Part 4
Last full day in Ottawa today, then it's off back to San Jose and San Francisco for the next 10 days. Today has been a day of playing tourist, which I think I could easily spend another week doing. Ah well, I might just have to come back some time (preferably with a vendor paying for the trip again, and V along as well).
So today started with attempting to go to the Canadian Aviation Museum. Except that it's closed for expansion work. Damn. So we wombled off to the Sci/Tech museum instead, which was quite interesting. How many NZ science museums have a tokamak? And on the way there and back we got to enjoy the scenery along the riverside, which is really quite beautiful at this time of the year.
Am pondering buying myself a decent camera, although I probably should've done so on the way over rather than now, so I'll have to make do with the ones from my phone, plus pictures from the cameras of my workmates who've been travelling with me. One flew back today, her part of the trip over with, which is a bit sad, since it means that once I head off tomorrow and leave my ex-workmate who's also along on this trip as the vendor rep here, I'll be by myself. It's more fun travelling with people you know. Ah well.
After lunch I explored central Ottawa on foot, dropping through the Byward Market (many interesting shops), then up around the Parliament buildings (which I think must be some of the nicest in the world, making me want to enter Canadian politics just so I could work there) and finally through the National Gallery of Canada. Which was... wow. I wish I'd had more time there to look around further. Seeing various pictures on the walls which are the originals from some of the Renaissance art books I have... yeah. Wow.
All of the Canadians I've talked to so far are polite and lovely. I think a lot of NZers could learn from this, or maybe it's just that they're being nice to me because I'm obviously Not From Around Here (people keep thinking I have an English accent at first, then becoming increasingly undecided the more they talk to me, until they give in and ask).
Oh, and it's daylight savings here tonight, so I get an extra hour's sleep before I have to head to the airport in the morning, which is excellent. Assuming of course that my travel arrangements did allow for this, and that I'm not going to end up missing a plane and being stuck in Chicago. Still, if that happens I'm sure I can survive.
So today started with attempting to go to the Canadian Aviation Museum. Except that it's closed for expansion work. Damn. So we wombled off to the Sci/Tech museum instead, which was quite interesting. How many NZ science museums have a tokamak? And on the way there and back we got to enjoy the scenery along the riverside, which is really quite beautiful at this time of the year.
Am pondering buying myself a decent camera, although I probably should've done so on the way over rather than now, so I'll have to make do with the ones from my phone, plus pictures from the cameras of my workmates who've been travelling with me. One flew back today, her part of the trip over with, which is a bit sad, since it means that once I head off tomorrow and leave my ex-workmate who's also along on this trip as the vendor rep here, I'll be by myself. It's more fun travelling with people you know. Ah well.
After lunch I explored central Ottawa on foot, dropping through the Byward Market (many interesting shops), then up around the Parliament buildings (which I think must be some of the nicest in the world, making me want to enter Canadian politics just so I could work there) and finally through the National Gallery of Canada. Which was... wow. I wish I'd had more time there to look around further. Seeing various pictures on the walls which are the originals from some of the Renaissance art books I have... yeah. Wow.
All of the Canadians I've talked to so far are polite and lovely. I think a lot of NZers could learn from this, or maybe it's just that they're being nice to me because I'm obviously Not From Around Here (people keep thinking I have an English accent at first, then becoming increasingly undecided the more they talk to me, until they give in and ask).
Oh, and it's daylight savings here tonight, so I get an extra hour's sleep before I have to head to the airport in the morning, which is excellent. Assuming of course that my travel arrangements did allow for this, and that I'm not going to end up missing a plane and being stuck in Chicago. Still, if that happens I'm sure I can survive.