Many Ontario cities have a "Doors Open" event, usually the first weekend of June. Public and private buildings are open for public tours.
One of the buildings open in Ottawa, in 2023, was the French Embassy.
The interior first floor is very elaborate with paintings, etchings, weaving on many walls.
The entrance foyer. Left, looking back down the stairs. Right, standing over top the entrance doors looking towards the stairs.
The Dining Room
A smaller lounge.
The main lounge. (Very busy upholstery and floor coverings.)
Real bark from birch trees covered the walls and ceiling of the next room. The early French explorers in Canada used canoes made from birch bark.
The ambassador's office walls are engraved marble. The engraving includes scenes of French history in Canada.
The ambassador, who happened to be there when we entered the room, gave us a private description of the engravings. One of the panels has never been finished as the artist disappeared.
The ambassador chuckled as he mention that one panel depicted many women, who he was told were the wives and mistresses of the artist and his friends.
An elaborate set of doors led off the hallway into the main lounge
Two of the weavings in main foyer.
And on the way out two chefs from the Cordon Bleu School offered a selection of sweets (only one per person was allowed...😊)
