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Go West then go East
a travel blog by
rickandsuejohnson
Two years ago we visited the West coast after our visit to Ollie an Ang so this year it seemed only right to visit the East coast...........
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History lessons
Weymouth
,
Canada
Cooper's Inn
Woke at 6am to hear movement in the room above and muffled but not muted conversation. After a little while a shower started, then more movement that continued until 7. I don't know what they were doing but it wasn't playing dominoes. About 6:30 the shower started again and was still going at 7 when we got up. A peek out of the curtains told us the shower was external and actually heavy rain!
After a good breakfast, we were pleased to note that the rain had pretty well stopped, so started to pack the car in preparation for leaving after a visit to a couple of nearby museums. Between loading the suitcases and loading the hand baggage, the heavens opened and it tipped down. We waited for 20 minutes but it didn't ease so decided to cut our losses, made a dash for the car and hit the road.
Wool mill
We headed for West Pubnico but saw a restored woollen mill as we went through Barrington; as it was only light rain by now, we stopped and went in. A fascinating working re-creation of taking wool from the raw fleece, through carding spinning and dying to fabrication. The mill was in use until 1965 and at its height employed about a dozen people with power provided largely by water turbine. It has been restored though much of the original equipment had long gone. Apparently a power loom was found in the attic room in pieces as originally provided but without assembly instructions.
Acadian Village
The recreation of a typical acadian village of the start of the 20th C at West Pubnico was quite fascinating. Unsurprisingly the majority of the visitors were francophone and as most of the presenters were fluently bilingual, we stayed anglophone. But it was interesting to pick up bits of conversation. Each house in the village had a history and a particular function and the presenters in each house were living the life.
Smith, Acadian Village
The blacksmith was smithing, the boatbuilder was building boats and the fisherman was making lobsterpots and mending nets. There was no electricity or running water, the beds had chamber pots and there was no bathroom.
Dory Maker, Acadian Village
There were no tarmac'd roads and transport was by pony and trap or boat. It was sobering to think that only 100 years ago in my grandfather's childhood, this way of life was common outside towns. We have come a long way in that time. It is easy to think that it was a simpler way of life but the romance dies when you think that by-and-large there were only 2 states – working and sleeping.
'Pumpkin' in the Acadian Village
Working was largely unassisted by machine and sleeping was often on straw mattresses, although most adults had the luxury of feather.
By now the rain had stopped altogether and with the temperature rapidly rising, we set off for Eglise St Marie at Church Point. An extraordinary building it is the largest wooden church in North America.
St Mary's Church
Built between between 1903 and 1905 by local volunteers entirely of wood and is huge. Made to plans by a French (naturally) architect who designed it in stone but built by a local artisan.in wood which was relatively plentiful.
St Mary's Church interior
It doesn't look as though it is made all of wood until very close inspection but it copes with the storms hereabouts well enough, although in a good storm, the chandeliers swing about a foot apparently. It is a very attractive building, not too fussy, busy or pretentious. Painting the exterior in 2 coats of paint requires 1500 litres and the inside 1800. With the price of paint today, I don't fancy that bill!!
The Goodwin Hotel
Finally on to our rest for the night at Weymouth and the Goodwin Hotel. A lovely old place run by a family for the last 42 years. Mum does everything but the cooking while her 2 sons do that. We decided to eat in and were glad we did. On the menu was a surf and turf with scallops. It was one of the best meals we have had washed down with a lovely tasty Joost Cabernet Sauvignon.
Twilight
Before retiring we were able to catch up on our blogging, not having been able to do any last night at Shelburne – although advertised as WiFi, the signal wasn't strong enough.
written by
rickandsuejohnson
on August 2, 2012
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Weymouth
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Canada
from the travel blog:
Go West then go East
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A hooker initiate and ghosts
Annapolis Royal
,
Canada
Dawn at Goodwin Hotel
A bright sunny start and breakfast over, Pat (our hostess) showed us how rugs were 'hooked'. 'The Goodwin' has any number of them – wall hangings, seat covers, rugs and mats. Pat is a self confessed addict. She recommended a workshop on our way to Annapolis Royal where you could try it out and buy the canvas and wools.
Houses on stilts
First stop Bear River. The winery tour turned out to be at noon so we retraced our steps to the village and downed a cool drink before heading for a First Nations Workshop Centre. Lonely Planet doesn't mention that it closes on a Friday – oh well! Back to the winery which uses solar energy and a gravity feed to produce its wines (some award winning). After our tasting Rick bought a Baco Noir red. We were there for about 40 mins before leaving for Annapolis Royal.
Delaps Fall
A beautiful coastal drive on Highway 1 having had a go at rug hooking in Clementsport. Even on a sunny day the sea mists swirl around the coastal waters. A bite to eat at Annapolis Royal and we headed for Delaps Cove trailhead (2 kms on a dirt track off the highway towards Port Royal). We took the Bohaker Trail. The car park has free really accurate maps and the 2km pathway took us out to the coast and back via Delaps Cove falls. The falls weren't particularly spectacular at the moment as our hostess at 'At the Turrett' explained; there hasn't been much rain for them this summer. Posy and Simon her two Border Terriers, made us really welcome and were ready to take any amount of fuss we cared to give them!
Ghost tour
After a great evening meal at a pub by the market square we headed across the road from our B&B to Fort Anne and a highly recommended Ghost Tour of the adjoining cemetry. More of the fort tomorrow but if you get the chance and you're in Annapolis Royal be sure to take this tour. Our guide told us stories related to the history of the town from its foundation in the 1600s by French Settlers to the present day by means of the incumbents of the graveyard. The tour starts at 9.30pm sharp and by this time the sea mists had rolled on to the shore which added to the atmosphere of this fascinating lantern lit tour.
written by
rickandsuejohnson
on August 3, 2012
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Annapolis Royal
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Canada
from the travel blog:
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Along the Bay of Fundy
Wolfville
,
Canada
Boat repair yard
A poor wifi signal so we texted Zoe a happy birthday. The mist was still present when we went down for breakfast and met our fellow guests at the table. The couple we met on the ghost tour last night from Halifax, a couple from Toronto visiting family and a French couple from Angers. We had an interesting chat with them all. We were assured that the mist would burn off late morning and so it proved. Having checked out and loaded the car, we walked into town again to get some supplies, get cash from an ATM and visit the open air market. ScotiaBank whom we tried first didn't work – we got all the way through the menu but no cash! Our second try at Royal Bank of Canada succeeded in delivering the goods.
Ghost tour
The market was wonderful and very busy. There was one stall just selling blueberries. Perhaps no surprise as the Annapolis Valley is alleged here to be the Canadian capital of blueberries. I don't know if the rest of Canada is aware of this.
Annapolis Royal is one of the oldest settlements in Canada, being settled by Scots in 1629, although they were forced to leave as part of an Anglo French treaty 3 years later. A fact conveniently forgotten by the Acadian francophone community who believe they were first in 1632 as Port Royal. It was taken by the British in 1710 and renamed Annapolis Royal after the then Queen. It was the capital of Nova Scotia until 1749 when Halifax took over. Looking at it now and comparing it with what has become of Halifax, I think the good citizens have had a narrow escape. From 1710 to 1755 all went well with francophones co-existing with anglophones but with the French building forces at Louisburg and the ongoing struggle against the French, the Governor was concerned about the loyalties of the local community. He demanded that the acadians sign an oath of allegiance to the King and when they refused they were surprised that they were all deported. They seem to be still surprised today and much is made of the expulsion of Acadians in 1755. It is true that it was immediate and they had to leave homes and possessions overnight and they were packed off in dreadful conditions to the southerly states of the mainland and to France but I can think of worse treatment of foreign nationals in recent times. And after the 7 years' was ended, they were allowed to return to the area, if not the actual homestead(because someone else was now living there). According to the French perspective, Britain hijacked their colonies (which is not entirely accurate anyway) and this has resulted in a large anglophonic section of Canada strangling their beautiful language. I can't help wondering that if the boot had been on the other foot and France had held sway over an anglophonic minority, would their constitution have accepted two official languages as Canada has? I suspect – NON. Canada may well have remained a departement outre mer for some considerable while with any ideas of self determination being suppressed until well into 20th C and French would have been the only official language. Britain may not have been an ideal coloniser from a colonist perspective but it seems to me that we were considerably more tolerant than many contemporary powers.
Encampment, The Fort
Annapolis Royal is rightly proud of its place in history and its historic assets but seems to be managing to keep a perspective that allows it to be part of the modern world. Certainly it has not allowed the kind of vandalism that took place in Shrewsbury town centre in the 60s. There is a wealth of old timber buildings that are still being used today rather than being museum pieces.
We wandered back via the fort where there is a re-enactment group in period clothes under canvas for the weekend.
Entrance to the Habitation, Port Royal
We drove across to the spit that protects AR to see the re-creation of the original habitation for the area at Port Royal. This was a commercial venture for trading with the local Mi'kmaq and de Champlain designed a fortified habitation in 1605 with a view to spending winter there. De Champlain left in 1607 to found Quebec and the outpost was raided by a party from Virginia in 1613.
The Common Roon, The Habitation
Apparently a bloodless affair, they took everything, burned the habitation and left the French there to face a winter without shelter. Fortunately the local Mi'kmaq took them in. The reconstruction in 1940 followed the original foundations and is kitted out as it would have looked at the time.
View from the Look Off
On to Wolfville with a short detour to Scots bay. On the approach, there is a fabulous 'look off' with parking on the right and a wonderful view over the Minas Basin and the Annapolis Valley. Opposite the look off is a cafe selling the most wonderful ice-cream. Sue had a Chocolate one and I had a vanilla, toffee and caramel with large chips of milk chocolate. They were just what the doctor ordered on what was by now a very warm afternoon.
The beach at Scotts Bay
Driving on to Scots Bay, we found a turning on the left just after the church, called Wharf road leading down to a shingle beach with a good parking area and picnic tables. The view here was into the Minas Channel and thence the Bay of Fundy down which the mist was beginning to creep again.
Finally into Wolfville and our stop for the night at the Gingerbread house. A lovely room at the back of the motel-style extension.
In to town for a lovely meal in nice surroundings at the Library Pub washed down with a delightful St Ambroise IPA for me and tasty apricot ale for Sue.
written by
rickandsuejohnson
on August 4, 2012
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Wolfville
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Canada
from the travel blog:
Go West then go East
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Mud and Tides
Parrsboro
,
Canada
The Chimney
First stop the chimney next to the Wolfville town library – strange but true! The chimney is all that remains of the local dairy, long since demolished. As it has for many years been an overnight roost for the aptly named 'Chimney Swifts', it was saved from demolition by the local community. The swifts spend the day entirely on the wing, catching insects and only land at night to roost. They have retractable hooked claws and barbed tail feathers which enable them to cling to chimney brickwork and roost vertically. They migrate from Peru to the cooler Nova Scotia climate to breed and feed on the plentiful summer insects. When it starts to get cold and the insects die off they head on back to sunny Peru. Either they were having a lie in today or they had chosen a different roost for the night - there was no sign of them.
Mud Creek
A short way on from the chimney we reached the waterfront where the low tide had revealed vast mud flats and salt marshes. Interpretive boards explain the movement of the tides, why the Minas Basin is so unique and how the land has consequently been shaped. The movement of the tides, strong currents and (in winter) icebergs have all helped to carve the land and estuaries here. There is also a Tidal Bore here – River Severn eat your heart out!
'Evangeline' Longfellows heroine v the dastardly Brits
Half an hours drive brought us to Grand Pré and the site which commemorates the deportation of the Arcadian men who refused to swear allegiance to the British crown during the struggle between the British and the French for territory in North America. Evangeline is the heroine of the poem by Longfellow whose lover Gabriel is deported and she has become the symbol of remembrance of this act in Acadia.
WW2 Observation Tower
We kept to the more circuitous coast road and stopped for a sandwich and much needed drink at a roadside take-out doing a roaring trade before skirting Truro and hugging the coastline again, this time the north shore of the Minas Basin. More spectacular views, particularly from the WWII observation tower at Cobequid Interpretation Centre. We passed Five Islands which, according to Mi'kmak legend, were created when their deity, Glooscap, hurled rocks into the basin as he was annoyed when the giant beaver dammed it.
View over Estuary from restaurant
Arriving at Parrsboro we freshened up in , yes, the Gabriel room, at Evangeline's Tower B&B. Afterwards we walked down to 'Bare Bones' where we had seared scallop linguine with roasted vegetables in a pernod cream sauce washed down with a Corona for me and Propeller Porter for Rick. The end to another wonderful day.
written by
rickandsuejohnson
on August 5, 2012
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Parrsboro
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Canada
from the travel blog:
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Rocks, Fossils and more tides
Hillsborough
,
Canada
Woke to the predicted rainy start to the day. An excellent breakfast with a lovely family from New York. They loved that the house was Victorian and said that they were very into historic houses; they currently have a house from the 1920's that they are renovating and this is their second old house. They suggested our place may be older, so I said – a bit. We were discussing renovation problems when they asked about the age of our place and were amazed that it was over 300 years old and fascinated when I explained about the timber frame and brick infill.
Ottawa House
Having dragged ourselves away from the table and loaded our car we drove to Ottawa House, formerly the residence of Sir Charles Tupper a former member of the legislative assembly of Nova Scotia and one of the fathers of the confederation, ultimately becoming Prime Minister of Canada briefly. The house has had a chequered history since then, serving as an hotel for a while before falling into disrepair before being saved by the community as a museum. It is interesting in its own right as a house with e.g. the original electric wiring. It has also been used to house items from various eras and exhibits on Shipbuilding and rum running which took place here.
From here it was a difficult decision about which route to take to Joggins. As it was raining with quite a mist we decided against the coastal route which would take us past Cap d'Or (apparently a very pretty route with some fabulous views over the swirls and eddies of the fundy tides). We needed to be at Hopewell Rocks for the high tide at 4: to do this we needed to be at our B&B to collect the entry coupons at 3. This meant leaving Joggins by 1 according to our calculations.
Fossil on beach
We were looking to do a tour of the rocks there and they run every hour on the hour so needed to be there for 12. The coastal route would have thrown everything out of kilter so we chose to do the quickest route. To our surprise, TomTom came up with a quicker route than using the motorway. What we didn't know until we hit it was that 13 miles of the route were over a gravel road, some of which was not in prime condition so caution had to be exercised. We only met one car on this route. At one point we had to cross a rickety rackety single track bridge with a wooden plank base that had seen better days. I half expected to see a troll emerge and challenge us but was rather busy concentrating on the couple of planks that looked decidedly dubious; I was glad of the large wheels on the Dodge. We arrived at Joggins in good time, as promised by TomTom but with the car looking as though it had been travelling on the Dakar rally in a monsoon.
Tree trunk fossil
Our tour was an interesting, if very short introduction to fossils on the cliff faces of the area, now designated a UNESCO World Heritage Centre as the best place in the world to see carboniferous period fossils. The Centre on top of the cliffs built in 2008 houses excellent displays to allow you to make the most of your time there.
With the clock ticking we grabbed a quick lunch in the cafe and then hit the road. We rolled in to Innisfree the B&B just after 3 and were shown to our room then given a quick briefing by Elaine on how to make the best of the time we had at the Rocks. The tickets she gave us gave us a discounted entry to the Hopewell Rocks Centre with a 2 day entry so that we could go back and see everything at low tide.
View from Lookout at high tide cf C
We followed Elaine's suggestion of going to the main lookout and taking a photo of a high tide for reference. All we could see was sea up to the base of the cliffs. A little further down we were able to see the sea swirling around some tall rocks just away from the main cliff. These rocks with flat tops and trees growing there are the 'Flower pots'.
View from look out high tide
The average tidal range at this point of the bay is about 12 metres (!) so when we go back for low tide, there will be a lot more visible. At the lowest point of the centre, you are on a level with the beach itself and apparently when the tide is out, it can be 3.5km out – rather like Weston s mare and when it comes in it comes very quickly.
Shoreline lower beach high tide cf B
We were lucky enough to be able to see a small group of semipalmated sandpipers flock and swirl each time they thought they detected a threat. It looked a bit like starlings as they prepare to roost for the night. Just as we were about to leave, a ranger pointed out to us a bald eagle flying over some trees in the middle distance – a lovely moment.
Back to the interpretive centre, there were some excellent displays on how the rocks all came about; when you look at the vast timescale over which that is, the emergence of humans is incredibly recent.
Off to Broadleaf Guest Ranch about 12 km down the road from Innisfree at the recommendation of Elaine. Not easy to find - we had a couple of goes at it. There was a sign saying the place was just ahead – several hundred yards further on there was no sign of it so we turned round, convinced it must be just after the sign and when we got to the place turned in only to find it was the cemetery! No probability of food there then. Back again to the amusement of a couple of locals standing on their porch watching the world go by. Finally some way later, just when we were beginning to give up hope, there was a sign to Broadleaf Ranch and we turned in. No sign of much other than ranch hands so carried on up the drive past a large barn to discover a low building behind with the word RESTAURANT on its roof. It was not very prepossessing and had we not been recommended probably wouldn't have taken it further. Inside though it was very nicely laid out and we were made very welcome. The menu looked good; Sue opted for Atlantic Salmon with maple and chef's spice recipe and a green salad washed down with a blueberry ale. I went for a lobster and breadcrumb crusted haddock with fries and green vegetables washed down with a Moosehead Red. The meals were both absolutely fabulous. Which goes to prove you can't always judge by external appearances.
Back to Innisfree and a very welcome bed!
written by
rickandsuejohnson
on August 6, 2012
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Hillsborough
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Canada
from the travel blog:
Go West then go East
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Round the Rocks and Over the Bridge
Kensington
,
Canada
lower beach shoreline , low tide cf B
We were back at Hopewell Rocks just after 9am and headed for the beach access just short of the shore area where we saw the Sandpipers the previous evening. Only a few people around at this point and we wandered along what had been the ocean floor a few hours before in amongst the wonderous rock formations.
Flowerpots, low tide
It reminded us of our visit to Flower Pot Island on the Bruce Peninsula with our Canadian family four years ago. These structures were sandstone though and flanked by large expanses of mud as the tide continued to recede.
View from Lookout, Hopewell Rocks cf C
As we headed back to the cliff view points a couple of hours later it was just past low tide and more and more people were arriving. A good idea that we had come so early!
Confederation Bridge from NB
Just before Prince Edward Island we stopped off at the information point before the bridge on the New Brunswick side. This had been on the advice of Elaine at Innisfree. Apparently the views of the bridge are more spectacular. We stopped for a sandwich and watched the hummingbirds swoop to the syrup feeders then climbed the viewing tower to look across the Northumberland Strait to PEI and marvel at this 7 mile bridge connecting it to New Brunswick.. It was difficult to see much as we crossed the bridge due to the metre high concrete barriers on either side.
Waterside development
First stop Summerside on our way to Kensington for our over night stay. A bit of a disappointment. To my mind the outskirts of the town were typical anodyne but characterless outer town shopping centres without even a nod to its history. Apparently very few of the old properties remain after a devastating fire in, I think the tourist office said, 1906. I suggested walking it, thinking that the streets would be narrow. They were the exact opposite with very little shade apart from in a small but pretty park. The houses that are left fall into two categories – well looked after or not looked after at all.
In need of tlc
I say a disappointment as I was expecting something a bit prettier. By now it was nearing 3.30pm and very hot so we headed for The Home Place Inn. After a shower to cool off we went down to the bar to order supper. We shared Oysters Benedict and then both chose Maple glazed Pork. We finished with coconut pie (again shared) and Rick had and Irish coffee while I had Blueberry Tea (Tea with Amaretto and Grand Marnier). The Tea was amazing!
written by
rickandsuejohnson
on August 7, 2012
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Kensington
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Canada
from the travel blog:
Go West then go East
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Green Gables
Murray Harbour
,
Canada
A quick call to wish Neil a Happy Birthday but he was working, so we left a message. Then down to a lovely breakfast of scone followed by sautéed diced potato with omelette made with lardons and mushrooms which set us up well for the day.
LM Montgomery was married in this room
First call of the day was to New Park Corner to visit the house of Lucy Maud Montgomery's aunt Annie Campbell. Sue has been reading a biography about Maud and the first few Anne books lately so wanted to see a few of the places she had read about. Maud spent much of her childhood with her cousins here and was married in the house in 1911. You can see the lake which inspired 'the Lake of Shining Waters' of Green Gables and the rooms are full of memorabilia associated with the author's life. A quick look at LM's place of birth in New London and then on to the Green Gables Heritage Place.
'Green Gables' reconstruction
You can walk in the grounds where the Macneill homestead (now demolished) was sited go through the 'Haunted Wood' and up to a reconstruction of the 'House of Green Gables' as described in the first novel. In between the two locations is the cemetery where Lucy Maud is buried.
LM Montgomery's grave
Sue enjoyed seeing the places that she had read about but said that the Green Gables reconstruction wasn't very much like she had imagined it to be.
We had thought of driving along the coast road from Cavendish through North Rustico and the front at Covehead Bay but this is now National Parkland and a park entry fee is charged from June to September. As we weren't planning to stop, we decided to take the more inland route along highway 6, to Mount Stewart and across to Georgetown. A small town with some tasteful suburban commercial development.
Waterfront working properties, Georgetown
The centre appears to be still a working fishing port, although still apparently small scale. There doesn't appear to be much commerce in the centre itself, containing many pretty clapper-board houses painted in many differing colours but all contributing to a lovely scene. Obviously the local area hasn't escaped the general economic situation and there were a number of houses that could do with a bit of tlc, which is a bit sad. After an unlikely approach, we came upon a former railway station that had been moved to a position by the harbour and spruced up a bit.
The Clamdiggers, Georgetown
With a deck set out with tables by the harbour edge it was a fabulous position to site a restaurant called the Clam Diggers. We couldn't resist and went in and chose a table on the outside deck – nearly choked when we saw the price list but ordered the pasta of the day; linguini with mussels, haddock, lobster, and clams in a tomato and cream sauce. It was absolutely superb and in a lovely setting.
Back Garden, Country Charm
By this time we were due at our B&B so we made for Murray River. A lovely evening was spent chatting with Glenn & Joan at the Country Charm Inn.
written by
rickandsuejohnson
on August 8, 2012
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Murray Harbour
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Canada
from the travel blog:
Go West then go East
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Lighthouses and a Lobster Supper
Charlottetown
,
Canada
Cape Bear Lighthouse
From Murray Harbour we took the coast road to Cape Bear to see the lighthouse and take in the view towards Cape Breton Island. Apparently this lighthouse was the first to pick up the distress signal from Titanic. A little further south on the coast road which meanders along the shore with pretty views of harbours and inlets to the Wood Island Ferry Terminal.
Wood Island Ferry
A service operates between here and Pictou on the Northumberland shore of Nova Scotia and we arrived just as a ferry was loading. We parked at the bottom of the lighthouse and watched her sail before heading for Point Prim and PEI's oldest lighthouse. A stroll along the beach with its brick red sand before a short 20 minute drive along another section of Trans Canada H/W 1 to Charlottetown. We parked at the Confederation Landing Park by the harbour ($1.75 per hour – up to $9) on the waterfront and looked for somewhere to have a drink and a bite to eat.
Where to start??
We settled on the Gahan House, the only micro brewery in PEI, and shared a plate of Nachos with pulled pork and dips washed down with a sample tasting of their range of beers. These were served in cute little tankards – a great idea and more than welcome in the searing heat of the afternoon.
Province House
Next stop Province House where, to quote the guide, 'in September 1864, 23 leaders from the British Colonies of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Canada (now Ontario and Quebec) began the discussions that led in 1867 to the creation of the Dominion of Canada'. We were shown a short film about this in relation to the characters and the progress of the discussions before wandering through the rooms on the first floor, including the Legislative Chamber.
Peakes Quay Restaurant, Delivery
A quick look at the shops on our way to the Aloha Tourist Home just a stone throws away from historic Great George Street. The houses on Sydney Street are all older properties too with plenty of on street parking. After a short rest and change we walked back to the harbour and ended our day with a wonderful lobster supper on a deck overlooking the water.
written by
rickandsuejohnson
on August 9, 2012
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Charlottetown
,
Canada
from the travel blog:
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Canadian Tyre at last
Wallace
,
Canada
Victoria Street
Last few hours on PEI. Specifically Charlottetown with a compact, historic centre that has been largely well cared for and unspoiled with modern shopping centres in the suburbs. Strangely, there appeared to be no conflict unlike Summerside. A small city currently of about 60,000 – similar to Shrewsbury. I have no idea what the population was in 1864 but my favourite story about the Charlottetown Conference is that the circus was in town that week and as the Canadian delegates had invited themselves, there was insufficient lodging in town because the Maritime delegates and the circus had already booked it all so they had to stay each night on the ship that brought them. It seems that play was just as important as work because after each days hot air, there was a banquet & dancing to the small hours! Politicians seem to have changed little.
One of the major concerns I had for the wellbeing of the Maritimes community was the absence of a Canadian Tyre – how can any society flourish without one in reasonable proximity? I had not seen one on arrival in Halifax or since. I am delighted to report that there is one in Charlottetown, at least.
Lt Gov House
We paid a visit to the Lieutenant Governor's residence, a pleasant house in a nice spot overlooking the bay. It is still lived in but free guided tours were available by waiting outside for the next tour on the hour and half hour and the young lass who showed us around spent rather more than the allocated 30 minutes so had a large group waiting after us. Apparently Prince William & Catherine stayed there last year; a slight difference to our B&B and I expect a slightly different price.
In the grand Hall, Lt Gov House
Speaking of which, we met our fellow guests for breakfast, a girl from Quebec Province who had cycled from there and was planning to cross on the ferry from Wood Island before cycling round the Cabot trail in Nova Scotia. I asked what colour her helmet was so we could look out for it (it's white & purple); we'll hoot as we pass her. There was a lovely family from Toronto with a 14 year old son with his arm in plaster following a soccer accident – it is a vicious game. Apparently they love the BBC output and are particularly fond of Top Gear.
With Charlottetown having about half the island's population, it is perhaps not surprising that the main attractions of PEI can be summed up as Historic Charlottetown, fictional Anne of Green Gables, wonderful scenery and spectacular and apparently very warm beaches. If you are not into beach holidays and there is probably a limit to how much lovely scenery you may want to take in; it is not an island in which to spend a lot of time. Although outdoorsy types looking for a new place to play will undoubtedly enjoy spending time here.
Landmark Cafe
Before leaving the island we went into Victoria and had lunch at the Landmark Café; apparently it is famous according to our guidebook and difficult to get in. This is understandable, an unassuming place serving wonderful food; we had a most excellent tuna salad washed down with pink lemonade. And it was not too pricey!
Back to the Confederation Bridge and the rather hefty $44.25 toll, albeit for both trips; I suppose an 8 mile bridge costs a lot to build & maintain.
And so to our overnight stay in Wallace at the Jubilee Inn. A large house overlooking Wallace Bay conveniently close to Jost vineyard that we hope to visit tomorrow. Our room is quite a pleasant one with an en-suite, rather quirkily having a spa bath in the bedroom itself. Let's just say that the décor suggests that there have been no recent trips to Canadian Tyre!
written by
rickandsuejohnson
on August 10, 2012
from
Wallace
,
Canada
from the travel blog:
Go West then go East
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Wine and Whisky
Mabou
,
Canada
Jubilee Inn
Well it's true to say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I'd noticed that there was a plaque from the Nova Scotian tourist board in the hall when we arrived for culinary services to the island and when we looked through the room folder we found that they operated a restaurant, though it wasn't clear whether this was just for guests. We were tired and thought we would give it a whirl. Our hostess, who wasn't around when we registered, asked us if we had booked. As we hadn't, she wondered if we would be ok without the four course menu and did we eat pork? She could prepare more vegetables and do us a stir fry in 45 minutes time. This was fine by us as even two courses can be challenging with the generous portions that are offered over here. The dining room was immaculate with white linen table cloths and pretty tea lights flickering on each table. Would we like to pop out to the local off licence or,if we had brought some wine with us we were welcome to use it. Rick hopped upstairs to collect the blackberry wine we had bought in Lunenburg. It was surprisingly a great accompaniment to the amazing food. We were brought a large serving platter with a bowl of rice flanked with tender pork, stir fry vegetables and king prawns in a light but flavoursome sauce. Would we like a dessert. There was Tiramasu or Pavlova – again wonderful.
What would breakfast bring? A huge platter of eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, muffins and fruit bread washed down with as much tea or coffee as we could drink. An interesting chat with our host and hostess a lovely couple. He was Nova Scotian by birth. They had met in Toronto while she was studying and had gone to Australia to join several members of her Chinese family who had already settled there. They were in Brisbane for some time returning eight years ago to be with his side of the family once her mum and dad were no longer alive.
Farmer's Market
On the road to Jost winery a short drive away. Purchase made and another brief drive to Tatamagouche Farmers Market, recommended by our hosts last night. By the time we got back to the car it was beginning to rain. As we drove on the Trans Canada Highway past Pictou along the coast towards Canso Causeway the rain steadily increased. We stopped off at the Tourist Office to pick up a detailed map having crossed to Cape Breton and headed on for another half hour to the Celtic Interpretive Centre at Judique, which we had been told was the first eatery on our route. Well heaven help them if they ever have a full house as they found it difficult to cope with ten of us in there. A half an hour after arrival we were presented with our snack. The first place this holiday where the waitress only got a 10% tip! The rain had stopped and the mists disappeared and we began to fully appreciate the beauty of this place.
Glenora Distillery
We reached the Distillery at Glenora at 3.55pm just in time for the last tour of the day! The 1st single malt distillery in N America and only one in Canada. In operation from 1990 the location was specially chosen, using the sweet, clear and untainted waters of the stream which flows through its heart.
Distillation flasks, Glenora Distillery
A walk through the fermenting and processing rooms ended with 2 samples for Rick (yours truly being the driver). Not much of a hardship as I'm not a whisky fan. If it had been cognac we might have had to toss for it!
A short drive to the Inn at Glendyer. A note pinned on the door – 'come on in. I've gone for supper at the Red Shoe Pub. You're in room 1. Make yourselves at home.
Red Shoe Pub
Well what more of a recommendation could you have. We had passed the pub on our way to the distillery and had, in fact, been recommended it by our host at Murray Harbour on PEI. Great place. Good food and, according to Rick, a good beer too! The music, to be performed by one of the Rankin family (the sisters own the pub), wasn't due to start until 10pm. With a long drive on the Cabot trail in the morning we decided to call it a day and sample the Rankins on Google. The CD might be waiting for us when we get home courtesy of Amazon!
written by
rickandsuejohnson
on August 11, 2012
from
Mabou
,
Canada
from the travel blog:
Go West then go East
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