Breakfast at our b&b this morning we were joined at our table by a couple from Ontario who were flying to Newfoundland to visit their daughter. They told us much about Newfoundland as they had been there a few times......it has been scratched from our trip this time unfortunately but we feel strongly it is a place to visit. The problem this time...is time! Because we are off season, the ferry we want to take has stopped running, this means a ferry to the east side of the island then a 11/12 hour drive around to St Johns, then reverse it all to return to Nova Scotia .......we will plan another trip and fly Van/Tor/syd/st Johns.
Talk8ng with our breakfast mates one subject led to another and lo and behold they brought up the places they knew people in BC.....Kitimat @nd Chilliwack. Small world!
It’s another pretty day in Cape Breton. As we drive around the Bras’d’Or area we see many English place names with the Gaelic name below. We have seen quite a lot of fly fishing in the rivers, particularly the Margaree , (travis Dowle) best in the world they say!
The Bras’d’Or area encircles several lakes around the town of Baddeck. Baddeck is wher3 the Alexander Graham Bell Museum is located and it is a must see if you are in the area. What an interesting, intelligent, compassionate man. He was born 101 years before me in Edinburgh Scotland. He is best known for inventing the telephone, which gave him the financial freedom to do other works more dear to his heart. H3cwas apparently not a very good student with a brilliant mind. He is most proud of his work with and for the deaf. Helen Kellars father was a good friend and he came to Bell to ask for help for his daughter. Bell’s father and grandfather were both experts in speech therapy , which is likely why his interest in the deaf arose, he greatly admired his grandfather. Bell had a student who he taught, Mabel, who eventually became his wife at 18. She had been deaf since the age of 5 from Scarlett fever. In the museum I saw this quote ......
“I have loved you with a passionate attachment that you cannot understand, and that is to myself new and incomprehensible. I.....wish to make you my wife-if you would let me try to win your love”
So beautiful.....I could go on and on about this man who I now so admire. One more interesting fact!
Bell was also very instrumental in aviation. In the museum there is note of Bjarni Tryggvason, who is now a professor of flight at Western University , he flew a replica of Alexander Bells first plane in February 2009. Bjarni spent part of his schooling in Kitimat, Richmond high, and UBC!
There is a book called How the Scots Invented the World , which I have at home, I’m sure it will tell me more about this amazing man.
We hit the road again and are staying the night in Halifax....visiting Maude Lewis house in the Nova Scotia Art Gallery tomorrow.
Nite nite.....we miss Cape Breton already.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Sunday, Trip to Louisbourg
Our breakfast this morning was enormous, fit for royalty and too much for me! Even still I almost ate it all......we didn’t need to eat again until dinner.
We drove out to Fort Louisbourg, the oldest Fort in North America. There were students in residence as it also serves as a music and navigation Center. Life at The Fort is re-enacted by actors in full period dress in season.......we were off season. There was still one fellow dressed in a guard outfit who gave a little talk about the early times, and answered any questions. There is a fairly large sized chapel that we were able to visit, and a guard room, all the other parts of the Fort were closed.
After a little walk around in the cold wind we were back in the car driving on to the next sight.
The cementary is in a beautiful spot overlooking the ocean. Some may say ....what a waste of prime
real estate, but I believe it is a peaceful resting place for ones who are gone. There were many family names, over and over we saw Popes, Leheys, McNeils, multi generational together again. Quite peaceful actually to see them together.
Further on down the road we drove to the lighthouse, built by the French and the first ever built in Canada, second in North America. There is also a 5km hike through the woods and by the sea we could have taken but due to the areas we wanted to get to Today and the wind, we didn’t hike. Very unpilgrim-Like I know!!
Back in the car again we drove over bumpy narrow roads mainly on the coast for what seemed like ages.....we passed by Loch Lomand, Big Pond where Rita McNeil has a tea house.....also closed for the season. When you travel off season you run the risk of closures....but you also miss the crowds, and the traffic.....a fair trade in our book.
I had been admiring all the birch trees that we see, usually at the edges of roadways. I like to paint birch trees and wondered why and how these were so white looking.....more so than the ones at home. Well today I saw a sign naming them silver birches! They look the same but are more white.
Today was all about covering ground plus it being Sunday it was pretty quiet.
Back at our residence, The School House, it being on School Street, we chilled out before heading out for dinner.....again at The Governors Pub. We got there to discover Sunday night is “open mike” and also at 9pm they would be honouring Geord Dowie of Trajically Hip. Our kids think it’s sac religious......but we are not big fans!
We ordered some seafood chowder and calamari, which was served to us lukewarm......we apologized for complaining and they brought us fresh hot bowls.....yummy.
That was our day, a bit quieter than usual which was nice.....tomorrow we head towards Halifax and the Nova Scotia Art Gallery...... can’t wait! 👍🎨🤗
We drove out to Fort Louisbourg, the oldest Fort in North America. There were students in residence as it also serves as a music and navigation Center. Life at The Fort is re-enacted by actors in full period dress in season.......we were off season. There was still one fellow dressed in a guard outfit who gave a little talk about the early times, and answered any questions. There is a fairly large sized chapel that we were able to visit, and a guard room, all the other parts of the Fort were closed.
After a little walk around in the cold wind we were back in the car driving on to the next sight.
The cementary is in a beautiful spot overlooking the ocean. Some may say ....what a waste of prime
real estate, but I believe it is a peaceful resting place for ones who are gone. There were many family names, over and over we saw Popes, Leheys, McNeils, multi generational together again. Quite peaceful actually to see them together.
Further on down the road we drove to the lighthouse, built by the French and the first ever built in Canada, second in North America. There is also a 5km hike through the woods and by the sea we could have taken but due to the areas we wanted to get to Today and the wind, we didn’t hike. Very unpilgrim-Like I know!!
Back in the car again we drove over bumpy narrow roads mainly on the coast for what seemed like ages.....we passed by Loch Lomand, Big Pond where Rita McNeil has a tea house.....also closed for the season. When you travel off season you run the risk of closures....but you also miss the crowds, and the traffic.....a fair trade in our book.
I had been admiring all the birch trees that we see, usually at the edges of roadways. I like to paint birch trees and wondered why and how these were so white looking.....more so than the ones at home. Well today I saw a sign naming them silver birches! They look the same but are more white.
Today was all about covering ground plus it being Sunday it was pretty quiet.
Back at our residence, The School House, it being on School Street, we chilled out before heading out for dinner.....again at The Governors Pub. We got there to discover Sunday night is “open mike” and also at 9pm they would be honouring Geord Dowie of Trajically Hip. Our kids think it’s sac religious......but we are not big fans!
We ordered some seafood chowder and calamari, which was served to us lukewarm......we apologized for complaining and they brought us fresh hot bowls.....yummy.
That was our day, a bit quieter than usual which was nice.....tomorrow we head towards Halifax and the Nova Scotia Art Gallery...... can’t wait! 👍🎨🤗
Saturday, October 21, 2017
The Days Just Get Better.
When we left The Normaway Inn it was cold, windy and raining. We were heading a few km down the road to a cafe called The Dancing Goat. It seemed like half the residents of the Margaree Valley had the same idea. We purchased coffees and a muffin and were on our way to Cape North and Meat Cove, the northern most point of Cape Breton. Winds were gale force, that combined with less than smooth roads and rain on the windshield did not make for great photos. Nonetheless the scenery was spectacular and I took many photos anyway......many deleted later.
Many of the places have interesting....and Scottish names, the Scots being the ones who populated the island and stayed, keeping their strong culture and traditions. Aspy Bay, Ingonish, Wreck Cove, St. Ann’s to name a few. Then there are the unusual names on shops.....The Dancing Moose, The Clucking Hen Bakery and Cafe.
At about 4pm we arrived in Sydney and checked into a The Colby House B&B ......our second question (first was, what time is breakfast) was, is there any music today?
There is music every day in Cape Breton! We didn’t even unpack but headed straight to the Governors House, where fiddler Colin Grant was playing. He is considered a god among fiddlers. The place was packed and we were prepared to stand, but in no time at all a couple of girls were waving us over to share their table. At the table also was a fellow called Bill .....a guy they met by sharing his table. Soon we were all new friends.
Jeff struck up a conversation with Dennis at yet another table, they got to chatting and next thing I knew Dennis tapped me on the shoulder, stuck out his hand and said Bon Camino! Yes he had done it or part of it in 2014. All the while the fiddle player was going like crazy, people were stomping feet, clapping hands, us included. and a couple of young girls were up on the small dance area stepping! Awesome to watch, soon there were more, both guys and girls, young and not so young, all stepping and stomping. Next there were 8 on the floor doing a reel! It was exactly what my parents, The Watsons, The Sinclairs, The Blaikies, The Barrs used to do back in the Kitimat days. It was quite emotional watching and remembering. You don’t have to go all the way to Scotland to find a bit of Scotland ....it’s alive and well in Cape Breton.
I confessed to the girls Laurie and Joanne that I had bought a fiddle and hadn’t started lessons yet. They excitedly (it was the beer) told me I must return next year and attend the Gaelic college in St Ann. One can take workshops in fiddling, speaking Gaelic, stepping, highland dance. In fact the college has students who come all the way from Scotland attending to learn Gaelic, it’s one of few places in the world to teach it. They promise to come to my end of class recital! We sure had a lot of fun.
I forgot to mention the fiddler Brenda who we heard fiddling at the barn last night was self taught, she had never had a lesson, taught herself to play by ear, also wrote her own music, produced the music into books that are used today in the Orkneys and the Heberdies in Scotland.
Cape Breton is full of wonderful down to earth folk , at least all the ones we have met are that way.
It’s definitely a place we would recommend worth a visit or two......and we would love to come b@ck someday. The Celtic Colours are held for a week starting on Canadian Thanksgiving.....and that is all about the fiddling and the dancing..
It’s just like hame ❤️
Many of the places have interesting....and Scottish names, the Scots being the ones who populated the island and stayed, keeping their strong culture and traditions. Aspy Bay, Ingonish, Wreck Cove, St. Ann’s to name a few. Then there are the unusual names on shops.....The Dancing Moose, The Clucking Hen Bakery and Cafe.
At about 4pm we arrived in Sydney and checked into a The Colby House B&B ......our second question (first was, what time is breakfast) was, is there any music today?
There is music every day in Cape Breton! We didn’t even unpack but headed straight to the Governors House, where fiddler Colin Grant was playing. He is considered a god among fiddlers. The place was packed and we were prepared to stand, but in no time at all a couple of girls were waving us over to share their table. At the table also was a fellow called Bill .....a guy they met by sharing his table. Soon we were all new friends.
Jeff struck up a conversation with Dennis at yet another table, they got to chatting and next thing I knew Dennis tapped me on the shoulder, stuck out his hand and said Bon Camino! Yes he had done it or part of it in 2014. All the while the fiddle player was going like crazy, people were stomping feet, clapping hands, us included. and a couple of young girls were up on the small dance area stepping! Awesome to watch, soon there were more, both guys and girls, young and not so young, all stepping and stomping. Next there were 8 on the floor doing a reel! It was exactly what my parents, The Watsons, The Sinclairs, The Blaikies, The Barrs used to do back in the Kitimat days. It was quite emotional watching and remembering. You don’t have to go all the way to Scotland to find a bit of Scotland ....it’s alive and well in Cape Breton.
I confessed to the girls Laurie and Joanne that I had bought a fiddle and hadn’t started lessons yet. They excitedly (it was the beer) told me I must return next year and attend the Gaelic college in St Ann. One can take workshops in fiddling, speaking Gaelic, stepping, highland dance. In fact the college has students who come all the way from Scotland attending to learn Gaelic, it’s one of few places in the world to teach it. They promise to come to my end of class recital! We sure had a lot of fun.
I forgot to mention the fiddler Brenda who we heard fiddling at the barn last night was self taught, she had never had a lesson, taught herself to play by ear, also wrote her own music, produced the music into books that are used today in the Orkneys and the Heberdies in Scotland.
Cape Breton is full of wonderful down to earth folk , at least all the ones we have met are that way.
It’s definitely a place we would recommend worth a visit or two......and we would love to come b@ck someday. The Celtic Colours are held for a week starting on Canadian Thanksgiving.....and that is all about the fiddling and the dancing..
It’s just like hame ❤️
Friday, October 20, 2017
Charlottetown PEI to Cape Breton Island
It was our last morning at the Eden Hall b&b, we were having breakfast in the dining room when a woman came in with her little guy Jack, about 9 months old......she sat at our table and within a few minutes we found out we are both from Vancouver. , ! What are the odds! We talked about the area comparing notes on what to do. She said they had stopped at a place just before the confederation bridge called Victoria and since the artist shops were closing for the season everything was 25% off and she had bought some beautiful pottery. The shop owner said come back tomorrow everything is 50% off! So guess were we were going on our way out of PEI ! We had also been told about this same sale by a local couple we met the night before. It was a great stop, very busy with shoppers. We purchased some gifts and a very special Grey rock with a crow image embedded on it.
Our trip over the bridge took us 10minutes this time and we were back in New Brunswick. Soon we were leaving New Brunswick and entering Nova Scotia, we stopped at the information station and the girl who we spoke to was most helpful. We left armed with maps and books of the areas we wanted to see, and best of all information about a fiddle/piano concert tonight.
Our drive was every bit as picturesque as we hoped, the weather was perfect. Leaves were beginning to be muted, yellows, oranges , apricot and some reds of varying degrees.....a bit like a faded antique carpet with flashes of red. We were told that strong winds had taken their toll on the foliage. It was, and is, still beautiful.
There are four distinct trails on Cape Breton and the first we were on Today was the Ceildhs Trail, (Scottish word pronounced Kay-lee) . We were heading for the Margaree Valley, which took us by Ainslie Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Nova Scotia. We are staying at a resort called Noraway Inn......it is eons old,charming but not too well maintained. The inn closes tomorrow and tonight it is full, the owners had already let most of the staff go so we were not able to stay for dinner but had to drive 8 minutes down the road.....and be back for the fiddle concert at 8pm.
The concert is in a barn on the property and we had tickets for the “balcony” which is the loft of the barn. The fiddlers, Brenda Stobbard, and George ? They Were really good, they both also played the piano. Brendas daughter who was in the audience with her beau was asked to come down from the loft and do some stepping, which she did. It was entertaining with some folk style jokes/stories and finished up with both fiddlers playing a piece together.
Back at the Inn we sat in the living room with a couple of other guests and chatted for a short while before turning in for the night.
It was a satisfying day, tomorrow we hope to find the music again. 🎶👍
Our trip over the bridge took us 10minutes this time and we were back in New Brunswick. Soon we were leaving New Brunswick and entering Nova Scotia, we stopped at the information station and the girl who we spoke to was most helpful. We left armed with maps and books of the areas we wanted to see, and best of all information about a fiddle/piano concert tonight.
Our drive was every bit as picturesque as we hoped, the weather was perfect. Leaves were beginning to be muted, yellows, oranges , apricot and some reds of varying degrees.....a bit like a faded antique carpet with flashes of red. We were told that strong winds had taken their toll on the foliage. It was, and is, still beautiful.
There are four distinct trails on Cape Breton and the first we were on Today was the Ceildhs Trail, (Scottish word pronounced Kay-lee) . We were heading for the Margaree Valley, which took us by Ainslie Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Nova Scotia. We are staying at a resort called Noraway Inn......it is eons old,charming but not too well maintained. The inn closes tomorrow and tonight it is full, the owners had already let most of the staff go so we were not able to stay for dinner but had to drive 8 minutes down the road.....and be back for the fiddle concert at 8pm.
The concert is in a barn on the property and we had tickets for the “balcony” which is the loft of the barn. The fiddlers, Brenda Stobbard, and George ? They Were really good, they both also played the piano. Brendas daughter who was in the audience with her beau was asked to come down from the loft and do some stepping, which she did. It was entertaining with some folk style jokes/stories and finished up with both fiddlers playing a piece together.
Back at the Inn we sat in the living room with a couple of other guests and chatted for a short while before turning in for the night.
It was a satisfying day, tomorrow we hope to find the music again. 🎶👍
Thursday, October 19, 2017
What a day!
Breakfast at Eden Hall b&b our friendly girl on the day shift, Judy, enticed us to stay another night. We had to move from our king suite to a queen suite as the king was booked for tonight. The queen downstairs is still very nice.
Another couple who are also guests were telling us about all the music going on tonight, that cemented our reason to stay.
Judy, the hostess is an enthusiastic girl, she is also a Newfie. I told her that I had just been in a NYC and had gone to......before I could say Come From Away.....she said it for me! She was so excited, and told me about when the play opened in New York how all the Newfies who were involved got on a bus to New York and attended the premiere. When they left the play and got back to their bus they found notes pasted to it thanking them again for all they did.
Soon we were moving on to explore more of the island. ....jeff was still not convinced we would not find my sun glasses so on our way we stopped again at McDonalds. We looked on the ground in the parking lot (we had stopped there yesterday to use the bathroom) and i again went in to ask if they could check their lost and found......much to my shock and amazement, they had them! I was over the moon!
We drove to a town called Rustico 20km outside Charlottetown, more Rowan trees and colourful rural scenery. Many businesses closed now as the busy season is past. Next up was the town of Cavendish, many towns with Scottish names. There are many wild red fox in the area and we came across one basking in the sun on the grassy verge right next to the road. He was not at all bothered we were there! Just down the road we parked and walked to a lookout where the red clay cliffs fell sharply to the sea.....erosion quite evident. In the water lies the remains of the clipper ship Marco Polo, many of the crew are buried in the Cavendish cementary. Also in the cementary is the grave of Lucy Maude Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables. Many of the descendants of the Montgomery’s still live on the island as do many descendants of the original immigrants.
We paid a visit to the home Lucy grew up in and wrote her story of Anne. Entry was free, as are all parks in Canada for our 150th birthday celebration. It was a joy to visit without the crowds there are in the high season.
We had covered quite a bit of the island, over 250 km, a prosperous island, with corn, potatoes, llamas, goats, Holstein cows, lobster fishing and oyster beds.
Back to our b&b for a quick stop then a walk into town to The Churchill Pub for a cleansing ale, or two before we crossed the street to The Steak and Lobster House. An early dinner of mussels, scallops and seafood chowder as we were going to the Triangle Pub for the music.
It is sort of like the pickers circle in Luckenback Texas where musicians drop in and play together. This pub hosts drop ins every Thursday. Tonight there were 14 playing fiddles, a keyboard, guitar, drums and one fellow singing. The musicians ranged in age from youngins to grandmas! We joined a table with a couple and their 12 yr old daughter, who told us more about what to do and see before we left PEI. It is fun to get to know the friendly locals. Just before we left one of the musicians came over to talk to us and when jeff told him I played the fiddle (#*&,!)eek! He went and got me a copy of a publication called Island Fiddler😛!
It was a really good day....I got my expensive sunglasses back and we enjoyed fiddling music.....and we were told the leaves and the fiddling in Cape Breton are stellar ........where we are heading tomorrow!
Another couple who are also guests were telling us about all the music going on tonight, that cemented our reason to stay.
Judy, the hostess is an enthusiastic girl, she is also a Newfie. I told her that I had just been in a NYC and had gone to......before I could say Come From Away.....she said it for me! She was so excited, and told me about when the play opened in New York how all the Newfies who were involved got on a bus to New York and attended the premiere. When they left the play and got back to their bus they found notes pasted to it thanking them again for all they did.
Soon we were moving on to explore more of the island. ....jeff was still not convinced we would not find my sun glasses so on our way we stopped again at McDonalds. We looked on the ground in the parking lot (we had stopped there yesterday to use the bathroom) and i again went in to ask if they could check their lost and found......much to my shock and amazement, they had them! I was over the moon!
We drove to a town called Rustico 20km outside Charlottetown, more Rowan trees and colourful rural scenery. Many businesses closed now as the busy season is past. Next up was the town of Cavendish, many towns with Scottish names. There are many wild red fox in the area and we came across one basking in the sun on the grassy verge right next to the road. He was not at all bothered we were there! Just down the road we parked and walked to a lookout where the red clay cliffs fell sharply to the sea.....erosion quite evident. In the water lies the remains of the clipper ship Marco Polo, many of the crew are buried in the Cavendish cementary. Also in the cementary is the grave of Lucy Maude Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables. Many of the descendants of the Montgomery’s still live on the island as do many descendants of the original immigrants.
We paid a visit to the home Lucy grew up in and wrote her story of Anne. Entry was free, as are all parks in Canada for our 150th birthday celebration. It was a joy to visit without the crowds there are in the high season.
We had covered quite a bit of the island, over 250 km, a prosperous island, with corn, potatoes, llamas, goats, Holstein cows, lobster fishing and oyster beds.
Back to our b&b for a quick stop then a walk into town to The Churchill Pub for a cleansing ale, or two before we crossed the street to The Steak and Lobster House. An early dinner of mussels, scallops and seafood chowder as we were going to the Triangle Pub for the music.
It is sort of like the pickers circle in Luckenback Texas where musicians drop in and play together. This pub hosts drop ins every Thursday. Tonight there were 14 playing fiddles, a keyboard, guitar, drums and one fellow singing. The musicians ranged in age from youngins to grandmas! We joined a table with a couple and their 12 yr old daughter, who told us more about what to do and see before we left PEI. It is fun to get to know the friendly locals. Just before we left one of the musicians came over to talk to us and when jeff told him I played the fiddle (#*&,!)eek! He went and got me a copy of a publication called Island Fiddler😛!
It was a really good day....I got my expensive sunglasses back and we enjoyed fiddling music.....and we were told the leaves and the fiddling in Cape Breton are stellar ........where we are heading tomorrow!
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Good day, Bad day!
Last night we stayed in a best western in Moncton New Brunswick which was very nice, excellent in fact! We woke about 7:30 and decided to do some laundry before leaving for PEI. We had no trouble finding a Starbucks in the old town area so we were off to a good start. I think the barista thought I as American but after we chatted about where I was from she became friendlier and as I left she said to me she really liked my outfit! This gave me a lift! Traveling for days on end one certainly doesn’t feel very put together.
The day was fine and not having been to PEI before we were quite looking forward to seeing something brand new. Jeff had camped somewhere in PEI as a kid but had no recollection of where. We are still hoping to see more red colour in the leaves and we did see bursts of it today. A few days ago in Quebec a local told us the red leaves were the first to fall and we missed them........😡 but we say lots of red going toward Shediac.
We came up to confederation bridge to cross into PEI and discovered it is toll bridge, which is paid as you leave the island. All good.....so far. They say it takes 15minutes to drive across this very long bridge. I timed it at 90km it took us 12minutes......the speed limit is 80km.
Driving to Charlottetown the scenery is very rural, Little farms, rolling hills and neat well kept homes. It looks idyllic. Not having had breakfast I prepared some crackers, cheese, pate and fruit as we drove along. We soon arrived in Charlottetown and were surprised to find it busy with traffic and all manner of shops, H&M, Winners, and Walmart.
We were driving towards the waterfront when I discovered my sunglasses were missing.....NOT GOOD! Searching the car thoroughly, backtracking our day in our head we couldn’t come up with them.....not your ordinary drug store sunglasses! We decided to find accommodation and them make some phone calls to last nights hotel, this morning Starbucks etc. .......we checked into a charming old house b&b called Eden Hall, I think they have 6 or 7 rooms. Phone calls did not turn up the aglasses. Forget about them.
We walked into town and visited the St Dunstan,s basilica, originally built in 1816, burned to the ground in 1913, reconstructed by Scottish architect J.M. Hunter inspired by St Patrick’s cathedral in NYC. When it was completed in 1919 it was the largest and most fireproof in the maritimes.
Next we popped into a few of the local shops......a knitwear and garden shop where the ladies were busy at the back of the store on a some large looms making the sweaters scarves, socks, mitts, hats that were sold in the front of the store. Jeff picked out a sweater put wanted some changes made....no problem, ....how long were we staying in town.? It could be done in a day. As we were planning to leave in less than a day it would have to be mailed to us. Meanwhile I found a stack of bonnets, or as my dad called them...Bunnets! I decided girls can wear them too and bought one for myself.
The clerks in the store were very chatty and we eventually had to say...we have to go!
It was time now to find a pub and that we did...The Churchill, an English pub. We sat at a small table and ordered beer, soon a gentlemen came in alone and sat down next to us and said do you mind if I join you? Jeff replied sure as long as you talk to us! Well what an interesting chat we had for a good little while, he turned out to have spent most of his career as a banker and later as an investment manager (which nicely allowed me to brag about our son and the awards he won just yesterday) we chatted about family, Cape Breton, what to do, where to go, where to stay. Jeff had a second beer, our new friend had a big plate of bangers and mash. Soon he was off and we said our goodbyes. There were a lot of people waiting for tables and we asked our server for our bill.....our new friend had paid our bill too! We were touched but dismayed we couldn’t thank him......the server said he came in about once a week for bangers and mash and she would thank him for us! So that was the GOOD THING that happened today.
We walked back to our b&b feeling grateful and good about humanity, and decided we would pay it forward soon.
We asked at our b & b for a dinner recommend and right away were told of a seafood place The Corner Shop at Water and Prince (streets) . We had a reservation for 7pm. I had delicious lobster and a small bowl of seafood chowder, Jeff had halibut, we shared a slice of coconut cream pie, homemade.
Walking back we stopped at a bar for a cleansing ale., a good day.
Tomorrow will be another good day as we move on.
The day was fine and not having been to PEI before we were quite looking forward to seeing something brand new. Jeff had camped somewhere in PEI as a kid but had no recollection of where. We are still hoping to see more red colour in the leaves and we did see bursts of it today. A few days ago in Quebec a local told us the red leaves were the first to fall and we missed them........😡 but we say lots of red going toward Shediac.
We came up to confederation bridge to cross into PEI and discovered it is toll bridge, which is paid as you leave the island. All good.....so far. They say it takes 15minutes to drive across this very long bridge. I timed it at 90km it took us 12minutes......the speed limit is 80km.
Driving to Charlottetown the scenery is very rural, Little farms, rolling hills and neat well kept homes. It looks idyllic. Not having had breakfast I prepared some crackers, cheese, pate and fruit as we drove along. We soon arrived in Charlottetown and were surprised to find it busy with traffic and all manner of shops, H&M, Winners, and Walmart.
We were driving towards the waterfront when I discovered my sunglasses were missing.....NOT GOOD! Searching the car thoroughly, backtracking our day in our head we couldn’t come up with them.....not your ordinary drug store sunglasses! We decided to find accommodation and them make some phone calls to last nights hotel, this morning Starbucks etc. .......we checked into a charming old house b&b called Eden Hall, I think they have 6 or 7 rooms. Phone calls did not turn up the aglasses. Forget about them.
We walked into town and visited the St Dunstan,s basilica, originally built in 1816, burned to the ground in 1913, reconstructed by Scottish architect J.M. Hunter inspired by St Patrick’s cathedral in NYC. When it was completed in 1919 it was the largest and most fireproof in the maritimes.
Next we popped into a few of the local shops......a knitwear and garden shop where the ladies were busy at the back of the store on a some large looms making the sweaters scarves, socks, mitts, hats that were sold in the front of the store. Jeff picked out a sweater put wanted some changes made....no problem, ....how long were we staying in town.? It could be done in a day. As we were planning to leave in less than a day it would have to be mailed to us. Meanwhile I found a stack of bonnets, or as my dad called them...Bunnets! I decided girls can wear them too and bought one for myself.
The clerks in the store were very chatty and we eventually had to say...we have to go!
It was time now to find a pub and that we did...The Churchill, an English pub. We sat at a small table and ordered beer, soon a gentlemen came in alone and sat down next to us and said do you mind if I join you? Jeff replied sure as long as you talk to us! Well what an interesting chat we had for a good little while, he turned out to have spent most of his career as a banker and later as an investment manager (which nicely allowed me to brag about our son and the awards he won just yesterday) we chatted about family, Cape Breton, what to do, where to go, where to stay. Jeff had a second beer, our new friend had a big plate of bangers and mash. Soon he was off and we said our goodbyes. There were a lot of people waiting for tables and we asked our server for our bill.....our new friend had paid our bill too! We were touched but dismayed we couldn’t thank him......the server said he came in about once a week for bangers and mash and she would thank him for us! So that was the GOOD THING that happened today.
We walked back to our b&b feeling grateful and good about humanity, and decided we would pay it forward soon.
We asked at our b & b for a dinner recommend and right away were told of a seafood place The Corner Shop at Water and Prince (streets) . We had a reservation for 7pm. I had delicious lobster and a small bowl of seafood chowder, Jeff had halibut, we shared a slice of coconut cream pie, homemade.
Walking back we stopped at a bar for a cleansing ale., a good day.
Tomorrow will be another good day as we move on.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Long day on the road
We left Paspebiac (how do you pronounce that anyway! Just after 9am......on our usual hunt for coffee which we did locate after about an hour on the road! We continued to enjoy the French countryside with its colourful and well kept homes....we particularly like the tiny ones making us think about space and just how much does one really need. They are not all tiny, some are large and all without exception have lovely green lawns and coordinating decor on their porches. Lots of Halloween decorations, some very elaborate, and many with lots of pumpkins. So many town that have no visible means of commerce causes us to wonder what do they do!!!! We speculate they are artists, potters, sculptors, writers, b&b hosts, restaurateurs.....all servicing the tourist industry.
Today we traveled around the Chaleur Bay, which goes around the bottom of the Gaspe peninsula.
The towns, New Carlisle, Caplin, New Richmond, Carlton sur Mer, Dalhousie, Point Verte, Beresford, Bathurst, Caraquet, Miramichi, Baei St Anne, Shediac and finally into Moncton New Brunswick. We checked into a best western and did a short walk to a nearby bar where we watched the Vancouver Ottawa hockey game while eating dinner.
Today was all about driving, tomorrow we will do some laundry and have a look around Moncton before leaving for Charlottetown PEI which is less than two hours away.
Nite nite all,
Murielle (still frenchified)
Ps.....congrats to our middle son, Travis who won two big awards in his profession today #veryproudmum
Today we traveled around the Chaleur Bay, which goes around the bottom of the Gaspe peninsula.
The towns, New Carlisle, Caplin, New Richmond, Carlton sur Mer, Dalhousie, Point Verte, Beresford, Bathurst, Caraquet, Miramichi, Baei St Anne, Shediac and finally into Moncton New Brunswick. We checked into a best western and did a short walk to a nearby bar where we watched the Vancouver Ottawa hockey game while eating dinner.
Today was all about driving, tomorrow we will do some laundry and have a look around Moncton before leaving for Charlottetown PEI which is less than two hours away.
Nite nite all,
Murielle (still frenchified)
Ps.....congrats to our middle son, Travis who won two big awards in his profession today #veryproudmum
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