Ottawa
Ottawa, the capital and political touchstone of Canada, means home to over 800,000 people. The city is located on the beautiful Ottawa (Outaouais in French) River which separates Quebec from Ontario. French, English and many other languages are common on the streets of this cosmopolitan city. Canada's "Silicon Valley", as Ottawa was dubbed due to its large number of high-tech companies, is also a pictoresque, green city. Numerous rivers and lakes adorn the region, over 200 km of trails, parks, wooded paths wind around and within Ottawa-Carleton region, which is also known for the longest natural skating rink (Rideau Canal) - 8 km.
The Canadian Rockies - Paradise on Earth
Fascinating vistas, the most incredible blue or green waters, ice-capped peaks and lush alpine meadows, refreshing forests and glaciers, enchanting creeks and wild flowers are more than worth your effort to explore them. One can never have enough of this high-altitude, wild and mysterious world. Endless, pristine, peaceful beauty. Most of the world 's parks are 40 sq.km, Banff National Park - Canada's first park and the third in the world, is larger than 10,000 sq.km. But Banff is only one of the many parks of Western Canada.
Glacially fed lakes and rivers in the Rockies are renowned for the stunning colors - product of reflection of the blue/green spectrum of light by fine rock particles present in the water. Peyto Lake, as viewed from the overlook
at Bow Summit, is one of the greatest examples.
* Many of these images (such as those from Gog Lake and Floe Lake) cannot be seen from the roads and rarely found in postcards or books... Since I often hike and camp in the back country, it is with great love that I bring them to you. But how much can a small image convey? I hope you will take time to see the incredible reality for yourself. We really need the tonic of Nature and wilderness. "Stay close to Nature and its eternal laws will protect you."
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