After a morning city tour of Ottawa on our first day in the city, we’re excited to tour the Centre Block of Parliament in the afternoon for a couple of reasons.  First, the obvious thrill of standing in the place of so much of our country’s political history; Secondly, to escape the heat for about an hour.  We end up with a lovely tour guide who initially says she’s from Halifax.  After asking where everyone is from, she admits after our reply that she’s really from Dartmouth, but I think we’re the only ones who get her “City of Lakes” reference.

After the requisite security check, we’re off upstairs to just outside the House of Commons.  As the House isn’t sitting on this holiday Monday, we get a great view of the House from inside its doors:

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