Arriving in Ottawa I was greeted by rain, but not even passing storms could dampen my excitement about the coming days. I began this leg of the journey with a quick tour of the Canadian capital. It’s a beautiful city with architecture reminiscent of a European town, including several grand gothic-style buildings. An interesting fact about this city is that shortly after the end of World War II, Ottawa was the site of the event that many people consider to be the official start of the Cold War. A Soviet cipher clerk called Igor Gouzenko, defected from the Soviet embassy with over 100 secret documents. Initially, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) refused to take the documents, as the Soviets were allies of Canada and Britain. After hiding out for a night in a neighbour’s apartment, listening to his own home being searched, Gouzenko finally convinced the RCMP to look at his evidence, which provided proof of a massive Soviet spy network operating in western countries, which indirectly, led to the discovery that the Soviets were working on an atomic bomb to match that of the Americans.

My first stop was the Canadian Museum of Civilization. It’s the countries most popular cultural attraction, covering a massive 25,000 square meters of display space and housing the world’s largest collection of totem poles. The reason I came here was to learn about how Canada was settled and discover a little more about the first nations people that inhabited the area prior to European arrival. I spent several hours strolling around the museum looking at the various displays, and with my fill of history, it was time for something to eat.

For lunch in the area you can’t look past Les Brasseurs du Temps. To be honest, it wasn’t the food that brought me here, the real reason for my visit was to try the beer that this restaurant come brewery is famous for.

Canada has a beer brewing culture similar to that in Belgium, with lots of micro-brewers and ales that differ between regions. This particular establishment is known for a tasting plate called ‘The Clock’ which contains 10 ‘tasting-sized’ glasses of the in-house made beers – It’s one for those that like fine ales, and aren’t driving home.

From the restaurant it was a taxi trip back to my accommodation at Château Cartier Relais Resort. It’s just outside of the city and has it’s own golf course, nice rooms and fantastic restaurants. To be honest, after long days on the road I’m not too fussy about where I stay – all I need is a shower and a bed!

The following morning the rain was still tumbling down, so I was limited to the indoors and couldn’t head to Gatineau Park or Aventure Laflèche – Cave and Aerial Park, both of which were on the original agenda. Anyhow, there’s plenty to do in Ottawa regardless of the weather, so I headed into the city. The funny thing was, by the time I finished breakfast and had a walk, the weather had cleared, just in time for the 10am changing of the guard ceremony on Parliament Hill. This ceremonial parade occurs every morning in Summer and brings stirring military drill and music to the city. It’s quite spectacular and definitely worth checking out.

Inspired by the ceremony I decided to make my way across town to the Canadian War Museum. It houses an extensive collection of war memorabilia, including dozens of tanks and machines of war, one of Hitler’s parade cars, as well as displays that explore Canada’s long and proud history in conflicts around the globe. It was interesting to learn about just how much Canada has contributed to maintain freedom and peace in the world, as well as their ongoing efforts in peacekeeping roles. This is the sort of place everyone should bring their kids. It will give them an insight into the sacrifices others have made to give them the life they enjoy today.

Having tasted some of what Ottawa has to offer I boarded a train to continue my journey. Next stop, Montreal!

Canadian Museum of Civilisation: www.civilization.ca

Les Brasseurs du Temps: www.brasseursdutemps.com

Château Cartier Relais Resort: www.chateaucartier.com

Changing of The Guard Ceremony: www.ottawakiosk.com/changing_guard

Canadian War Museum: www.warmuseum.ca

For more information on the region visit: www.outaouaistourism.com

Train from Ottawa to Montreal: www.viarail.ca