I must have been here just before it closed because it was not that long ago that I came here with two guys from Transport Canada.
Shucks...
Wednesday, 2 September 2015
Tuesday, 1 September 2015
It's only Tuesday?
Hard to believe that it is only Tuesday. I have already completed 4 interior evaluations, three remain - two tomorrow and one on Thursday. Then, home time!
Tonight's dinner is at Jack Astors - just down the strip mall from last night at Marathon Souvlaki.
Tonight should be quiet. That sounds like I have been rowdy every night - not so. Last night ended with some work and then talking to Lola (along with completing day 20 of our 30 day planking challenge - another 2.5 mins long plank...). But still, tonight should be quiet - talk to Lola and planking. And then sleep.
I am definitely looking forward to the weekend at Eric and Jamie's (parents) cabin at Brereton Lake. I don't want to jinx it but I'm even going to try and leave work early. We will see how successful I am but I am definitely owed a "few" hours.
Not much else to really talk about today - still trying to unwind from work today. Hopefully this beer with supper helps ;)
Sunday, 30 August 2015
Sunday's Sunny Sunday
Once again, it's AA, this time on the road in sunny Montreal.
RC sailboats!
The Jacques Cartier bridge and La Ronde amusement park
Now, it's almost time to make my way back to the hotel. Although, I still have half a beer to drink...
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
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)
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.
The Red Cliffs scenic drive
Victoria Harbour
The NAB crew on shore
Lola on a sand bar
The tree
The ladies in a boat
The Passengers catching a few zzz's enroute to Fredericton
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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)
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