If the photo caught your eye, you are probably thinking this travel column will be about some charming city in Europe or the U.K. The tall tower in the center could be mistaken for Big Ben in London.
Ah, but those who know Big Ben already know this can’t be. What you are seeing is a photo of Parliament Hill in Canada’s federal capital city of Ottawa, one of the stops on our 2025 Collette Tour of Eastern Canada departing May 23, 2025. It’s time to get to know our Canadian neighbors better, and the eastern portion of Canada is a good start since the cities we will see on this tour were the first to be established when present day Canada was founded in the late 15th century.
After all, we share a 5,500-mile undefended border with Canada and the same historical roots. While we are culturally similar in many ways, there are many reasons to know Canada and its very polite people better as we enjoy Canadian hospitality and spectacular scenery. The tour begins with a two-night say in Toronto with the second day enjoying a boat cruise on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.
After getting sprayed by this ancient waterwall going back to the Ice Age as you cruise the falls, you then spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying Niagara-on-the-Lake reputed to be, “the loveliest town in Canada” followed by dinner in Toronto. On what we know will be a spectacular Sunday, travelers will journey to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, to spend two nights in this beautiful city, stopping first i.
