The Last Day

After over five hours on our feet today we headed out to the Hilton at the airport for a break!!!! We were both so very pleased as unlike the Hilton in Quebec City where we got nickled and dimed here even the Internet is free. That being the case I get to finish up our last two blogs for this trip.

We had our walking shoes working by 9:00 am as we headed down Sussex Drive to the Canadian Mint. Our tour guide was overwhelmed at the size of the 9:15 group - there was the 2 of us so we got a very good tour. Since I saw the mint in 68 much had changed, they no longer produce the circulation coin only the mint coins for collectors. The circulation coin in produced in Winnipeg since the mid 70s. He had a lots of good stories and we enjoyed our hour there.

From there we walked to the National Art Gallery where we were one of the first people to see the Raphael exhibit which started today. Bob and I were quite in awe of this display. We could not believe how vivid the colours were after all these centuries plus how real the velvet, satin etc of the clothing looked. We spent a good hour in that area. The other floors were interesting but not as much as that display had been. We both enjoyed the Group of Seven area but we both are not fans of the modern art, in fact I find it ridiculous that our Government would pay for paintings that are straight lines or a bunch of scribbles. I guess we are not cultured are we?

We walked along Sussex Drive up by the Rideau Canal locks where a boat was passing through and back to Sparks Street for lunch and then a visit to the Currency Museum. We had seen 24 Sussex Drive earlier in the week when we returned the car so didn't walk the long hike back to see that.

Our feet were getting ready to drop off so back to the hotel and a quick taxi ride out to the hotel at the airport by 2:30 for the afternoon of reading and enjoying ourselves. Our flight is at 8 in the morning so we will need to be up early.