We have had a great couple of days in Ottawa,  connecting with friends, visiting old haunts and recharging. Paul was able to meet up with a colleague from the Public Health Agency and WHO, John Rainford, to chat about risk communication and possibilities for collaboration. Our bikes have been re-serviced, at McCranks Cycles. They both now have new chains and are sparkling clean. Lois’ bike also needed new bearings for the bottom bracket which, unbeknownst to us, had rusted and seized.

We also stopped by our old hair salon for long overdue haircuts. Neil, our previous hairdresser, is from Newfoundland and we got tips on restaurants and things to do in St John’s. Lois visited her favourite store, Ça va de Soie (the results of which will be mailed to Vancouver!) as well as her old spa.

Marius and Helen arrived from Montreal Tuesday afternoon and the four of us attended an Ottawa Chamber Music Festival concert of piano (Andrew Armstrong) and violin (James Ennes) pieces by Beethoven, Bach, Prokofiev and Ravel,  repairing afterwards to the Manx pub for a late dinner.

On Wednesday, after coffee in the Byward Market, we all visited the National Gallery, where there is an enthralling exhibition of indigenous art from across the globe entitled Sakahàn. Later, we went to visit Don, Claudia, Leyla (and her boyfriend) and Toby, for tea. It was lovely to see them all and catch up on news and progress in their lives. Claudia had made a wonderful strawberry layer cake, adorned with home-made marzipan bicycles (in addition to freshly-baked bread and apple pie)!

We ended the day with a “fusion sushi” dinner at Kinki’s and discussed plans for leaving tomorrow. Hopefully, the thunderstorm that began late afternoon will have cleared by morning.