Day 6 - Ottawa

Day 6

I awoke at 6 in the morning.  I would pack up the tent, then wait for Amy to wake up.  I was going to buy her breakfast.

7 am came and Amy appeared outside, having just gotten up.  She told me she had a dentist appointment first thing, but couldn't remember the time.  We chatted while she tried to track down the dentist office to find out her time.

She couldn't get a hold of her dentist, but we decided to head for the dentist office anyway, as McDonald's was right next door to it.

We pulled into the dentist's lot.  Amy told me she had just spoken with the office, and that her appointment was actually right away, not at 8:50 like she had hoped.  We said our good-byes in the lot.

I got on my bike and headed for McDonbald's.  It then occurred to me that I should have waited for her to finish, then maybe we could have a quick breakfast.  So I rode back to her vehicle and taped a note on her window.  I headed back to McDonald's.

Minutes after I arrived, Amy showed up.  Her appointment was over quickly, so she had time for a quick breakfast.

I learned more about Amy while we talked.  She comes from a military family, and her dad moved them out to Pembrooke when she was 8.  It was after moving there that she got introduced to country life.  Living in the country and doing county activities were a huge passion for her.  I came to realize that living in the country really shaped who she was as a person.

We said our goodbyes, for real this time.  We promised to keep in touch.

The ride to Ottawa was different than anything else I had experienced on this trip.  It started off quiet, but as I got closer the traffic changed and got busy.  I was now making the transition from quiet roads and few people to the opposite. 
I arrived in Ottawa and found a parking garage.  I parked the bike and made my way up to the Museum of Civilization.

Except I didn't visit it.  Not after discovering that the adjacent walking trail offered spectacular views of Parliament Hill!

I walked down the trail and stopped a few times to take pictures.  Then I got the bike and rode closer to the Parliament buildings.

After signing up for a free guided tour of the Hill, I decided to walk around her grounds until it got started.

The buildings' architecture gave her a very regal look.  The whole appearance gave the place a feeling of elegance. I found it fitting that such a place was where our country was shaped.

I made my way over to the start of the tour.

The Parliament buildings were amazing!  The tour would take us through the Centre Block building.

We toured the room where the Members of Parliament sit for question period.  This is a room I had seen on TV many times, however seeing it right in front of me felt very surreal.  I was completely blown away.  It is hard to explain in words, but I felt like I was in the presence of something that was much bigger than me.  To me this room felt like the embodiment of an ideal, of what it meant to be Canadian.  It made me feel very proud to be a Canadian, almost as proud as I have ever felt before.

After my tour concluded, I made my way back to the motorcycle.  I hit the road, destined for Montreal.

On my way out of Ottawa, I rode over a bridge that gave a spectacular view of Parliament Hill.  I could quite cleary see her beautiful library building.  Her Neo Gothic archictecture gave her a majestic look.  Once again my feelings of awe returned.

I arrived in Montreal just after dark, exhausted and ready for bed.  After checking into Montreal HI Hostel, I crashed into bed for the night.