The next part of my journey was to head back down the south of the eastern coast of Canada to Ottawa.

I packed up my things from Quebec and was dropped off at the train station by my hosts Pierre Mac and Laurie and little did I realise about fifteen mins one of my bad habits had crept back in! I had forgotten to pack the only trainers I have on me and immediately dropped the guys a text but before it had even got to that my knight in shining armour arrives at the station with time to spare holding my K Swiss in his hands and then giving me a very firm handshake with a wink! I breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t thank them both enough for doing that for me! Guess I was just lucky they lived so close to the train station and I didn’t now have the need to be splashing out unnecessary cash on new sneakers in Ottawa. Thanks so much guys!

So upon my trip the schedule had me arrive back at Montreal briefly to change there for a separate train to Ottawa. This presented me with a limted opportunity to take a quick taxi back into the old town there to visit the ‘Notre Dame’ cathedral but to also get some pictures inside it from what I had missed out on doing so previously at the beginning of my trip. To my horror as I arrived there it decided closing at 16:00 was a good idea to the public and had my cabbie realised I said the cathedral not the local casino I think we had probably would of made it in time! Classic English French langauge probs! Guess this was unfortunate karma for me that I had missed my opportunity to see it in the first place so being as I had a waiting taxi see the sheer disappointment on my face from a knockback we ended up driving back to the station to finally get my train on to Ottawa!

So after finally arriving I am pleasantly surprised at how green and clean Ottawa really is! I was booked in for the night at the HI Jail Hostel. Staying at what used to be a prison, I must be crazy right? The exact reason I’m doing this trip, to test my limits!

I check in and unpack. I can’t help myself, I just simply have to take a look round at the cells and death row area for photo opportunities! Take a look below, they even had beds inside the cells in some of them and used red paint to stain the concrete floors so that it actually looks like blood, so cool!

Unfortunately for me I found out the next day that the hostel was fully booked up for next few days after so I had to find different accomodation at the local Uni instead. The jail hostel did have beds but I had already decided it was best to find somewhere else altogether, I am starting to realise travelling is stressful enough to keep packing and unpacking as it is. That night I went out to calm down a bit in town to find a bar and watch some basketball! Cavs vs Warriors aka Lebron vs Curry was on. I had never really took a great bit of interest in Basketball before if I’m honest but out here it’s rude not to! I loved it and was hooked on it immediately, obviously back home everybody has heard of Lebron James and truth be told I only really wanted to watch it as it was all about him but Steph Curry of the Gold State caught my eye more, was hitting threes from everywhere for fun! Who needs Lebron?! Cavs won this time round but Gold States revenge came around in the next few heats and particularly Curry took it up another notch for The Gold State to win the series eventually! I’m a big fan already! Get me a Curry Jersey already God Dammit!

I thought I had booked a mixed dorm at a local university just round corner to the Jail Hostel but they stuck me in a single box students room and this turned out to be a big error of judgement on my behalf! Over the next few days it finally hit me, I was travelling and I was travelling alone! I managed to motivate myself a bit and thought I need to snap out of this and take out some frustration into my own church….the gym! I found one in the local mall called Goodlife Fitness. Did a mammoth two hours in there on everything and showered and treated myself to a spray tan after as I was getting bit pasty! I don’t like looking pale! Why not? My trip, my journey and whatever makes me happy! Essex on tour! Turn away now if you not into spiders by way!

The next day I headed out to get some shots of the beautiful ‘Riveau Canal’ and the incredible well known ‘Parliament’ building and got in some great shots, particularly as I got lucky that day as it rained for a bit but the sun eventually came out and I got myself a rainbow for free 😉

I had overstayed my stay in Ottawa for too long to be honest as there’s not that much to do here after the above and needed a fresh start back in another actual hostel! Time to visit Drake City territory, let’s go to Torontooooooo! #StartedFromTheBottom