SparseRunner likes Ottawa

Today was a good day, despite Mrs. Ottawacker being in Sundridge. Warm and sunny, we had a convivial breakfast in the garden, and Ottawacker Jr. went on his first solo shopping expeditions, first to buy croissants from Ichiban, and then to buy orange juice from Farm Boy. Yes, the shop I swore to boycott two days ago. (I didn’t say anything about Ottawacker Jr. having to boycott it.)
 
SparseRunner had a hankering for a wander along the river, but you know how it is when you go to people’s places, you always have to do what they want first. In this case, as I was trying to drive him over the river to get a good view of Parliament Hill from the Gatineau side, I was able to let SparseRunner admire the construction lanes on Carling, the blocked roads on Booth Street, the closed sections of Bank Street, and the bright orange cones dotted all around the National Art Gallery.
 
We made our way, following the dirty rear end of the Amphibus to get back to Ottawa, then went up to the Rockcliffe Lookout, drove through Rockcliffe Park into New Edinburgh, and stopped at the mound on Cobourg Street under which hundreds of pioneer navvies were buried. Here we once more proved that age and experience trumps youth and energy by getting Ottawacker Jr. to run up and down the mound while we sat in the air-conditioned car. $2 poorer but many memories richer, I then drove to Guigues Street and watched SparseRunner go off on his solitary discovery of Ottawa’s landmarks.
 
Meanwhile, Ottawacker Jr. and I went for a walk in the park, visited the National Gallery of Canada for a couple of minutes, wandered around the courtyards in the shade, and then awaited his return near the Giant Spider “Maman”, one of Louise Bourgeois’ bronze sculptures. While waiting, I was interested to read that the giant egg-carrying arachnid was inspired by Bourgeois’ own mother: I bet she and Kafka would have got on like a house on fire.
 
When SparseRunner returned, we headed off down the canal in search of a pub, and eventually ended up at Patty’s Pub, which is one of my favourites. Then a quick detour to drop Ottawacker Jr. off home, before heading on to the Arboretum and the Experimental Farm, where neither of us managed to identify the crop shown in the extra.
 
Then home, where SR was subjected to Ottawacker Jr. showing him how his xBox Flight Simulator worked, dinner, a couple more drinks, and a quick look at what had been going on in the Olympics.