15 Things You'll Miss If You Leave Ottawa
There's one thing all Ottawans love to do: complain. Our winters are bitter and cold. The bus still hasn't shown up. Your car's in a sinkhole.
But, believe it or not, when you leave Ottawa there's going to be some nostalgia creeping up on you here and there. You might find yourself in the middle of Tokyo craving BeaverTails or in Budapest at night searching for Zak's.
It's bound to happen and here are 15 things you're going to miss when you leave Ottawa:
1. BeaverTails
These pastries that you actually once thought were real beaver tails morbidly sprinkled with cinnamon on top are hard to find outside of Ottawa. The first Beavertail stand was opened in Ottawa and they're everywhere during Winterlude. Sure, they're also in some other provinces and even Japan, but it's just not the same. You'll be thinking of that little shack in the Byward Market.
2. The ByWard Market
A place so perfect, compact and central. In terms of nightlife, this place has everything in the city and it's just as beautiful during the day. Nothing captures Ottawa's unique and vibrant small-town-in-a-big-city vibe than here.
3. Zak's Diner
The best nights of your life ended here.
4. The Canal
Largest, naturally frozen rink in the world? Try and find that elsewhere.
5. Winterlude
All the ice sculptures and pretty lights at night that turned Ottawa's wretched winter into a winter wonderland.
6. The tulips
Try frolicking through a field of tulips in the springtime in downtown Toronto. The Netherlands send their love to Canada with 100, 000 tulips each year. Oh, and they all end up in Ottawa.
7. Gatineau Park
Getting away from the city is so easy with the nature being so close. Let's also not forget what this place looks like in the fall.
8. Bluesfest
For everybody thinking there's nothing going on in this city, it's just the largest blues festival in the country. No big deal.
9. The Parliament Buildings
Don't lie: You still look up at those iconic buildings each time you pass them by. You can find skyscrapers elsewhere, but you won't find anything quite like Parliament anywhere.
10. The spider at the National Art Gallery
He'll miss you, too.
11. The shawarma
We're not only the capital of the country; we're also the shawarma capital of Canada. You won't find as much shawarma anywhere in the country and that's about the biggest blessing this city has.
12. Living in the biggest small town in the world
Even if you don't like bumping into that kid you vaguely knew from your second grade art class, you're gonna miss seeing familiar faces everyday and everywhere.
13. Canada Day
Canada Day in the capital. There's just nothing quite like it.
14. Rideau Street McDonald's
The crossroads of Ottawa's nightlife where the most interesting people in the city gather to eat 12 Junior Chickens past 2am.
15. Him
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