... and not a seedy sort of pool hall thing, quite a nice one with 21 pool tables!)

We walked into our room and we had a kitchen, fridge, Big TV, Microwave and Most impressive of all a PC !!! With Free Internet Access (ALL the TIME !!!) Gues that's why we've been catching up on our blog over the past few days !!!

Anyway, I can't recommend this place enough as an alternative to a hostel for a little luxury for a short time whilst in Ottawa.... it's made this place great so far!

We watched TV last night and surfed on the Internet (Picked up our rail tickets to Halifax from Montreal) and booked into hostels in Montreal and Halifax and did some washing (Which is also free... as is breakfast!) Anyway, here's their web site incase anyone's interested

http://www.thebusinessinn.com

Anyway... Ottawa.... well.... it's raining... and I mean really raining.

So, having checked into a great hostel and having spent the last two night in the room (the weathers been really really shite!) we were pleasantly surprised when we woke up today to blue skies !

Great.

Time to go to the Changing of the Guard Ceremony here in Ottawa.

As Canada is a member of the Commonwealth and still has Queen Liz as their Monarch, the Changing of the Guard was like something you'd more likely see in Buckingham Palace than in Ottawa.... however... it was a more much more intimate and localised affair which I have to say... I really quite enjoyed.

Steph and I got there early and sat on the grass in the lovely morning sunshine whilst the Guards of the Ottawa and Montreal Regiments of the Canadian Army changed Guard Duty for the Day (It's a daily event starting at 10am every day)

Anyway, the Guys and gals did their strutting up and down the grass for about an hour and then we went on a tour of the Houses of Parliament in Ottawa.

After a frisking at the security check point (Much the same as in any airport these days) we headed into the houses.

They were very much in the Ilk of the Houses of Parliament, whilst being more like the houses in NZ and OZ, being of a lesser scale than the Original in the UK.

Still they operated with both an upper and lower house (A House of Commons and a Senate) much like Australia.

We headed up the Peace Tower for some lovely views over Ottawa and then Steph and I headed into the Markets to see what we could pick up (Managed to get a book on the Trans Continental Train Routes across Canada.... Handy!) and then tonight we've come home early (After a quick game of pool) as Steph is feeling a bit poorly (Got a cold!)

Anyway, off tomorrow again to Montreal to see the Big Yin (Billy Connelly!..... Can't wait) and then on the Train for two days to Halifax (Ahould be fun!) So will be in touch again soon.....

PS Going to be staying in the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal this time.... got a deal on the Internet.... Guess which famous Couple staged a world famous "Sleep In" in a hotel room in this hotel ????

Answers soon..... And Hopefully some pictures