Four nights in Ottawa

Parliament's Centre Block undergoing restoration

We rested little in Ottawa, there were so many (too many) sights/sites to see in our Nation's capital. And we ate well too.

Canada's Parliament: 
The "Centre Block", with its iconic Peace Tower, is undergoing a major, 10+ year refit. So the House of Commons and the Senate have both been moved to newly refurbished "temporary" (10+ years!) locations. We toured both.

The new Senate digs are now in the former train station across from the Chateau Laurier. The building itself is impressive, but the Senate chamber less so. Perhaps this is coloured by current controversy over the role and makeup of the Senate in Canada. (Senators are not elected. The Prime Minister selects them. They can remain until age 75 years, so the Senate is made up of a real mix of people across the political divide.)

The new House of Commons is in the East Block, and is impressive. They did a great job in the move. Fitting for such an important institution. Recommended.

The new "temporary" House of Commons

Laurier House: David lived just one block away for 4 years and never visited this former home of two of Canada's Prime Ministers (Sir Wilfred Laurier and William Lyon McKenzie King). We really like the tour of the house. The tour guides (students working for the Summer) were very enthusiastic (perhaps because we were early in their season). Recommended.

Canadian Museum of History (Gatineau/Hull): Formerly known as the Museum of Civilization, we made the mistake of not allotting enough time. This museum is huge and really too much for a single visit. We appreciated the museum being very forthright in presenting how "we" (European colonizers) mistreated Canada's indigenous people, both in the beginning and continuing well into the 20th century (indeed, it still continues). Recommended (but not all at once)  

National Gallery of Canada: Another site too much for one visit, this time we approached it with a plan to only see a part of it. The permanent collection of Canadian art is wonderful. Laid out in approximate historical timing, from early 18th and 19th century until current. Of course, the Group of Seven figured prominently. Inserted everywhere were also pieces of indigenous art from appropriate same time periods (one Inuit carving on caribou antlers stole the show for us). The modern art section left David perplexed, especially one 2-colour simple painting ("Paranoid") which seemed any child could do better. Recommended (but not all at once) 

Norval Morrisseau

Tom Thomson

Emily Carr

Canadian Museum of War: We had problems with this museum. We found the early displays of conflicts in Canada prior to late1800s informative, as well as the Boer War information. The First and Second World War sections were also good. After these, the museum seem to lose its footing: there is no sense of sequence/timing for the Korean war, and following this, the displays got lost trying to track the "cold war",  true peacekeeping, and Canada's other military involvements. Throughout all exhibits/sections, there was a general lack of a larger perspective (such as why wars started, what they may or may not have accomplished, or what were the views and affects on those of the "other" side) and far to great of a Canada-centric focus (yes, it is the Canadian Museum of War, but the conflicts Canada has participated in certainly involved others). Sort of recommended.

Ottawa has changed a lot since David went to graduate school here in the early 80s. On the positive, the city seems much more diverse (as is Canada), with people from all over the world. On the negative, there seemed a huge increase in street people and homelessness (especially around Rideau Street and the Byward Market area). Not likely to get better in the short term with Ontario's current Doug Ford government.

We also met up and had dinner with a mentor/colleague/friend of David's. And we made it out to dinner across the river in Vieux Hull, Québec (now part of Gatineau). Back in the 80s, David spent quite a few late nights over there (bars in Hull closed later than those in Ottawa). Sadly, for those who remember, the "Les Raftsmen Brasserie" in Hull/Gatineau seems to be gone.

Next stop: Québec (city)

Northern Ontario to Ottawa: Warm weather at last!

Wawa's Canada Goose

Leaving Brandon, Manitoba, we took a detour through Winnipeg. Michelle had to see "Portage and Main". It was a disappointment... barricaded off to pedestrians so no access except for cars (David warned her). Winnipeg recently voted to keep it this way. So stupid (and ugly) for such an iconic place in Canada.

Off to Ontario. Arriving at the provincial border in the late morning, we find the province's "Welcome to Ontario" tourism office/building closed, with a note saying to drive some 30 km further. We never saw this other office. Later, in Wawa, we find the tourism office also closed. So much for Doug Ford's (new "populist" premier of Ontario, currently cutting services) "Ontario: Open for Business" slogan. They'll learn, eventually.

It's a long, long drive over the top of Lake Superior through northwest Ontario. It is still cold and we sometimes see patches of old snow. There are many very beautiful vistas. And some less beautiful places. We stay in so-so motels in so-so locations. Our route takes us through Thunder Bay (which we detour to drive through), Wawa and Sudbury.

What is Wawa famous for? Some might say its iconic Canada Goose statue (which is repeated everywhere in town). If you were a cross-Canada hitchhiker in the 70s-80s, Wawa was infamous as THE place in Canada where you (didn't want to) got stuck hitchhiking. If you were let off, you waited forever to get an onward ride. We met a French-Canadian kid (at the goose statue and closed tourist info office) who had just been dropped off. He didn't know about Wawa. But he was optimistic he'd prove it wrong. (Ah, youth....) He was headed West and we East, so we couldn't help him (our Subaru is packed to the gills anyways, so no room). We hope he got out of Wawa soon.

More great scenery (think "Group of Seven" landscapes). We camp for 2 nights in Chutes Provincial Park. Warm weather at last! So nice to take a rest from driving. The rapids on the Riviere aux Sables are roaring. The campground nearly empty with great facilities (they better be at $43/night for a camp site... Ontario Parks are hardly affordable for many Ontario families!).

Rapids at Chutes Provincial Park (near Massey, ON)

We decide to head to Ottawa, where David went to graduate school in the early 80s (University of Ottawa/Université d'Ottawa). On the way, we stop in/drive through Sudbury... gotta see the "Big Nickel". Sudbury is greener and nicer than expected for a city with such an industrial past (and present). Then on to the Ottawa river valley, where we see evidence of current extreme flooding, and then down to Ottawa.

We have driven nearly 4500 km to get here....

Sudbury's Big Nickel

Ottawa: Canada's Parliament buildings (undergoing a 10-year restoration)

Moving fast... trying to stay warm

Mac the Moose (Moose Jaw, SK)

It has been cold and, at times, rainy. Four days and 2095 km on the road finds us in Brandon, Manitoba. 

First night, we ended up in Revelstoke in a hotel. Had hoped to camp but the rain was too heavy (never good for first night to be camping in a downpour). 

Second night, we planned to camp in either Yoho or Banff National Parks. Advice/info from Yoho info centre (as well as Parks Canada literature) made us decide to drive the extra 80+ km to camp at Lake Minewanka in Banff. Upon arrival, we find the campground "closed" (despite literature and office clearly saying it was "open"). Calls/complaints to Parks Canada gave no satisfaction... meanwhile, other hopeful campers (mostly Europeans in rental RVs) also drive up to gate, only to be disappointed. We decide to leave Banff and go 20 km to Canmore. Way to go Parks Canada... way to screwup peoples' plans. 

Municipal campground in Canmore is open and mostly empty. We pay our $27, setup and settle in. It is cold and rain/snow is forecast. New tent sets up fine; new campstove works great, and the wine and steak excellent. We head to bed as it begins to rain.  David's aged hips hurt all night. But no leaks (in tent). Next morning the rain stops enough to have breakfast while shivering in the cold (0° C overnight, and our new tent is clearly only a single-season, Summer, tent). We get packed up just as the rain starts again (new snow 300m above us). It is clearly "early season". David discovers sticky sap all over the bum of his pants. 

Day 3, we drive through torrential rain until Calgary. Skies start looking better but it is very windy. We make it to the small municipal campground right in the middle of the tiny town of Gull Lake, Saskatchewan (literally in the midde: houses surround us). We are the first campers. But it is cheap ($15), clean, and grassy (NO sap!), and showers are free. But the constant wind makes it uncomfortably cold. Clearly too early in season for camping. We consider turning back to home, then flying East.... 

Next day, we decide to continue on to Manitoba. Too cold and windy for breakfast outside. A hotel for the night is the plan. After a stop in Moose Jaw to check out "Mac the Moose" (formerly the world's tallest moose, now beaten by a Swedish all-metal upstart; soon to get new antlers so he will regain his former status), we continue to drive to Brandon, Manitoba.

It is freezing cold outside here in Brandon this morning!

Cold to us perhaps, but not cold enough to freeze these off...

Road trip... across Canada (and back)!

Actual route may change...

Our car is all loaded up; heading out today on a cross-Canada roadtrip! Driving our Subaru, camping (and some motels) along the way. Hope to make it to Nova Scotia. Along the way, we will also visit Michelle's brother on Long Island (NY) for his 70th birthday.

Like our sailing travels, actual route and destinations will be determined as we go.

Of course, after a couple weeks of mostly sunny (and very warm, even hot) weather, forecast is now for showers and rain.

Overlapping seasons: Skiing, sailing and hiking

April 26: Downwind sail back to home berth in Stanley Park

It is that crossover time of year. A time we can go for a sail, a hike, or go skiing.

Finally got out on Pelagia at the end of April for a few sunny days. First night (Wednesday April 24), we anchored in Port Graves in Howe Sound, one of only two boats. A beautiful quiet, calm night. Too warm to bother lighting the furnace. Next day, with gale force southerly inflow winds forecast for Howe Sound -- not a good forecast for Port Graves, as it is open to the south -- we headed over to the Vancouver Rowing Club's dock space in Snug Cove (Bowen Island). Again, just two boats on the club docks. "Snugly" tied up, we then went for a 2-hour hike (OK, a walk) around Killarney Lake. The forecasted inflow gales never materialized and we had another nice quiet eve on board. It was a nice visit, as we have not been to Snug Cove since 2016. (Surprisingly, the same folks from SV La Reina who helped us go up the mast in April 2016 were back again when we were there this April.)

At the far end of Killarney Lake (Bowen Island)

Our plans were to spend a third night out on Pelagia. However, the forecasts were full of 35-40 knot gale warnings for the Strait of Georgia, beginning late Friday night. With a dinner arrangement with friends back home in Whistler on Saturday night, so we decided it best to head back to Vancouver Friday. We had a nice, gentle downwind sail all the way to Stanley Park. We stayed Friday night on Pelagia at VRC in Stanley Park; at 12:20am, the winds started howling. They stayed howling all night and Saturday. Heading home Saturday morning, driving over the Lions Gate Bridge, we marvelled at the nasty seas out in Vancouver's English Bay. We were very glad we returned to Vancouver on Friday!

Back in Whistler, there is still lots of snow on the mountains, and skiing has actually been very good (indeed, one can still ski from the Peak all the way down to the Village... but only for a little while longer*). David has been having some good days on the hill (Michelle thinks it is too warm to ski.). A most fun run was down Seppo's ( empty of skiers, as the Garbanzo Chair is shut down for the season thus one has to hike up to reach Seppo's (only 10 mins)). Skiing off the Peak has been excellent.

*May 5th turned out to be the last day to ski all the way down to village. On May 6th W-B closed the lowest portion, digging it up to prepare for the bike park opening. Downloading on gondola from Olympic midstation now required.

May 3rd: Whistler

May 3: Looking down "Seppo's" -- still tons of snow. Lots of fun.

The Peak and Whistler Bowl (May 6th)

Temperatures down in the Whistler valley are now reaching into the 20s (degrees C), so perhaps it is getting too warm for skiing for even David. Bears are out of hibernation and we are seeing them regularly on the golf course.

It is an interesting time of the year here.