UptownGirl Ottawa?

I just spent the most FABULOUS weekend in Ottawa with Middle-Sis (not to be mistaken with Little-Sis… she’s a whole other sis).  After everything she showed me this weekend, it seems that she would make a fantastic UptownGirl in Ottawa…  I smell a franchise!! 

I arrived on Thursday night, and after spending a torrential (yes, Ottawa is plagued with rain too) Fri-day reading Harry Potter (I know, lame), Middle-Sis took me out on the town with her friends.  1 – her friends are fantastic, 2 – she is hilarious when drunk on Revs, 3 – the Whisky Bar is a great place to dance on a Friday, 4 – Mr Mozzarella is perfect after-bar pizza!

Saturday we hit the ByWard Market, winding our way through the stalls of fresh produce & local artisans, and met up with my recently transplanted SJ friend for lunch at an Irish Pub.  For dessert, we crossed to the other end of the market for Piccolo Grande gelato.  I had the raspberry and mango sorbets, and I have never before eaten something so flavorful!  After lunch we got down to business, MS needing to buy fresh produce.  The market has an incredible selection of local produce and are even required to display what percentage of their stock is local.  The prices are good and the food is so fresh!

Due to the late night on Friday, we went for a rest and then off to a friends for a BBQ before hitting Lebreton Flats.  This weekend the National Arts Centre Orchestra held a series of FREE concerts on the flats for anyone who wanted to experience the Orchestra, and we saw them play alongside Natalie MacMaster.  It was a great taste of the maritimes and us east-coasters had a great time.

Sunday brought out the beaufiful sun and we went for a walk along the path beside the Rideau Canal and down to the locks, which were in the process of bringing up boats when we got there!  We continued along the Ottawa river behind Parliament Hill until we reached stairs in the side of the cliff and climbed to the top.  We sat at the whispering wall (crazy cool) and saw the stray cats of Parliament Hill…  poor things were having their food eaten by raccoons!

The day ended with a family dinner at The Works (a fantastic gourmet burger place native to Ottawa) with our newly arrived parents and hit the Lebreton Flats again for some Mozart.  So fun!    

Big shout out to Middle-Sis for the fantastic times and to Little-Sis…  wish you had been here!  Off to Montreal.