a peek inside the fishbowl

I hate to say this, but until this moment I’ve never attended the
Casino du Lac-Leamy’s Sound of Light fireworks extravaganza. It seems… disloyal not to have made a point to go to an annual event that is such a cool part of SUMMER in the National Capital Region but for one reason or another, it never happened. Well, our family FINALLY made it out last night (thanks to Mark, who got the tickets!) and I’m here to say: don’t be like me. GO.

It was truly a wonderful event from start to finish.

Parking was a breeze. We found free street parking a two-minute walk from the venue. Easy in, easy out.

We arrived a couple hours before the fireworks started. We were welcomed by friendly volunteers and it was quick to get in and find a spot.

Mark and I brought folding chairs, the girls opted for blankets. I was happy enough with my chair but the blankets were better on uneven ground, especially in some areas where there’s a heavier slope towards the water.

Oh, did I mention where this was? It’s behind the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau. The view, as the sun went down, was so so so pretty.

The red chairs in the photo above are VIP seating. Tickets are a bit pricier, but you know what, I wouldn’t bother paying extra. If you arrive early enough you can get seating that is just as good.

I wasn’t worried about arriving too early. Other than stare out at the scenery (which is captivating in and of itself), there’s music, food trucks, and wandering performers. It’s all quite low-key, which I like. There is plenty for kids to see and do before it’s time to settle down for the fireworks.

As we know, the devil is in the details. A few other things I appreciated here: there is no smoking on the property, garbage collection was swift and efficient (in other words, there were no overflowing bins to be seen anywhere, plus, there was on site composting (!), and there are people walking around selling beer and coolers to whoever wanted them. (Better than standing in line!) I thought this was so civilized.

Soon, the hour was upon us. Sidebar: did you know Sound of Light is a fireworks competition? Generally, different countries compete against each other but this year, Canadian provinces are competing. Last night was Manitoba’s turn. And what a show it was!

I’ve attended the Canada Day fireworks in Ottawa for many years (I guess this is the closest comparison I can make) but this was my first time watching fireworks put to music. I REALLY liked it. It’s not one song – it’s a mix – and even though I didn’t love some of the songs in that mix, the addition of music really kicks it up a notch.

Note to self: don’t bother taking photos because they won’t ever be as pretty as you remember them. Sigh.

Which reminds me… if you go, I recommend finding a spot where you can take in the entire tableau, including the platform from which the fireworks are launched. We were behind a hedge and it obscured the bottom quarter of the sky. (As per the photo above.) I didn’t think it would be a big deal at first (all the fireworks are shot high up, right?) but it’s clear that the pyrotechnic artists use the entire sky as their canvas. And if you want to see the show how THEY intend it to be seen, you want to make sure you can see it all.

At ten bucks a ticket (kids under 11 are free) I’d say it’s a pretty darn good deal for a great night out. You have until August 19 to catch the show! For more details, check out the official website.

“the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades” – @jean_twenge on post-Millennials and smartphones: https://t.co/mtRtYfxEQX

— Arianna Huffington (@ariannahuff) August 4, 2017

• If Everyone Ate Beans Instead of Beef, theatlantic.com
• The making of Joseph Boyden, theglobeandmail.com
• This Startup Wants To Kill The “Mommy Track” Once And For All, fastcompany.com
• Losing It in the Anti-Dieting Age, nytimes.com
• How privileged are you? Take this test to find out, theglobeandmail.com
• An Ode to Shopping Malls, nytimes.com
• How to Build Resilience in Midlife, nytimes.com

On the nightstand: The Goldfinch: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)

To review: every other Tuesday is my day off and I’m trying to use this time to recharge my batteries. No work, no meetings, minimal errands. Last time, I visited the Arctic via the Canadian Museum of Nature.

It’s been awhile since I posted a report of a Tuesday adventure, but since my last missive it’s been a whirlwind of summer holidays and work-related deadlines and I actually haven’t had a proper Tuesday until yesterday.

When a friend suggested we dine at Tavern on the Hill I knew it had to be the subject of a proper Tuesday kind of outing. Read this write up about it over at the Ottawa Magazine website and you’ll understand why I was rarin’ to go, but let’s just say they had me at champagne and hotdogs.

We hopped on our bikes and made our way downtown via the Ottawa River Pathway. The ride passed by in a blink, a phenomenon I attribute to the fact that we chatted the entire way. Unfortunately, the path behind Parliament Hill is still closed so we had to weave our way through downtown traffic. At one point we just gave up and walked our bikes down the sidewalk until we turned toward’s Major’s Hill Park.m

Tavern on the Hill makes excellent use of a small stone building you may or may not have noticed on your downtown wanders. It is on the National Gallery side of the park and was originally built in 1901. In a previous life it was a potting shed, and much later, an art gallery. Today, this is where orders are taken and hot dogs are assembled for the hungry hoards.

It was hotter than Hades that afternoon, but perhaps my sense of the temperature was heightened by the fact that I was very damp and out of sorts when we finally made it there. I guzzled my radler and forgot to take enough photos to fully illustrate this experience but I will say this one important point: there is plenty of seating on the patio area. In fact, I was surprised to see how many people could be accommodated at shady tables and long cushy couches.

At Tavern on the Hill, you in the very centre of a very Ottawa landscape. There are gorgeous views on every side, not matter where you’re sitting or which direction you happen to be facing. This is what it looked like from our spot:

Good to know: Tavern on the Hill accepts debit and credit (this info was not on the website) and from what I could see, the menu is scaled down from original reports. It’s all about hot dogs (of which there are many from which to choose) and cold beverages. Hot dogs are ordered on one side – at the entrance – and the bar is around the corner. I ordered the Mexican hot dog, which was very good, especially paired with my radler (er, or two), which turned out to be the perfect beverage on a hot summer day.

A tip for you: listen hard your name called when your order is ready! We didn’t hear, and as a result our order waited under a heat lamp for a few extra minutes (but this was no big deal, really).

Ottawa Magazine’s article mentioned the hot dogs on the menu are a chicken/pork blend, which isn’t mentioned on the Tavern on the Hill website. As a mostly non-beef eater I did wonder, but went ahead anyway. Veggie dogs and gluten-free buns are available.

If you have mobility issues you will definitely want to watch your step. The umbrella bases, tables, and chairs, take up more of the floor than you may expect and the ground is uneven in parts, especially away from the raised decks.

Anyway, that is neither here nor there. It was a great hot dog, great drink, great company, great view. All too soon, it was time to pack it in, give up the pretty panorama, and return to reality. We had the wind in our hair and full tummies as we followed the river home again. Bliss.

I enjoyed our experience so much I’m already itching to go back. Next time I’ll bring the family and pick a weekday evening to enjoy the most “Ottawa” landscape in the city.