Bicentennial Party

I continued my wanderings around the Byward Market during Nuit Blanche. This band caught my attention.

I took this panoramic shot from this corner.

And then I continued on my way.

There was more music to be found.

A look east. Note the Beavertails outlet. This is the Beavertails outlet, home of a fried pastry in the shape of a beaver's tail, and topped in various ways. A Canadian tradition.

The crowds were out and about, and I took several shots looking south in short order. The odd time in a crowd I feel a bit claustrophobic, but not on this occasion. I really needed this night. I've been having a rough go of it in the past few months with my depression, triggered by a situation at work, and being out here helped. 

I looked back at the main market building. I wondered what the little dog thought of all this.

I took two shots of this pub. I've never been by for a meal, but should sometime.

My path took me a short walk away. This is Arts Court, a former 19th century courthouse that is now home to multiple arts organizations. It was busy participating in the day's events, including one of the embassies putting on a sauna out front- an odd thing, I thought. The building is lovely when lit up at night.

Geometry In Nature

 Some nights before the visit I showed you yesterday, I came to Confederation Park to photograph. This was one of the entrances, with a three dimensional kind of set up perfect for photo ops.

Spotlights changed colours behind it upon the trees that flanked the path.

This totem pole is a permanent part of the park.

So is this fountain, a memorial to Colonel John By, the British military engineer who led the building of the Rideau Canal. As is typical with Winterlude locations, a Beavertails outlet was here.

Close by, an art installation that intrigued me. These geometric shapes in metal had animals and nature patterns incorporated into them, and lights within.

Back Upon The Skateway

I took another tour of a section of the Rideau Canal skateway, this time during the evening. I approached the Canal near Lansdowne Park, looking to walk towards the Pretoria Bridge. 

I descended down onto the ice surface.

This skate changing hut is in the foreground in this rest area, with a Beavertails cabin beyond it.

Such rest areas tend to have fireplaces for a break- with the fireplace elevated off the ice level, of course, otherwise you'd soon have problems.

I headed off, taking photos back and forth as I went.

The Flora Bridge looms before us. It links the Glebe on the west side with Old Ottawa East on the east side.

Skate

 A strip of snow is left on the Canal in this stretch at the sides for walkers- which was good, because the ice was slippery.

A glimpse of the next bridge, where Bronson Avenue crosses.

On the west side of the bridge, we find Dow's Lake, a reservoir for the Canal. On the west shore, trees mark the grounds of the Arboretum.

I took two panoramic shots.

The sun was trying to poke through the cloud deck.

Skate shacks and some food choices are found along the south side of the skateway here. That includes poutine and Beavertails.