Weir Cottage

Ottawa, Canada - October 2004

Other than a couple of hours at Niagara in 1999 we had not visited Canada so were pleased to get an enquiry from Yvonne & Brad about a swap in Ottawa.  We couldn't do the Summer, as asked, but could do later in the year and we agreed to October, each of us knowing that the weather would be more uncertain at each end.

The great advantage for us was seeing the Fall colours and being able to visit our friends, Keith & Cathy, who live in up-state New York and who we talk about elsewhere in this web site.  The Fall colours in Ottawa were magnificent and Keith & Cathy's hospitality superb, so it was a great success all round.

As we usually try to arrange, our exchangers came here before we left.

  Brad & Yvonne at The Old Manor House, 7 October, 2004.

A friend of our exchangers, David (see below), did the airport runs for us which we much appreciated.

Ottawa is a very nice city and extremely easy to navigate with surprisingly little traffic for a capital city.  For us it was strange as the parliament building is a scale copy of the one in Westminster, but without the high security:

<<The flag on Parliament building at half mast owing to the Chicoutimi submarine tragedy, a few days earlier.

        <<more Ottawa city scenes.

Across the river from Ottawa is the Province of Quebec and Gatineau Park which is huge and beautiful especially at the time of year we visited.  Go to Canada in Fall to see some really lovely pictures of the park and other nearby places that we visited.

So, the middle weekend we visited Keith & Cathy, near Ithaca.  I've done a page dedicated to this and we are very grateful for their excellent hospitality.  It was great to see them again.  Be sure to take a look as not many people can boast having a waterfall at their back door....literally!  See it here.

Unfortunately, this exchange was over all too quickly being barely two weeks.  We are grateful to Brad & Yvonne for moving the date from the Summer so we could do it.  Their home was extremely comfortable also beautifully decorated and furnished.  Their friends were also really nice to meet so thanks to Claire & Gary, David & Nancy, Joan, plus neighbours Gary & Elizabeth..  2009, great to hear Brad & Yvonne have bought a place in Florida so are Snow Birds.  Sounds great to me.

<<David & Theresa and us>> outside the Ottawa house just before we left for the airport.

And nearly in London(!)>>>