I’m heading to Ottawa for a week and hope to make a short trip to Montreal. Where should I go? What should I do? Anyone who knows me on this board knows I want to see music stuff. I plan to hit McGill, and some Jazz clubs. I want to see Old Montreal, and Parliament in Ottawa. I also like outdoors stuff and scenery.
Who doesn’t like good food and drink as well?
I don’t know much about music in Ottawa. There is the National Arts Centre with its own orchestra and beyond that I don’t know. There must be jazz clubs, but I don’t know anything about them. In Montreal, there are too many choices. Tomorrow afternoon, for example, my wife and I have (series tickets to two different concerts, one of the Montreal Symphony and the other of the Ladies Morning Musical Club (which started out that way but is now a Sunday afternoon concert series). I gave up on jazz clubs when they were smoke filled and now that they are smoke free, we just don’t go out that much any more. But I know there are many. One of the best used to Biddles, but that changed hands years ago and I know nothing about what has happened since then. If you happen to be here the first ten days of July, there is the quite wonderful International jazz fest.
One of the best dim sum restaurants I have ever eaten in is called the Palais Imperiale. It serves every afternoon. It is on Dalhousie St., just around the corner from the mall that is east of the National Gallery (also highly recommended). In general, I have not been impressed by Ottawa restaurants. Montreal is another story entirely. There are so many and so varied, it is hard to give a recommendation. I would get a guide. For example, there is a fine Indian restaurant called Taj on Stanley St., a few steps “south” of Sherbrooke. (In Montreal, “south” means approximately 15 deg south of east; we have our own mental grd that is 75 deg rotated from the actual one).
Ottawa:
You could go hiking in Gatineau park. It’s just across the Ottawa river. Don’t know how nice the hiking would be with the current weather but you never know.
The Diefenbunker is supposed to be a really interesting Cold War museum.
Montreal:
If you’re looking for outdoors stuff then I suggest talking a walk up Mont Royal (in the middle of the city). You see a great view of the city from the top.
The Biodome is kinda fun. If you’re lucky, there’s this one penguin that will follow you back and forth through the glass. Pretty hilarious.
You do not mention when you will be here, in Ottawa that is,
Upcoming events:
May 1st to May 18th, 2009 the Canadian Tulip Festival
July 9-19 The Blues Festival
Also various museums:
Canada Science and Technology Museum
In Montreal, there’s the Notre Dame Basillica, which was originally built in 1656, and also the botanical gardens. There’s also the Museum of Fine Arts.
Walk along the Rideau Canal. I remember some people bicycling there, but only because I had to help them schlep their bicycles up the steps.
A walk around Old Montreal is always fun. When I stayed up there for a few months I took the subway at random and just ended up wherever before heading home eventually… Inexpensive fun exploring. There’s an IMAX theater nearby if there’s something interesting on… Though I’ve only seen one movie there.
And China Town is interesting too… A mix of cultures.
When are you planning on being in Montreal? The season matters.
What kind of food do you like?
Montreal’s Schwartz’s Deli: http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/index_eng.html
Take a few hours and walk around "The Market’ area in downtown Ottawa. It’s minutes from parliament hill and an absolutely wonderful experience, with lots of cafes, pubs, restaurants, and actual street vendors selling local and imported produce, etc. Of course with that comes some of the inevitable homelessness of big cities, but overall it’s a great and safe place to wander around in an afternoon or evening.
So noted, and added to my list.
I have been to Montreal several times in my life, though it has been quite a while now since I’ve last been there (at least 5 years). I love that city. Old (Vieux) Montreal, Rue Ste Catherine, and the food! The current top of the list of places I want to check out within the next year or two is the restaurant Au Pied de Cochon. French Canadian peasant food meets haute cuisine (meaning: Poutine a la foie gras, “Duck In A Can”, sounds delicious!)
When are you going to be there? It makes a difference.
In Ottawa, if you like hiking and biking and outdoorsy stuff, head over to Gatineau Park. It’s huge, there’s miles and miles of trails, and depending on the season you’ll be there, very lovely. On a clear day head up to the top of the escarpment, you’ll get a gorgeous view of the Ottawa valley.
If you’re not interested in walking quite so much, take a wander around Parliament Hill and along the canal. There’s plenty of walking trails on the Hill, including one that loops around right along the riverbank below Parliament–quite a nice shady walk with lots of nature, lots of Rollerbladers and whatnot. Walking along the canal is also a nice walk–from Parliament all along to the effective end of the walking trails at Mooney’s Bay is, I think, eight or nine kilometers, so not a terribly long walk, and when the canal is full it’s a lovely walk, especially on a nice spring day. There are parks all over the area, and if you have time on your hands hit one or more of them–Vincent Massey Park has Hog’s Back Falls, which is an interesting little falls with a long history. Head over to Chaudiere Falls for something bigger–but not in late summer, because they’ll be all but gone by then.
If it’s in the beginning of May, check out the Tulip Festival. Actually, you won’t have a choice–there will be tulips everywhere, and probably plenty of tourists to look at them as well, all over downtown.
Seconding what Leaffan said–definitely check out the Byward Market. It’s right there off Parliament, and packed with tons of little boutiques and shops and restaurants and cafes and bakeries and specialty food stores and what have you. On a nice weekend, the square is jammed with people buying and selling local produce–get locally-grown berries if they’re in season, and eat them with cream, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. Get some French pastries and a cafe au lait at the French bakery in the Market building and peoplewatch for hours. Go to Zak’s in the Market at any hour of the day or night to eat some deliciously greasy diner food and chase it with an awesome milkshake, and see some weird folks while you’re at it. Pick pretty much any bar in the Market and drink there. Have some Steamwhistle. Eat shawarma from some place after 11 pm–if you go to one particular place on Rideau St., and it’s slow, the cooks will do some Lebanese dancing for you if you ask nicely.
Wander through the Glebe if you’re bored and poke your nose into all the little shops along there–although they’re more boutique-y and expensive, still interesting.
Do NOT leave Ottawa without
Eat Beavertails and poutine, wander around Parliament Hill and have your picture taken with the statues, savor the view from the top of the Peace Tower, wander past the cat sanctuary at the back of the Hill, hit the canal, wander the parks, see the museums, enjoy Ottawa.