Atlantic Canada Here We Come!

Newfoundland, Canada

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:50:00 -0230

We started this final leg of our three-week, turned to four, journey in Newfoundland by arriving at the home of Tim Power the brother of a friend. Now we are family. We drove up his driveway and waved at each other and he lit the way with his brilliant smile. Then he invited us in to see his garage. This is a special place in the homes of Newfoundlanders and we could see why. The walls are covered edge to edge to edge with photos, recollections, awards, and memorabilia that cover a happy life of family times and cherished times with friends. To find your picture on these walls is a special recognition and appreciation. This tour painted the warm direction we unknowingly were headed with our new friend Tim. As I have described in the posts of the past week, we have had many an adventure with Tim all of them exciting and fun. We have learned much and developed a fondness for Newfoundland that was a truly unexpected gift. It always had a place in my heart but now it wholly encompasses mine. When the Air Canada disruption announcing our flight cancellation came across our phone, it sent angst and frustration through Marilyn's and my systems! Yet, Tim quietly stepped aside and made arrangements for us for housing. Yes, it was adapted shortly thereafter but the point of mentioning this again in this post is to recognize the ease with which he sought a solution with no fuss or broad gestures. It was a simple act on his part as he later said, "I would just hope someone would do the same for me in the same situation." But the thing is that people don't always step up. That is what makes this place special. Most everyone knows how Gander, Newfoundland stepped up for the Americans in 2001 during 9/11 - it changed the course of time for all affected. That care and compassion is a pure Newfoundland trait. Now, don't go blathering on about it to them. They will brush it off, "It's what you do, b'y!" So, beyond our three-week holiday, stretched to almost four due to the delay, Tim showed up daily in so many ways supporting us, loaning us his car, making suggestions, and having a ball with us as his positivity eased my stress about getting back to work. Today, our very last day here, he picked us up and took us to Petty Harbour, Maddox Cove which were so picturesque and peaceful. Then, coming in the back way to town, we passed through Cape Spear once again where we went the lower path (no more 412 steps! That was nuts!) to the WWII Bunker and remaining guns. Marilyn and I posed at the marker for the eastern most point of North America. Then we took in the powerful ocean in so many colours from the light, the wind, the depths, the kelp, and the powerfully crashing waves - it was an awesome view looking at the cliffs and shores and back to Cabot Tower and the entrance to St. John's Harbour. Truly wondrous. Finally, this evening -- we go back to where it all began: Tim's garage. Time to say, farewell with our new friends: his lovely wife Kim, brother-in-law Denny (thank you for the comfortable accommodations!), brother Wayne and wife Liz. We have new family on the East Coast! We are truly blessed and in awe of how a tempest in a teacup (Air Canada) can turn into a lovely cuppa with the finest of company.

Newfoundland, Canada

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 15:50:00 -0230

I decided to write one more chapter on this adventure since Air Canada fouled up our travel plans for August 16th. Yup, strike action lock out, job action, what ever politically correct term you want to use - it all adds up to the same thing. A phenomenal pain in the butt. I am scheduled to be back at work on the 18th but I sure won't be there in person! But complaining or grousing is not the point of this post. This is: If you want to know the best place in Canada read on. In every Province, we take pride on our unique features and brag-worthy spaces, places, and people. But, I am going to tell you now that THE best place in Canada is NEWFOUNDLAND. All along, with reference to this Atlantic Canada adventure I have said we were coming out here for five reasons: the people, the food, the music, the scenery and the history. My appetite for these five things has been so completely sated, I struggle with the words to express just how wonderful the trip has been and hope that the blog posts have expressed our happiness. To be stranded away from home though is another thing entirely. Your mind sets aside the time for the vacation and then you start preparing to get back to your 'real world' of work. Then you learn things are not going to go as planned and you must pivot. Were it not for the amazing connection through my friend Janet Power in Victoria, this would not have been so easy. From day one arriving in St. John's we have had the wonderful opportunity and experience of meeting and getting to know Janet's brother, Tim. He welcomed us with such sincere and joyful hospitality it almost threw us off kilter! Who can be so welcoming and kind? Immediately, we felt like family. Tim had wonderful ideas of where to go and what to do. He validated our itinerary and then came along for the adventure. Oh how I envy retirement!!! But here's the rub. When we were out at O'Reilly's Pub enjoying an evening of fine local music and that email came through at 10:20pm that our flight was cancelled, he quietly stepped away and took care of everything. Now, anticipating this, we had tentatively booked a hotel for five nights because we were told by Air Miles that the soonest they could get us home was the following Thursday (21st). Tim returned to the table and said, "you've got a place to stay!" He had arranged for us to stay with his brother and sister-in-law. This was going to save us nearly $3000.00 as the hotels were all doubling their rates due to the Canada Summer Games on while we're here. As the evening went on, it was decided that we would stay at his brother-in-law Denny's place as he has a full basement we can stay in. Everyone just STEPPED UP. They didn't hesitate or debate or discuss - they just decided. It was that simple. The next day, intended to be our departure date (Saturday the 16th), Tim followed us to the airport to drop off our rental car which could not be extended. He heaved our bags into his car and took us to Denny's. We have never felt so welcome or cared for with such ease. (In fact, that morning Tim, his brother Wayne and wife Liz helped Denny get the basement set up for us!) That afternoon he took us on a wonderful distracting excursion to the Battery where we met Randy, Bob and Art who toured us through their one room historical museum known as the Pearcey's Twine Loft. What a FUN experience this was meeting the gents and hearing them storytelling and sharing history. A sure thing NOT to miss if visiting. That evening we went for a delicious Mexican meal and then Tim generously turned his car over to us! Well now, just who does that? A Newfoundlander of such callibre the only thing we can say is - thank you, Tim! So, Sunday we were able to squeeze in some more sites that we hadn't hit yet on our week in St. John's. We went to the Railway Coastal Museum which was so well put together we were there for at least 90 minutes taking our time to learn the history of the railway in Newfoundland - and it is worth learning about. Of course, while fascinating as a story overall, there is some humour to the rail story as they were known as 'the Newfie Bullet' which was so slow this was distinctly tongue-in-cheek. While it would take 1.5 hours to drive, for example, from St. John's to Placentia, the train took three hours!! Still, the development of the railway is significant to the development of Newfoundland itself. After this museum, we drove up Duckworth Street with hopes of going into a popular pub known as the Duke of Duckworth. Well, these hopes were dashed because we walked into the pub with a soccer game on and it was packed with standing room only (barely). So, off we went down to Water Street for a stroll. We found the Grotto where we had a lobster roll and oysters between us (yes, #11!) The service was so excellent it was superbly relaxing and enjoyable. We came home for a rest. Tim then recommended we go to Topsail Beach for the sunset. So, we chilled until 6:30 and headed out to see the Mile '0' for Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope (I had followed his experience so closely back in the day). It is a beautiful tribute down by the water near the pier. From there, we drove the 30 minutes to Topsail Beach and found the perfect parking space for what was to be the perfect sunset! We have lovely pictures to remember this by. On a whim, as we returned to town, we recalled Tim's suggestion of seeing the view of the Harbour from Signal Hill at night. So, we ventured up there and withstood a terribly cold wind to see just how beautiful the Harbour truly is. Great pictures to appreciate this as well. Then the 18th rolled around - I checked in at work!! 450 emails in total waiting for me. Over four hours to go through them, address things, make notes and prepare to deal with whatever I could. Once done - we picked up Tim and together we went for lunch in Quidi Vidi - fish and chips with an Iceberg beer. Can it get any better? All of this to say --- geographically, Canada wears its true heart on its sleeve. Newfoundland may be the Eastern most Province with Cape Spear at the tip but it is truly our Canadian heart. We continue to feel the love and express our constant gratitude for the lessons in love and hospitality that we are being shown. Our gratitude is as deep as the kindness our generous new friends - family - are sharing with us. Thank you Tim. Thank you Denny. Thank you all. Thank you Newfoundland!

One of the treasures at Pearcey's Twine Loft

view from the loft

With Randy at the Battery - Pearcey's Twine Loft. Soooo worth a visit!

Woman of Industry statue - carved by the builder of the Railway Stn. (background) Story: his maid posed for it wrapped in one of his wife's bed sheets!!

Mile '0' Terry Fox monument

The structure is supposed to represent waves as he begins his run

Topsail beach sunset

Signal Hill at night

Cabot tower

look hard, it's dark for this selfie!

Opening of the St. John's Harbour

SJ Harbour night view

The Legislature Building lit up... they use these colours to recognize special causes/events on request - may be lit due to the Canada Summer Games

Newfoundland, Canada

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 15:50:00 -0230

Newfoundland, Canada

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 15:50:00 -0230

Newfoundland, Canada

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:50:00 -0230

So, I made the observation to someone, "people sure do like to ignore the yellow lights and run reds here, it seems." "Yes," came the response. "In fact, a visitor landed at the airport and was picked up by a taxi. He observed the driver running a yellow/red light. It happened again. On the third time, he asked the driver, 'why do you keep running the lights?' The driver responded, 'my mother taught me that's the best, most efficient way to drive.' Then the passenger noted that he stopped at green lights. So, he asked why again. The driver's response was, "that's in case my brother is coming the other direction!'" ...And true to form, sitting at a red light, I take my foot off the brake and am about to accelerate as our light was certainly green when a car drove straight through the light!! Newfoundland! This morning we drove over to Quidi Vidi. It is pronounced Kitty Vitti. Locals have fun pronouncing it another way, but I haven't quite got it down just yet. Anyway, Quidi Vidi is a little fishing village that has a romantic sort of history here. It's a draw for all the tourists. And, right now with the Canada Games on, the Quidi Vidi lake is home to the rowing competition. It is here that they hold an annual regatta as well. The origin of the name brings more confusion than clarity. But, the explanation that I favour is that it comes from Italian or Portuguese, for sounding possibly like "quey de videy," meaning, "what a beautiful sight". In the interest of time, let's go with that one! We arrived two hours early for our Cod Jiggin' trip knowing that parking is a challenge there. Found the perfect parking spot and strolled through the little village along the dock and enjoyed the view of the little cove. We strolled up the hill beside the Quidi Vidi Brewing Company which was in the middle of a crane operation bringing it a new steel fermenter. About ten guys stood around waving arms making suggestions about how to offload this giant tank as it hung precariously half off the truck. As a result, the restaurant was opening later this day. On we walked to confirm the location of our outing the QV Charters. Found it. Determined we would need to be back by 12:30 to prepare to depart. So, we strolled back to the dock area and had a cold drink in the shade. It was 30 degrees, felt like 36. The boat was going to be a beautiful break from the heat. We went back and gathered with the other six folks we were going out with and boarded the boat. Kevin was our captain and Ted was our fishing coach and supervisor. Off we went into the cove to pass through the narrow opening and out into the open sea. A welcome breeze made us all relax and we all waited with anticipation to reach our open water destination to drop our lines. Soon, we stopped and Ted dropped a line to the bottom and immediately pulled up a cod. "Too small," he said, unhooking it and tossing it back in the water. It was just that easy - so it looked! We divided into two groups with just two rods and reels. I went first on my side. "Ok, drop the one pound weight over the side, and let the reel go. Not too fast so you don't end up with a tangle of line." He showed me how to grip the rod as the reel spun with my palm controlling the speed of the line. It kept going and going - finally it hit the bottom. Now comes the 'jigging' part of the fun. You dip the rod down to the water and then pull it up to the sky quickly and repeat. Each line has three hooks and a bright red 2.5 inch piece of plastic on the line above the hook. Now, cod fish are bottom feeders and they are down there in schools. So when you drop your line to the bottom and 'jig' it you are easily inviting the fish to take a bite. And sure enough, that jiggin' works. Before I knew it, my line went taut and I had to start reeling in my catch. We are dropping lines at a depth of 170 feet, so reeling it in is pulling all that line and the catch back to the boat! That's some work let me tell you! I have never ever fished, before today, so this was a new adventure for me. Fish to the surface, Ted reaches over, grabs the line, and pulls it in. He removes the hook and hands me my fish, "two palms up," he says. I take the beautiful cod fish and smile for the camera! WOW! I caught my first fish in the Atlantic ocean -- an Atlantic Cod. Marilyn was up next and she caught an even bigger one than mine. And so it went as we moved from one fishing spot to another and everyone had the opportunity to catch two fish. For some, if their cod was too small and it had to be tossed back they got another try until they landed one for the bucket. As the lines are tied with three hooks you can actually catch up to three at a time. The young folks from Montreal each caught two on their tries and the young man even caught three on his second try. It was amazing to realize just how many fish are down there ready to bite that you could catch three at once! One woman from North Carolina didn't want to do her second try, so I was invited to do it. I caught a nice sized one for her! It was so much fun. And what a perfect day for this new experience. I can check this off my bucket list! Two hours on the water and back we went with a full haul of cod ranging in size from 50 to 75cm in length. Marilyn helped record the sizes as they tagged each one. Just last week their largest catch - other than a shark (six feet long) which they don't mess with they just cut the line - was 99cm. That's over three feet long! Once back in the cove they drove the boat around and held up the two biggest cod and people on the restaurant deck cheered and applauded for us! What fun! Once we docked, Ted and a summer student gutted and filleted them all and Kevin cooked us the freshest fish and chip experience of our entire lives. This fish simply melted in our mouth. Melted. Never before. I enjoyed it with tartar sauce but then finished it without for the full flavour experience. Everyone enjoyed it and we all enjoyed our visit - Montreal, North Carolina, Calgary, Toronto, and New Westminster - a wonderful collection of folks with whom to enjoy our outing and fish fry. A perfect day. Back to the car, we had a few errands to run and we returned home to get out of the heat. Next stop, Ches's Fish and Chips for dinner. Ches's was delicious! They've been around for 74 years, they ought to be good! I wanted to try cod's cheeks and cod's tongue. So, we ordered a selection of samplers and I loved them. Marilyn, not so much! Each to her own. (She prefers shellfish!) Tomorrow, we head down the Avalon Coast, part of the Irish Loop, to Bay Bulls for our puffin and whale tour then right to the south to Cape Race. Another exciting adventure ahead. We also just learned that Air Canada is warning of strike action on Saturday - this is the day of our return flight... stay tuned as we find out what will be in store for our return!!

This is the boat that Anthony Bourdain went out cod jiggin' on. He was quite a hit while on his two weeks in NL

The brewing company puts Christmas lights on this tree (left) every year for all to enjoy

the narrow access to the ocean

Ted shows us how to do it

they use retro salmon reels from BC!

ready to fish!

we fished outside the opening to St. John's Harbour

letting out the line

wrestling it back in

My first fish... so proud!

Marilyn's first go reeling it in!

letting out the line

her first catch

It's sure a good one! Bigger than mine too

that cod put up a fight!

Second catch!

She belongs on the sea

she did it again!

Nicely done!

a full three on the line!

Say 'FISH'!

tagging the catch

16 cod... 'a bloody mess," says Ted

cleaning the fish

cutting out the cod tongues - a treat

filletting

oh what a treat was this fish fry

so tasty

The oldest house in Quidi Vidi dating back to approximately 1820

thirst quenching after the heat!

our sampler!

cod's tongues (very moist)

cod's cheeks (a little drier)

one piece fish and chips to get the full flavour experience!

Newfoundland, Canada

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 15:50:00 -0230

We have witnessed the sun rise from the peak of Mount Haleakala in Maui on New Year’s Day 2013. We have been to the southernmost tip of North America in Key West, Florida in 2014 on my 50th birthday adventure. And today, we rose before the crack of dawn to drive about 20 minutes east to Cape Spear to witness the eastern most sunrise in North America. While family and friends are in deep slumber on the west coast, we witnessed the first sunrise of the day on Canada’s east coast! Last night, our clothes smelled of smoke - as did the air this morning. Up at 5:00am, we were out in the early dawn light. We drove with caution as we approached on the winding roads out of concern for moose given the frequent warning signs. I was surprised at the number of vehicles that were in the parking lot yet few people were around to be seen. I looked up to the lighthouses and grabbed my cane. I counted as we made our way up - 149 stairs to the FIRST level and then 57 stairs to the top! (Going back down that was a total of 412 steps return in GUSTING, warm winds. Oi!) The original lighthouse (the square building with the light tower on it) was built in 1836. It is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland. It was replaced with the, still operating, lighthouse tower in 1955. The name originates from Portugese, Cabo da Esperança, which translates to Cape of Hope. Shortened over time to Cap d'Espoir it was eventually shortened further to Cape Spear. My last visit to Cape Spear was in 1979 with a bunch of squealing teenagers, myself included, because it was a terribly windy, rainy day. Yet, I remember the visit so well. Happy to return today. (Also, I will note the observation that Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope here at what is actually Cape of Hope.) Once we reached the top the sun obliged us with her appearance in a slow, genteel rise. The smoke on the skyline presented the sunrise with an easy watch of this pink and orange ball as it grew on the horizon. We took picture after picture at different stages and positions - with lighthouses, boats, ourselves - and were the longest visitors to stay at the top of Cape Spear. Perhaps it was our interest in taking in the full experience. Perhaps it was simply our bravery in challenging the forceful winds. We both commented on our fear of being blown over the cliff at one point! My fingers on the keyboard verify our safe return. Back into town, we headed to Denny's for breakfast as it was barely 7:00am at this point. We had spent 45 minutes at the eastern most point of Canada to take in this beautiful sunrise. Such a special experience for us. Then back to a normal routine - we did laundry before venturing out again once the museums and such would open for the day! Here's a bit of Newfoundland history. Once the British took command successfully in 1610 it wasn't actually until 1825 that it was formally recognized as a Crown Colony. Then, it took two referendums in 1948 before it became a Canadian Province March 31, 1949. Joey Smallwood was the first Premier. As it happens, he and Mayor Charlotte Whitton of Ottawa visited Fort Macleod, Alberta in the early 50s and met my grandfather, Dan Boyle, who was president of the Macleod Stampede for 25 years! Before all of this happened, Leif Erikson was the first European explorer to set foot here in about the year 1000. Later, it was John Cabot who originally claimed Newfoundland for England in 1497. As you may have figured out by now, it was primarily settled for the purpose of building the cod fishery which has continued for over 500 years. Of course the 1992 moratorium on cod fishing did a wicked number on the livelihood and communities of many. Yet, folks were resilient and rose to the challenge. Back to our explorations! Next stop the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist. Now this is a story I will try to do justice as described by Sister Marilyn (yes, you read that right) of the Presentation Convent next door. She toured us through the convent when we went to see the Veiled Virgin sculpture after visiting the Basilica. Bishop Fleming made at least five trips back and forth to England in the 1830s to get land approved for his preferred location for the church. (Separately, I was informed that in letters with his superior in England they counselled to get the highest land possible.) The chosen land was in fact out of the city for its time period but clearly he had vision because it certainly is in the city now! Fleming succeeded and it took 14 years to build the church. However, Fleming died before seeing the inside completed. So, his successor, Bishop Mullock, completed the work which was primarily that of the interior which included the statuary and such. So, he too made many trips overseas to find the right pieces. On one such journey in 1856, he found the beautiful statue of the Veiled Virgin by Giovanni Strazza. In 1862, he gifted the masterpiece to the Presentation Convent. As it happens, his own blood sister was a member of the order at the time. So, there is likely some favour in the coincidence. The full name of the order is the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thus, the Veiled Virgin gift is duly appropriate. Strazza carved this statue from a solid piece of Carrera marble. In Sister Marilyn's words, "imagine taking something so hard and cold and creating something so soft and warm." This is the best way to describe it. It is inspiring. It is inconceivable, even standing in its presence, to take in the fact that you are looking at a solid marble work where what your eyes see is that you are peering through a veil. The longer I stood studying it, the more emotional I felt and I was moved to tears. They do not allow one to take photos anymore. They hand out a card. The photo included is a picture of the card. Inside the card it reads: "The Veiled Virgin's facial expression has a holy, etherial quality that blesses many viewers with a deeply spiritual experience, unique and lasting." I can certainly attest to that. I have jumped to the Veiled Virgin and not mentioned the Basilica! You can see which struck me more. They do say good things come in small packages! The church is built in the Romanesque style which is the shape of the cross. It was the largest church in North America at the time. Because of its hill location, it survived the great fire of 1892. It holds about 1500 people, towers 140 feet in height and contains 9 bells made in Dublin. It was considered a major challenge to build in part because it was on a hill making the transfer of materials very difficult. The stained glass is a whole other story as it was all made overseas by two different renowned companies!! (None was made here at the time.) I will leave more about that for your research. Following this deeply moving encounter with the Veiled Virgin, we crossed the road and entered The Rooms. This is an architectural feat that preserves the land history (originally Fort Townshend, the largest British citadel of its time, it defended British fishing efforts) and represents aspects of history. Specifically, the design mirrors fishing rooms where families came together to process their fishing catch. It is a beautiful, airy building with multiple galleries. The one we sought today was the Beaumont-Hamel presentation. This display is an emotional account of the battle by the same name in WWI which featured the Newfoundland Regiments. Of the 801 soldiers sent into this devastating battle, only 68 returned. Need I say more. It was informative, inspiring, and deeply moving to learn of the eager manner in which young men - and boys - signed up to fight for King and Country. So many artifacts handed down through the generations as well as family stories shared. This is one of the most perfect war-time displays I have attended. I would say that the only one that could be more moving was the Jersey War Tunnels experience on the Isle of Jersey last year. The telling of these important stories with such detail and emotion should be guiding us toward peace. At the very least, these tributes ensure that we honour our heroes and surely, never forget. We ate a great meal at the cafeteria with a spectacular view of the Harbour and then were off to the new little Titanic Museum that Tim had told us about yesterday. It was a well told story with some facts that were new to me... the most amusing one was the fact that J. Bruce Ismay, who basically drove the ship to its grave through his obsession with making a new speed record to cross the Atlantic, and numerous other schemes, was seen by others associated with the management of the White Star Line (owners/builders of the Titanic) as unstable, even called a lunatic. (Ismay had taken charge of the White Star Line after his father, the founder, passed away.) This was the reason they sought J.P. Morgan's purchase of the bulk of shares in the White Star Line - to attempt to save it! There's always a new or varied opinion seen at these different museums, but this assessment of his personality seems to ring true from everything I have read. By the way, yes, he survived the sinking. He was vilified for this for years after. When asked how he got in a lifeboat, he said, "there was no one else around at the time." It seems rather suspect, doesn't it?! This little museum featured many props from the movie 'Titanic' as well as many replicas of things. One authentic item you will see in the photos is the Carpathia medal - there were gold, silver, and bronze medals produced by the Titanic Committee to recognize the Captain and crew of the Carpathia for their bravery and heroism in the rescue of the 700 survivors. Gold went to the Captain, surgeon and other senior officers (there were only 5 produced), silver to the next level, and bronze to the crew. On the front is an image of the Carpathia. On the reverse an engraved message of gratitude. It is a treasured collectible if found now. From there we came home for a rest. We will Uber to our Screeching In event later because parking is a bear downtown and some of the streets are closed for pedestrian use for the summer. Now, time for a nap! The heat just sucks the life out of you! Alright folks, Screeching In - a time honoured Newfoundland tradition. (I may be a bit tipsy writing this by the by.) On arrival and connection with Tim, we confirmed that we had chosen the best location in town to be Screeched In: Christian's. This is a tiny bar on George Street where all the excitement happens. Originally, we were scheduled for yesterday but with the ship being turned around, so was our schedule! So, Marilyn rearranged for us to have the experience tonight instead. However, on arrival at 6:20pm for checkin it was determined that she had only re-booked herself and not me. I got the last space as a walk in, such a relief. The music begins thundering as the doors are locked at 7:00pm and the ceremony begins. Chef Luke puts on his Sou'wester, picks up his paddle and gathers the attention of the thirty or so people to be screeched in. We were fortunate that our arrival gave us the two best seats at the bar. Tim had joined us and he took command of the phone to film the extravaganza... and so it began. Chef luke fired up the pan to cook up the bologna. He poured out the 30-odd shooters of screech and started telling stories. He started with me in the corner asking for my name and home. I responded, "Rosie Dunne, New Westminster, BC." To which he said, "too complicated. Rosie from BC - get it all?" Round the room he went and sure enough he memorized each person's name to call on again and again throughout the ceremony. It was fun, funny, and informative - after all we were being screeched in as Honorary Newfoundlanders - we needed to know the history, the language, the practices, and the people. He filled us in and taught us how to talk. We practiced and he served us the special recipe of pan fried bologna, we each kissed the cod - every single one of us, but me first! Marilyn second as he went around the room (remember, best seats in the house). Then he spoke of the late Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain, just a short time before he tragically ended his life, had spent time in Newfoundland with Chef Luke and was Screeched in in this very bar. Chef Luke spoke eloquently of his time spent with Bourdain and dedicated his toast to him. It was truly moving. We then raised our glasses and downed our screech. Well, Marilyn consumed not a quarter of hers and set down the glass. I downed mine and encouraged her, as did Tim, to finish hers. She declined. So, what was I to do but to pick hers up and down it myself!! YIKES, that stuff has kick and more to remind you that you just tossed it back! Thanks to Tim, we caught it all on film and you know you will find it on Marilyn's FB posts of course! WHAT A WONDERFUL, FUN, DELIGHTFUL AND EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE THIS WAS, eh b'y! So much happened throughout the 30 minute ceremony, all I can say is you've got to come to Newfoundland to be screeched in to truly appreciate the experience. And, who doesn't want to kiss a cod anyway, eh b'y? With our certificates in hand, off we went with Tim to O'Reilly's for another drink and to listen to some great local music. From there we went to our dinner reservation at La Piatta for a fantastic thin crust pizza. What a truly wonderful evening with FANTASTIC company -- Tim, we love you and are so grateful to have met you!! This was an evening we will soon not forget, eh b'y!!! "I'm a Newfoundlander born and bred and I'll be one till I die. I'm proud to be an Islander; here's the reason why: I'm free as the wind and the waves that wash the sand. There's no place I would rather be than here in Newfoundland. No place I would rather be, than here in Newfoundland." - Chorus of Islander by Bruce Moss, a Newfoundland folk song

flaming up the bologna!

original 1836 heritage lighthouse building

5:53am sunrise, August 12, 2025

57 stairs to the top!

149 stairs to the parking lot!

original is pure marble

infant jesus

mother mary

small cruise ship arrives in harbour

picture of weighing codfish circa 1901

another small show to attend in downtown!

a well worn copy of my book on display!

another shrunken cup - Larry Daly's

The Carpathia medal

shrunken styro cups from the submersible from the Titanic expedition

The Veiled Virgin - a deeply moving experience

our entry tags to The Rooms

one step at a time!

almost there - 57 steps to go!

captivating shorelines

with 660 collisions already this year - we take this seriously!

Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist

La Pieta (copy of the original in Rome)

Basilica altar

ceiling looking to the entrance of the church

Presentation Convent

Christian's Bar - screeching in location

O'Reilly's for a drink after

candy shop with emerging squid

first kiss of the cod!

Marilyn kissing the cod!

cheers - screech down the hatch!

kissing the cod

Celebrating with Chef Luke after!

Newfoundland, Canada

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:50:00 -0230

After the ship being turned around 2.5 hours into our voyage to Argentia last night it was a great surprise to learn how quickly they made up time. The ship did not leave port again until 11:00pm so, by rights, we should not have got into port until after 3:00pm. We docked at 11:00am! However, it is a feat to disembark. I expect that is due to the size of the ship. They offloaded deck 3 first and then our deck - five. You must wait for the annoucement to go to your deck. So, we waited, and waited, and waited. All in all it was over an hour to get off the ship! Once on the road we had been advised by locals to go to Castle Hill and so off we went. Now this is interesting having spent two days experiencing the Fortress Louisbourg outside of Antigonish. Castle Hill predates Louisbourg as the original French capital of Newfoundland. It was called Plaisance by the French but is now known commonly as Placentia. This was the original French fishery before Louisbourg became so instrumental as a fishery for the French as well as a naval base. What made Placentia special for the fishery was the wide rocky beach that was so perfect for drying fish. Cod to be precise. This colony, founded in 1662, was actively expanded between 1696-97 by New France's "most famous soldier" Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville. He was quite the raider as he marched his gang overland to St. John's leaving a path of destruction capturing 500 fishing boats and scads of cod. It is suggested that had France not reposted him to Hudson Bay the British may not have maintained Newfoundland. In the end, Placentia didn't work out for the French as Placentia Bay was easily blockaded by the British. Despite the fortress being of sound construction for defence they were prevented from receiving support and supplies. That and conflict with the seasonal fishers and residents made for a poor outcome. So, off they went to build Fortress Louisbourg, which as we know, didn't have a sustainable future against the British either in the long run. (I'm really butchering history here.) We enjoyed the remains and history presented at Castle Hill just the same. But one cannot have visited and not be practically knocked over by the beauty of the view and the surroundings. It is spectacular. But this is the thing. If you haven't been to Newfoundland you must put it on your list. I believe Newfoundland to be the jewel in Canada's crown for beauty. On our way towards St. John's our emergency alert signal went off on Marilyn's phone. I nearly jumped out of my skin. That sound is something else. Anyway, it was the fire evacuation alert for Paddy's Pond and Alinek Industries -- we were heading straight for it. We saw in the distance the smoke from the forest fire. As we got closer we could see the orange flames at heights unimaginable. Cars were pulled over on the highway taking pictures. We had no idea what was to come around the bend. We changed lanes and went around the stopped traffic. Continuing on a police vehicle came screaming up behind us with sirens blaring. Three people were running across the highway TOWARDS the fire - we had reached the site of the Alinek Industries which was part of the evacuation. The police stopped in the middle of the highway calling them to come back to evacuate. Cars were stopped everywhere and more traffic headed opposite to our direction. Where were we going? What was the fire going to do? Turned out it was not our concern, in a manner of speaking, as the road turned and we headed away from the fire though wind was blowing the smoke in our direction. The fire is said to cover over 5,200 hectares at this point. We are safe and as the smoke blows through St. John's tonight - we could see, smell, and taste it - we pray for the safety of others and a quick resolution. We may be on vacation, but I can't help but hope for rain for the Province. This is my fourth trip to Newfoundland and each time I am more excited to return. Such beauty and history not to mention how lovely the people are here. I have a friend in Victoria, a fellow recreation therapist - Janet Power, who is in long term care leadership like me. We've known each other for, I'm guessing, 25 years now. When she found out we were coming to Newfoundland she said, "I'll introduce you to my brother Tim." Not shy, I responded, "that would be terrific." Well, terrific turned out to be an understatement! Today, on arrival in St. John's we drove straight to Tim's home where he strolled straight out to the car and we waved at each other. I rolled down the window and the first thing he said was, "now that you're in Newfoundland you're going to have to listen a whole lot faster!" Sure enough-- he's a fast talker is Tim! After a quick tour of the garage (man cave of sorts...maybe there's a more appropriate term out here) where Tim showed me photos of his sister Janet in her early years, we hopped into his car and off we went on a remarkable tour of the area. Where to begin... First, he took us across the harbour looking back on to the area and Signal Hill. What a view! The St. John's Harbour is only 91 meters wide. During the war they hung a net across the harbour to prevent German U-boats from coming in. When it was time for the fishing fleet to go out, they lowered the net for them to pass and then drew it back up again. Next, we drove up Signal Hill - not without a slight detour to another viewpoint that was blocked by fire trucks. So, we had to back down the road and turn around! Onward, up to Signal Hill and Cabot Tower. This is from where Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic wire from Cornwall. It was simply the morse code letter 'S'. He had to use a kite to raise his antenna higher for better reception! Again, the view down to the Harbour was simply amazing. From there we went off to Quidi Vidi Village to see the quaint area and spot the location from which we will depart for our cod jiggin' trip on Wednesday. A tour around Marine Drive to some beautiful sights - the coastal scenery is awe inspiring. Along the way to Flatrock where Pope John Paul II visited in 1984 as part of the celebration of 200 years of the Catholic Church in Newfoundland. Hundreds of fishing and other vessels gathered in the scenic bay where he blessed the boats. It is said that for the next decade an abundance of magic mushrooms also grew on the meadow. Coincidence? Hmmm. Into Torbay now, we stopped at what used to be the post office and is now the Taphouse. Oh my! We each enjoyed a beer and I ordered our first try of cod bites. Well - fresh and delicious is an understatement as they just melted in one's mouth. Tim then drove us back and around into downtown where he showed us a collection of sites, some of which we will re-visit over the week. One particular site that is repeated around town are the Jelly Bean houses. You will see in photos that these are the rows of painted houses in vibrant colours that simply cheer you up they are so colourful and bright! Back we went to his house to say goodnight. We met his lovely wife, Kim, and made plans for tomorrow night's screeching in event. Off now to our Air B'n'B to unpack for the next few days and get ready for an early rise Tuesday. We will be up with the birds again and out to Cape Spear to see the sunrise.

drying cod on the rocks of the beach

Castle Hill fortress

oh the view!

ruins

disembarking

enormous something or other on the ship - took up 25% of the 3 deck

Arrived!

remains on Castle Hill

view from Castle Hill

Castle Hill, Placentia

Marilyn poses as a British soldier

mindful of the moose!

will be on their boat on Thursday - can't wait!

a frightening site as we approach the fire

we could see the flames

Harbour view

St. John's Harbour

Cabot Tower, Signal Hill

opening of the Harbour

Featuring Tim Power!!

view from the Taphouse

refreshing ales

scrumptuous cod bites

Relaxing with Tim - a lovely stop!

Nova Scotia, Canada

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 15:50:00 +0000

We weren’t really sure how we would pass the time today and then we got a wonderfully informative message from an old friend who mentioned her husband’s family connection to the Fortress Louisbourg. So, with much time on our hands before we had to line up for the ferry to Newfoundland, we embarked on a secret mission back to the Fortress to search out the family connection. Sure as shootin’, we mentioned J.S. McLennan (the great grandfather of our friend Suzanne’s husband, Ernie) and the folks at Parks Canada at the Fortress knew exactly about whom we were speaking. They directed us to building 22 on the map and said we would find what we were looking for inside. So, off we went with some excitement to fulfill our mission. As it happens, J.S. McLennan (1853-1939) was a Canadian Senator. He wrote what is known to be the complete and most respected history of the Fortress at Louisbourg: Louisbourg, from its foundation to its fall, 1713-1758. It was originally published in 1918. (We did, in fact, buy the most current release of the book. You know me and books! I look forward to reading it.) But McLennan and his youngest daughter, Katharine, went a step further. They contributed to the organization and development of the Fortress. After working with the Red Cross in WWI, Katharine, her father, and other local officials lobbied the government to preserve the Fortress at Louisbourg site. The Louisbourg Museum was opened in 1936 and work was begun to reconstruct the Fortress in the 1960s. Through this period, between her financial resources and contacts she helped to accumulate the artifacts that make the museum/Fortress so special today. She was named Honorary Curator, a position she held for 20 years. During this time, she helped to log artifacts, create displays, as well as wrote and spoke on the subject. Her knowledge of the history was so expansive that she ended up constructing an accurate scale model of the Fortress. It remains part of the collection to this day, and we feel privileged to have seen it on our return visit knowing what an important part of the Fortress it in fact remains to this day. It is kept in what is known as the McLennan Museum (building 22 in the Fortress.) Katharine McLennan reflected on the importance of the Fortress: “In A Short History of Louisbourg, explaining her commitment to the museum: ‘the museum was built in the belief that a visual memorial is a necessary adjunct to a living past, and it is far more illuminating than the most eloquent words.’" (Wikipedia.) She is considered to be one of the province’s Remarkable Nova Scotians. Indeed. While there we asked about a piece of family furniture, a roll top desk, that Ernie (J.S.’s great-grandson) had done his homework at as a boy. Well, the woman I was speaking with was wonderful. As I mentioned it, her eyes lit up. She knew exactly the piece I was speaking of and told me its’ story. The desk, unfortunately, is no longer on display. The increased humidity and touchy-feely visitors had jeopardized it. They had started to protect it by putting a piece of Plexi-glass in front of the desk drawers because people kept handling them and were wearing them out. But then the humidity began to affect it – as well as other pieces and the buildings as well. So, to preserve the desk, they have put it in protective storage. But it can be seen digitally in pictures for the curious! Also, recommended by our friend was the bread in the restaurant. So, off we then went to the Restaurant de la Marine. Another period experience, we were presented with linen table napkins – explained as being quite oversized because in the period it was common practice to tie the napkin around one’s neck to protect the clothing. No, we did not. We were then presented with a pewter spoon. The only cutlery used during the era. One would butter one’s bread with the back of the spoon for example. We ordered a grilled cheese sandwich to split, not of the period, with brie, white and orange cheddar. It was on their spectacular fresh bread baked in the Fortress bakery. After filling up on this delight so rich it was wise to have split it, we obtained directions to the bakery to buy a loaf of bread. It was FRESH from the oven just as we arrived. In fact, so hot was it that Marilyn had a hard time carrying it in her backpack with outside temperatures at 30 degrees (feels like 34!) We casually strolled back to the shuttle pick up point and returned to the interpretive center where we picked up our copy of the history book and were underway to North Sydney for the ferry. On arrival in North Sydney about an hour later, we checked in with great news. Our reservation not only had the ‘pod’ (bunkbeds for two) booked for us but also a cabin for four AND our names were on the wait list for a cabin for two. Well, that was pretty funny. So, we cancelled the pod. She left our name on the list for the two-person cabin on the chance one came up because they were cheaper. Marilyn suggested that the price difference was nominal so we would be fine. It was wonderful how everything worked out and here I sit on my lower bunk across from M on hers as I write. Comfort and ease on our sea journey to Argentia, Newfoundland. We did, however, have a few hours to wait for the ferry to depart. So, we ventured in to town to visit the Dockside Festival that was occurring at the time. We stood in line for some time to get some ice cream and then sat to eat it while enjoying what I would call the best DJ playlist I have ever heard. So, we found the source and went over to compliment the gentleman on his choices. He was just tickled. It was a selection from the 50s through the 70s and they were all chart toppers – delightful!! On our stroll back to the ferry terminal, I had to stop and read the history boards along the way. That’s where I learned a bit about the Rum Runners back in the day. So, I must share some tantalizing historical tidbits. Prohibition started in Canada in 1910 and ran till 1925. But the U.S.A.’s period was 1920-1933. Of course, Canada supplied much booze to the U.S.A. once our prohibition was lifted. But here’s some neat tricks they used during our restriction period. Coastal Rum Runners would do three specific things to throw off the RCMP. First, they would reverse their running lights to confuse the police who would think they were approaching them when in fact they were sailing away. Second, they would burn oil to create a smoke screen to stop the chase. And finally, my favourite, when they were at risk of being caught/boarded they would attach a bag of salt to the barrel of contraband and toss it over board. The salt would weigh it down causing it to sink. However, the salt would dissolve after a few days and the barrel would pop back up to the surface again! Genius. They would then recover their bootlegged booze! I love reading these information boards posted around the towns. Fun facts and history for everyone. Back to the terminal, we showed our ID, passed through with our boarding passes, then sat to wait inside for an hour because waiting in the car would’ve melted us. The boarding process was slow and steady with not only cars and RVs but also large trucks and other unique cartage. Also, one giant pipe construction that will remain an absolute mystery but it was the first thing they loaded on the ship. While others did have to do the backup maneuvers, we timed ourselves perfectly and were invited to drive all the way around to face the way we came in. An easy elevator ride to deck 8 and into our cabin. We stopped for refreshments at the bar after dropping our gear in the cabin. I had an Iceberg Lager. It hit the spot. Marilyn had a Coke. From our starting point in Charlottetown, PEI, we have driven a total of 2019 kilometers hither and yon following our itinerary as well as taking some spontaneous side trips and detours because, as the brother of a friend has said, “it’s all about the detours!” Now, we relax until tomorrow morning on this 16 hour, 518 kilometer sail. AN ANNOUNCEMENT JUST INFORMED US - TWO HOURS INTO OUR SAIL - THAT DUE TO A MEDICAL EMERGENCY ON BOARD THE SHIP IS RETURNING TO PORT!! WE WILL RESUME OUR JOURNEY AFTER THE RETURN TO N. SYDNEY'S HARBOUR. Our thoughts are with the family involved. [Due to unreliable wifi on the ship, pictures will follow tomorrow!]

return to Foretress Louisbourgh

McLennan Museum

Katharine McLellan's scale model

pewter spoons modeled after recovered artifacts

tasty grilled cheese on the King's bread

5000lb cannons - lifted by gantrys

cannon base pulled by oxen

defensive window narrows to exterior

narrow view

our ship

ramping up to board

our cabin

time for an ice cold Iceberg ... refreshing

Nova Scotia, Canada

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 15:50:00 +0000

We were out like the tides first thing this morning as we set out to leave Antigonish. But first two stops. First at the Antigonish Farmer's Market as recommended by our server Jack from The Townhouse last night. They buy most of their produce, fruit, and meats from the market for the restaurant. He strongly recommended we find the Lobster Gals at the back of the Market to sample their lobster dip and try a lobster roll. So, in we strolled to the Market and were very impressed with the set up and quality of the crafts and foods available. One such craft was at the door to the market - fairy doors made from logs. You would never know they were solid wood. Visually the doors appeared surrounded by stones. But no, all hand painted. I was so tempted to bring a fairy door back for the rooftop garden for Broadway Lodge but we just don't have the room in our suitcases! Into the Market and around to the back, it wasn't difficult to locate the Lobster Gals! So much happy energy. One of them said, "when you know everyone, you can't help but visit!" We told them of Jack's recommendation and they seemed very pleased for that. We sampled both kinds of dips and bought what we think is a lobster french dip for our roadtrip. Then #10. Yup, a lobster roll for us to split later. The dip, frozen, kept it cool in our thermos bag. Then off we went for our next stop before leaving town. No word of a lie, we have only seen three Starbucks locations in the Maritimes. So, finally, it was time to stop for a drink. The location was actually on the St. Francis Xavier University Campus in this little building. Only a few studious individuals inside. But I'm sure it is hopping when in season! Starbucks in hand, we were off towards Sydney, Nova Scotia. On our way, we stopped at Port Hawkesbury for a curious detour to the Customs House Artisan Incubator. If that befuddles you - the local's craft shop. Though, that may be minimizing the talent of the artisans work within. I fell in love with a felted chickadee on a branch but too expensive and fragile to bring home. It was perfection, truly. We did get a small cutting board shaped creatively like a fish. It might be a nice board for my salmon ball in future!! It was a brief out of the way stop but worth it to appreciate the talent displayed within. Then we continued on the two hour and thirty-five minute (225km) drive to Louisbourg. The drive is beautiful yet rather tiring. When I get tired, we do share the driving. As we drove from town to town we came through Big Pond, Nova Scotia. Sound familiar? This is the home of Canada's own, the late, Rita MacNeil. When we realized where we were we immediately called up her music and listened to that hauntingly angelic voice. She made the drive wonderful! (I teared up when she sang with the Men of the Deep.) On arrival in Louisbourg, one can't help but wonder what armageddon has struck the trees all dead and leaning hither and thither or fallen like toothpicks. We asked at the interpretive centre at the entrance. Apparently, this damage (see photos) was done in 2022 by Hurricane Fiona if you can remember that natural disaster. The storm hovered over Louisbourg for five hours wreaking havoc. The town and surrounding area was severely damaged with some houses taking up to two years to be repaired. The Fort sustained very little damage - lost shingles on roofs, for example - because it was reconstructed to withstand extreme weather circumstances considering climate change of course. It is heartwrenching to see the tree damage. The Parks Department is not actively doing anything about it at this time. They are letting nature take its course. Part of the reason is because it is a park and bringing in big trucks and equipment would be such an eyesore they don't want to ruin the experience for visitors. I like their decision! And, I think it is a good education for visitors to understand the devastation of the storm as well. On arriving at the Fort, again a National Historic Site, we registered as they are collecting data on who is visiting this summer, and then entered free of charge. That was a $40.00 savings thank you very much. A shuttle then took us from the interpretive centre around the point and dropped us at the entrance to the Fort. A short walk to the gate, it is a city within the walls. We meandered about and listened to a talk describing the uniforms and the living conditions during the era. Then saw a gun demonstration of a replica 1734 Grenadier (I think that's what it was. Don't quote me as I may be entirely making that up). We had heard a gun fire earlier - VERY loud. So, this time we scurried into a house and watched through the window. Much more sane way to see/hear the shot! We spoke with a guard standing all alone in what seemed the middle of nowhere. However, he had a very important post. He was guarding the farm of the Governor aka Commandant. Within the fence were kept chickens, turkeys, pigeons among other delicacies. Many a soldier dreamt of a special meal from this little fenced in farm. The soldiers, unlike the commandant, were rationed six pounds of bread a week, had daily portions of salted pork or beef, and a handful of vegetables. Soldiers would combine their portions and cook themselves a stew. Were it not for this guard, their stew may have been quite a bit more enriched! At one end of this part of the fort was the Governor's house. It was part of a very lengthy building which first housed him, then officers, then the beautiful chapel. The very next portion of the building after a pass through, ironically, was the jail and then the remainder of the unit accommodated 500 soldiers. This was not an easy life. But men were lured from France with the promise of paid work, potential for marriage, and apparently lovely weather. Well, that last one was a doozy of a lie now wasn't it!! A quick summary of the Fortress of Louisbourg, as it is known. Built between 1713-1745, it was intended to protect the very rich French North American fishery as well as protect Quebec City from British Invasion. This is also where the nearby site of the first Canadian lighthouse was built (also by the French) for this very port in 1731. There is a long and fascinating history of battles fought here. One thing that interested me was the fact that the French would sink their own ships in the harbour to impair the passage of invading ships! These remains are still at the bottom of the harbour and I can't help but wonder what salvage or archeological pursuits have been explored. I walked into the property of a high ranking officer who had been, apparently, royalty from France. He had a very neat little garden with very wide pathways. It was pointed out to me the impracticality of this privileged man -- due to the wide pathways the garden was minimal and therefore very inefficient in its production of food. She directed me across the street to see a far more practical garden of a local with wooden boxes and narrow paths enabling them to use far more space for a heartier garden. Small things make such a difference. In speaking to this young Parks Canada representative, Emily, I had to ask, "what is the strangest question you've ever been asked?" She burst out laughing and said, "well, you know I'd like to think there's no such thing as a stupid question. But then one day someone asked me where we put the seagulls in the winter!" We laughed and then she kept on going - this was fun! Next, "someone once asked me if we drain the harbour at night!" To which I responded, "twice a day," and she followed up with, "and then we scrub it clean!" She was a hoot! I have to ask that question more often, it is so worth it! We continued our stroll after a quick stop for iced tea and lemonade. Then we boarded the shuttled and returned to the interpretive centre. We had to take a pause to rest and thus ate our little lobster roll picnic here. We cracked open a couple of Propeller Root Beers (made in Halifax) and relaxed. Then off to the site of the first Canadian Lighthouse. Following this excursion, short and sweet, we were back on the road to get to our hotel for the evening. We decided, one last errand for the day. Off we went (it was so close) to the World's Largest Fiddle! It is 55 feet tall and weighs 8 tonnes. It was completed in 2005 and represents the importance of fiddle music to the Cape Breton culture. It is a sight to see... and I bet it is hard to keep it in tune. Now we rest. Tomorrow we will board the ferry to Newfoundland. We are two weeks in and the adventures just keep getting better. Thank you Atlantic Canada for your hospitality.

This morning's trip to the market

if you look really close you will see the fairy doors

Yup, bought it. You would've too, you know it.

The Lobster Gals!

St. FX Starbucks

site of Canada's first lighthouse - this, I believe, is the third one on the site

saw these chairs up in the woods and thought, BRILLIANT

ruins from the first lighthouse site

Made it!

This sweet woman felt so bad that she walked into Marilyn's photo she offered to take a picture for us

beautiful craftwork

Rita MacNeil's hometown!

Free again, thank you!

Looking across to Fortress Louisbourgh

entering the fort

gotta love a good window

teaching a young man about the gun

getting the whole family in the picture

a great storytellyer

the chapel

the lone guard of the garden!

this long coat weighs 10lbs all on its own!

five layers of heavy materials makes this a warm and bug free zone

Fiddle at sunset

just a couple of posers

17 metres tall, the world's largest fiddle!

reminds me of Lily Tomlin's rocking chair!

And that's the truth, so there!

Loved the name of this little business!

Nova Scotia, Canada

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 15:50:00 +0000

Nova Scotia, Canada

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 15:50:00 +0000

Here we are on our last day in Halifax having had fun exploring the city and surrounding areas. The one location we won't make is the Public Gardens and based on the description of the park in the centre of the city, that is disappointing. However, we've had a lovely day just the same. Launching with oatmeal in our bellies, we took an Uber down to the port (the Uber is the same or less than the cost of parking without the hassle, so happy for that!) to get on the Harbour Hopper tour. Now, before I get there...we avoided a near catastrophe as Marilyn realized moments after getting out of the Uber that she had left her phone on the seat. Off we ran, shouting and waving frantically after the car as he drove through the empty lot he had dropped us at. I was sure we wouldn't catch him. Then I spotted a police officer who was now walking in front of the car which was now stopped to turn on to the street. YES, I got to yell at a cop and say, "stop that car!" (what fun!) And, he did! Hilarious ... almost not... but it was funny in the end. Who gets to say that to the police? ME! Crisis averted, on we went. On to the Harbour Hopper tour. The tour vehicle is a retrofitted Vietnam-era amphibious military vehicle. After boarding, our tour guide assured us that even though his name is Jonah, that's as close to a disaster as we will get today. And, he was right. His tour was enjoyable and entertaining. One of the first things he did was ask if there was anyone named Michael on board? He asked three times. With no response he then said, "we have to do a mic check before we depart!" A good chuckle from the 40 passengers on board. Lots of facts and a few good quips kept us all entertained for the 50 minute ride/sail. He asked what sort of splash we would like to experience as we entered the water... well, I was in the front seat with my camera so I was not interested in getting wet. However, everyone cheered to get wet - of course. So, I tucked the camera in the back pack and got nicely soaked as our driver/captain launched us into the Atlantic ocean. We did a nice cruise of the harbour which was great to see everything/place we knew from our wanderings from a different point of view. Again, so many facts, too much to remember. The two stories I will recall for you are as follows. Vincent Coleman was a train dispatcher in Halifax Harbour working for the Canadian Government Railway of the day. He was one of a very few who knew the volatile manifest of the Imo - the ship that crashed into the Mont Blanc causing the great Halifax explosion of December 6, 1917. He left his post and began to run away to save his life. When he suddenly realized a passenger train was due to enter Halifax shortly. So, he returned to his post and sent the following message: "Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbour making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye, boys." His heroic actions saved the 300 passengers on board this train as they were able to stop before reaching the blast zone. One of the harbour ferries is named for him. His name appears on the boat in both English and in Morse Code to recognize his communication. A fitting tribute to a genuine hero. The second story is of interest given I come from a family of journalists. This is the story of Joseph Howe who is known as one of Canada's greatest journalists. Born in 1804, he grew to become a popular journalist, politician, public servant, and poet. He was premier from 1860-63. He was also the 3rd Lieutenant Governor of the province but died 3 weeks into this role. But this is not for what he is most famous. When he was 23 years of age, Howe purchased the Novascotian newspaper and travelled around the province sharing his stories of the people and places. Howe frequently published the letters of people whose opinions were strong and challenged the norms of the time. It was soon discovered that Howe himself was writing many of these letters under different pen names. In 1835, he was charged with seditious libel for writings that argued politicians and police were on the take. (At the time, there were no laws protecting freedom of speech or the press.) Howe fought in court - for good reason, because he wrote the truth - and while representing himself in the litigation gave a six-hour statement arguing the merits and truths of his case. Both the judge and jury recognized the validity of his argument and he was acquitted. Thanks to his efforts in this case of self-defence, Howe is reputed to be the father of free speech/ free press in Canada. (There you go family, don't say I'm not a fan of journalism!) After we were back on land and disembarked our Harbour Hopper, we then had some delicious corn bread - yeah, strange right? It was a little shack in the Salt Street food market. It was quite different but just as flavourful as any corn bread I've sampled before. We had sat down in a shaded area on the pier to eat and a gentleman behind me asked where we were from. This started a lovely conversation with this older couple from San Francisco who had come to Nova Scotia to hike --- sadly, due to the drought and high fire risk all the parks/trails are closed. So, they were looking for other types of things to do. We had a great exchange of what we had done and their interests. Then he made a statement about U.S. politics being such a disaster. We said, we don't like to say anything to keep the peace! They then went on about how awful and sad it is to be American and she said she wished to be Canadian. We then showed her the picture and directed her to the little shop with the "elbows up" and "Canada's Not for Sale" t-shirts. She was thrilled and said she would buy the not for sale shirt! They were such a lovely couple to visit with. We wished them well on the rest of their journey and were on our way. We walked over to the Maritime Museum, grabbed another Uber (who wants to walk uphill in this heat?) and went to the Citadel. This National Historic Site is at the heart of the city and part of Parks Canada and, thanks again Mr. Prime Minister, the park is free to all for the summer. I have to say how much I appreciate the idea of the parks being free to encourage tourism within our own Country. We do have a special home in Canada. The Citadel dates back to 1749. This is when the British chose to construct a strategic naval base to counter the French port on Cape Breton Island (Louisbourg). Spoiler alert - in all its years prepared to defend the port, it has never been attacked. Still, four versions of the Citadel have been constructed through the centuries. First, earth and log forts which served through the seven years war. The second was during the American Revolution. The third during the Napoleonic Wars and the war of 1812. The final more sustainable stone Citadel was built after 1815 to be a more powerful station. From 1828 to 1856 construction continued until completion. A dry moat surrounds the star-shaped structure (two cannons at the each point of the star). The logic of the dry moat, according to Jonah, is that they allowed the grass surrounding the Citadel to grow as tall as it could - so, attacking troops would never know when they would reach the edge and fall in the moat and be taken prisoner. Of course, as previously mentioned, they were never attacked so this logic has never been tested! Thousands of soldiers and their families have called the Citadel and area home. There is a famous clock tower facing the harbour at the edge of the Citadel. It is said that it was built by one commander because his men were frequently arriving late to duty... who knows! But it remains an accurate local timepiece. British troops remained at the Citadel until 1906. After that, Canadian troops, through two world wars, occupied the base until 1952 when it was transferred from the Department of National Defence to Parks Canada. We toured the Canadian Army Museum within the Citadel as well and found that experience fascinating. As time marches on, it is so valuable to have such informative resources with such personal stories relayed within. One story that stood out for me, actually two, centred around bottles of champagne. The first was about the end of the war when a particular batallion distributed a bottle of champagne to each soldier when news that the end of the war had come. Everyone but this one soldier drank their bottle. He decided to save his for the birth of his first son. He and his wife had four daughters. The bottle was saved and as he approached the end of his life he chose finally to enjoy the treasured souvenir. The second story was of another group of soldiers and a fine bottle of champagne. This group of soldiers would gather each year to remember their time together. It was agreed that this keepsake bottle be saved for the last of them surviving to consume in their memory. When it was coming to that time, the remaining soldiers decided they would donate the unopened bottle to the museum as a historic record. These were our heroes who fought for our country. They shall never be forgotten. So many stories. This was our day. We went back to the hotel to relax in the pool thinking it would be a quiet time assuming everyone still out touring about. We were mostly right. There were two young kids in the water quietly playing. But, it really didn't matter much. That swim I had so looked forward to lasted only about 15 minutes. I don't think they heat the pool. It was so darn cold even I couldn't tolerate it!! Marilyn hardly got wet - she's far less water oriented than I am... it was a disappointment yet still rather refreshing. Back upstairs to relax until dinner time. We are excited to see friends and former neighbours from New West, Jim and Ray. At 6:00 we left the hotel for the brief stroll over to 5 Fishermen where we were to meet Jim and Ray. What a happy reunion as we connected upstairs. We had a wonderful visit enjoying some reminiscing and lots of puppy talk as that was how we originally met - through our dog walking connection. Well, and Marilyn and Jim's Starbucks connection as well. We had many laughs, some puppy tears, but mostly a delightful evening with friends. I have to add, what a terrific server we had this evening. As soon as she knew we were visiting, she took it upon herself to ensure that our evening was perfect. She brought us a complimentary sparkling wine to toast our visit. She brought us each a rose. AND, she even brought us each a dessert sampler. She pulled out all the stops to add to what was already a very special reunion. Sadly, we did not get her name (unusual for us) - so we may only say a hearty thank you to the wonderful young woman who treated us like royalty this evening. So much appreciated. The time flew by. The hour came for Jim and Ray to head home to take Pete the pup out for a pee! And so, we had good hugs and parted ways -- until next time gentlemen. A fond farewell. Tomorrow, we leave for Antigonish as we head towards Newfoundland with stops along the way.

a pretty wall mural - at least 4 stories high

our ride arrives for the tour

up the stairs to our seats in front

the Citadel clock tower

Jonah, our tour gide

entry gates to the Public Gardens we missed. Note the side entrances are always open to the public. The main centre gates are only opened for royalty. The Queen visited in 2014 and they were opened for her!

looked back to the pier from the water - we've eaten at a few of these joints with two trips to Halifax in two years!

we had lunch here yesterday!

The Vincent Coleman

The Silva -- unfortunately, their tour didn't fit our schedule

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

this ship is the largest 'piece' in the collection of the maritime museum

A VERY expensive yacht in the harbour. Value and origin unknown but Jamaican flag is flying. (This ship was so big, when M and I sat by it earlier we watched 3 deckhands 'swab the decks'!) We were told that recently a yacht valued at 99 million euros was in port... now that must've been a sight to behold!

M tries on a Sou'wester. She's ready for a storm!

The Citadel

another view of the clock tower

FREE! Thank you!

the dry moat

at the Citadel

LOVE the earplugs near the pipers!

Soldiers on the march, guided by a piper

expansive grounds of the Citadel

dry moat

waiting for our tour... a hot and sunny day (and it's only 9:15)

The Harbour Hopper

George's Island

on board

after our tour!

anti-seagull falcon

meet Nova

This little boy asked M if she would take his picture with the soldier. After, he kindly offered to take ours. Then we bumped into him outside - he was quick to check to make sure the picture he took was ok. Charming!!

where we met Jim and Ray tonight

the story of my lobster rolls!!!

sablefish... delicious!

5 fishes feature for Marilyn (mussels substituted for fish!)

a wonderful time to catch up with dear friends Jim and Ray!

PBJ chocolate ganache dessert... no words

and the extra dessert sampler

roses courtesy of our lovely server this evening!

Nova Scotia, Canada

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 15:50:00 +0000

Nova Scotia, Canada

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 15:50:00 +0000

Today, for us, was officially Maud Lewis Day. After breakfast we sauntered down the road to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia to tour the Maud Lewis Gallery. What a treat. I had heard of Maud and had noted she was a colourful folk artist but that's as far as I had observed. Today, my eyes were opened with the beauty of her lively, colourful art. Let me tell you her story... Maud Kathleen Dowley (Lewis) was born in 1901 in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. It is described that she was born with "some birth defects". In later years they observed that by today's diagnostic standards they would say she had crippling juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. This affected her mobility and particularly her hands. In 1938, at the age of 34, she married Everett Lewis a fishpeddler from Marshalltown. "According to Everett, Maud showed up at his doorstep in response to an ad he had posted in the local stores for a "live-in or keep house" for a 40-year-old bachelor. Several weeks later, they married. They lived in Everett's one-room house with a sleeping loft, in Marshalltown, a few miles west of Digby. Maud used the house as her studio, while Everett took care of the housework. They lived mostly in poverty." (Again, thanks Wikipedia.) Over the years, Maud painted Christmas cards - which she sold for a nickel - and commissioned paintings (her popularity grew and grew over the years). But what is so unique about Maud and this story is that she also painted her house. And by her house, I mean the staircase, the doors, the windows, the trays, cookie tins, the wood stove. If it was a surface it would be painted and repainted by the artist. Her painting is vibrant yet simple, colourful and dimensional. Her paintings represent joy to me. I can't imagine someone in so much pain producing such cheerful, happy work. And yet she did. So many artists who suffered from various impairments in their lives represented their melancholy or pain in the darkness of their work. And yet, all I see in hers is beauty and joy as she captures the vibrant scenes of Maritime life. Her career as an artist - where she found inspiration and such - is worthy of further reading. All in all, it is inspiring. Mostly the two travelled to sell her works. But as her health deteriorated she rarely left their tiny one-room home. It was here that not a surface was left untouched - she painted everything. And that was what we saw today. In the museum gallery dedicated to her, is her actual HOUSE! It is a very long story, but suffice it to say it was dismantled in Marshalltown into ten separate pieces and shipped eventually to Halifax. It was carefully documented during this process and reassembled and restored to the beautiful treasure that it is today. Maud died in 1970 and Everett in 1979. By 1984, the house was disintegrating into terrible disrepair but it was a group of locals who lobbied over time with success to preserve this little house and save the incredible history therein. So, how little is this house in which they resided for over 30 years? It is 13 feet 6 inches along the front, 12 feet 6 inches along the side, and at its peak only 14 feet 4 inches high. With a southern orientation, Maud would sit at the largest window to paint. When you see the house in the gallery, it is hard to imagine living in a house with no running water or toilet facilities all those years. Yet, she made it a comfortable home with her brightly coloured expressions everywhere. This, if in Halifax, is a sight not to be missed. I fell in love with her art, as did Marilyn. Thank you Maud Lewis for sharing your wonderful imagination and talents with this legacy of remarkable folk art. Following this experience, we strolled down to the waterfront to a little mall we had encountered last year on our cruise. The same shopkeeper was running the bookstore which I had to check out of course. I bought two L.M. Montgomery books - reproductions of her original manuscripts of Anne of Green Gables and the Blue Castle with her notes in the margins. Those should be a fun, if not challenging, read! (I remember the shopkeeper well because I mistakenly asked her if it was a Newfoundland accent I was hearing to which she promptly asserted, "no, Miramichi of course!" (New Brunswick - oops!) From there we found the Cool as a Moose store to pick up some more lobster gummies. Come on! They are just so yummy and only Cool as a Moose has them. Yes, I bought a couple packages. Then our day took a completely different turn as we picked up the car and drove to Bedford Basin where Marilyn's cousin Pattie and her pup Darcy reside. We had a wonderful visit - went for a walk in Admiral Wolfe Park on the water in a beautiful bay. The ocean air was delicious and I couldn't get enough of it. We sat on a bench for awhile and watched an osprey circle and dive endlessly. FINALLY, it dove in the water and surfaced with a fish and flew away. THAT was a wonderful thing to behold. We had decided that we would pick up dinner to return to her place and relax. And, yes keep up, this translates to lobster roll number six. This one we shall rank as number 3! We sat and visited for several hours the two of them sharing family stories and having a grand old time! The hour came when we had to depart and back we drove to our hotel. As we entered the hotel, I thought I was losing it as I heard someone call my name... I spun around and there before me was a peer from Vancouver who works for SafeCare BC. I respect her work very much so found this to be a special treat! We visited for a moment as they are in the Maritimes for a two-week adventure travelling the opposite direction. Boy, can I recommend where to get a good lobster roll!! That was it for today - an easy day and certainly deserved given all our touring twists and turns to date. Tomorrow: a ferry to Dartmouth and Pier 21 for some more explorations!

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia

First glimpse of Maud and Everett Lewis's little house

the front door (door attached to the house is the storm door)

inside the house

inside - security is always close to prevent anyone from touching the house in any way it is so fragile

a remarkable space uniquely decorated

window to her world (painted of course)

Maud Lewis

the other side of the door...many layers of paint from touch ups over the years

The house on site

after Everett died it was falling apart

the house in a shambles before restoration

Moving and reassembling the dismantled house

she painted everything - tin before and after restoration

a tin tray painted

at the little mall outside the bookstore - some Canadiana

rather a strong likeness of PET

This shop definitely has something to say!

just loved this not so little guy!

a gallery built for a little house!

appreciating her work

we two in front of the little house

Cool as a Moose!

little Darcy

At the park

'sit Darcy!'

Pattie and Marilyn

Bedford Basin view to the bay

Lobster roll #6... big chunks of lobster!

Nova Scotia, Canada

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 15:50:00 +0000

Up with the chickens and out the door, today we head to Halifax but first we stop at Peggy's Cove. From Lunenberg it is a 100km or 69 minute drive to the Cove. The traffic was steady and we were VERY glad we set out early. We got to Peggy's Cove around 10:45am and it was already very busy. Finding a parking space almost immediately, we began our stroll toward the lighthouse and the granite coastline. With a first stop at the visitor centre, we found out where we would be best served to buy a t-shirt for Marilyn and grab a bite to eat. They kindly directed us to the grey building at the top of the hill. And, so off we went taking scenic pictures along the way - it is an historic fishing village dating back to 1811. The history originates from six fishermen who had been fishing the area of St. Margaret's Bay for years. This cove was a safe harbour from which to venture and land their catches. In 1811, the province issued a land grant (the first of its kind) of 800 acres and thus the community was born. At its peak, there were 300 members in the community. But who is Peggy, you might ask? Some will tell you it is short for Margaret and an appropriate name for a small cove at the mouth of St. Margaret's Bay. However, many will share a romantic tale of a young woman who after being rescued from a shipwreck settled in the cove and fell in love with one of her rescuers. It is said that people would often come to visit this famous 'Peggy of the Cove' and thus it eventually became known as Peggy's Cove. Me, I prefer the romantic story, it just seems to fit! In the spirit of this adventure, we have seen countless white churches of various denominations. Most commonly: Anglican, United, Baptist, and Evangelical Lutheran. Few Roman Catholic have graced our path. Here in Peggy's Cove there is a modest chapel that was built in 1850 and rebuilt in the 1880s having become so weather-worn. Consecrated in 1885, St. John's Anglican church stands as the only white church we've seen with a red roof. It matches the lighthouse in its traditional red and white representation. Take note, there is no graveyard for this church for lack of topsoil on the granite bedrock. Therefore, the graveyard for this church is actually located in Hackett's Cove nearby at St. Peter's Anglican Church! The famous lighthouse of Peggy's Cove was constructed in 1868. Although, this particular one is the second one - constructed in 1914. It is an octagonal tower standing 44 feet tall. Fun fact, it was chosen to represent Nova Scotia on a twenty-five cent piece for the Canada 125th birthday limited coin series in 1992. This lighthouse is fully automated and ensures safe passage for all vessels travelling the shores. (it is a 400-watt light!) One interesting moment on this adventure was the eerie sound of bagpipes I could hear as we approached the lighthouse. Down upon the smooth granite rocks, we observed a loan piper who's next haunting melody drew us closer as he played Amazing Grace. A wonderful aside is that Peggy's Cove has been fully wheelchair accessible since October 2021. A beautifully designed viewing platform blends naturally with the granite stone which sees thousands of visitors to the Cove each year. It is impressive to see such inclusive efforts. The platform has received a gold rating from the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification program. (Broadway Lodge has an accessibility rating with the same RHF program, but we didn't quite achieve the gold rating!) From our wander on the rocks, we entered the shop/restaurant and sat down for lunch. Okay, I'm predictable. I had my 5th lobster roll. It ranked number three of five in quality. A little shopping after for Marilyn's token t-shirt and then we strolled back downhill to the car. We observed the crowds had multiplied significantly and the tours were taking over the space. It was getting a bit crazy. So grateful for our early start today. Next stop... Halifax! Our drive along the coastal backroads was beautiful - so many little coves with docks and boats and tiny islands along the way. I could've stopped constantly for pictures but time and traffic did not allow for such sentimentality! 44km and 46 minutes later we arrived in Halifax. Straight to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic to see the Titanic Exhibit we had missed when on our cruise stop here last year. I had high hopes for this exhibit but, truth be told, of all the museum exhibits this is the most disappointing one yet. In my experience, each museum or travelling show is designed to feature the significance of the Titanic to the geographic area (I have been to Seattle, Victoria, and Las Vegas for travelling shows. To Liverpool, England and Cohb, Ireland as well as Southampton, England and St. John's, Newfoundland - which we will see again on this trip as well as Cape Race.) The best example is Southampton. This, of course, is from where the Titanic set out on its maiden and final voyage. The overwhelming significance is the fact that the majority of the ship's crew came from Southampton. Of the 724 Titanic crew members from Southampton, 549 perished in the sinking. Think of the devastating loss to this community - fathers, brothers, sons, and uncles lost in one ocean tragedy. Their museum (a wonderful visit with our cousins the Wallings and Gensales last year), told the tragic story perfectly. Absolutely perfectly. Today's visit which I thought would heavily feature the role Halifax played in the aftermath of the disaster - the recovery, return and burial of the lost souls. It was minimally covered. Perhaps because it is a gruesome side of the story. I don't know. But the exhibit is brief at best. My take away (I had already found two books at Peggy's Cove that I did not have in my collection) was a re-release of a book called The Sinking of the Titanic, first published in 1912. Actually, I have two original copies of another 1912 release that tells the stories of the ship, the sinking, and the survivors. I was quite tickled to see the book behind the glass on display knowing I had two at home! (I didn't read the book till one day a mysterious copy arrived in the mail. It turned out my brother Patrick's wife had found it at a book sale at her church, I believe. My other copy, oddly enough, also originated from a second hand bookstore in Victoria that I found while on another cruise! With two copies now on hand, I was not so concerned about handling it and finally enjoyed the read! Thanks Patrick and Sande!!!) We wandered about the rest of the museum and spent some time reading about the Halifax Explosion that took place in 1917 when two ships collided in the Harbour one of which was loaded with disastrously volatile explosives. The ensuing explosion flattened Halifax. "Approximately 1,963 people died in the Halifax Explosion on December 6, 1917. In addition to the deaths, about 9,000 people were injured, and approximately 6,000 were left homeless. The explosion, caused by a collision between two ships in Halifax Harbour, one of which was carrying explosives, was the largest human-made explosion before the advent of nuclear weapons." (Again, thanks Wikipedia for these stats.) From there, we set out on our next Titanic related mission to the Fairview Lawn Cemetery. It was there in 1912 that 150 of the victims of the sinking were laid to rest. There are actually three cemeteries in Halifax wherein victims are buried. The White Star line paid for the lots to have plain granite gravestones erected with the inscription: "Died: April 15, 1912" There is also an identification number on each as well. This fits with the identification process that was developed following the disaster to make note of and log identifying characteristics, clothing, jewellery, and other personal effects. (They used the same system to identify victims of the Halifax Explosion disaster as well.) You will see in our photos that some of the families chose to erect more personal and elaborate gravestones for their loved ones. It is here at Fairview Lawn Cemetery that we found the heartbreaking monument to the "unknown child". Note that the child was much later identified as you will see in the photos. In 1930, the White Star Line created a trust to pay for the perpetual care of these three cemeteries where victims lay at rest. And so ended our adventures for the day. We returned to the downtown area to check in to our hotel and rest. Incidentally, I now have only two more museums: Cherborg, France and Belfast, Ireland to complete my Titanic pilgrimage. Uh oh, on reading one of my new books, I have discovered there are replicas of the ship's first class and parts of the world's largest private Titanic collection in Branson, Missouri and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee -- I guess that's a trip in the future as well! (That is of course, after we visit the show in St. John's again and venture down to Cape Race, Newfoundland to the site where the first receipt of a distress message was received from the ship that fateful night.)

scenic Peggy's Cove

the 1914 constructed light house

a well worded warning

the lone piper

the ocean smoothed granite of Peggy's Cove

lobster roll #5

a neat feature at the bar!

check out the name on this fated dory

Halifax at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

this recovered bit of a chair helped them to understand how to weave the cane seat on the found deck chair

a found deck chair with newly woven cane -- apparently many deck chairs were thrown overboard to help people float in the water

never seen this format before

the shoes of the unknown child - most of the clothing of victims was burned in piles in Halifax to prevent looters from taking souvenirs. However, when it came to burning these little shoes, the police captain on duty didn't have the heart hoping to pass them to the parents if found. He tucked them in his pocket.

This is the book of which I happen to have two copies

this is one heck of a lightbulb!

Fairview Lawn Cemetery

Cemetery

Each of these unique headstones was paid for by families

Note that years later they identified the 'unknown child' and placed a stone to that effect in front of this monument

Alma's body was found but her four children were all lost. They named them here just the same.

NOT the J Dawson from the movie, FYI. These smaller, simpler gravestones were provided by the White Star Line

A very humbling experience to witness this place of rest and remembrance

150 victims of this disaster laid to rest here

Our little abode in Lunenberg

Homeport Motel, Lunenberg

more Canadiana along our route from Lunenberg

the church in Peggy's Cove

Puffin at Peggy's Cove!

Peggy's Cove

one of three cemeteries in Halifax where victims were buried (most notably the unknown child's grave though later identified.)

Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax

Nova Scotia, Canada

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 15:50:00 +0000

From our base in Lunenberg, we set out to Mahone Bay for the day. It is only 11.1km or 14 minutes away and known as one of the prettier villages along the southern Nova Scotia coastline. Now, if you were a boater, this is the place to be as the bay is home to 100 small islands including the famous Oak Island. We first found the famous post card shot of the three churches in a row along the waterfront. Later, we drove around the bay to the opposite side and pulled out to get the photo! (included here, of course) We found a little shop called The Teazer and because of its colourful and appealing appearance, we opted for a visit. There was a shop clerk, Hannah, who was so darn friendly her cheerful demeanour, with her Nova Scotia accent, could knock you over with a dose of happiness thrown in. She's the poster girl for Nova Scotia and Atlantic hospitality, that's for sure! And, honestly, how lovely - she just made you feel so good. Her colleague, Leah, was equally sweet but Hannah carried the tourism hospitality weight there for sure. We didn't realize we were so close to Oak Island - you may be familiar with the show that follows the historical treasure hunt mystery still under exploration and excavation to this day. So, with directions from Hannah, we set out to find Oak Island. A 25 minute drive from Mahone Bay - more on the Bay later - we encountered the narrow causeway and crossed seeing a parking lot ahead. Once there we were greeted by a charming woman who informed us that if we did not have a ticket in hand we would not be able to join the tours as she cannot sell them. (Buy online only.) However, she pointed us to the monument commemorating the four people (treasure hunters) who have perished over the years treasure-hunting. We then turned around and drove back over the causeway because a large tour had just ended and the traffic was going to be heavy. Of course, with that logic, we still stopped at the little unofficial gift shop filled with hand crafted treasures made by a local woman and her twin sister. So, Oak Island - well, a bit of a bust but we can say we set foot on Oak Island, Nova Scotia. A bit of history about the treasure.In 1641, a Spanish galleon, the Concepcion, foundered on a reef off the coast of Hispanionla. The ship split in two and in 1687 Willaim Phips recovered 25 tons of mainly silver from the bow section of the ship and returned famously to England. But it was the stern of the ship that had even richer treasures of gold and gems, so it is said. He returned with Lord Mordaunt where - long story short - by 1688 had located the stern and the treasure. It was divided between them for protective purposes and Phips was sent to hide his portion of the treasure until it was safe. It is said that the lost treasure would be worth $60 million in today's value. The well, known today as the Money Pit, began in August of 1688. In April of 1689, Phips returned to the location but the treasure was already for all intents and purposes lost because the bedrock in which he had hidden it was water-soluable. sixty years later, as Lunenberg was emerging as a settlement, the British Government resolved to ensure that the lost treasure would never be found. Military engineers of the time were sent to excavate the flood tunnel. By 1754 the Money Pit was believed flooded for posterity. Treasure hunters searched with great determination throughout the twentieth century finding only small indicators of tunnel infrastructure, date-marked carved stones, and the odd coin of these old periods. Much money invested and mystery has been told through writings and a History Channel series in recent years. Marty and Rick Lagina of Michigan, USA have spent the bulk of the money. It is said that $20-50 million has been spent on this futile effort. I watched the series for a short period years ago. It was the most boring yet well-edited show given that they kept your interest piqued as they led you from one moment of nothing exciting to yet another. You would have to be a real Oak Island mystery die-hard to have watched that whole series! And yet, we drove 25 minutes out of our way for pure curiosity! Back in Mahone Bay, we had stopped at the Visitor Centre which is mobile right now because road work prevents you from accessing the building! So, we chatted with these lovely locals who provided maps. This included a special map of the Faerie Trails of Mahone Bay. This lovely little walking tour takes you across the Aquatic Gardens bridge and invites you to turn left to the Faerie homes. Now, either Mahone Bay is blessed to have a community of delightful faeries residing here or some extremely gifted artisans have had faeries visit them in their sleep to guide them on how to create a magical faerie trail to get lost along. As we left, Marilyn said a ladybug was on my back. In truth, I believe that to be a faerie out for a wander in Mahone Bay! Before the faerie expedition, we had stopped at Rebecca's. A little roadside restaurant that called to us to stop for lunch. Guess what I ate? Yup, another lobster roll. Number four of the trip and it ranked in taste and quality as number two. The Lobster Barn (PEI) still holds at first place. We did a little stroll along the streets of Mahone Bay and then decided to head back to base for a nap. We still have to get back to Lunenberg's waterfront to visit the Bluenose II don't forget! Let's talk Lunenberg for a moment. "Lunenburg was named in honor of King George II, who was also the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, a title that reflects his ancestral home in Germany. The town was established in 1753 by the British to create a planned Protestant settlement and was named to acknowledge the Duke's connection to the region of Lüneburg. Prior to its renaming, the area was known as Merligueche to the Acadians and to the Mi'kmaq as E'se'katik, meaning "place of clams"" (Thank you Wikipedia for these facts.) Nap taken care of, we decided to head back into the town for our dinner and to take in the Bluenose II. We parked in the main lot and strolled over to the dock where the Bluenose II schooner is moored. The place was abuzz with international visitors roaming and photographing the deck, the masts, and the dramatic riggings of the ship. Admiring the douglas fir deck - pristine - and the polished brass fixtures, it was a treat to wander about the schooner. A schooner, by the way, is a two-masted, wooden sailboat. Nearby her neighbour is the three-masted Picton Castle (built in Selby, Yorkshire, England in 1928) and another schooner that does tours. Even when not under sail these are beautiful vessels. A picture tells a thousand words, as they say, so we have numerous to share here. A few facts about the Bluenose II include that it was constructed in exactly the same shipyard in Lunenberg as the first Bluenose. They followed the same design of hull, rigging and sail plan as well. And, some of the same craftsmen actually had worked on both ships. It was launched July 24, 1963 and sold to the province of Nova Scotia in 1971 for one dollar. The sailing prowess of the first Bluenose, a working fishing vessel, as it competed in the International Fisherman's Races was renowned. It was the undefeated champion from the second race until its defeat in the last in 1938. When the first Canadian ship raced and lost to the American schooner in 1920, the Nova Scotians quickly commissioned a new schooner to compete! Thus the legend of the Bluenose began. From the deck of the Bluenose II, we disembarked and looked back at the shoreline dotted with restaurants. Last night I had studied reviews and chosen the Grand Bankers based on its reviews. Tonight, foolishly, we just made a random choice. We went to a place called the Dockside. It was a HORRIBLE experience. Remember Hannah from earlier today in Mahone Bay - the epitomy of hospitality and service? Well, tonight Jared at this joint flushed the concept of hospitality down the toilet with a bang. He started out so friendly. But when 30 minutes had gone by and we didn't have our food we asked politely how long it would be. He snapped! Yelling at us, he said, "there are 28 tables inside and these two were here before you - AND - YOU ordered scallops!" He stormed off. WHAT THE???? Even the table beside us said, "that was rude." So, we sat and stewed on this for another 15 minutes before our food arrived. Had we not had drinks, we would have left in that very moment. Our food finally arrived and I said nothing to him. It was mediocre. We got the bill and left. Somehow he found his polite self again when he brought the bill. But too little too late. No tip. A tip is for service. We received none and in fact were so offended by his behaviour, I wrote a Yelp review and gave one star. (I didn't know if you could give zero!) This prompted me to check their rating...2.5 stars. Well, the lesson here is to do exactly what we had done the night before and check reviews to inform decisions. Lunenberg, you've got a lemon in your midst. Following dinner, I needed a pick me up... no, not a drink, a horse and buggy ride! We booked the private carriage. It is an original carriage from the 1880s and this company is the fifth owner of this beautiful piece of history. Our horse, 7-year old Doc, guided us slowly around the town while Sam, our guide and the youngest of ten children whose father was the blacksmith in town, regaled us with stories of the amazing historic homes and buildings throughout. It turns out that Lunenberg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is the oldest British grid system settlement. That seems such a small detail for such a beautiful location. It ranks as one of the most beautiful towns in Canada as well. You will note the bright, cheerful, and diverse colours featured throughout the town. Apparently, the reason is simple. Homes were painted with leftover paint from the ships. Ships were painted brightly to be seen on the waters. These homes have great history and there was far too much detail for me to remember to log here. However, a few tidbits include - stain glass windows are observed over the doors of the houses of the wealthier homeowners as a sign of their wealth. (Apparently, stained glass was shipped over from England wrapped in seaweed to protect it. Later, it was shipped in barrels of molasses for protection! Sam quipped, "it made for a rather sticky situation when unpacking it!") Also, the more carved features, known as gingerbread, seen around the exterior of the homes were also meant as displays of wealth. Many of the homes were built by the same carpenters who built the ships. And, because each carpenter had their own style one can discern which carpenter built different homes by their unique signature carvings. One house that amused me was the Lennox house. Sam pointed out that one of the windows to the left of the entrance was installed visibly crooked. He added, "Lennox must have sampled some of his own rum from the Inn before he installed this window!" The Lennox Inn was literally across the street from his home. I would have loved to have found a little history book about the different houses but this was not to be unfortunately. So, I enjoyed the history and the delightful quips and stories from our guides Sam and Doc in the moment! On Sam's recommendation, we set out for some tasty ice cream following our tour, drove around to the other side of the harbour and took some panoramic pictures of the town. Because it is built on a hill, everything is nicely staggered up the hill to allow for some lovely scenic photography. The ice cream soothed our souls as did Sam and Doc. A welcome relief and a nice end to our stay in Lunenberg. Tomorrow we resume our tour of Nova Scotia and are off to Peggy's Cove as we head to Halifax.

Safe motoring... lol... on the way out of Mahone Bay

a warm welcome

Mahone Bay

One of the three famous churches side by side

another of the Mahone Bay churches

another of the three churches

the concert gazebo where the visitor's center is temporarily locate

A framed view of the Bay from the gazebo

Little Sydney (2.5) an Aussie-poodle.

a church on the way that caught my eye

Oak Island memorial

Oak Island Causeway

just my colour!

the perfect map showing our travels

museum in Chester with details of Oak Island

a wonderful antique in Chester visitor center

lobster roll #4 in Mahone Bay at Rebecca's

spectacular Mahone Bay scallops at Rebecca's

the Aquatic Gardens, home to the Faeries...

lovely local art

creative bench

cheerful colours in Mahone Bay

the first of the faerie scenes

The Bluenose II

this is called a phone booth

Doc, meet Marilyn

our 1880s carriage

The blacksmith shop owned by Sam's dad... now the Ironworks Distillery

Lennox's crooked window

The Lennox Inn

Sam and Doc

more weath

a great example of a wealthier home owner

Lunenberg

the famous three church photo

Together on the Bluenose II

Lunenberg harbour

Our guide, Sam.

Known as the UNESCO Fresco for their bright colours

Lunenberg panorama

Osprey nest

Nova Scotia, Canada

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 19:40:00 +0000

New Brunswick, Canada

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:40:00 +0000

To date, according to our odometer, we have travelled 966 kilometres on our Maritime/Newfoundland adventures. "Off in a cloud of smoke and steam" as one of my residents used to say many years ago! We started out ahead of schedule this morning with the intention of breakfast at IHOP, drove right past it and on to the highway heading south. We were long gone before we realized we forgot to stop for breakfast. On this morning's agenda was another genealogical stop. Today we are looking for the grave of Squire William Thomas Howard. He is buried with two of his three wives and his son who died at age 20 by drowning. It was about 40 minutes or 80km south of Moncton. I just have to say 'thank you' to our GPS. We cruised along the roads enjoying the beautiful woods surrounding us and then she kindly announced 'turn right here'. We would have surely missed the hidden entrance to the cemetery were it not for her! A small cemetery, we drove the little road, about 30 or 40 feet long and stopped right in front of Squire Howard's grave. How amazing is that? Literally, it was right there on our left as we looked out the window. I envisioned us walking the grounds on another search and he just jumped out at us. This timeworn headstone remained standing tall as I remembered it from 1985 on my visit with Noreen Howard. It reads: In memory of WILLIAM HOWARD, Esq. Died Jan. 7, 1879: IN THE 63 YEAR OF HIS AGE. A NATIVE OF CO. KERRY, IRELAND. ALSO, HIS FIRST WIFE, MARY, DIED AUG. 9, 1854, A NATIVE OF CO. WATERFORD, IRELAND. ALSO, HIS SECOND WIFE. MARY DIED OCT. 26, 1870 ALSO HIS SON JAMES WHO WAS DROWNED FEB. 20, 1870 IN THE 20 YEAR OF HIS AGE His death was caused by the angry wave. But now he sleeps in a silent grave, O rest thy soul life's struggle is past, Thou sought for heaven, gained at last. Thy friends are left behind to mourn And think of those who shall ne'er return. Quite a tribute this near forgotten headstone. On a road in the near middle of nowhere, easy to miss and pass right by. A silent space with birds cawing and chirping melodies all around to bring life to this resting place. Incidentally, the second Mary is my great-great-great grandmother for those keeping track! I'm so grateful to Marilyn for her patience and support on my quest to locate the graves of these two days. (I kinda think she got into the search anyway and who would've thought it would be so easy! I think the Howards were are reaching out to me!) Returning to the road, we travelled back the way we came leaving St Isidore Agricola Roman Catholic cemetery and got back on the highway. Aware we hadn't eaten yet, we couldn't resist the name J.J.'s Diner on the road signs. We turned off and pulled up to a very non-descript building thinking, was it worth the detour? Entering the little diner the first thing we noticed was the black and white checkerboard floor... it was about to meet the theme standard! It was a quaint little diner with red vinyl booths and much nostalgia hung throughout. Most obvious was the band of license plates that hung the full perimeter of the diner. They were from all over the US and Canada. Fun. Marilyn ordered her basted eggs and I craved oatmeal. We were served by an enthusiastic and kind young woman who was tickled by Marilyn's reaction to the quality of her eggs. "I will be sure to tell the kitchen. They were very worried about it because they don't get many orders for basted eggs!" She smiled and toodled off to the kitchen. As we sat there, with the spirit of spontaneity emerging, we searched for local venues to consider. I read a few ideas out to Marilyn and then found the perfect detour. We would be going an hour out of our way to Fredericton but why not? On this pretty drive we were off to the Purrfect Cup - this little coffee shop would feature the only cat cafe in the Maritimes! They prefer you book an appointment but we decided we would try a drop by and see what would happen - a risk, given we were going an hour out of our way. On arriving, we ordered a latte each and found the operators stewing over whether they should let us in or not. There was a group of nine due in at 1pm. It was 12:30 now. We said we would leave as soon as their group arrived and said we were from the West Coast. Well, politeness and a congenial approach will pretty much always pay off. They were impressed we were so far from home. Coffees in hand, we passed through the door into the cat area, slipped off our shoes and headed straight for the kitties! Eight little critters in varying states of repose either ignored or smiled at us - hard to say in some cases. One little one was a devil racing around chasing a ball. Others slept in their towers. Marilyn found a sweet thing reminiscent of Tigger and introduced herself. I took pictures and drank my latte. We spent a delightful 30 minutes with these lovely kitties. The cafe was opened in 2018 and since that time they have adopted out over 800 cats - imagine that! On our trip to China, while in Shanghai, we wandered down an alley late one evening whereupon we found ourselves in a similar yet very different cat cafe. I imagine food safety standards are very different over there. Here the cats and the cafe were distinctly separate. And, you don't pick up the cats. You. may cuddle them if they come to you but don't pick them up! In Shanghai, you sit at tables and the cats are all around and you may pick them up and cuddle them as you eat and drink. Quite a different but equally special experience. Back on the road, we drove the hour and ten minutes (110km) to St. John and went straight to our motel. The clerk very kindly switched our room to a main floor room given there was no elevator and we had lots to bring in from the car. Sadly, since covid, the homeless population has dramatically increased in the area and he recommended we empty the car for safety. Such an unfortunate situation. Once settled we headed out to meet St. John. First, we found our way to Fort Howe which oversees the mouth of the St. John river. This exposed limestone knoll was fortified in late in 1777 by Major Gilfred Studholme. Throughout the remainder of the American Revolutionary War the presence of Fort Howe, its guns and garrison, guarded the settlement at the river's mouth from attack by American privateers, a minority of disaffected settlers, and the local Indians with whom a treaty was made here in 1778. Allowed to decay after 1783, the fort was once more manned and armed during the War of 1812. The garrison was withdrawn in 1821, but the property remained a military reserve until 1914. Now it sits with a marker at the top of the hill and no actual historical buildings. Near the midpoint of the hill you can see a Hollywood-like sign of the city name: SAINT JOHN. Next, we went to the St. John City Market which happens to be the oldest market in Canada. "On June 16, 1986 the Saint John City Market was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Built between 1874 and 1876, the Saint John City Market narrowly escaped the great Saint John fire that swept through the City in 1877. Designed in the Second Empire Loyalist style by New Brunswick architects McKean and Fairweather, the Market building contains several shops on the ground level featuring all locally owned businesses. At one time the City of Saint John controlled six markets; a fish market and wharf on Water Street, a cluster of sheds on Market Street called the Country Market, Sydney Market that served Lowe Cove, a Hay Market on King Street and a cattle market in King Square. As Saint John grew not only in size but also in power the public came to realize that there was no need for six markets and they were centralized. The first market building in Saint John was built in 1830 at Market Square at the head of Market Slip. The building was made out of wood and ended up burning down in 1837. Thus the city decided to recreate the building in 1839 making it out of brick but yet again it was destroyed in 1841. During the time that the market was in use, it served many different purposes: the lower half of the basement was used as a general store. The main floor which you could enter from King Street was used for the actual market and the upper floor was where they held court and where council had their chambers. After quite some time went by, the city in 1874 decided to set up a Market Committee to go through proposals for a new market building, and so near the end of 1874 the market committee decided to go ahead and plan for a new market." (https://www.sjcitymarket.ca/history) We found parking with no difficulty and strolled in alongside a gentleman from Ontario. We had a lovely chat as he said he never wanted to go back to Ontario. He then told us he had a run in with a woman driver where he thought she flipped him the bird, so he did the same back. She drove on, turned around and came back and apologized to him. She said, "I'm so sorry. I do tend to drive too fast, and I didn't mean to upset you." She had apparently given him the thumbs up which he misinterpreted as the other and thus returned the gesture as one would naturally do in Ontario! (Naturally!) He felt terrible, he said! He was charming. We wished one another safe travels and went our separate ways. We entered the market and discovered it was much smaller than anticipated. Promo photos are very misleading but so is the architecture really. It was clearly a very old building with wonderful features but, as I say, so small we were out of there in short order -- not without a shirt purchase for Marilyn, of course! From there we looked up a restaurant. We had hoped to eat in the market but there was nothing there that interested us. So, off we went to the Skywalk at the Reversing Falls which was our next destination in our plans. There we found what had been the Reversing Falls Restaurant but was now the Baratie. I don't exactly know what sort of restaurant it is meant to be there was Indian food, Greek items, and some seafood and grill items. We ordered the lobster rolls, of course. (Getting predictable.) For the same price we paid at the Lobster Barn in Victoria By the Sea, we had two lobster rolls on our plates. However, the quality was less by half. It was a meal but nothing to write home about and yet here I type. Sorry. After our meals of mixed review, we took the elevator up to the Skywalk to take in the Reversing Falls. Apparently, we should've paid $12 for the privilege however there was no one there to charge us and so we emerged on to the deck free of charge. From Tourism New Brunswick: A unique phenomenon created by the collision of the Bay of Fundy and the Saint John River. At low tide the river empties into the bay causing a series of rapids and whirlpools. As tides rise they slow the river current for a brief period called slack tide. The Bay's tides continue to rise, gradually reversing the flow of the river; rapids form again, peaking at high tide. A 8.5-metre (28-foot) tide cycle is roughly 12.5 hours. (https://tourismnewbrunswick.ca/listing/reversing-falls-rapids#body) It is a pretty site where the first bridge originated in 1853. The first highway bridge, a 190-meter suspension bridge designed by Edward W. Serrell, was in use to 1915. A railway bridge was built beside it in 1885. Prior to the bridges, canoes would take people across the river and later a ferry but it was a bit of a treacherous and inconvenient crossing and so the bridge was a welcome feat of engineering. St. John itself was named by Samuel de Champlain - remember your history lessons - in 1604 on June 24th the feast day of St. Jean the Baptiste. It became the first incorporated city in Canada in 1785. The St. John river's traditional Indigenous name is Wolastoq, meaning "beautiful and bountiful river". And beautiful it certainly is. From there we returned to our motel with the intention of doing some laundry. Sadly, the washer was out of order. So, here I sit typing madly away anticipating a laundry effort in Lunenberg instead. We travelled 316km (according to google) from Charlottetown to St. John, New Brunswick - soon we will be in Nova Scotia our third province on our journey. Tomorrow we rise very early to leave and be at the ferry before 7:00am to meet our reservation requirement. The ferry leaves at 8:00 to take us over to Digby, Nova Scotia. The adventure continues.

St. Isidore Agricola RC Cemetery, Cardwell, NB

Squire Howard's headstone

The Purrfect Cafe - and it was!

Marilyn always finds a friend!

fish eats cat... how ironic

view of the mouth of St. John River

top of Fort Howe historic site

Reversing Falls

Restaurant and Skywalk at Reversing Falls

the key point where the falls/tides collide/reverse

the path one may walk down to the falls area... not a chance

the outstretched Skywalk at Reversing Falls - glass floor - nope

M on the Skywalk but not on the glass, though you can see it there

a bit of Canadiana along the way

lovely fixture inside JJ's Diner

JJ's Diner

wonderful fiddlehead road marker

such a lovely picture - these churches keep calling out to me, sadly, the roof is peeling off!

Moose... EVERYWHERE

mediocre lobster rolls, sadly!

dinner at Reversing Falls

Reversing Falls

New Brunswick, Canada

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 19:40:00 +0000

Here we are officially in Moncton, New Brunswick and after a restful sleep we are up for a local romp and some fun capers yet again! Today is an easy day - off we will go to Magnetic Hill and all the exhibitions surrounding it. Since my visit in 1985, much has changed and a whole series of theme park-like venues have popped up around Magnetic Hill. There's a giant pool and a lazy river located beside a pirate themed putting zone. There's a little shopping and dining area where we had lunch and across from the putting zone is the Magnetic Hill Zoo. This is where we began our day. They apparently are an award-winning zoo as zoos go. However, having been a member, decades ago, of the Calgary Zoo and having travelled to the Jersey Zoo in the Channel Islands, I cannot say that this particular zoo ranks high in my books - sorry Moncton. The enclosures were surprisingly small and, unless I missed something, the meerkats (there were a pair) seemed grossly out of step with typical housing practices. Other meerkat enclosures that I have seen have colonies of the little critters (they are a fav of mine) with much outdoor space to dig in the dust and run around. These were in an indoor enclosure with no sign of exterior access. And, the space was about the size of our bedroom at home. And I find our bedroom small for the two of us!! Perhaps I shouldn't compare but the tiger enclosure, again, compared to the Calgary Zoo was a closet. It was nice to see the critters of all shapes, sizes, and origins but this one makes me question the appropriateness of zoos. I think the most devastating zoo experience we have had was in China - words cannot describe how deplorable those conditions were. Just horrible, poor creatures. That is a very sad memory indeed. Today, not so sad but definitely disappointing. After a couple of hours we drifted down to the shopping/dining area looking for access to Magnetic Hill itself. We paused there for a little lunch. I had fish and chips which was delectable! However, in the heat my appetite is diminished and so I left some of that yummy fish behind! Back to our car, good thing we have foxy along sitting on the dashboard as she makes it easier to spot the car! All in all the visit there was interesting to see how a city develops around a piece of history. We now drove around the property (one way roads) to find our way back to the entrance to access historic Magnetic Hill. All the way back in the 1930s, an enterprising local young woman, Muriel Lutes (Sikorski), named the site Magnetic Hill. She began selling ice cream and souvenirs to the growing number of visitors to the site. By the 1950s, Magnetic Hill was Canada’s third most popular tourist destination, after Niagara Falls and Banff National Park. What is the mystery of Magnetic Hill? It is so simple it's almost silly but when you experience it you can hardly believe what is happening! Basically, you drive to a point at the bottom of the hill, shift into neutral and then the car naturally glides backwards up the hill. Or so it seems. Is it magnetic? Well, no. It is in fact an optical illusion. You are not breaching the law of gravity. The illusion is created by the fact that you cannot see the horizon and the surrounding trees contribute to this. The visual misperception fools the eye into thinking there is a rise in the road that does not exist creating the effect of moving uphill backwards as if being pulled back by an invisible magnetic force. The truth is your vehicle is gently rolling downhill. Hard to believe but it is a pretty cool experience! This experience cost us $10.00. I don't quite know why they are charging - I suppose to maintain the road and keep the people under control. You must drive down the right side, move over to the left lane, shift into neutral, and then allow the illusion to do its work! So, there is a safety piece to this. They must do traffic management by the looks of it when busy. We were one of just a few cars when we experienced Magnetic Hill. From here we were off to Shediac Road Cemetery to look for the grave of my cousin Noreen Howard as previously mentioned. She passed in 2006. I couldn't believe how quickly we located the grave which did stand out due to a Howard Family monument. Buried around and beside the monument was cousin Noreen, her mother and father on either side. [For clarity's sake - my great-grandmother was Mary Jane Howard. She married a Boyle. My mother was a Boyle!] Several other family members are nearby and I am eager to place them on the family tree to make the appropriate connections. I wasn't thinking today - typically, I would take some water and scissors to clean up the graves but a little grass plucking and dusting had to do today. I think it is important to honour our relatives and ancestors when able. Gone but never forgotten. Given it took us less than ten minutes of strolling through the cemetery we were finished there much faster than anticipated. So, off we went to have another visit with Marilyn's cousin Francis! On arriving at Francis' little home we were greeted by the lovely Molly a sweet gray and white kitty cat whose meow was genial and gentle all at once. Marilyn got in some wonderful kitty time yet again and Molly got some great scritches! We had a most enjoyable visit with Francis and then hit the road. In this heat, I needed some AC and a nap! That's today in a nutshell. Not a big day but a pleasant one just the same. It's nice to have a slow day once in awhile and I am happy to have a nap any time the plan allows for it! Tomorrow we are off to St. John for a day.

I believe, Noreen's parents or grandparents? (provided by cousin Patti)

My maternal great-grandparents

Magnetic Hill Zoo

a black jaguar

notice his spots... didn't expect that!

Marilyn getting a feed in with some critters

28 year old tortoise

200 pounds... not easy to load on his 'skateboard' to move from A to B... he's a slow walker!

otter feeding time

Magnetic Hill!!

cheerful shop in the wharf area - shopping and restaurants

some fine fish and chips!

beautiful shopping area

Howard family

The Howard family Monument jumped out at me

Noreen in between her parents

my turn for feeding the critters

Magnetic Hill

starting point - shift into neutral here and drift backwards!!!

zoom brushing Miss Molly

chill kitty!

A lovely cousin shot!

New Brunswick, Canada

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 19:40:00 +0000

Time to hit the road officially and make haste to our next destination on this road trip adventure. Today we leave PEI for New Brunswick but first we journey back to Charlottetown for a quick look around and then head to Confederation Bridge to our next destination. Arriving in Charlottetown, it is yet another beautiful, sunny day in PEI. We park at an intersection that featured the pride flags in all four intersected crosswalks -- a nice welcome. And, lovely banners decorate the lamp standards. It has been very comforting, if I may say that, seeing all the pride spirit and welcoming energies all through PEI, so lovely to finish it here! Also at this intersection is a beautiful old building, a former apothecary, converted to a Cows Ice Cream - known as the best ice cream in Canada. I can't argue with that. Of course we each had a cone served by a sweet young woman with such positive energy. Marilyn had a salted caramel cone and I stepped away from my traditional chocolate chip mint and had the strawberry with fresh Island strawberries. So glad I did - yum!! And truly fresh. The Apothecaries Hall, as it was known, was opened in December of 1810. Until that time, many Islanders relied more on home remedies or medicines directly from their doctors. The brick building seen in the photo actually replaced the original wooden structure in 1901. The drug store's long legacy ended in 1986. It was one of the longest continuously operated pharmacies in Canada. Right beside the ice cream shop in the Apothecaries Hall was a treat: Cool as a Moose a shop we were introduced to by our Boys, Bill and Clemente, and now we check it out wherever we find it! Needless to say, we found T-shirts to mark our adventure. From there we looked for the Confederation Building. We had been forewarned that it was closed for renovation. Sure enough, it was barricaded by blue fencing - a disappointment well anticipated. They describe Charlottetown as having history around every corner - perhaps we didn't turn enough of them! Thank you Wikipedia for this summary: "Originally a French military post called Port la Joie, it became the British capital of St. John's Island (later Prince Edward Island) in 1765, and was renamed in honor of Queen Charlotte. The city is famously known as the "Birthplace of Confederation" due to the 1864 Charlottetown Conference, which led to the formation of Canada. The discussions at the Charlottetown Conference eventually led to the Quebec Conference, which drafted the 72 Resolutions that formed the basis of the British North America Act, ultimately (creating the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867." One other shop we indulged in was the Indigennous PEI shop which featured local Indigenous artisans as well as transplants to the region. There were beautiful works each of which was a temptation. We had a delightful visit with one of the young women working there and left on a high with a tiny pot replica that is ever so delicate and not much bigger than my thumb! (www.indigenouspei.ca) On leaving Charlottetown, we were headed to the Confederation Bridge. We stopped at the visitor center there as I had hoped to find some facts about the bridge. My goodness it was busy. Mostly people arriving from New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Newfoundland, and points south of the border. It was crowded. Soon, we were back on the road and entered the toll lane. We are two days shy of the toll being reduced by 50% so we paid full rate of $50.25 to cross. Typically it takes only 12 minutes (at 80 km/hr) to cross the 13 km (8 mile bridge) but construction somewhere about mid-span caused lengthy delays so we can say we sat on the bridge for about ten minutes waiting for our turn to continue on. At the visitor centre I picked up a fact sheet, so here goes: - no pedestrians or bikes on the bridge - over 6000 people worked on the project - three people perished during construction (memorials are present at the visitor's ctr) - the average height is 40 meters - the highest point is 60 meters above water to allow vessels such as cruise ships to pass under - it was built in an 'S' shape to help eliminate the hypnotic effect while driving - the curve was also intended to reduce the risk of collisions (as believed by construction specialists) - Construction took 4 years from 1993 to 1997. - It is believed to have a lifespan of 100 years but with proper care should last much longer! - there are two travelling lanes allowing 2000 cars to cross over in one hour - there are 44 main bridge spans and it has a 2% incline so it is not steep - it cost $840 million to build The Confederation Bridge is also the worlds longest bridge over ice covered water. However, it wasn't that long when we crossed as I didn't see any ice. On arriving in New Brunswick, I was surprised there was no band to welcome us. Rather disappointing. Still, we drove on and arrived in Shediac about 47 minutes (71km) later. We were there for two reasons: the world's largest lobster. Yup. Tourism New Brunswick says: "Shediac is recognized the world over as "The Lobster Capital of the World" for its lobster fishing industry. For that reason, in 1989 the Shediac Rotary Club thought it fitting to erect a monument in tribute of the delectable crustacean and promote its role in the development of our community. The late Winston Bronnum from Penobquis, New Brunswick, was commissioned to create this magnificent showpiece. The monument stands at 11 m (35 ft.) in length, 5 m (16 ft.) in width and 5 m (16 ft.) in height. Why is it called the World's Largest Lobster? Because the sculpture weighs around 90 tonnes; the lobster alone weighs 55 tonnes while the pedestal weighs around 35 tonnes. A staircase was erected on the pedestal to allow visitors to climb up on the monument to have their pictures taken." (https://tourismnewbrunswick.ca/listing/worlds-largest-lobster) And second, Amand had recommended a little bistro called Le Moque-Tortue. Based somewhat on the spirit of Alice in Wonderland this eclectic little spot, very French, was choc a block FULL of board games. If you wish, you pay $10/person to sit and play any and all (if you can) of their vast selection of almost 1000 games found neatly catalogued on the walls all around the room. AMAZING! Every game was catalogued and each shelf labeled to make it easy to find and return games. Not only did it feature the games but also delightful knick knacks, clocks, and details that represented the theme of Alice. With a delicate cuckoo clock chiming away in the background, we gazed over the menu with the intention of only having an appetizer because we were to meet Marilyn's cousin Francis (Mary's sister) for dinner. So, we chose thoughtfully and selected the lobster and shrimp cheese dip with naan and corn chips. A delicious hot dip, very rich and filling. With gratitude to our servers, off we went to find our motel, the Comfort Inn located in Moncton (another 25 minute drive of 27 kms) which will be our base for the next two days. After checking in and getting settled, we were off to meet Francis at Skipper Jack's... yup, more seafood. (Needless to say, this trip has a distinct theme for us in the food category.) Still somewhat sated from our appie, I opted for a couple small appetizers: coconut shrimp and bacon wrapped scallops from the Bay of Fundy. Tasty. Marilyn and Frances both enjoyed the fried clams. I sampled a couple and they were also just right! After a delightful visit with Frances where the two did much reminiscing and catching up, we said goodnight and returned to catch up on some well deserved sleep. I was tired from the day's drive. Excited to see tomorrow's sights: Magnetic Hill and the Magnetic Hill Zoo as well as a genealogical search for the grave of cousin Noreen Howard. In 1985, I took the train across Canada. On arriving in Moncton, I checked into a little hotel with '70s wood panelled walls I remember well. I called Noreen and she promptly came by insisting I would not be staying in a hotel. Knowing everyone at the hotel, she took me to the desk, requested my traveller's cheque back (remember those?) and then took me to her local bank branch to have it cashed in as it had already been signed over!! No one argued with Noreen, I was to learn. But only because she was SWEET as pie and very determined. So, for several days on my visit I stayed in her little bungalow with a bright yellow kitchen. Every day she was up at the crack of dawn and served me delicious fresh squeezed orange juice while pampering me terribly! She also toured me everywhere including tomorrow's planned adventure to find our early ancestors who first settled in New Brunswick - the resting place of the Howard family.

welcome!

the Apothecary Hall - now Cows Ice Cream

pride is everywhere

we stumbled upon this little guy who is part (8/9) of a local scavenger hunt

Confederation building under construction

inside the Cows/Apothecary

beautiful detailed craftsmanship

a sample of the bridge constuction

Anne at the visitor center

cute!

Foxy - our new travel companion!!!

inside Le Moque Tortue

a game for everyone!

our appie!

the world's largest lobster

Bidding adieu to Amand

A fond farewell to our host Mary!

College of Piping (I thought plumbing)... BAGPIPES and drums!!

Posing with Anne

sweet planters

travelling the bridge

foxy rides along with us

washroom in Le Moque Tortue

at the world's largest lobster!

couldn't go by without a picture

Prince Edward Island, Canada

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 19:40:00 -0300

Well, this is my second time writing this post and I have no idea what I said the first time... turned off the computer to travel and forgot the blog needs to be saved - no autosave feature. Picture very blue air right now. Not at all happy. Let's try this again, shall we? Summerside, PEI - home of our lovely hosts Mary and Amand (Marilyn's cousin and partner). With a population of 16,996, it is a fraction of home but an easy city to get around in and a lovely base from which to venture out. It was settled in 1780 and first known as Greens Shore. Founder Daniel Green, a Quaker Loyalist from Pennsylvania, brought his family here and later the name was changed to Summerside after the Summerside House, an inn established by his youngest son Joseph Green, in 1840. Located along the Northumberland Straight and Bedeque Bay it is 61 kilometres from the capital Charlottetown. Early days found the town immersed in shipbuilding until they exhausted the lumber supply. Somewhere along the way (1890) fox breeding took off and a secret experiment of breeding black and silver foxes made the fox trade a huge success until someone sold a breeding pair to a business in New Brunswick and their claim on this special fox was no longer exclusive to PEI. Of course, the fox trade collapsed - after 100 years - with the anti-fur movement and that was that. The community thrived on fishing. Lobster, mackerel, and herring. This industry is a bit more modest today than it once was and other forms of trade expanded with the arrival of the railway in 1870 as it expanded the capacity of the town to reach others and diversify. In fact, the lovely pub (Evermore) at which we enjoyed Amand's jam session on our arrival was the original train station (it was replaced as such in 1927). It finally became a city in 1995 after amalgamating with St. Eleanors and Wilmot County. (It officially had become a town in 1877.) That's a taste of history for the books, well the blog at least! Today was a lovely outing and adventure to Victoria By the Sea, a little hamlet about 36.6 kilometres or 32 minutes from Summerside. Population 139. Surprisingly, it has grown by 87.8% since the 2016 census which numbered this pretty spot at 74 residents. With a lovely and popular beach for swimming located beside a short pier, the place is very inviting. After parking, we began a pleasant stroll winding our way up and down the streets. There are 84 private dwellings of which only 59 are occupied -- most of these heritage houses are combined dwellings with artist's shops with names like Bittersweet Rose - various maritime artisans, Island Chocolates, Michael Stanley Pottery, Coach House Antiques, Oxley Stained Glass, Studio Gallery...and the Potato Soap Company, the list goes on and the quality at each shop just got better and better. As we strolled up the stairs into each of these lovely homes we were welcomed with open arms by artisans who were sincerely interested in us and our travels as well as eager to tell the stories of their crafts. We shopped! Pottery (a lovely mug for Marilyn with barefoot prints and puppy paw prints stamped around the circumference - so sweet), stained glass - a turtle for me and a paw print with wings in memory of our dear Harley; and, some highly touted potato soaps! Yup, you read it right. Supposedly, potatoes have wonderful properties for one's skin. Well, we are suckers or really smart -- we'll see on that one. They smell lovely, that's a nice consolation at the very least. After our stroll, it was our intention to have fish and chips at Richard's Fish and Chips where, in fact, our very Prime Minister had made a surprise visit the day before with no pomp or circumstance thus impressing the locals immensely. Everyone was abuzz with excitement reflecting on the experience. Well, I guess the word spread and the line up - in the sun - was 40 minutes. Nope. Couldn't do it no matter how amazing the fish is said to be!! So, across the street we ventured to the Lobster Barn located on the pier. Well, that was a good decision. Take one guess at what we enjoyed... yup, lobster. Lobster rolls, in fact. And there had to be a WHOLE lobster in each roll (of course, reflected in the price). The question one asks is do you order the lobster roll with butter or mayo? The correct answer is mayonnaise. Don't mess with tradition. I take the following facts from https://www.victoriabythesea.com/about -- "The Village of Victoria was founded in 1819 by James Bardin Palmer, an immigrant lawyer and agent of the Earl of Westmoreland. His son Donald laid out the village on Palmer’s estate. The result can still be seen today by the simple grid pattern of its streets. By the late 1800’s the settlement was prosperous with three wharves and many thriving businesses. Because of its sheltered harbour and strategic location, Victoria became an important seaport with a significant amount of trade with Europe, the West Indies and other east coast ports. A wide variety of produce including potatoes, cattle, grain and eggs, was shipped by schooner from Victoria until the early 1900’s. In the days of the steamboats, Victoria was a regular stop for ferries, in particular the SS Harland, dropping off visitors from Charlottetown and places further a field, to spend a day or two relaxing in the beautiful ‘village by the sea.’" I neglected to mention that Summerside too was a major shipping port for the export of potatoes. They now travel predominantly by truck. From Victoria By the Sea, after a hearty lunch that left us very happy, we got back on the road and drove to our next destination chosen out of pure curiosity: the Prince Edward Island Preserve Co. a 27 minute drive or 31.2km away. Along the highways we passed potato fields, corn and soy fields in abundance. The pretty white pototo blossoms blew in the wind in their pitched rows of red soil. On arrival at the Prince Edward Island Preserve Co., we took a quick peak at the Gardens of Hope that run along the river by which they are situated -- so pretty and creative. Once inside we were amazed at the creative choices of preserves and savoury treats not to mention biscuit and hot chocolate mixes as well. Something for everyone. Yes, we shopped again but this time chose to ship the selections home. They will arrive back the same time we do as they kindly offered to hold the shipment until August 11th. Thank you very much. We found Blueberry Gin Preserves, Raspberry Champagne, Sour Cherry... you know they had samples and so our choices were not without thoughtful consideration. Mighty tasty, I will say! A quick stop across the road at the Toy Factory was a worthy stop - no shopping thank you - but so interesting as we watched the young teen working the drill press in the shop in the back. All of their wooden toys are made in the shop. It was a delight to WATCH but he sure didn't seem too excited to do his precise work. Or perhaps he concentrates so hard on his precision that he is lost in his work -- that sounds like a much better summation! Time was now becoming precious as we were planning to attend a musical performance at the Harbourfront Theatre at 7:30pm. We were 41km away from home so needed to hustle. Well, maybe not hustle, we did stop at the Kool Barn for ice cream along the way! Back at the apartment, I lay down for a much needed nap after being in the heat and driving all day. Whilst I took my rest, three wonderful humans - with Amand in the lead - prepared a spectacular dinner featuring our clam haul from the previous night. The broth, spectacular, formed the base for the steaming of both clams and corn on top. Genius. Honestly, you had to be there -- it was superbly delicious. That's about all I can say, the pictures tell the next best story. Next, off we went to the Harbourfront theatre where we enjoyed some terrific tunes. Ol Billy Bob Boy hails from St. John's, Newfoundland and brings a delightful energy to his original country and roots music as he plays his upright bass. AKA - standard bass, string bass, bass fiddle, bull fiddle, or my favourite - for which he titled a song - the doghouse bass! He was very entertaining and the music was terrific. But, I have to say his fiddler was FIERCE and his guitarist played some fast and furious guitar licks that were most impressive. A lovely evening of entertainment through the kindness of Mary who volunteers at the theatre. To top the evening off we four won and split the 50/50 draw!! Now that is a worthwhile night out in great company. Another enjoyable day on PEI - our last - home we went, which was literally a stroll across the street - and we did our packing preparing to leave for New Brunswick the next morning. Thank you to Mary and Amand for making the first leg our our journey so exciting and enjoyable. We are filled with gratitude and lobster.

arriving at Victoria By the Sea

Queen Anne's Lace by the ocean

a popular beach - little ones searching for magical seashells

someone had some FUN with the shells

I LOVE the red sands!

Welcome!

An old family name - my great grandmother was a Howard

pride welcoming at every location

Pride is everywhere in PEI right now

a new treasure

Oyster lover!

the Lobster Barn on the remaining pier

Lobster roll and chips... so tasty

lobster traps in abundance

along the river at the Gardens of Hope

Prince Edward Island Preserve Co

In the Gardens of Hope

a stop for ice cream

potato blossoms

lunch with Mary at the Lobster Barn

an honesty box - we picked up some potatos for dinner

PEI potatoes!

The Toy Factory

The Toy Factory... fun

wood shop

hard at work!

Our fine clam repast... OMG!!

delicious plate of clams, potatoes, and steamed corn.

Prince Edward Island, Canada

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 19:40:00 -0300

5,703.9 kilometres from home, New Westminster, BC, we are taking in all the details of Canada's BEAUTIFUL East Coast. From the friendliest people to the exciting music, scenery and fascinating history and then there's the tantalizing food! This is starting out to be a full sensory experience. I wanted to elaborate on Lucy Maud Montgomery here because I found her fascinating yesterday. As a writer, I find the lived experience of some other historical writers both curious and motivating. Canada's confederation took place in Charlottetown, PEI in 1864. LMM, known to family as Maud, (Lucy was her a tribute to her grandmother) was born a decade later in November of 1874. Her mother never fully recovered from childbirth and passed before Maud's second birthday. Subsequently, her father brought her to be raised by her maternal grand parents, the Macneills, in Cavendish at their home that would become known as Green Gables. The Macneills and Montgomerys had been residents of Prince Edward Island for 100 years. Maud read everything she could get her hands on from a very young age - before she started school. And then she read it again! Not a random aspiring writer, Maud was an intelligent woman who in her early years completed a two-year teaching program at Prince of Wales College in just one year. She then went on to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where she studied literature and a mix of other topics. On her return to PEI, she juggled a demanding teaching schedule while maintaining a full social calendar. Living in the home of her grandparents, she had immediate and secret access to the post office as they were the postmasters for the area. Post offices of the day were typically out of homes in rural areas. Having cultivated a network of supportive literary friends, Maud would write regularly with them as well as send out her submissions to publishers - poetry, essays, and novels. Hundreds of her short stories and poetry are published throughout Canada and the USA. She used a number of different pseudonyms along the way. It was in 1908 that Anne of Green Gables - her first novel - was published after several rejections. It was received with wide acclaim and became an instant bestseller. It has since been published around the world and translated into more than 40 languages. What most people don't know is that the book, rejected by five publishers, was placed in a hat box in her closet for a year. While cleaning the closet she stumbled upon her old manuscript and deciding to give it one more try sent it off to L.C. Page and Company in Boston. She agreed to sell it on a royalty basis. (Now THAT was a good decision! Her first royalty check arrived in 1909 for $1730.00 - a fortune for the time. And folks began demanding a sequel!) In her reflective words, "I have grubbed away industriously all this summer and ground out stories and verses. ...But oh, I love my work!" And that, is a lovely summary of her passion in creating many wonderful characters and adventures for her loyal readership. This is what intrigues me and creates my interest in other authors - to read their reflections on their writing experience and passion that is founded in love. Inspiring. In her journal, September 30, 1910, she said of Anne, "What a small big world it is! And how far little red-haired Anne has travelled!" This was in reflection of the vast translation and International exposure of Anne of Green Gables. Montgomery went on to marry a minister. She took on the role of minister's wife and stood by him through thick and thin over the years. She stood by him through his melancholy, lost a new born, and her best friend Frede passed away causing her much ongoing grief. She lived in Ontario and back in PEI over the years. Her final home, ironically, was called Journey's End. She passed at the age of 67 leaving a literary legacy with an eternal flame lit by the enduring character Anne Shirley - to be sure, Ann with an 'e' - who influenced me (Rosemary Ann with an 'e' -- I actually nagged my parents to see my birth certificate to prove I was truly an 'Anne') from the age of ten when the book found its way into my eager little hands. Thank you Lucy Maud Montgomery for your treasured gifts!

eager young reader

a studious young woman

married life was difficult

late life living at Journey's End

Anne of Green Gables - International translations!!

Maud's bedroom

a fellow cat friend

Whatcha looking at?

a lovely tribute statue

Famous Anne of Green Gables product!