Lucky me! My Red Cross debriefing in Ottawa coincides with Winterlude. I sling my skates and head out to the longest and largest rink in the world, the Rideau Canal. The 13 kilometres round trip from Chateau Laurier to Dow’s Lake takes me 70 minutes with a break for a beavertail, the vegetarian version. President Obama endeared himself (even more) when on his first official visit to Canada he stopped by Bytown Market for his Beavertail fix. The Killaloe sunrise is a chewy yet melt-in-your-mouth paddle shaped ‘donut’ sprinkled with cinnamon sugar topped off with lemon juice. Maybe I am just hungry but this tail consumed while skating on the canal is the most scrumptious that I’ve ever had.
Monument to the Peacekeepers: I am reminded of Lester Pearson and Canada's role in the creation of this force.
I walk by Louise Bourgeois’ imposing spider guarding Moshe Safdie’s soaring National Gallery. A Calder mobile, a Rembrandt featuring Saskia, George Segal’s gas station, Alex Colville’s ‘To Prince Edward Island’ --eclectic collection.
I go way off the beaten path to visit an ambassador’s home overlooking the Ottawa River. My chef friend magically plates cake and ice cream before my eyes. I’ll have to try making his sugar twirls sometime.
All this makes a great prelude to the main event: the Red Cross debriefings.
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