Coming from Australia, where we have a capital city with similar origins (halfway between the two large contenders for the capital etc.) I thought Ottawa would be a bland, concrete jungle.

I was pleasantly surprised and delighted to find out how beautiful it was. There are so many lovely old buildings, especially the Houses of Parliament, where we were lucky enough to stumble upon an annual ceremony marking the relationship between the British and the Canadians, complete with a symphony that ended in cannons (Beethoven? Tchaikovsky? I am so bad at remembering these things). The War Memorial was also done up for this event, and it was summer. If someone can help me with the details I would be most grateful :) They also played “O Canada” and thrills rushed down my spine.

We visited vibrant markets, went on a really well-presented (and chilling) ghost tour, and saw a fantastic comedy show.

Definitely worth a second visit, this time in winter, to skate on the Rideau Canal.