Historical Fiction,  Research

Ottawa Research Trip

Last spring my husband and I took a little getaway to Ottawa. We have done this quite a few times, but this time we squeezed in a tour of Parliament. I knew there were scriptures on marble in the memorial room. And I wanted to know which ones. Of course I wanted to see everything… I have toured before, but this time I was seeing through the eyes of a writer.

fullsizeoutput_2dabIf I ascend up into heaven thou art there: if I lay down in hell, behold, thou art there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me up.
Psalm 139:8-10 KJV

The memorial chamber (which is located in the Centre Block building at the base of the Peace Tower) honours Canada’s fallen soldiers. It amazed me that Psalm 139 was used in this way. The people who designed this room chose this scripture – I believe – as a reminder that God is always with us. Even in the worst of times. That God would see them through it.

As an army family, honoring soldiers is incredibly important. This is the book in the memorial chamber that holds the names of the fallen soldiers from the Great War (World War 1):

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The Centre Block building (which caught fire in 1916, an important piece of my book as well) will be closing soon for 10 years of renovations. I hope they don’t change anything that I love about it. I hope they preserve the history and the Christian roots that are evidently there.

Notes to travellers: If you ever do a trip to Ottawa in the winter months, keep in mind that a lot of the restaurants (most in fact) are closed in the weekend mornings (even when signs say otherwise). Of course we were there in the spring of 2018. Just to be safe, either call ahead to confirm they are open first thing or have breakfast in your hotel. Another great option is the Rainforest Cafe in the Rideau mall. We, along with a group of construction workers, went a little hungry. Hangry even. Mostly me. Sorry honey.

My husband and I highly recommend La Bottega for amazing lobster tails and cannoli (Saturday mornings only, I believe). Men, if you want to impress your lady with some of the best fine dining, we recommend Vittoria Trattoria. Both of these places are in the byward market and are Italian… so I guess I’m telling you to get Italian food if you ever visit Ottawa. Your welcome.

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