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Tomiko and I spent a night in Ottawa on our way home from our Quebec Culinary Adventure. After checking in to our hostel, we took a stroll down to the ByWard Market, one of the oldest and largest public markets in Canada.
Lieutenant Colonel John By, who also built the Rideau Canal, laid out the street plan in 1826. He designated George Street and York Street to be extra wide to accommodate the public market. ByWard Market is the size of about four square blocks and includes museums, cafes, specialty grocers, boutiques, galleries, pubs, restaurants, and salons. It’s not really a food ‘market’ like St Lawrence Market in Toronto or Marché Jean Talon in Montreal, but more of a neighbourhood, like Kensington Market.
Tomiko and I did some produce shopping at the farmers’ stalls that lined one of the streets.
This bakery sells ‘Obama cookies’ and has posters of Obama at the market. However, none of the photos we saw actually show him with a cookie, so we don’t really know which cookie was the ‘Obama cookie.’
Parliament hill, just before sunset.
Sunset over the Rideau Canal locks.
Tomiko and I stayed at the Ottawa Jail Hostel, a hostel that is located in the old Ottawa jail.
The hostel rooms were the old jail cells. We shared a double bunk, which was in a space that used to be two cells. The hostel blocked the doors so no one could see you, but you can still see the bars. Apparently it’s cold in winter (and it was hot in summer). What a way to appreciate your own bed!
The stocks out front of the hostel, which is just a short stroll from Parliament Hill and the ByWard Market.
Our teeny room, complete with brick arches.
The stairway and the common areas were very cool, renovated but still keeping the historic feel of the jail.
The hostel offered a free breakfast, as well as quite a spacious kitchen if you wanted to make your own meals with groceries from the ByWard Market.
Stay at the Ottawa Jail Hostel:
75 Nicholas St, Ottawa, ON K1N 7B9
Looks like and amazing trip! Those market pics are so vibrant and delicious looking!
Beautiful pictures! And, that hostel…how interesting!