Canada Day in the Capital!

This week I'm visiting one of my good friends since high school, Carolyn, who now lives in Ottawa. We plan to head out to her family's cottage for the week, but July 1st was spent in Ottawa. How awesome is it to have Canada Day in the capital city?! It was really like any other Canada Day in Victoria, only ten times bigger.

We headed downtown for about 12:00, which was just in time to catch the national anthem and the snow birds' fly by, perfectly timed to the finish of the song.

 The crowds were epic. You're shoulder-to-shoulder, can't see a thing, so you hold your camera above your 5'2" head to hopefully snag a cool shot. The kids on their dad's shoulders had the best view in the house!

Carolyn grabbed a great shot of Feist singing on the big screen.

We didn't hang out at the parliament buildings long due to the suffocating crowds.  We paused for some poutine from one of the many street vendors (a local told us street vendors are the best place to get poutine).

Soon we found ourselves at the base of the war memorial and the tomb of the unknown soldier. People were laying their flags on his grave.

These fellas were standing guard... in the 30 degree heat.

I think these soldiers are having a good Canada Day:

Not far down the street were the cultural performances.

Our friendly neighbourhood bike cops keeping guard!

Before leaving to catch the bus we ducked into the Rideau Centre for some air conditioning... but we didn't escape the crowds, that's for sure!

Some of the local retail workers told us that it gets even MORE crowded downtown in the evening, once the temperatures have cooled off and the fireworks start. More crowded than shoulder-to-shoulder, can't move a step??

It's a good thing both of us prefer a low key evening of Italian food and a Pixar flick: