This past weekend, one of my aunts surprised me with a visit! My weekend turned from a no-plans bore, to a day packed with fun. While I didn’t get many pictures during the day, I can at least let you in on some shots I took at Winterlude!
We started with a tour of the Royal Canadian Mint which was far more interesting than I expected. Made all the better because a young boy let his curiosity show by asking many questions. The questions were well thought out and it made me happy to see someone so young interested in coinage. I used to collect coins (still have my collection in fact) and appreciate the work behind each coin so I am glad to see his interest peaked as well.
Then it was off to the Byward Market where we stopped for lunch/dinner at one of my old University days haunts: Zak’s Diner. Zak’s is an oldie’s style diner that has become quite popular. It has all-day breakfast and the most amazing milkshakes in flavours you have to taste to believe! I ended up having French toast with runny eggs while my aunt went for dinner with a BBQ burger. We split a giant mint chocolate shake…YUM! No room for dessert but if you ever go, give the Betty’s Rocky Road Brownie Sundae a try. BE PREPARED FOR A SUGAR RUSH!
Next stop: Beavertails in the market. My aunt, and her friend she was travelling, had never had a beavertail before so we made a stop so they could give these Ottawa treats a try. I believe the only words they said for the next five minutes were “oh,” “yum,” “uh,” and otherwise they ate in silence. Note: I didn’t have a beavertail! As much as I love them, I did not get a craving while we were there, still the remnants of that January challenge I think!
Then it was to Winterlude, specifically the ice sculptures in Confederation Park. I will not be sharing every sculpture here though if you want a detailed look, mention it in the comments and I can post a gallery of the photos if there is interest!
Anyways, this first shot is of the sculpture sponsored by the Philippines which is one of my favorites for sure! It is actually three sculptures together that show a scene. The lantern in the foreground is shining on the crossed hands which would make a shadow puppet eagle, made more beautiful by the sculptors. This idea was so unique that I fell in love with it!
Next, the winning sculpture this year. While not my favorite overall design, I can definitely understand why this one took the cake. The ice rope would be so difficult to create and some of the other technical bits show the prowess of these designers and sculptors.
Near the end of the ice sculpture line up was this beautiful garden scene reminiscent of Japanese gardens. With intricate wall designs, a blossoming tree, cobblestone path and a sitting bench, this scene just beckoned me to relax a while. Hmmm, maybe I should go to Japan! Haha.
This last one struck close to my heart. My grandfather was a fantasy person, specifically a dragon person, and he passed that love of imagination and dream worlds onto me. This image of a girl pulling a toy dragon to meet the “real” thing just struck a chord with me. My imaginative young self would see dragons and gargoyles everywhere! I was always dreaming of dragons.
Thank my aunt to her and those we met up with. This was one of the best weekends I have had in recent memory. I really hope we can get together and have another little adventure sometime.
Once again, if you would like to see more pictures of the sculptures, comment below! I will add them in a gallery if there is enough interest.
