The sanctuary of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Ottawa
[This is a continuation of my Canada October 2025 posts. It is two months since we visited Ottawa and Gatineau. Life back in London has been crazy busy, nevertheless I am going to try my best to finish these Canada posts before the year ends!]
We live in an awesome universe. If we care to look, there is so much beauty that surrounds us. Even in the middle of a large concrete city like London nature cannot help but muscle its way in, showcasing its designs and colours. It is a bid to live and breathe in the midst of so much that is hard and rigid.
Imagine then the wonder of a morning walk around Meech Lake/ Lac Meech, surrounded by clear waters, autumn foliage and blue skies. In an instant the normal busyness of life stops as we take in the miracle of so much calm and peace.
Reflections on the water at Meech Lake, located within Gatineau Park, Quebec
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada, located in English-speaking Ontario. The city of Gatineau is in the neighbouring province of French-speaking Quebec, and it sits at the confluence where the Gatineau River meets the Ottawa River. To get from Ottawa to Gatineau (and vice-versa) we took the Alexandra Bridge, crossing the Ottawa River.
I was, of course, quite clueless so am grateful to Toronto Cousin for not only driving us from Toronto to Ottawa, but also for booking accommodation in Gatineau thus allowing us to experience a little of both cities. On our drive to Meech Lake we stopped by Chelsea village for breakfast and a short walk.
Tour the World at Café Les Saisons in Chelsea (232, chemin Old Chelsea, Chelsea, Quebec J9B 1J3): Japanese Matcha, London Fog, African Sunrise and why have an Americano when you can have a Canadiano?
Back in Ottawa we took a peek at ByWard Market which was much smaller than Toronto’s St Lawrence Market and Montreal’s Marche Jean Talon. Across the road there are a handful of eating places, and we shared a large sandwich from La Bottarga Nicastro (64 George Street, Ottawa K1N 5V9), an established Italian emporium of everything good to eat and shop.
Our afternoon was spent walking around the Parliament precinct and heading up the hill to Notre-Dame Cathedral and the National Gallery of Canada. A beautiful day with many lovely views.
The Ottawa Locks, at the northern end of the Rideau Canal system (see end of post), are located at the base of Parliament Hill and the Fairmont Château Laurier
Feeling right at home with Ottawa’s ‘Big Ben’ i.e. its Peace Tower
Ottawa’s Parliament Hill (we live near Parliament Hill right here in London)
View across the Ottawa River and the Alexandra Bridge, looking towards Gatineau
The exterior of Notre-Dame Cathedral
The magnificent interior of the cathedral
Notre-Dame Cathedral is located next to the National Gallery of Canada, where Maman by Louise Bourgeois welcomes visitors
Looking towards National Gallery of Canada and Notre-Dame Cathedral (top), the exterior of the NGC (middle) and its interior glass ceiling (bottom)
Some of the exhibits in the Canadian art section of the National Gallery of Canada
This was a tremendous day out and I had to work hard to whittle down the 160 photos I took. Coupled with the visit to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau the day after, I highly recommend visiting Ottawa-Gatineau for around three days just to see these national treasures. Autumn is a good time to visit, although if you don’t mind the cold, then mention must be made of the Rideau Canal which is 202 km long in its travel from Ottawa to Kingston. In winter when the canal water freezes, a 7.8 km stretch from downtown Ottawa to Dow’s Lake is transformed into the Rideau Canal Skateway, making it the world’s largest naturally frozen ice skating rink. It would be a beautiful sight, but I would definitely prefer a boat trip along the canal when the weather is warmer.
