Day 10 - Tuesday 28th August 2012

Peterborough to Gatineau

Breakfast at Smitty's.

After the rain, it's lovely outside our hotel.

The ducks were around again, hoping for breakfast.

We then headed east on Highway 7 - the Sat Nav said 140 miles to next turn! We stopped briefly at Salmon River and saw blue-finned fish swimming.

Further on (after a long delay at road works) we stopped for lunch by Silver Lake...

...and talked to a frog.

We continued on, coffee from Timmy's at Carleton Place, then on into Ottawa, crossing the Ottawa River into Gatineau and arriving at our hotel. We have an executive room on the 10th floor, overlooking the river - this is our view.

We walked to the (Ottawa) city centre, over Portage bridge where there were flags for every province / territory and for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (she's Queen in right of Canada) which we thought were stylish.

A view of Parliament Hill from the bridge.

A rose, named Navy Lady, near the Canadian Navy Memorial and a sign about the WRCNS (Canadian Wrens).

There are lots of flags in Canada - and even more here!

Part of the Parliament Buildings.

Bank of Montreal.

Centre Block of the Parliament Building.

The centennial flame, created in 1967 to commemorate the first 100 years of Canada as a country.

The tower of Centre Block.

The basilica - several churches have spires covered in French-Canadian tin, shining brightly in the sunshine.

Thomas D'Arcy McGee - the only Canadian MP to be assassinated whilst in Office (and there's a chain of Irish pubs named after him).

With statues commemorating the struggle for women's rights (The Famous Five from Alberta - we've seen the same statues in Calgary).

The building where the Prime Minister has his office (opposite parliament).

The post office.

A sculpture called "Joy" outside a shop called "Hope".

There's lots of interesting architecture.

After supper at Yesterday's (no, it wasn't all past its sell-by date) and a visit to the shopping mall, we headed back as the sun set.

The spires of the basilica.

Part of the National Gallery of Canada.

Looking across to Gatineau, and the museum of Canadian Civilisation (we were amused by signs in Ottawa pointing towards Gatineau saying "Civilisation 1km"; obviously erected by Quebecois!!).

The Alexandra Bridge, now for cars, pedestrians and cyclists but it was built to carry a railway.

And so, back to the hotel for sleep!

Today's route