Ottawa – Page 20 – a sibilant intake of breath

The option of a week in the woods

For some reason, it is intensely satisfying to live in a way that satisfies these two conditions:

Being able to walk from your home into a wooded area where you have some hope of going a week without seeing anyone else.
Having the gear and experience required to actually do so.

Vancouver easily matches the first criterion. Crossing the first row of North Shore mountains lets you into an area of proper wilderness. Oxford does relatively poorly on the first criterion, though there is still an appreciable amount of wild space about, especially given the high population density of the UK.

Ottawa, I know less about. My experience with outdoor clubs here have been disappointing so far, and personal expeditions have largely been confined to cycling. Hopefully, this summer will involve some camping and exploration in Gatineau Park, if not father afield.

Back on the bike

As I had hoped, I got to do my first bike ride of the spring today: 25km along some of my favourite paths. It is intensely satisfying to feel tired and hungry as the result of exertion, rather than just because of the basic, boring work of keeping alive. Similarly, it was great fun to have the speed and maneuverability of a cyclist again, avoiding puddles and pedestrians while crossing ground with pleasing rapidity.

If I am to spend much more time in Ottawa, I am really going to need to find a winter sport.

Le printemps

Four months after the onset of winter, we had our first day that felt like spring. There is still plenty of snow around and the river is still largely ice-covered, but it was bright and reasonably warm. People were sitting out on patios in the Market and young woman in tank tops and shorts could be seen throwing snowballs at one another in front of Parliament.

Tomorrow, I may exhume my bike from the basement. Hopefully, the relatively heavy snowfall we experienced yesterday will not re-emerge.

Thinking of making a break for the mountains

I went to MEC today to buy a replacement snap connector for my Arcteryx backpack and see if there is any way to stop the worn inner heels of my shoes from cutting my feet when I walk (there isn’t). This definitely beats the record for the least amount of money spent during a trip to that store: $5.50, more than $5 of which was on a Bisphenol A-free HDPE Nalgene bottle.

It’s a sad reflection of how my gear to outdoor opportunities ratio is more skewed towards the former than ever before. I really miss the Oxford Walking Club.

Tasty eggs

Culinary discovery of the day: sun-dried tomatoes make an excellent addition to scrambled eggs. Scramble the eggs in a bowl, add strips of tomato, a bit of oregano, a bit of sea salt, and crushed garlic.

Then, fry one small onion in olive oil – with a bit more garlic. When it is browning, add the egg mixture. Serve it all with a side of re-heated stir-fry from a previous evening.

Cycling in the freezer

Every time I descend into my unheated basement to do laundry, I note the presence of my shiny hybrid bike over in the corner. Partly on the basis of a tumble early in the season, I have generally been of the opinion that winter cycling in Ottawa is simply too treacherous. Even on bright sunny days, cycling through Centretown is a big pain, likely to involve dangerous confrontations with drivers largely unaware of cyclists near them. In the winter, when bike paths go unplowed and unused, such interactions would necessarily be more frequent, as well as more perilous.

That said, there are some who brave the elements and endure as cycle commuters throughout the bitter winter. While I doubt I will ever acquire their level of commitment, I would consider getting studded tyres and other winter gear if it seemed highly likely that I was going to spend more than a few winters in these conditions.

Good for eating, and good for thinking

Thanks to the Herb and Spice Shop on Bank Street, I have been able to check off the longest serving item on my running to-do list. Many months ago in Oxford, Antonia introduced me to a sweet soy sauce called Ketjap Manis. I have since sought it in countless stores in several countries, though unsuccessfully until tonight.

I got lots of other good ethical stuff, also: hot curry paste, something called ‘kefir,’ organic salsa and feta cheese, tofu, nice looking bagels, veggie pate, some interesting snacks, and a big bag of oats.

Now, all I need is some St. Peter’s Organic Ale.

Scenic spot

Yesterday evening, I was walking around the Bytown Market and wandered up to Champlain Hill. The panoramic view of Ottawa in the orange-pink light of the setting sun was really lovely. From that spot, you can see most of the important buildings in the capital: from the Supreme Court past Parliament to the canal, then over to the American embassy and the National Gallery.

All told, it is probably the most scenic spot in the city, and it is very well suited to snowy sunsets.

Macbeth at the NAC

Recently, I saw a production of Macbeth at the National Arts Centre. It was very professionally staged, with World War I era costumes and props, the minimalist set design common in modern renditions of Shakespeare, good sound and lighting, and competent acting from all concerned. The blocking was especially well done, with creative use of an unusually shaped stage and almost cinematic interludes of voiceless combat between the later scenes.

While the play felt highly polished, it was somewhat lacking in intensity. Perhaps a play as well known and frequently performed as Macbeth doesn’t present professional actors with sufficient challenge or interest to generate a passionate performance, or perhaps it was just a night when they were a bit off. Some of the big set-piece speeches of the play (Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking, Macbeth’s ‘Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow’ speech) were neither performed with straight drama or in a way that was interestingly unusual – they hung between directness and experimentation in a way that satisfied neither. That being said, the play was well worth seeing and a good introduction to theatre in the capital.

One thing I had forgotten about the play is the scene (IV, iii) where Malcolm goes on and on about what a bad king he would be. Perhaps it is unsurprising that he is succeeded by a ruler not his heir.

On watching empty vans roll by

In most cities, there are corridors through in which virtually every vehicle that enters at one specific point leaves at another. Examples include:

Vancouver: the causeway through Stanley Park and across the Lions Gate Bridge
Ottawa: Booth street between LeBreton and Eddy

In both of these places, I have spent long periods of time with large groups of people waiting for buses. Meanwhile, thousands of cars containing single invididuals have streamed past.Is there any way spontaneous mass hitchhiking could be made to arise in such circumstances? What are the barriers to that happening? Are there any places in the world where it would happen already?

It just seems spectacularly inefficient for thousands of empty seats – powered by powerful engines and emitting fumes for the enjoyment of those waiting – would stream pass crowds of cold, or wet, or even perfectly comfortable people waiting to pay for a spot (probably standing) in a publicly owned vehicle.