After saying goodbye to our gracious and generous hosts, Wynn and Bob, we left for Ottawa at 7:00 a.m., and arrived there at about 9:30 a.m., just in time to see the changing of the guard, a ceremony that takes place on Parliament Hill everyday at about 9:45. It was quite elaborate.
Of course, after seeing all the guards, we decided to try a few hats on ourselves!
At 11:30, we went on a very interesting tour of the Parliament buildings. It was very interesting, and the building itself is amazing. Security was tight, just like we were getting on a flight. Below is a picture of the kids on top of the "Peace tower", the tallest part of the building. The promenade is just below the face of the clock on the tower.
We heard that the RCMP and their horses were just behind West Block building so we went over to take a look. Kate loved the huge, beautiful horse she found. We found out that the RCMP officer dedicates 3 years to working with the horses, that they usually have no special training beforehand, and they have to take care of all the duties of caring and touring with the horses, even cleaning the stalls!!!
As we toured around the city, we came upon a huge War Memorial, and home to the Unknown Soldier. His grave is guarded by two guards who stand watch, not moving an inch. I admire their ability to stay completely still, even in the heat!
Following our stay in Ottawa, we made the two-hour journey to Montreal where we proceded to get lost :-) After orienting ourselves, we settled in for the night at the Holiday Inn Express on Rene Levesque East. Great room. The kids are tired, so we will be off to explore Montreal in the morning before heading off to Quebec City, then New Brunswick, then...we'll see.
