Cool at Heart.

The article discusses the popularity of Ottawa, capital city of the Confederation of Canada. When it comes to winning affection, it's hard for a capital city to transcend the headline effect, the use of the city's name as a synonym for government. But there's more to Ottawa than politicians and their green-roofed, Gothic Revival headquarters on Parliament Hill. Together with neighboring Gatineau-Hull, Ottawa offers an unrivaled combination of nature and culture. Live music spills from bars and nightclubs, and the restaurant scene includes gems like Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro, where First Nations ingredients meet French culinary techniques. Right now there's winter to look forward to (in Ottawa, where thousands skate to work on the Rideau Canal, people really do look forward to winter) and the completion of the Canadian War Museum. The much anticipated museum will bring what Ottawa Citizen columnist Charles Gordon calls a sense of history to a city that has lacked the pilgrimage sites of its U.S. counterpart.