Embassy Row

Since I am now in the midst of this series, I'm using my writer's blog this week for some other events going on in the city at the moment. I'm starting with an event that took place this past Friday at Lansdowne Park, where the city has been collaborating with embassies on presentations of their countries since April, a series that will be ongoing until the beginning of December. Check out the post for Ireland here.

Sandy Hill is a neighbourhood on the east side of the downtown core, with student housing and embassies among its mix. It was the site of some of the Doors Open events, and on my way to one of them, I passed by the Russian embassy, which of course was not part of the occasion, and which always seems to be saying, "get lost, or we bring out Boris."

Nearby is one of the entrances to Strathcona Park, which runs along the Rideau River in this area. 

Turning around gives us a view of this fountain at the entrance. The building in the background was featured in Doors Open. 

I came back to it on the second day of the event, as it was only participating on the Sunday. Munross House dates back to 1874, when it was home to a lumber tycoon, James Mather. It's been restored to old glories, and is home now to a restaurant, Signatures, and a culinary school, Le Cordon Bleu Paris. The lineup, however, was a bit too long for me, so I'll have to remember next year to make a point of coming here early and having this as my first stop of that particular day.

A short walk away was this grand manor. Stadacona Hall was participating for the first time in Doors Open. Built originally for another lumber magnate, John A. Cameron, in 1871, it was home to our first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald, and his wife Agnes for a few years before their purchase of Earnscliffe. The manor has served as a residence for ambassadors of Belgium and France in the past. These days it is the High Commission for Brunei. A High Commission is the same thing as an embassy, but is used when both the diplomatic mission and the host country are members of the Commonwealth. The manor is a beauty, both outside and inside. You'll have to take my word on the latter, as photos were restricted to the exterior.