Feb
20
2012
The same locks, winter and summer.
If you look hard at the winter shot, you can see Parliament Hill on the skyline at the far right. Even in this mild winter, the river is almost frozen over.
Feb
19
2012
For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to skate a canal. Last weekend we laid claim to some ‘real winter’ and headed to Ottawa to skate the Rideau during the Winterlude festival – pure magic!
We were lucky – this weekend, as for most of this year, the ice is closed. The ice may have been ‘poor’, but we skated all 7.8km of the world’s longest skating rink (at an average skating speed of 5.25 mph and a top speed of just over 9mph!). We stopped for a free technical lesson along the way, not to mention for hot chocolate and ‘Beavertails’ (a Canadian classic!).
Then on to Snowflake Kingdom, a wondrous winter playground for the young and young at heart (we couldn’t resist the ice slide!).
Later, after night fell, we were enchanted by the ice carvings in Confederation Park, probably not quite as exquisite as when they were carved a week before, given the freeze/thaw cycle of this winter, but still lovely.
Winter festivals are awesome!!!
(See the Ottawa – Winter Album in the photo gallery for more pictures)
Jan
22
2012
Shh! Don’t tell anyone. We almost have our own private rink with a view . . . (The down side is that it’s a bit unpredictable when and if the Zamboni will have come, so the ice is sometimes great and sometimes not!). This is part of the new port lands development, more or less next to Corus at Sherbourne Common.
And yes, there are two of me, a trick I wish I could replicate in other areas of my life.
Jan
21
2012
A few photos from a wondrous winter hike (5 –6 miles) through the ravines and Don Valley last weekend; cold but invigorating, with delightful ‘grazing’ to be had at the Brickworks (organic hot-dogs and hot cider, gourmet hot chocolate, fish tacos and the most amazing savoury spiced Indian cake made from fermented chickpeas) before the short walk up the hill to the car.
(More photos in our Winter in Toronto Album)
So far, this has been a winter of freeze and thaw, not my favourite conditions. But last weekend was stunning; fine snow-dust glittering in glorious sunshine, and blue-black shadows.
Then there’s the sound of winter; a muffled quietness that soothes my soul, punctuated by a scrunchy squeak . . .
Feb
28
2011
Copyright © 2009 - Canada blog | Entries (RSS) | Comments (RSS)
WordPress theme modified by Paul Bearne from a theme by 
9th sphere