Recently, we seem to be having more fun when we’re in the country so we didn’t have high hopes as we rolled into Ottawa, but by the time we left, we were glad we had stopped.

The highlight was definitely the light show at the Canadian Parliament buildings. Using projectors that I’m sure would burn holes in walls if used at home, the entire side of the building became a movie screen. The boys had expressed low expectations about some light show and were fidgeting as we waited, but when the it started with the whole building appearing to change, transformer style, into the original 1800’s structure, they were gobsmacked. The presentation was really well done, telling the story of how Canada began, formed from First Nations, colonisation, and war with America, and on into more modern events. The show finished with the iconic Canadian flag. Given current discussions back home over changing the NZ flag, it made me wish Kiwis had a better way of telling our own story and a better understanding of our identity.

Before we left Ottawa, we also raced along a bike trail beside canals through the city, including the now compulsory family stop to scramble on a large pile of rock.

With grins on our faces, we headed south to check out an old bridge, and then on to a maple syrup farm, which locals call sugar camps. I can’t believe there’s enough maple syrup in the world that it actually makes it to store shelves in New Zealand. The right trees only grow in eastern Canada and a corner of the States, the sap run only lasts for a few weeks of the year while temperatures wobble through freeze and thaw, and it takes about 40 litres of sap to make one litre of syrup. And the sugar camp we visited sold almost it’s entire production on-site to visitors. How any makes it down under is a miracle. But the pancakes in the sugar camp restaurant were delicious.

We finished up with a night at a campground with a giant heated swimming pool, and then pointed our noses south again, headed for Hamilton (the Ontario one) and long lost friends.

We went to see a light show at Parliament buildings and had to endure a fireworks display first. It was an unexpected bonus on what turned out to be a really great night – Ottawa, Ontario.

The light show at Parliament Buildings, telling the Canadian story. It was really well done and gave a great sense of the development of the Canadian national identity – Ottawa, Ontario.

The Canadian flag – as iconic as it gets – Ottawa, Ontario.

Parking downtown for the lightshow at Parliament buildings. On street parking is really important when you can’t fit in a parking building – Ottawa, Ontario.

Family portrait on a canal lock gate. The gates and canals were still fully operational, with a speed boat being locked through while we were there – Ottawa, Ontario.

We came across some rocks by the Rideau River, and the kids found somewhere to leap – hesitantly at first and then with gusto – Ottawa, Ontario.

The only moose we’ve seen so far – Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario.

Glen St, would you believe? – Ottawa, Ontario.

The Pakenham five arch stone bridge. Apparently the only such bridge outside of Russia – Mississipi Mills, Ontario.

Water falling over a wedge shaped drop in the rocks – Mississipi Mills, Ontario.

20,000 maple trees, 400km of pipe, and maximum distances of up to 2.5km, all to collect sap that only runs for a few weeks a year. The mind boggles to think it all used to be collected manually – Wheeler’s Sugar Camp, McDonald’s Corner, Ontario.

Cruising gravel roads in the RV as we leave the Sugar Camp – McDonald’s Corner, Ontario.

We saw lots of this old school fencing in rural Otario, and some of it was pretty over grown. I guess the whole fence doesn’t get saggy if a tree falls on one part, unlike post and wire – McDonald’s Corner, Ontario.

I could imagine all sorts of things in this swamp: moose, bears, lost explorers, hunting Indians. But we didn’t see anything except the quietly waiting swamp – McDonald’s Corner, Ontario.

It’s a family party trick at the pool, where the kids get to surf from one side to the other and I get to drown – Quinte’s Isle Park, Prince Edward County, Ontario.