On Saturday, we went into Ottawa for haircuts, then stopped in Chinatown for lunch. They have just finished building a beautiful new arch there:
For some time, it caused a lot of disruption in Chinatown, but I think the results were worth it...
...for a mere $750,000!
We had lunch at the So Good Chinese restaurant. The clientele was alarmingly white (this usually tells me the Chinese food isn't authentic!), but we had a very yummy lunch. They have a ridiculously long menu, but the owner helped us narrow down our choices. Along with Chinese food, they have Thai, Vietnamese and other southeast Asian dishes. Gordon had the "wrap and roll" platter, while I had some chicken/peanut concoction (don't tell the hen-girls!) that was quite yummy.
We had lunch at the So Good Chinese restaurant. The clientele was alarmingly white (this usually tells me the Chinese food isn't authentic!), but we had a very yummy lunch. They have a ridiculously long menu, but the owner helped us narrow down our choices. Along with Chinese food, they have Thai, Vietnamese and other southeast Asian dishes. Gordon had the "wrap and roll" platter, while I had some chicken/peanut concoction (don't tell the hen-girls!) that was quite yummy.
We prepare to dig in.
Lots of cashews and peanuts in my meal, and it was fresh and tasty. None of that "Canadian-Chinese food" aftertaste you sometimes get, and not cloying. My best friend from childhood is of Chinese descent, and I have many authentic, delicious Chinese meals with her and her family over the years, and I don't take well to crap Chinese food. Let's just say I'm not a huge fan of breaded chicken balls with fluorescent sauce!
Gordon's rolls were definitely of the Vietnamese persuasion. We visited Vietnam in 2004 and I adored the food. We had a very nice lunch. I enjoy trying all the different restaurants in Ottawa's Chinatown, not to mention shopping at the many Asian grocery stores!
And look what we saw as we whizzed home along the highway:
Bazillions of snow geese! I presume they are Lesser Snow Geese, as we live right on their migratory flyway, but we are also very close to the flyway of the Greater Snow Goose. We love seeing them but the farmers tend to hate them, as they allegedly damage the fields.
If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see the clouds of geese over the fields. It was hard to get good photos driving at 110 kmph.
Nearly home!
And look who lives in a tree on our road:
Mr. (or Mrs!) Porcupine! I have seen him three times in this tree. Clearly he has taken up residence there. He's always snoozing on a branch during the day.
And what do we come home to? Three hungry (and demanding) cats!
I love Chinese food--even the "fluorescent" sauce!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos--that is one relaxed porcupine.
And the cats waiting in line for their food--priceless.
It looks to me like Porky's front leg is hanging down, limp and uttelry relaxed. YOu'd think he'd fall off the branch!
ReplyDeleteNever seen a porcupine in the wild. I never knew they rested in trees! Not soething a hedgehog would do!
ReplyDeleteWow, your Chinatown looks like a fun place to visit, that arch was beautiful. Your food looked good too. What - no leftovers for the kitties?? :-)
ReplyDeleteI can send you a small blanket for Snoozie. He looks like a little orphan on the tree. He eats bark in winter. He climbs on trees searching for food (leaves, twigs...) at night. He sleeps during the day. Well! I did the samething. I was a night nurse, (working for food), and slept all day. Never tried on a tree though...
ReplyDeleteLove your photos.
Great photos! That must have been a wonderful trip. The food looks so good. Amazing that the porcupine doesn't fall off the branch.
ReplyDeleteJams, my (English) mother always used to bang on about how British hedgehogs were SO much cuter than Canadian porcupines! That's true but porkies have some cuteness of their own. They are very myopic. We once saw a mother and her two babies snuffling along in the ditch by our house in Nova Scotia, and we watched them for a long time without them noticing us. Adorable!
ReplyDeleteMum also used to go on about how Canadian robins aren't real robins, they're thrushes, and English robins are much more lovely, blah blah blah... everything's bigger and uglier in Canada! ;)
Shelley, I like the Ottawa Chinatown. It's quite compact and you can easily see everything. And no, no leftovers for our poor, tortured, abused, starved cats! ;)
ReplyDeleteClaude! "Snoozie", I love it, that's his name now. I wonder if the blanket would stick to his quills? And I didn't know you were a night nurse! You have led an amazing life, gone everywhere and done everything!
ReplyDeleteCallie, it really is amazing. It's amazing the branch doesn't break!
ReplyDelete