Montreal Olympic stadium picture…

Made this up from 12 separate pictures, had a great afternoon on a tour of this place, even saw the infamous spit!!

Click on picture to see it larger

 

Ottawa to Montreal…..

I woke around 8am surfed the net for an hour and typed up my blog. Went for a 30 minute run past last nights venue and then back up to the hotel.

We left the hotel around 11ish and Thelma and Louise arrived in the car park just as we were leaving. I got Marias address of her and we arranged to see her later that afternoon for dinner at her house.

Thelma and Louise

Last night Brent and Sophia had told me to try to make it into downtown Ottawa if we had time as it was a really nice city. Id been to the same hotel, same venue and not seen Ottawa last time i was here for Rogers Dark Side tour so Bob more than happy to take me to see some sights.

We parked the car and headed to a place called Zaks for breakfast, it was like an old fashioned diner and Bob had eaten here before and knew it was good. I ordered the oatmeal and some scrambled eggs with toast, Bob had the meat lovers breakfast. Both plates were HUGE and i was already full after just the oatmeal!

   

Someone posted a comment on my blog the other day ad told me to make sure i had a “beavertail” while i was here. I’d actually forgotten about it till Bob mentioned that in the winter the river freezes up and you can rent ice skates and skate along it for miles. Along the side are vendors that sell Beaver tails! i really had no idea what they were, i didn't know if they were meat, pastry, savoury, sweet or what! As we walked to zaks we past a store selling them and Bob said we’d get one after breakfast.

Well it was now after breakfast and even though i was pretty full there was no way i was gonna miss having a bit of beavertail in Ottawa whatever it was!!!

   

It was obvious why it was called what it is, its flat and in the shape of a beavers tail! its similar to a donut or funnel cake type taste and can be had with all different things on, cinnamon, apples, fruit, candy etc etc i chose the baked apple one and it was delicious but i can even begin to imagine how many calories are in one! but i figured i ran this morning so the beavertail kinda evened my run out!

I was surprised just how nice Ottawa was, it was a very quiet, not much traffic on the roads and very clean (something I've found with most of the places I've been in Canada) We walked from the Beavertail place and wandered round some of the sights, the buildings were beautiful and the weather although looking  a little dark and like rain on the pictures was actually kinda good and sunny.

Parliaments building and other sights in Ottawa

 

After having a look round we went back to the car and started the drive out to Maria’s house where we were invited for dinner tonight. As i mentioned earlier  every time I've been to Quebec I've had problems with my GPS unit. The first time Bob and i came here we ended up driving around some old railway warehouses as the GPS unit directed to these telling us it was our hotel! we drive round for ages looking for it but found we were 5 miles away from it! no idea why my tom-tom sent us where it did. The second time i was here i had the tom-tom unit stolen by the valet parking out of Bobs car!! This time would be no exception!

I entered Marias address into the tom-tom and we headed out on the highway for 24 miles, it then sent us off the highway through a few cornfields and along what was pretty much a dirt road! we were 90 minutes away from Marias house, nearly 100 miles and bob and i knew this wasn't the right way but we trusted the tom tom and followed her directions We then came to a cross roads, she told us to go straight across for 2 miles and then join the highway, The road straight across was not even a dirt track! it was a wide footpath with a sign saying Cul De Sac on it!! We had been had again Quebec city, me and my GPS just do not belong here!

We decided to turn right and we managed to pick up a two lane road that we were to stay on for 37 miles, i checked, checked again and then double checked the tom-tom thinking there must be a real four lane highway that goes down towards Maria’s place, its only about 20 minutes north of Montreal and i know this isn't the way we would go there! Anyway we stopped on the two lane road and got caught behind a truck about 5 miles into the 37, we were both wondering if the truck would stay on the same road as us after 37 miles, it actually pulled into the lane to turn left as we were and then signals right and pulled back out! hurrah we were in luck! We were nearly knocked off the road at one point by the roadwork's, the guy with the sign signalled us to go and just as we did the large road construction unit  to our left turned around and swung his digger unit right at us!

Col try and Sky    Cool hotel sign                     This guy nearly killed us!      Nice looking church

       
After finally getting back on a four lane highway we had 4 8 miles to go and made it there for about 4pm.
Maria had promised us some real Italian home cooking and boy she wants wrong, she had gone all out and made Lasagne, Cannelloni, manicotti, Salad, deer and pheasant kebabs which were delicious! along with other stuff and some great wine and company:)
Our hosts:                                            Some of the food          and of course the wine!
   
Maria took us out to see hers and Jacks Harleys in the garage, I've always wanted a Harley and she had the exact one I've wanted, a Sportster! Jacks was something a little special and up until a few weeks ago would only run on rocket fuel!! i kid you not.
Marias Harley                                             Jacks Harley
 

Jacks bike

Marias friend Casey was also joining us for dinner, we had met in Toronto 4 weeks earlier and last night at the show in Ottawa. It was great to sit down and eat some home cooked food with nice people and not have the hectic pre or post show meet up chats that we've only been having the last few weeks. To be doing this in someone's home was even more special and to me this is what me touring around is all about, meeting friends and enjoying their company.

   

   

We all had a fantastic time and i cant thank Maria and Jack enough for their hospitality, it was nice to meet your son and one of your daughters also.

Bob and i headed out towards Montreal, they were talking on the radio about tickets for Rogers show tomorrow in Montreal and as we were driving along Def Leppard came on the radio with Rock It, it was kinda bizarre that just as the track finished we went past a full size space rocket at the side of the road!! next to some space museum!

View all the pics from Ottawa today:

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Pics from dinner at Maria and Jacks:

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