highlights of a visit to Ottawa

I read in a Kostuch Media news blast that Judson Simpson, executive chef at the House of Commons restaurant in Ottawa is the first Canadian to earn the Certified Master Chef (CMC) designation. It made me realize that I should devote another post to Ottawa before moving on, as the Canadian capital really does have some very fine restaurants and major attractions worth checking out. We talked about some of Ottawa’s finest chocolate in this post.

 favourite Ottawa attractions

In this post, I’d like to show you a few Ottawa attractions in that I really enjoy. Top of the list is the Canadian Museum of History (formerly called the Museum of Civilization.) For first time visitors, spending at least an hour in the First Peoples Hall is a must. Here, you’ll see many First Nations carvings, artwork, and artifacts. This is a permanent exhibit, and the backbone of the museum. You’ll see from the photo below that the setting of the museum is stunning. A full glass wall gives you a panoramic view of the Parliament Buildings located just across the river. The museum itself is a work of art, and the design of architect Douglas Cardinal. You can take a virtual tour of the museum and learn about its design via its website.

The First Peoples Hall at the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa.

While I was there, I took time to explore a temporary exhibit called Vodou, an examination of Haiti’s voodoo culture. It was really quite compelling. The museum’s temporary exhibits change regularly, so be sure to check the website before your visit to know what’s on.

Visiting the Vodou exhibit at the Canadian Museum of History was an intriguing experience.

I love to visit farmers’ markets wherever I go, and Ottawa’s ByWard Market is a fine example of combining fresh produce and garden offerings with every other kind of handcrafted item you can imagine. The ByWard Market is one of Canada’s oldest, longest running farmers’ markets. A few years ago, I managed to visit the market in time for the weigh-in at the giant squash/pumpkin contest. They really were big enough to live in! This year, my visit was at the beginning of the growing season, so plenty of fresh flowers, herbs, and berries were the prime offering.

Ottawa’s ByWard Market is a terrific place to visit to enjoy the fruits and flowers of the season.

And yes, I managed to find a terrific new restaurant to try. If you are a vegan, or into really healthy cooking featuring the utmost in creativity, I’d highly recommend a visit to Zen Kitchen, located in Ottawa’s Chinatown. We were treated to the chef’s sampling menu and were not disappointed. And yes … there was chocolate involved.