National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

The sprawling Canadian galleries alone are worth the visit. Painting, sculpture, and decorative arts of Canada might not be well known outside of the country, but they deserve to be appreciated better - they hold their own with any other tradition of the past 400 years. NGC, as one might suppose, has among the best examples; and the presentation allows a good introduction to the fascinating history of the civilization of Canada through the visual arts. Collections from other traditions also are quite strong, and special exhibtions tend to be top-notch, although someone on the curatorial staff has become a little too enamored with postmodernism lately. Moshe Safdie's stunning building is one of those that almost overshadows the contents! Gorgeous view of the Ottawa River, and Ottawa and Gatineau skylines. Cafe is decent - have a snack outdoors during the warmer weather - and plan time for the excellent boutique. Museum is open now only five days a week, and they have begun charging admission, so not even Canada's free lunch can escape fiscal reality.