Ottawa's Winterlude Festival

The time between New Year's Day and Family Day in mid-February can feel like a long, tedious haul.  A trip to Canada's capital city of Ottawa during Winterlude will leave you loving winter!

The winter days are short in Canada, and snowstorms along with sub-zero temperatures keep most sensible folks inside often for weeks at a time.  Yet every year for the first three weekends of February, Canada's capital city of Ottawa host's one of it's most significant festivals: WINTERLUDE!

Rideau Canal Passing Lansdowne Park 

Winterlude attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Capital Region of Ottawa each winter.  This Canadian festival began in 1976, and all the events are spread out between Ottawa, which is in Ontario, and Gatineau, which is located across the Ottawa River in Quebec.  

The focal point of Winterlude is the famous Rideau Canal skateway.  Other Winterlude sites include an ice sculpture competition in Confederation Park, a massive snow park in Jacques Cartier Park with an ice slide and snow sculptures, and several outdoor skating rinks.  At night, DJ concerts, fireworks and laser light shows light up the night, while the ice sculptures are also all lit up with an ethereal glow.

Starting Point Of Rideau Canal

If someone had just a day to spend in Ottawa, is it worth it to make the trip?  YES!  If you have only one day to explore Winterlude, I would suggest you focus your time on the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Rideau Canal skateway.  The Rideau Canal freezes over every winter and provides Ottawa with the longest outdoor skating rink in the world, measuring  7.8 kilometres or just about 5 miles.  The skating starts at Dow's Lake near Carleton University and snakes through Old Ottawa until it ends at the locks between Canada's Parliament Buildings and the Chateau Laurier.

Rest Area on Rideau Canal Skateway

I brought my own ice skates with me to skate the canal, but there are several skate rental facilities along the skateway.  Rental locations are at Dow's Lake Pavilion,  Fifth Avenue and at the end of the canal near the National Arts Centre. The skates cost $11/hour to rent, but for $32/2 hours, you can also rent large red sleighs with built-in seats.  Perfect for pushing non-skaters around, or for tired little kids. 






Also, new for the 2020 Winterlude is the Ice Bike! Rentals are available at Capital Skates locations at Fifth Ave and National Arts Center.  These cool bikes allow you to zip along the canal, perhaps with a passenger in tow!  Ice bikes cost $42 for 2 hours.  



   

Ottawa's Chateâu Laurier

My first trip to Ottawa was a solo day trip.  Ottawa is safe, easy to navigate, the locals are amiable and eager to make suggestions on how to spend your time.  I walked along Colonel By Drive, which is the main road along the eastern side of the Rideau canal with my ice skates in my backpack.  I found myself at Pig Island, which is across the skateway from the gleaming dome of Lansdowne Park, a vast 40-acre entertainment & sports complex.  I  put on my skates and headed north on the ice towards the Parliament Buildings.  There are several rest areas along the canal that provide benches & tables, washrooms, snack huts and firepits.  Soon, I found myself whizzing under bridges towards a huge fairytale castle that is the Chateâu Laurier Hotel. The skateway ends close to the foot of the Chateâu Laurier in front of The Canadian Senate building.

The Senate is km zero of the Rideau Canal Skateway and where I changed back into my winter boots to go check out Canada's iconic Parliament Hill.   A short climb up from the skateway and you are at the foot of Canada's legislature, at confederation square which occupies Canada's war memorial statues.   Beyond the War Memorial across Wellington street, is Canada's Gothic Revival style Parliament buildings with the Centennial Flame burning in a large brazier in front of it.  The flame was lit in front of Canada's House of Commons in 1967 to mark 100 years of confederation.  I can't believe how young my country is!  Seeing "The Hill," in person, actually brought my eyes to water as this building is the historic centre of my proud nation.  

Parliament's Peace Tower

Following the road around the right side of Parliament buildings to the back of The Hill, you pass by many bronze statues of Canada's forefathers. A path continues along a bluff overlooking the Ottawa River, offering stunning views of  Quebec just a few hundred meters away.  There are guided tours available of Parliament Hill, including The Senate building, The House of Commons and the newly restored East Block Buildings.  The Centre Block Buildings and The Library of Congress are currently (in 2020) closed for restoration work.  To purchase tour tickets online visit: Parliament Tours. 

A Winterlude Tradition

With the sun starting to sink low in the sky, I reversed my steps and strapped on my ice skates once more.  The skateway was packed with locals, and the smells of the Canadian delicacy called "BeaverTails" wafted through the air.  My stomach concurred that a snack would be ideal at this time, and I pulled into the Fifth Avenue rest stop.  I lined up for a hot chocolate, and a pastry called a BeaverTail, which was invented in Ottawa in the 1970s.  A Beavertail is a flat, fried pastry that is has a sprinkling of cinnamon & sugar on top and is served piping hot. 





Grabbing a seat in front of the communal firepit at the rest area and savouring my Beavertail on the historic Rideau Canal is a  uniquely Canadian Winter tradition that topped off my visit to Winterlude.   Now I know every January first, I will be counting down the days to Winterlude!



Have you been to Ottawa's Winterlude?  What's your favourite winter tradition?  Tell me about it in the comments below!

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How To Have Ireland's Famous Glendalough All To Yourself

Glendalough is becoming one of South-Eastern Ireland's busiest tourist sights.  Big bus tours and Dublin day-trips keep Glendalough crowded all day long.  Here's how you can experience this mystical place without another tourist within sight...

Peaceful Glendalough

Glendalough (pronounced GLEN-da-lock), is a historical early Christian monastery nestled deep in the Wicklow mountains, just 45 miles south of Ireland's bustling capital city of Dublin.  Glendalough means "Valley of the two lakes" in Irish, and the monastic settlement is situated in a valley next to two lakes.  These picturesque lakes, along with Glendalough, are located in the Southern part of Wicklow Mountains National Park.  The Wicklow Mountains are a popular destination for locals and tourists alike because of it's close proximity to Dublin.  The plentiful walking trails, historical sights and natural beauty offered in the area are particularly busy during July and August.  Click the link to read my blog post on what to do in the Wicklow Mountains.  

Glendalough's Round Tower

The history of Glendalough is fascinating.  It was founded by Ireland's Saint Kevin in the mid-sixth century.  Within 100 years, Glendalough became a large ecclesiastical settlement of over 1,000 people, a "city," for those times.  Check out my blog post for more information on the history of Glendalough.  Today we can stroll peacefully through green meadows to the remains of centuries-old stone churches and Celtic crosses and an impressive round tower...without another soul in sight! 

The trick to having Glendalough to yourself is to arrive early in the morning before the visitor centre opens.  Glendalough is part of the Irish Office of Public Works' historic properties, and you can find out more at www.heritageireland.ie/en/.  There is a state-of-the-art visitor centre at Glendalough, which opens from 9:30-6:00, BUT you can explore the site anytime since it is free and always open.  Evening exploring can work well too, but there are usually still plenty of people milling about after the Visitor Centre closes.

The Two-Lane Road to Glendalough

Now, if you don't fancy getting up before the crack of dawn to drive one and half hours south of Dublin through narrow dark mountain passes, I do not blame you!  It's not a smart idea, especially if you are not accustomed to driving on the left side of the road.  Many tour operators offer guided tours to Glendalough, and the big tour coaches start arriving between 10:00-11:00. The public bus service to the Wicklow mountains from Dublin is limited, but there is a daily service with St. Kevin's Bus Service that takes you round trip to Dublin to Glendalough for €20 or €13 one way.  Or you can also try Bus Éireann to the town of Laragh, which is about 2 kilometres from the Glendalough visitor centre.  Either way, the busses don't arrive in Glendalough until the early afternoon when the site is packed with tourists.  
Unless you stay overnight...

St. Kevin's Kitchen

Another recommendation is to stay overnight in either the Glendalough International Hostel or in the Glendalough Hotel.  Both of these places are within a short stroll of the ancient monastic site and offer free breakfast, free wifi and free parking.  I decided to book a private family room at the Glendalough International Hostel.  The room at the hostel slept up to five people and came with an ensuite bathroom, was very clean, quiet, comfortable and such helpful staff.  There was a real mix of guests, families with young kids, backpacking youths, plus hikers from all over Ireland and elsewhere who were trekking the Wicklow Way.  The best part was that we paid less than half of what it would cost at the hotel down the road.  To book the Glendalough International Hostel, you can go to hostelworld.com or to booking.com.

Entrance To Glendalough

Imagine slipping through the timeless stone archway of Glendalough's entrance into a world of crooked mossy gravestones and decorated Celtic High Crosses.  Marvel at the construction of the 110 foot round tower with only the sound of the wind in your ears.  Wander amongst the ruins of stone churches and Cathedrals and ponder what it would have been like to live in Ireland 1500 years ago.   

With just a little planning, you can step back through time and experience Glendalough the way the Irish monks used to. No tourists.  No crowds.  No distractions.
Just you and St. Kevin's legacy.

High Cross at Glendalough

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Siena~Tuscany's Medieval Gem

Siena's beautiful red brick historic centre is a Medieval maze of streets seemingly frozen in time. Siena offers shops full of the best Tuscan gourmet foods, wines and hand-painted ceramics.  

I had no expectations or agenda set going to Siena, which is why the town may have delighted me so much.  Other than the crazy bareback horse race called "The Palio" that consumes the city of Siena every summer, I didn't know much about the town at all. I knew Siena was Florence's bitter archrival during the middle ages until it was struck by the plague in 1348.  Yet, whenever I asked people for advice on where to visit in Tuscany, I always received the reply "Siena; you will looooooove Siena!"

Il Campo

Siena is only 56 km or 35 miles from Florence and makes a perfect one-day side trip from Florence.

Driving to Siena from our week-long base in Cortona was very easy to do, and the 45-minute drive across the Valdichiana was absolutely stunning.  Every hilltop we sped by seemed to be crowned with a little village just begging to be explored. Siena is also perched atop a hill, with all its narrow streets gently spilling down into a valley like an ochre waterfall. 

Siena's historical centre or "centro storico" is a car-free zone. We found cheap parking under the bleachers at the soccer stadium just follow the signs for "Stadio" to get to the Stadium.  Public parking at the Stadio is about €2/hr and is the same price as the Fortezza parking nearby.  A short walk from the stadium and one is emersed in a medieval wonderland. 

Navigating your way through the jumble of medieval walls 
to the main square in the centre of town is easy; just look for the 100 metres, (330 foot) tower called "La Torre del Mangia."  This round "square" is unarguably Siena's heart and the best way to get your bearings on a map, and if you can not see the tower, just listen for the bells. Piazza Il Campo is where the 17 neighbourhoods of Siena or "contrade" come together.   Il Campo is also the site of the famous Palio, a no holds barred bareback horse race between 10 of the 17 contradas.  This race has been taking place twice a summer; July 2 and August 16 since the 1600s.  To visit Siena during the Palio, check out the website www.ilpalio.org for tickets and information.

Pigeon heaven is the Fonte Gaia.

Piazza del Campo has got to be my favourite Piazza in Italy so far; it looks like a giant brick scallop shell. The red "Campo" gently slopes towards the "Pallazo Publico" or City Hall in the center.  I was here in mid-September, and Il Campo was a magnet for folks just sitting and sprawling out on the warm bricks. Equipped perhaps with a gelato in hand, you can relax and enjoy the great Italian sport of people-watching.
I could just stretch out on the warm red bricks of the piazza all day and relax listening to the bubbling "Fonte Gaia" behind me.  The Fountain of Joy is the highest point of Il Campo and where the citizens of Siena used to come and fill up their water buckets.  Now it is a fun place to watch the pigeons take a batch and take sips of water from the she-wolves mouths.

Contrada della Lupa

It was time to explore the streets of Siena and head towards the famous cathedral, the Duomo of Siena.  I loved navigating the twisting medieval lanes and walking under the arched alleyways. It was interesting walking through the different "contradas" or neighbourhoods that are all animal-themed.  Siena was on the main trade route from France to Rome, and many of these narrow alleys you walk today were filled with pilgrims and merchants. Siena was a super-power in its heyday, its streets lined with shops and banks where wealthy merchants deposited their money for safekeeping.  In fact, the first bank in Italy was in Siena.

There is some great shopping here too, especially for foodies.  Look for signs in store windows saying "prodotti tipici" or "local products."  I bought the best spice mixes here, as well as local cookies called "ricciarelli,"  which are chewy macaroon & almond delights.  Another local delicacy is delicious fruitcakes called "panforte"  that are only made in Sienna.   See my blog post for more on: Foods of Tuscany   

Other souvenirs s to buy are silk scarves with the different Contrada flags, local wines and beautiful pottery with hand-painted sunflowers and other local designs.  I purchased a bowl and a bunch of hand-painted wine stoppers as gifts to bring home.  It was not cheap, but this is not mass-produced; it is traditional craftsman art, and it is worth every penny to me.  Especially since the shop owner was the artist, who made it by hand.  Bellissimo!

On to Siena's crowning glory; the Duomo.  The city of Siena has changed the pricing of its Duomo.  When we were there in 2013, it was 3 to enter the cathedral and extra for the museum.  Now in 2019, there is a combo pass ticket where the Duomo, library, museum, baptistry, crypt and everything else is included for €15 if you purchase tickets online. Or if you buy your tickets at the door, the price is € 17.  Folks, it is totally worth it!  These precious pieces of art need to be preserved, restored and protected and that all costs significant amounts of coin!

The Duomo of Siena

Siena's Duomo was incredible. The candy cane stripes decorating the outside 0f the Duomo continued on the inside, and every single surface was covered in a piece of beautiful art.  I can imagine simple pilgrims walking in here and falling to their knees in awe! There are priceless Michelangelo, Donatello and Bernini statues. Your eyes just don't know where to look because it is 360 degrees of grandeur. The Piccolomini Library, with its original 550-year-old frescoes, was simply stunning!

Piccolomini Library

My 11-year-old son Liam was SO reticent and patient in the Cathedral, and I thought he was overwhelmed by the crowds. in reality, he was really just counting all the naked "bits" in the paintings on the ceiling!  This is where my child's OCD comes in handy. Liam was still counting penises from when we arrived in Rome a week ago (he is into the hundreds now).   I had another Mom lament to me that she wishes her two children were as well behaved & attentive to all the art as my son is.  I almost blurted out, "oh no, he is just counting penises," but I decided to seize the moment to be a shining parent and just thanked her for the compliment. 😈

Grabbing a cheap lunch in Sienna was easy, we hit the "panini" shop for made to order sandwiches. The best sandwiches are found at Alimentari Pizzicheria De Miccoli located near Il Campo. TIP: smile and point if you don't know the Italian words for the different deli items. Just don't expect any mustard, mayonnaise or other North American condiments to be available for your panini.  The fresh, wonderful Tuscan flavours are all you need to satisfy your taste buds.

Torture Museum

We were wandering around after lunch when we passed by the Medieval Torture Museum, and Liam begged to go in. I told Liam that all the guidebooks warn you that this museum is a rip-off and that it wasn't suitable for children anyway.  Liam made a good case that he wanted to explore something HE was interested in. After all, it only seemed fair after every castle, church and museum I dragged him into.  Actually, the museum had very good (yet gruesome) displays in English with original museum pieces; and the multi-level medieval building itself was quite beautiful and unusual. However, the subject matter was so horrid that I had to sit down and cry at one point.

A real Iron Maiden

The hideous journey through human cruelty of the Museo della Tortura was such a harsh contrast to the beautiful art in the Duomo, with one thing in common: RELIGION.  This contrast was not lost on 11-year-old Liam, and he learned a lot about the horrors of the witch hunts in Europe and how horrible humans can be to one another. For information on the Siena Museo delle Tortura click HERE.  They also have museum locations in San Gimignano, Volterra, Lucca and Montepulciano.

We emerged from the museum a little shaken just as the sun was beginning to set.  The whole city looked so beautiful with the colours of the bricks turning the most incredible shade of rusty red.  We wanted to climb up the Torre del Mangia in the campo to see the sunset, but it seemed like a lot of people had the same idea. For €10 PP and an hour-long line (only 50 people at a time in the tower), we decided to abort the plan. We found an excellent little vantage point over the city behind the Duomo's baptistry on Via di Fonte Branda. This steep lane leads down to Siena's oldest fountain Fonte Branda, dating back to 1081.

Sun goes down on Siena's San Domenico with Fonte Branda below.

Now Siena has become a favourite Tuscan city, and when someone mentions Siena, I get a faraway look in my eyes and moan; "Siena, oh I loooooved Siena."

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