The Capital and the French

Our tester 2 weeks of life back in the RV took us to Ottawa and Montreal.

Ottawa...

Maddi, Zac and I walked down rue Bank from Gladstone Ave and immediately found a used book store.  **This told us, it would be a good day.  Books Bizarre had a number of titles on our lists.  From there we followed rue Bank in search of coffee.  The Bridgehead stopped us.  Not only did they serve a decent cup of coffee but they also had fresh gluten free baked goods.  I had the almond pecan biscotti and Mad had the spice loaf.  With coffee and treats in our bellies we had the energy to visit Capital Hill.
It was a beautiful, clear day and we took a self guided tour around the outside of the parliament buildings.  A number of the outdoor displays have a smart phone scan features making the walk a little more interactive.  We also toured a free exhibit about the Chancellory of Honours.
On day two in Ottawa we met with a childhood friend of mine, Margaret.  The wonders of Facebook and reconnecting people!  Margaret and I had almost 25 years to catch up on.

Zac, Norbert and Maddi watching the fire.

That night we stayed at Ottawa Municipal Campground.  Norbert had his first campfire experience.

A must, when in the Ottawa area, is a visit with Uncle Peter and Aunt Nancy.  We met them at Colonnade Pizza.  Colonnade has been serving pizza since 1967.  They offer a gluten free pizza.  It's a good pizza, but not worth the $10 extra per pizza for the gluten free crust.  However, the time with Uncle Peter and Aunt Nancy is always worth the drive to Ottawa.

Montreal...
The long weekend in July took us to the Montreal Guitar Show.  It is a weekend with some of the best luthiers in the world.  During the show two of the builders needed their booths covered while they were at press meetings.  Zac was asked.  As it turns out, being around these builders for the last 10 years he knows quite a bit about them.  He was able to walk prospecting customers through the details of the guitars and lines.  He even made a little cash for his time.
With Jamie and Zac busy at the show, Maddi and I made our way to Adrenaline.  Adrenaline is a great shop on Sherbrooke, in the heart of Montreal.  A new piercing and tattoo were calling our names.   Maddi was getting her second piercing, her nose.  I was returning for a second tattoo with artist Tanya Lowery.   The walk to and from Adrenaline took us from the edge of old Montreal through the gallery district along Sherbrooke.  Montreal is a city best experienced on foot.

Most evenings in Montreal were spent at dinner with old and new friends.  Our favourite spot is a sushi bar in old Montreal, Tokyo on rue St. Paul Ouest.  Maddi found a way to pass the time at dinner.

Table art at Tokyo

From Ottawa and Montreal we traveled to the Guelph area and stayed a month...but most of you know this as we had the opportunity to visit and say goodbye.