Progress On Whatever This Really Is

It has been awhile since I last photographed this work in progress. This site in the downtown core has been undergoing serious work in the warm weather. The first two shots are from early June. A second, smaller building was being erected to the west of the main building.When done, there will be less parking than before.

These shots are from last weekend. Much of the exterior work on both buildings is nearly done; the interior work lies ahead.

Stained Glass Within The Basilica

St. Patrick's Basilica can be found downtown. The congregation dates back to 1855, and the present church, in the Gothic Revival style, was built in the 1870s.

A statue of the saint himself is on one side of the central entrance, while the other side is occupied by commemorations of the war dead of the parish.

This stained glass window can be found inside. A mass was starting- I always have bad luck with this sanctuary in terms of timing for photo opportunities, so I made do with this one shot. Well, to be fair, if I stayed for mass, the holy water would probably boil.

It Really Does Help To Look Up

Every once in awhile photographers look at things in odd ways. This is one of the elevator banks in the C.D. Howe building downtown, which I showed you in my Doors Open posts from 2014 when it offered access to the rooftop garden (this year there was no such luck). The building's mostly government offices, but down here on the basement floor there's a spot by these elevators with couches. Most people would sit here to read a newspaper or chat with someone over coffee. Photographers, on the other hand, lie on the couches and snap shots of the ceilings. We are a silly lot, after all, and quite peculiar.

A busy weekend ahead here in Ottawa and Gatineau- the Buskers Festival starts tomorrow, and the Civic Holiday is on Monday. I'll be out and about taking shots.

Vehicles Drawn Out Of Time

I am finishing off my series of classic cars on Sparks Street today.

At the end of the line were these two, the second even older than the first.

A Contrast In Car Colours

It's almost expected that many a really old car will be black.

This second one has some purple highlights in it that I like.

While these two have much lighter colours.

Automobile Enthusiasts

The people who own these cars take great care of them. This fellow was seeing to his windshield.

A lot of people were passing by in the sun drenched street taking in all of the classics.

Sporty Classics

Here are some more of the classics that could be found on Sparks Street during that particular early June weekend.

Classic Cars

On Doors Open weekend, a classic and sports car show could be found along the Sparks Street pedestrian mall. I took a series of shots, and will be showing them over the next few days. I'm starting from the east end of the street, by the bear sculpture and the main post office with its lions at each entrance. Longtime readers might remember them from the third shot.

Hot Mustard

"Bring me a nice sandwich. One of the usual. You know the kind I like. No, wait, hold the pastrami. Not really in the mood for that tonight. Come to think of it, no salami either. And hold the Swiss cheese. While we're at it, forget the lettuce and tomato and onion and garlic and mayo. Oh, and what the hell, why not? Just forget the bread. Italian bread is all we've got right now, and that gets stale pretty quick. You know what? Just bring me a jar of hot mustard and a spoon, and then leave me alone. I've got an invasion of Russia to plan. Nothing could possibly go wrong with that, right?" ~ Napoleon Bonaparte, May 5th, 1812

Hey, he could have said that. This house is in the downtown core of Ottawa. It's divided into three units, and has often struck me as odd because of the colour. Personally speaking, it's not a colour that generally works for homes, and in this case was quite off putting for me. Last summer, however, there was a paint job on the trim, rendering it a dark brown that at least seems to offset the yellow. 

Infinity Plus One

"Tag! You're it! No touch-backs, infinity plus one!" ~ Wally Knickerbocker, village idiot, 1961

Watch. One of these days Wally Knickerbocker will find this blog and yell, "Hey! I don't live in a village!"

This sculpture can be found in an office tower in downtown Ottawa. It's quite tall, and doesn't seem to have a beginning or an end (or a sign identifying the artist, for that matter). It reminds me of the concept of infinity.

The Rideau River

A flock of Canada Geese were busy on the grass as I was walking through Strathcona Park.

The park overlooks the Rideau River here; across the water is the neighbourhood of Vanier. While the Rideau Canal winds its way through the heart of the city, the river it's linked to runs along the eastern edge of downtown, heading towards its confluence with the Ottawa River at the Rideau Falls.

A Folly In The Park

One of the central features at Strathcona Park is this work of art, called Strathcona's Folly, by artist Stephen Brathwaite. It incorporates elements of local architecture history into what resembles a ruin, one that doubles as a curiousity for children. Small animal statues can be found in its nooks and crannies. It certainly does draw the attention of any park visitor.

Strathcona Fountain

When I started my Doors Open series, I mentioned stopping in at Strathcona Park in Sandy Hill before the weekend's festivities got underway. Today I'm starting the first of three posts on the place. This fountain can be found at one of the entrances to the park, which is nestled along the Rideau River on the eastern edge of the downtown core.

A reminder to City Daily Photo members: the theme day for the first of August is about bicycles.