Time to think about this a bit... what were our general impressions in regards to these cities and our trip? I think I'll be adding to this section as I step back and think about what we've seen.

Ottawa - On the heals of our trip to Washington, Ottawa was a great reminder of how we tend to do things differently. The kids immediately started to count military uniforms, and Ottawa couldn't keep up. We saw no security checks other than the stop at Parliament Hill prior to our tour. The pace was very relaxed, which could be attributed to the number of tourists and the lack of gov't employees away on summer vacation.

Holy bilingual city... great for our kids to see and hear, as they both attend and are taught in NS French immersion classrooms. Actually, it felt as though everyone but myself had a working command of the language. The museums, guides, menus... everything was geared towards both languages. A very accommodating city and beyond polite!!!

Ottawa is Canada's jewel, let there be no doubt. Broad clean streets, quaint suburbs, consistent measures of affluence and publicly owned and managed buildings, monuments and attractions which are second to none I've seen. Despite the urban poverty which openly exists from Parliament Hill outward, one can't help but note that Ottawa is a special place which we all own and can be proud of on a global scale. Although grand at times, its based in Canadian attitudes of modesty and pride in history and heritage. I'm so glad we went... the kids will remember this trip.

Montreal - Montreal is a lot bigger than I realized... with high rises downtown and expansive "quartier" it spans a massive area. Out east we have a real stigma when it comes to Montreal, and trips to Ontario almost always beg the question "How was the drive past Montreal?" The language barrier, sheer size and perhaps fear of the unknown all feed the attitude.

Yet, on our trip we moved about freely and safely, and were welcomed by the customer service people we met. We felt at home on the streets and the kids moved about without interruption or concern. I know we barely scratched the surface of this community. On a future visit, I'd be making much more efficient use of public transport and carefully identify and plan for attractions/visits. I consider this trip "just a sip" of Montreal... with so much more left to learn about this very cosmopolitan city.