The Rideau and the Qiantang

I was away from Canada for eight weeks, and in my absence, the Rideau River drifted into midsummer. Water lilies are flowering under the banks by the Chinese Embassy and a new boat launching dock has been constructed in the Bordeleau Park, a welcome addition to our neighbourhood. The river banks have high grass on them, dotted with wild flowers.

In China, other waterlilies were blooming, and as we left Hangzhou lotus buds just beginning to unfold. We were staying in a hotel that overlooked the wide and impressive Qiantang River giving us a daily view of the strange boats on it and of the floods that swamped the willow trees when the rains came last month, lasting almost continuously for three weeks of our visit!