ottawa winter survival: frostbite, fog, and forgotten poutine

it was -18.32°c outside when i stumbled out of the train station, wind biting my face like a scorned ex. feels like -24.03°c, the weather app said, and i believed it. ottawa in january is not for the faint of heart-or for anyone who forgot their gloves on the kitchen counter back home.

i just checked and it's freezing there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.

first stop: byward market. i heard it's the place to be, but honestly, it felt like a ghost town wrapped in scarves and toques. a few brave souls shuffled between closed stalls, and i overheard someone say, "the beaver tails here are worth losing a toe for." i didn't test that theory-my toes were already staging a mutiny.

"if you're looking for the best poutine, avoid the tourist traps. go to that little spot on murray street. locals call it 'the hole.'"

i took that drunk advice and found myself in a dimly lit diner with sticky floors and gravy that could resurrect the dead. it was glorious.

*rideau canal was mostly frozen solid, which meant one thing: skating season. or hypothermia season. i couldn't decide. the ice looked like it had seen better days, but i watched a few kids zip by like they were born with blades on their feet. i stuck to the sidelines, nursing a hot chocolate that tasted like it had been microwaved since 1998.

if you get bored, montreal and toronto are just a short drive away. but honestly, ottawa's charm is in its stubbornness. it doesn't try to impress you-it just is. foggy mornings, frozen fountains, and all.

i met a digital nomad* in a coffee shop who swore the wifi was faster than his ex's excuses. he was working from a corner booth, steam rising from his cup like he was hatching a plan to overthrow the government. or maybe just finish a spreadsheet.

someone told me that the parliament buildings look like they're straight out of a gothic novel, but i couldn't see them through the fog. maybe next time. or maybe not. sometimes the mystery is better.

anyway, ottawa in winter is like that friend who never texts back but shows up when you need them. cold, quiet, but oddly comforting. just bring layers. and maybe a flask.

for more on surviving canadian winters, check out tripadvisor's guide to ottawa or yelp's top poutine spots.

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