Handel's Water Music on the Rideau Canal.

Early on in our visit to Ottawa, I had picked up a booklet about a music festival - Music and Beyond - which was taking place between July 4th and July 15th. The tickets were very expensive and, as Jim is not too keen on classical music, I could not justify the expense. However, there was one experience I could have for free. On Sunday July 8th between 9.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m., Handel's Water Music was going to be played on a barge as it traveled up the Rideau Canal from Dow's Lake to the National Arts Centre. I was not going to miss it!

We arrived at the Rideau Canal at around 10 a.m. and decided to walk towards Dow's Lake and, when we met the barge, we would turn and walk along beside the boat listening to the music. A good plan - get a nice walk and listen to some nice music. We got a long walk!

Nice view of Chateau Laurier while we were walking along the canal.

After walking for about 40 minutes we met two ladies who asked us if we were hoping to hear Handel's Water Music. We said we were but thought we had the wrong day because the barge was to be at the Arts Centre at 10.30. They assured us that we had the right day but the barge had started late at Dow's Lake. We walked back to a coffee patio on the Canal and had just got our coffee when I caught sight of the Pirate Barge. Because we had not paid for our coffee, we could not accompany it on its way but we did hear a little and joined it for a short while on its return trip. I thought it was a really wonderful idea - Handel's Water Music, on water!

Our next plan, for what was going to be our last day touring in the Ottawa area, as we were leaving on Tuesday morning and Monday was to be devoted to cleaning and packing, was to do a drive up the Ottawa Valley as far as Pembroke and back on the Quebec side. It was a pleasant enough drive up to Pembroke but not spectacular in any way. I think you have to go farther up to see really nice places but we did not have enough time. We crossed the river to the Quebec side and already it was much more scenic. We stopped outside Fort-Coulonge for lunch. On the menu was something called cipaille (pronounced 'sea pie'). I had no idea what it was - but Jim was having it anyway! I asked the serveuse and she said it was beef with a crust and carrots. It turned out to be a beef pie. Seemingly it is a traditional Quebec layered meat pie. Jim enjoyed it and I thought it was tasty!

Before we stopped for lunch, I had noticed a sign for Chutes de Coulonge (Coulonge Falls) and said it might be interesting so after lunch we turned the car and went back. We found an absolute gem!  It is a park with hiking trails and an aerial obstacle course in a very scenic area with waterfalls and a canyon. We loved it!

Zip-lining at Coulonge Falls - I never thought I could do it! Exhilarating!

Today's wildlife was a bit smaller than yesterday's!

On the way into Fort-Coulonge is the Felix-Gabriel-Marchand bridge, built in 1898. It is the longest covered bridge still accessible to cars in Quebec.

Driving through it.

Our last stop on the trip - Bryson on the Ottawa River.

And then Nuvi went on strike! She could not acquire satellites and did not utter a word the whole journey home. Of course the journey was fraught with mis-turnings and wrong-way-goings until, eventually, Jim had to ask for directions. This brought us to one of the bridges and back into Ottawa where we managed, with the aid of a map, to make our way home. What is the problem with the satellites in the province of Quebec?