Sunrise over the St. Lawrence River from my room at Le Fairmont Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City. The Quebec VIA Rail train station's design emulates that of the iconic hotel. My train to Montreal left at 7:50 AM, and arrived at 11:16 AM. I had nearly two hours before my next train to Ottawa, so met a friend at the train station for lunch.
The landscape between Montreal and Ottawa aboard Via Rail Canada is pastoral, dotted with farms along the way. The train passes through several small towns on its two-hour journey, such as Coteau in Quebec and Alexandria in Ontario. I arrived in Ottawa at 3:15 PM, giving me plenty of time for sightseeing before dinner.
The Fairmont Chateau Laurier opened in 1812. With views of Parliament Hill and the Ottawa River, it's within walking distance of the Byward Market and other shopping, dining and capital city attractions. I enjoyed dinner at Murray Street, located in an old house on -- Murray Street. It was recently named one of Canada's best new restaurants by Air Canada's enRoute magazine.
A view to Parliament Hill from Napean Point, located behind the National Gallery of Canada. Known as The Hill, it's located on the Ottawa River and is home to the Parliament of Canada. Tours of the Parliament are open to the public and last 20-60 minutes, depending on government activity.
Oops! This statue of Samuel de Champlain, also located at Napean Point, isn't quite right. The explorer who founded Quebec City in 1608 and then explored the Ottawa River five years later, is holding the astrolabe upside down. Obviously, artist Hamilton MacCarthy wasn't familiar with the piece of navigational equipment.
The National Gallery of Canada was created in 1880 and its vast collections include Canadian and indigenous art. It also has a large collection of Asian, international and contemporary art, prints, drawings and photographs. It's the largest visual art museum in Canada.
Sunset over the Ottawa River from Napean Point.
Photos by Sue Frause
NEXT: Ottawa and Toronto
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