The hot summer sun was shining bright that day in the capital of Canada. The sun was slow cooking anything underneath it. My boyfriend Zach, wanted to take me downtown Ottawa as a personal guide to show me some of the things all visitors talk about when they come back home from a trip to Ottawa.

We decided to take the bus instead of the car for two reasons. First, I’ve never taken a city bus before and second, we didn’t have pay a ridiculous amount of money to park our car or spend half an hour looking for a parking spot. The bus screeched as it braked near the bus stop. It was long and the middle of the bus was built like an accordion so it could move flexibly around sharp turns. Immediately after we stepped on the bus, the air shifted. It went from hot and sticky, to cool and fresh. Similarly like walking into the huge freezers at the liquor stores. I thought to myself; Thank God for air conditioning. It was so refreshing. After we sat down in the little square seats, I scanned the interior of our transportation. Help lines were plastered everywhere; Smokers’ Helpline, Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Sexual Assault Helpline, Drug & Alcohol Addiction Helpline, and so on.
After a short time we walked off the bus into the thick city air. Unfamiliar sounds came from all around me. Cars were beeping, ambulances were wooing and you could hear the faint sound of music from the street performers. Few of the many sounds of the big city. We got dropped off on Wellington Street, right in front of  Parliament Hill. The strong metal and stone gates revealed yards of perfectly cut grass, occupied by people sun bathing, reading, sleeping and even doing yoga. The center block is the main Parliament building. Its symmetrical structure was built in a Gothic Revival style with pointy tops, hundreds of deep windows and wore a faded grey stone color. Beautiful multitudes of gargoyles stood out from the clock tower, grotesques decorated somber corners. Hence, the centerpiece building was way too Victorian and immense for it just to be used for politics. The feeling you got by looking at it was dark and eerie. To me, it looked more like a castle built for the Queen Victoria. Ironically, her statue stands in the Parliament library.

Next, Zach wanted to bring me up on the Champlain Lookout. It is where you can see the back of the Parliament buildings, the Rideau Canal Locks on the left and the skyline of the city. People say it is the most scenic view of Ottawa.

The walk there was brutal. Our legs were exhausted; every step we took felt like there was 20 pound weights tied to them. The heat was excruciating, the more we moved, the more sweat would gush out our pores. It felt like we were hiking up a mountain, although we were walking up quite an inclined hill to get to our destination.
After half an hour of unpleasant walking, we were about a dozen steps away from the lookout. Zach told me to close my eyes so that I wouldn’t look out until we were at the very top. I felt his large hand take hold of my little one. His grip was hot and clammy but I didn’t mind.

Soon enough, Zach stopped walking, which meant we must have reached the perfect spot on the lookout. He told me to keep my eyes closed and to just listen. I could hear the roaring of the water in Rideau Canal and the quacking of the ducks below us. The sound of the hot wind whistled gently through my hair. Listening to the sounds of my surroundings helped me build a rush of excitement for what I was about to witness.

Zach put his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my right shoulder. Finally he whispered into my ear to open my eyes. His breath tickled my ear and I giggled. I slowly opened my sweaty eyelids.

The reflection of the sun hitting the water was just as bright as the sun itself. It blinded me for a couple seconds. After getting my vision back, multiple shades of green stood before my eyes.

I gasped. I was surprised because I would never have expected so much nature in the city. I was definitely guilty of comparing Ottawa to Toronto. I thought it was absolutely nature free here. I was so wrong.

Boats calmly floated down the Ottawa River. Birds whooshed by in the air. The water in the Locks was still, they looked like glass stairs leading to the river. The stocks of fluffy trees were like a big cloud and the Parliament buildings sat peacefully on it. The back of the gothic architecture now looked like a Disney castle. The serene environment gave it the enchanted effect. It was truly beautiful to see a mix of the city and nature moulded together.

Although we could have died of dehydration that day it was worth it because I got to witness how nature has the power to appease something bleak and give it beauty.