Finding Europe in Ottawa

"How would Canada compare to Europe?"

This was my greatest concern upon coming back. Would I be disappointed? Would Canada seem boring after I had finished visiting everyone? Would I become disillusioned and dare I say it, discontented with my home country? These were some of my fears upon returning, yes I'm being slightly dramatic, but they were some of my concerns.
Clearly Northwest Ontario does not compare to Europe, that much is obvious, but what about Winnipeg? After living there for the first 12 years of my life and after numerous visits all I can say is not really. Upon flying into the city I realized that many things, especially the buildings are not European. *Sigh*
And then suddenly I was off to Ottawa where I knew I would get obvious glimpses of Europe.

I was excited.

Eyes wide open I searched for the continent I had left a mere three weeks before and... I found it.
Ottawa in winter is a pretty exciting city - I was surprised at how many adventures I had there and how closely they compared to some of the others in Europe. Okay, well the experience wasn't exactly the same - most obvious was the fact that almost everything was in English with a little bit of French sprinkled here and there - but the same level of wonder was there.

Music: The National Arts Center. Probably my favorite spot in the entire city. This massive architecturally amazing building houses the capital's theater and... their symphony.
I had to go.
So I bought a ticket to their next performance: Sibelius, Haydn and my favorite: Beethoven. The evening of the concert arrived, and I dressed up because I knew it was going to be grand. Little did I know just how grand...
The atmosphere in the building was magnificent; men and women strode around holding wine glasses that shone under the golden lights. Chandeliers hung down the middle of the spiraling hexagonal staircases illuminated the lounge chairs full of dignified people. All of the staff were dressed in tuxedos or blazers and graciously guarded the entrance until the time came for the performance to begin. I was already dazzled, and then the music began: this was where I wanted to be.
I cherished every bit of music and thoroughly enjoyed myself - I was even able to speak French with the couple city beside me! It was wonderful. And after looking at the 2015-2016 concert schedule and seeing there $12 ticket deal I knew that I would be spending many more evenings there in the fall.
As for vocal performances, I found out about the Cantata Choir, a group of forty talented individuals who sing classical (baroque, classical, romantic and 20-21st century) music. I was able to go to their Springtime Romance concert that was almost entirely based on songs from Song of Solomon, with other love songs sung in between. They sang in English, Italian, German and even Hebrew, filling the cathedral with music so perfect and I almost cried. Ahhhhh, music.

Festivals: Winterlude! Grandeur and class can be found in the concert halls but also in the crystal sculptures that crown the parks downtown. These pieces of art seem to defy science and weather in order to stay intact, posing for the tourists that come to behold them. I had never been so affected by ice.
But things get a little ridiculous across the border in Quebec where snow slides and dance parties raged - that's what happen when people try to keep active in the -30 weather. It was a festival and everyone, except for the odd screaming child, was having an awesome time.
And then there's the canal: 7.8 kilometers one way, or pure enjoyment - especially when it's lightly snowing. My favorite quote came from a young man skating past with his friends: "This is Narnia like weather!" because I was thinking the exactly same thing.
The winter festival was absolutely charming and had the same flair that many of the European marketplaces and celebrations have. Absolutely delightful, I was literally just walking around eyes and smile as wide as possible, drinking in my surroundings. Sometimes I think I'm still six years old in the sense that the world just astounds me - it holds so much wonder and I can't get enough of it.

Architecture: The buildings! Finally I found a Canadian city with European buildings!  Okay, I know Montreal and Quebec City have them too, but I haven't been there - at least not yet. But just walking through Parliament and the Chateau Laurier and the Notre Dame Cathedral - with all of their European influences - revived me, I was thrilled to "go back." At least this is as close as I can get to that intriguing continent for now, but I can tell you it is calling me and I'm just saving up and waiting for the right moment to return. Another factor to Ottawa's intrigue it's age, another reason why I love my neighbourhood there. It's old and sophisticated and full of history and adventures - my favorite.

Society: Connected. In Europe you are always connected. Always. Whether its by train, or by bus to different cities or countries, or whether its just media and information that hits all sectors of society. I suppose most cities are like this, but seeing as I haven't really lived in one for a while, Ottawa revealed to me what networking is and how it works. Buses everywhere, people and politics all mixing together, everyone knowing everyone in some way, and the collaboration between companies and also churches was fabulous. Once you get into Ottawa and engage in your workplace or church, you immediately get connected.
And the people are so happy to help. As soon as I mentioned I would be learning Spanish in university people would say hey, I have Spanish friends or relatives that I can connect you with. And this was literally after knowing them for 15 minutes. Nobody is shy here, at least not at public events because its all about the connections which is something Europe also encourages. This really makes the city vibrant and life gets full, so I'll have to watch that when I start my studies. But it really makes you feel alive.

Food?! For the most part I made my own food, but the restaurants I went to were excellent. Over the month I had some Thai, Italian, Chinese, and of course some real poutine. Great food, wonderful atmosphere -classy: Europe. Food and more networking, what could be better? Well maybe if the prices were just a bit lower... I'll have to watch that as well!

So there you have it, a quick overview of the music, festivals and culture, architecture, society and food found in Ottawa. Personally, I would have to say I had adventures that were "Europe worthy." Of course its not the same and Europe still holds my gaze, but Ottawa is going to be a fabulous home for the next four years! Adventure is out there!