[TBD]: August 2015

Sunday 30 August 2015

Sunday's Sunny Sunday

Once again, it's AA, this time on the road in sunny Montreal.

I figured instead of taking the milk run and risking a flight through Toronto, might as well take the direct flight in the morning which puts me into Montreal by 2:30 local time.

Good choice. It's sunny and 27*C here today with a few clouds.

I started off with strolling down St Catherine's street which, as Lola can attest to, is full of shopping. This was intentional - I am looking for some other gift ideas for Lola's big 3-0 in just under a month. I have several ideas but had a few that I wanted to check out here in QC. Unfortunately nothing panned out.

Next, to the Vieux Port ("Old Port" en Anglais ("in English")) to see what's going on. There's always something going on here whether it be street performers, food trucks or small boutiques and shops of local artists.

Here are a few of the sights:

A rope climbing and zip lining attraction

RC sailboats!

The Jacques Cartier bridge and La Ronde amusement park

A "beach" and the Molson factory in the background

Marche Bonsecours

After all the walking, I was starting to get hungry. Well, really I was getting thirsty for a beer. So, I made my way to Les 3 Brasseurs and enjoyed a black IPA and a Flammekueuche (flatbread pizza - delicious)

Now, it's almost time to make my way back to the hotel. Although, I still have half a beer to drink...

Keep posted for more blogs this week. Chances are likely I'm here until at least Wednesday.

Tuesday 4 August 2015

The final leg of our journey

Well, it's that time that we all dread during our vacation, the day we need to go home.

This trip is not unlike any others, we had a great time seeing almost all that there is to see in Atlantic Canada. From Fredericton, to Halifax, onwards to Sydney then Pictou and lastly Charlottetown, we have had a blast. And ate a lot of food.

Today was fairly relaxing. We started out with a larger breakfast at Smitty's, knowing that we needed to eat an early supper due to flight schedules this evening. Fuelled up and armed with our ninth Timmies, we were ready for the 3.5 hrs drive from Charlottetown to Fredericton.

The Red Cliffs scenic drive

About 31 mins into the drive, we made a detour to see another lighthouse, this one in Victoria. One backseat passenger was a mildly excited when he heard "Victoria's Secret" instead of "Victoria's Seaport". The view was slightly different, but still magnificent.

Victoria Harbour

We arrived in Victoria PEI slightly before the tide started to really come in. We explored some of the sea floor and the red sand cliffs while the water started to come ashore, rising ever so slightly with each wave.

The NAB crew on shore

Lola on a sand bar

Once in Victoria, we explored the small town looking at a lighthouse, wandering down the wharf in and out of a couple gift shops and then taking a photo by the largest tree on PEI (height was x feet and canopy was about 128 feet in diameter). The tree was massive and definitely was the largest that we had seen on the island so far.

The tree

The ladies in a boat

Shortly outside of Victoria, we could start to see the confederation bridge that spans 13 Km between PEI and New Brunswick. Another short stop at a beach for a few pictures of the bridge and then we were off to pay the toll an drive across. Lola took time lapse photos of the drive on the go pro. I'll need to mash together a video and post it.

Confederation Bridge

The drive through New Brunswick was a relatively uneventful 3 hrs drive. Many conversations to pass the time, including a game of "phonetic alphabet" which was initiated by Lola to help her with her radio license that she is studying to get for work.

The Passengers catching a few zzz's enroute to Fredericton

The game consisted mostly of AA giving hints when the passengers could not think of how to say the letters of the alphabet phonetically (A = Alpha, B = Bravo, etc). Other than Lola thinking that animals were the basis for many of the letters (J = Julliet, not Jaguar as she thought), everyone was generally able to guess the correct word except for Y which we later found out to be Yankee.

There also was a slight mixup with the letter M. The hint was "a shortened version of a boys name". Correct answer - Mike. Lola's very proud answer after the hint - Andy. Well, I guess she was partly right - Andy is short for Andrew, just didn't quite go with the letter.

The stopover in Fredericton was short. A stop at Tims to use the washroom, then park the car, find a boutique that Gwen has been wanting to return to for three years to get another coffee mug, find somewhere to eat and then gas up, return the van and catch a cab to the airport.

We were successful. Lola got another coffee mug, this one she claims is hers but we will see how often she grabs mine on Saturday mornings...

Lunch/supper was at The Snooty Fox, a British style pub only a couple blocks from the river downtown. Blair finally ordered what he was recommended to get out east - deep fried clams and fries. And he liked them! And not surprisingly he should, other than a slightly chewy texture, there wasn't much of a fishy flavour and really just tasted like batter/breading.

We finished with a little bit of spare time so we quickly wandered around the Old Barracks on the riverfront and buy a church before returning to the car to drop it off.

No caption needed

The YFC airport was quaint. With only five gates and one small security area, we were through security in 15 mins.

The flight from Fredericton to Toronto has been interesting so far. A two hour flight is sounding like it will be longer as there is a weather front moving into the Toronto area. We have already had a few rough patches of turbulence, one of which started to cause some ice build up on the intake duct on the engine cowl. Hopefully we get home tonight. If not, oh well. Better to be safe than sorry.

Well, we are now at the airport waiting for our baggage.

We have had a great trip. Some of us are not looking forward to work tomorrow and this week while others still have some vacation time left to enjoy. However, it too will soon pass and we will all be back into the hustle and bustle of daily lives, ready for yet another vacation.

The BANG'in Recap

Tim Hortons log... (9 total)

Tuesday- Fredericton & Moncton

Wednesday - withdrawal

Thursday - Truro & Mulgrave (Port Hawksbury)

Friday - Baddeck

Saturday - St. Peter's

Sunday - Charlottetown

Monday - Charlottetown

Tuesday -Charlottetown

Meal Log

Monday -

Fionn MacCool's (Toronto Airport, Lunch)

Hilltop restaurant (Fredericton, dinner)

Tuesday -

Fredericton inn (Fredericton, breakfast)

Hopewell Rock Cafe (Hopewell, Snack)

Tide and boar (Moncton, lunch)

Gahan ( Halifax, dinner)

Wednesday -

Continental Breakfast (Halifax Hampton Inn)

Dockside (Lunenburg)

Salty's (Halifax)

Thursday -

Continental Breakfast (Halifax Hampton Inn)

Peir 20 - Lobster Shack (Halifax, Lunch)

Frank and Gino's (Truro, Dinner)

Friday -

Salt water (Sydney, breakfast)

Bell Bouy (Baddeck, lunch)

Coastal restaurant and bar (Ingonish, dinner)

Saturday -

Salt water (Sydney, breakfast)

Lobster Kettle restaurant (Louisbourg, lunch)

Mother Webb's (Antigonish, dinner)

Sunday -

NFL ferry (caribou, breakfast)

Rachel's (cavendish, lunch)

Lobster on the wharf (Charlottetown, dinner)

Cows (peakes wharf, Charlottetown, dessert)

Monday -

Eden hall b&b (Charlottetown, breakfast)

Point Prim Chowder House and Oyster Bar (point prim, lunch)

Cows (creamery, Charlottetown, snack)

Fishbones (Charlottetown, dinner)

Tuesday -

Smitty's (Charlottetown, breakfast)

The Snooty Fox (Fredericton, lunch)

Places we stayed:

Fredericton Inn, NB (July 27-28)

Hampton Inn, Halifax, NS (July 28-30)

Holiday Inn, Sydney, NS (July 30-Aug 1)

Dolan's Inn, Pictou, NS (Aug 1-2)

Eden Hall Inn, Charlottetown PEI (2-4)

Historical sites/parks and villages (points of interest)

- Hopewell Rocks

- Peggy's Cove

- Lunenburg

- Bluenose II

- Citadel Halifax

- Peir 21: immigration museum

- Alexander Keith brewery

- Alexander Graham Bell Museum

- Cabot Trail

- Highland National Park

- Fortress of Louisbourg

- Fleur-de-lis trail

- St Peter's Canal

- French River (James Petrowski's Residence)

- Caribou-Wood Islands Ferry (Northumberland Strait)

- Anne of Green Gables House and Lucy Montgomery residence and grave site

- North Rustico Harbour Beach

- Peakes Wharf

- St. Dunstans Basillica

- Province House (outside only, closed for restoration)

- Portion of East Coastal Drive

- Charlottetown Center of the Arts, Anne of Green Gables - The Musical

- Victoria by the Sea

- Confederation Bridge

- Barracks Square

Lighthouses (10 total)

- Peggy's Cove, NS

- Lunenburg, NS (saw by boat)

- Baddeck, Cape Breton, NS

- Louisbourg, Cape Breton, NS

- Wood Islands, PEI

- North Rustico, PEI

- Point Prim, PEI

- Victoria by the Sea, PEI (2)

- Fredericton, NB

Kilometres travelled by Van: 2,605

Number of group selfies: 27 (compilation below!)

Laughs: Too many to count!

Volkswagon vehicles pointed out: lost count!

How many times we went to St. John, New Brunswick - 0

We had a great time and hope we have the opportunity to travel together again!

Signing off from the BANG's...

Lola (with AA's help)

Monday 3 August 2015

Special day in the BANG clan

So today is Blair and Nadine's 30th Wedding anniversary, we were were lucky enough to celebrate a little with them today.

The day started with breakfast at the B&B, then off to the Basilica, St. Dunstean's, a few blocks from where we are staying. It was constructed from the ruins of past church's and reminded us all of the Notre Dame in Montreal.

Waking in.

The grand arches as you enter. The ceilings to tall and the detail so elaborate.

Lola's favorite part the organ! She really liked the ceiling too.

On our way back we walked around the Province House which is closed for renovations but don't worry still got to take a photo of the cool year at the side of the building...the first meeting of the fathers of confederation.

Then back to the hotel to go for a little road trip to see only round light house on PEI. But first a stop for a celebratory Drink...

Cheers!

Next stop Point Prim, and the oldest light house on the island. We had a great tour from a young man named James, and a steep climb all the way to the top. The lighthouse was originally built with brick, and later covered with wood siding to protect from erosion. It is the only round light house on PEI and received a fresh coat of paint a mere 3 weeks ago.

The lighthouse

Pretending to steer the ship!

The happy travellers at the top.

The light and the our very knowledgeable tour guide.

We have found that most of the tour guides we have had, are so passionate and have some family connection to the peice of history they are displaying. It is so nice to see the pride that they take of their heritage.

Lola really wanted to go to the resturant that was also on the point, so we went for a little drive to waste some time before the restaurant opened at noon. To the bottle village. This has inspired me to take on and build something of my own. It also reminded me of the awesome bottles I used to drink out of as a kid, especially the minute maid juice with the sealed lid that popped when you hit the bottom.

Sign made out of bottles too

The village was still under construction, but included a school, general store, church, Anne's house, tea house and light house.

Inside the general store

Anne's house with a the lighthouse in the background.

Proceeded to the resturant to enjoy some sea food at the ocean front. We talked about how life is different by the ocean and enjoyed the waves, sun and a little sea food. They had cool signs (not to be confused with Cool Signs and Graphics). So had to take a few photos.

The restaurant

Aa and Lola

The happy anniversary couple

Another cheers

The awesome tomoto based seafood cowder that Lola could eat and potato salad

The lobster roll with a huge claw on top.

After the awesome meal, back to Charlottetown to the Cows Cremery. Neat how the factory and store was in the shape of a barn. And of course more ice cream had to be eaten. All of us chose different flavours than yesterday... My strawberry sorbet was excellent.

The barn. They have a factory for ice cream, cheese and printing t shirts.

Nadine found a fitting sign for her cow lovers!

Eating, Adam got a little messy this time.

It's a cool cow.

That's one big cow... Trying to get some milk. I don't think I am Allergic to this milk?

Then back to Eden Hall to change for the evening... Oh wait, Gwen drove so dropped herself and Nadine off to hit up some shops at Peakes Wharf before going back to the hotel. Adam and Blair drove back to have a quick shower and of course nap. A perfect sign was outside one of the stores.

Etched stone

So fitting for me. But sometime I think shopping costs more.

We bought a few things then headed back. Got ready for our dinner reservation at Fishbones and off we went. We all had different meals of fish, and it was a great atmosphere, and right close to the concert hall where we booked tickets to see Anne of Green Gables the musical.

Walking to supper!

Our fish meals. Salmon, scallops, tuna and halibut

A little shopping at Cool as A Moose before the show, and wow could I have spent a lot of money in that store, but just some post cards and a hat for Adam.

We have been to all of them except maybe Whistler, we can't remember.

Being cool as a moose!

We noticed a man doing art this morning when walking back from the province house, so wanted to see his progress. He is nailing 100,000 nails into a 110 year old elm tree. We talked to the artist about it, he is working on one side then has to get a crane to flip it over to finish the other side. He estimates about 3-4 weeks to complete. It was a very neat piece of art.

The artist nailing.

Our last stop of the day was to the musical. The cast was excellent, the story well put together and the company and drinks were great. It was a great end to our trip,since tomorrow we are heading home.