DESTINATIONS OTTAWA CANADA
recommended I visit Play Food & Wine downtown. The restaurant serves a select menu of small plates with suggested wine pairings. Seconds had to be ordered of the octopus tostadas. ByWard Market is famously the heart
of foodie Ottawa, so escape the over- priced tourist chains and assemble a picnic from the gourmet shops. The House of Cheese specialises in hard-to-find domestic and imported cheeses: try Old Grizzly from Alberta and Bleu D’Elizabeth if you’re feeling bold. Canada in a Basket sells Canadian-made gourmet foods. Peruse beautifully packaged jars of pickled fiddleheads (ferns) and chokecherry jelly, then buy your maple syrup like a local, in a can, from the Maple Country Sugar Bush stall. And for a sweet treat, try red rapture ice cream at Sweet Jesus, an experimental ice-cream shop on Clarence Street.
◗ ADVENTURE LIKE A LOCAL Ottawa has more than 100 miles of bike pathways and it’s unquestionably the best way to get around the city like a local. Find your bearings on a trip with Escape Bicycle Tours (from £27), or just rent a bike for the day and explore. Cycle to Dow’s Lake and try kayaking with local families or seek out some of the cooler neighbourhoods, away from touristy downtown. The Glebe, Westboro and Hintonburg are home to unique cafes and cool boutiques. For stronger cyclists, a trip to Quebec’s vast Gatineau Park is a must. Visit the park’s prettiest photo opportunity Pink Lake or climb King
LEFT: Rideau Canal
from the Canada Day crowds. I float smugly through the afternoon
During Winterlude, folk can skate on the world’s longest natural ice rink, the Rideau Canal
before my flight home, watching glossy black squirrels in the trees and inhaling the woody scents of the saunas.
Mountain. For a gentler workout, hundreds of residents gather for free yoga on Parliament Hill at noon every Wednesday throughout the summer. After all the exertion, the Nordik Spa-
Nature in Chelsea, which claims to be the largest of its kind in North America, is a welcome treat. Hidden away in a fragrant forest, the series of waterfalls, saunas and pools create a delightfully surreal sanctuary and the ideal respite
BELOWLEFT: Bluesfest
BELOW: Nordik Spa-Nature
◗ PARTY LIKE A LOCAL With festivals celebrating everything from buskers to tulips, it seems Ottawans love a party. Canada Day is the crowning event but there is something to suit everyone’s tastes. Jazzfest and Bluesfest take over downtown for a few weeks every June and July, and feature a spectrum of acts including smaller local groups such as the Bank Street Bonbons as well as the likes of Bryan Adams, Herbie Hancock and Alison Krauss. Hogman-eh and Winterlude cover the winter months, when folk can skate to work on the world’s longest natural ice rink, the Rideau Canal. There are festivals to celebrate
dance, dragonboats and animation, while locals also hit the streets for Glowfair, Pride and Brewfest, burlesque, hockey and hoedowns. It’s a great way to meet people and
eavesdrop on the best location to watch fireworks or, at the very least, meet a Mountie.
Getting there
Air Canada offers the only non-stop service from Heathrow to Ottawa. Economy return fares start at £561, including one checked bag and taxes.
aircanada.com
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travelweekly.co.uk 23 August 2018
PICTURES:OTTAWA TOURISM; NORDIK SPA NATURE
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