What is this BeaverTail?

Ottawa Post Snow Storm

The next morning, we saw the aftermath of the snow storm. There was over two feet of snow! We drove through downtown Ottawa and it was still snowing. I felt like I was in a snow globe. Kendra and Sean had a plane to catch at 10 am, but were delayed until mid afternoon. His mom was not going to brave the drive home, so she drove us through downtown reminiscing of her life as an undergrad in Ottawa. She dropped us off by the Parliament and spent the day and evening with her friend.

It's So Cold & Snowy!

In Front of the Parliament Building

Centennial Flame

Commemorating 100 Years of Confederation

The Building Next Door

Gothic Revival Architecture

Senate Chambers

View of the Rideau Canal from the Tower

Spying on the Centennial Flame 

Dave and I still had a few hours until check-in time, so we explored the Parliament building learning about Canadian government and history. This was the first time I heard French on this trip. It was amazing to hear local people switching back and forth from English to French with ease. Dave had gone through his entire school life in a French program, but was still too unsure to speak it since he had been out of that system for nearly 10 years. It wouldn't be until Montreal where the cabbies challenged you to speak French, where we would hear his French education emerge.

Ottawa's Pad Kee Mao

After our tour, we were craving Asian food yet again, but not just an Asian food – Thai food. Sydney is bursting with Thai restaurants. As we craved Korean food when we first moved to Sydney, Thai food is our new comfort food. We found a fast food Thai place in the mall. Everyone seemed to be ordering Thai perhaps because of its spiciness to combat the effects of cold weather. It wasn't the same, but it wasn't bad. We got a heaping amount that we could have shared, but we relished in our Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao we so desperately craved.

Example of Great Customer Service

Apple, Water & Chocolate Delivered to Our Door

We had belly aches by the time we checked-in to our hotel, Arc The Hotel. We've stayed in many hotels on our travels, but this was one of the best. It is a boutique hotel, with a large comfy bed filled with down feathers. The bathroom was small, but had designer shampoos, conditioners, lotions and soaps. At 3 pm, we could get a glass of champagne in the foyer and at 4 pm we received two complimentary waters, chocolates and an apple. What service! We plopped onto the bed and sank. We were exhausted from travelling and eating and all we wanted to rest – the bed hugged us to sleep.

Ottawa is Famour for the BeaverTail

Mmm Tastes like a Doughnut

Ottawa Tourism Loved My Instagram Photo

They Asked to Use it in a Promo Video

We woke up at 6pm guilty for sleeping the afternoon away. But the weather was just too much. It was still snowing and the cold air was frigid to bare skin. We forced ourselves to get out and explore since we were only spending this one day in Ottawa. We went to Byward Market and enjoyed a BeaverTail – Ottawa’s pastry claim to fame. It is made of doughnut dough flattened out and fried. Then cinnamon and sugar is sprinkled on top. Ottawa is also known for its canal, which is frozen in winter and skaters can then enjoy a beaver tail on their breaks. Unfortunately, the canal wasn't frozen over yet, but the BeaverTail was a treat.

Obama Cookies

Le Moulin de Provence, Byward Market

We walked through Byward Market – the quaint old town area of Ottawa. Many shops were closed, but pubs and restaurants still were open. We were still full from our Thai meal which hadn't settled after three hours of sleeping. One patisserie that was still open sold "Obama Cookies", named for the cookies President Obama bought for his daughter on his trip to Ottawa.

This Would be a Kangaroo if We Were in Sydney

We walked through the Rideau Centre mall to escape the snow and cold and window shop. We finally bought me some conditioner and a large comb. By 9 pm, our appetites were back, so we ventured through Byward Market again and found a trendy restaurant called the Blue Cactus to share spinach and artichoke dip, baby bone back ribs and Canadian beers.

What a great day of learning Canadian history and enjoying treats native to Ottawa. I hope the next time I visit, it will be summer when Ottawa is bursting with tulips –  a yearly gift from the Dutch for sheltering their princess and children during World War II.