Tag Archives: Ottawa
A Place of Pilgrimage II
Just a few photos today from my visit to this beautiful Ottawa church. Something peaceful to start your Monday.
A Place of Pilgrimmage
I have lived in Ottawa most of my life, but it was only this week that I visited Notre Dame Basilica for the first time. Which is not surprising. When you live in a place you have a routine. Things that appeal to tourists aren’t necessarily part of your daily life. You check them out […]
Are You Afraid?
I’ve never had a fear of spiders – which doesn’t mean I like them. That dislike though isn’t arachnophobia, Those who have that unnatural fear are not overly enamored with the sculpture on the plaza in front of Canada’s National Gallery. The giant spider, with its egg sac prominently displayed, is titled “Maman,” which is French […]
Public Art in Back Spaces
I’m seeing things in Ottawa I have never seen before. Like this statue. A good chunk of my time these days is being spent in the Byward Market area of the city, not far from Parliament Hill. Despite working (and living) downtown for close to 20 years, I really don’t know the neighbourhood. What […]
Oops!
I was walking along Bank Street, the main north-south arterial in Ottawa when I noticed the storefront sign. For all I know it has been there for years, but usually I drive this stretch of road so I’m watching traffic not store signs. The spelling error, which I presume has been there for years, just […]
Not Just Nostalgia
Led Zeppelin is dead. Robert Plant rocks on. Sunday night at Cityfolk the former Zepp vocalist performed a delicate balancing act, giving the fans the old songs from the seventies that they craved while showcasing his newer material. Songs like “The May Queen” and the title track to his latest work, “Carry Fire,” were blended […]
Friday Night Rocked
I missed most of the music on the nineties. When you lived in Pembroke, Ontario, there wasn’t much choice. The local radio played (as I remember it) country music. Which means, in those pre-internet days, all I knew about the band Live was what I read. I could perhaps have named you a tune or […]
A Whole Lotta Love
Cityfolk starts today, Ottawa’s annual folk music extravaganza. For me it’s a trip down memory lane, as Robert Plant will close the festival Sunday night. You may not think of the former Led Zeppelin frontman as a folk artist, but the “folk” in Cityfolk has some elasticity. After all, the last time I saw Plant […]
Bus Woes
It’s amazing how much you can forget in a year. But it is coming back to me now: Ottawa’s transit system is designed to give riders ulcers. That many route numbers and routes have been changed is no surprise. Those in charge of OC Transpo don’t want people getting comfortable. They’ve added a new layer […]
Time To Party!
Who knew this day would come? It certainly wasn’t something I planned for. On Sunday July 8, 1979, my only thought for the future was next week. Forty years later I look back and realize that my life and that of many others changed that day. Which is a good reason to celebrate. Feel […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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