jBlog

The time went by too fast as usual and the day arrived to fly to Dominica.  Had spent an agonizing few weeks trying to keep within the luggage allowance but ended up paying for excess baggage!  Spent the night in Miami and arrived the next day in Dominica - on time.  We picked up our rental car and drove across the island on about the one and only road.  The first portion was not too bad and in daylight but towards the end of the journey (about an hour and a half) the road was being torn up in preparation for repaving.  We encountered a lot of muddy slop and also an accident which held us up for about 15 minutes.  If you are feint of heart this is not the journey for you as the roads are narrow and lots of switchbacks - take a bus or a taxi!  We arrived at Castle Comfort Lodge to a warm welcome and we were shown to our room. Later on Derek called to say he would be over to meet us.  We met and had a drink at the bar and his wife Ginette was also there to greet us.  Steve and I had a very pleasant dinner at their restaurant and early to bed after a long couple of days of travel.   We spent the next few days diving so that we could get to know the dive sites and meet the crew - who were all great.  Dominica is known for its friendly people and this is definitely true.  In the afternoons we took a look at many apartments to rent (hopefully within walking distance of the Dive Shop) and ended up settling on a place.  It was built about a year ago but has never been lived in so everything was bright and cheery and brand new.  We negotiated with the real estate agent on price and date that we could move in.  We moved out of Castle Comfort Lodge on October 28th and into our new rental residence. It didn’t take long to settle in, unpack and enjoy the view. October 31st ended up being our first official day of work and I was on the dive boat leading a dive and Steve was on a different boat teaching a course.  The next week we had a group from DAN (Divers Alert Network) who were all staying at the Fort Young hotel.  The group consisted of mostly Doctors with spouses or friends staying for just over a week, attending seminars and diving in the afternoon.

We did more driving than anticipated as the weather turned out to be pretty good and only a few downpours here and there.  We ended up in Bathhurst and then headed out to Drummondville the next day to stay overnight there at the Best Western.  Made it back to Perth without incident and Helen and John were there to welcome us with a drink and dinner.  We then started preparing for where we were going to spend the winter and also John’s 60th birthday.  Unbeknownst to John, Helen had called in a favor from their friend Brad Kyle of Kyle’s Town and Country Chrysler.  Brad organized a Porsche for John for the weekend they were travelling to Barry to celebrate with friends and family.   The car was delivered on Thursday afternoon (the day of his birthday) complete with bow!  John arrived home from work and luckily for all of us survived the heart attack of seeing a Porsche in his driveway.  It didn’t take long for Helen to let him know that it was just rented for the weekend.  He then proceeded to take all his employees for a spin and it took quite a while to wipe the smile off his face!  On one of our trips to Kanata Diving Supply we found out they had taken a group to Dominica in 2005 and stayed at Castle Comfort Lodge and dove with Dive Dominica.  We decided to contact Derek and Ginette Perryman at Dive Dominica and see if they needed any help for the winter and as luck would have it they had just put an ad in the paper for Divemasters. We chatted on the phone and e.mailed back and forth specifying all the usual paperwork that was needed for a work permit.  We booked our flight with our points so we only had to pay the taxes.  We spent the next few weeks organizing what we were taking and visiting the people we hadn’t seen yet.  Our buddy Paul had been very sick over the summer but managed to get well enough to sit up for a few hours for us to go visit and make him lunch.  He was in amazingly good spirits considering all the pain he was in.  We gave him his belated birthday present of a t-shirt from Turks and Caicos.  We also went over to our friend Marnie’s place on Ferguson Lake near Calaboogie to see how she had finished off her house.  It looked really great and we loved how she had finished it off to make it wheelchair accessible.  We especially liked how she had designed her master bedroom and bathroom.  Her sister was there trying to finish up the landscaping before the winter sets in.  She took a break to have lunch with us.  We chatted about Dominica and Marnie started getting that look that said “maybe I have enough points to get a flight there’! - so we are hoping she can take some time off and come and visit us and get wet!  Great visit and Marnie has a beautiful spot over the lake.

In the morning we checked on availability of hotels in Digby and it seemed a much better venue so we changed our ferry reservation to Tuesday at 8.00 a.m. Decided to stay at the Dockside Suites - again had one room left at a good price.  After a great hot breakfast we took a quick tour around Liverpool and checked out the Fort Point lighthouse.  It was nice to see a different shape (square) and it was on a very nicely landscaped area.  We found out that Liverpool was the second busiest shipping port next to Halifax and is known as the Port of the Privateer.  Instead of taking the scenic road via Yarmouth to Digby we took the road across and the drive was really pretty with all the landscape turning colour with red being extremely predominant.  Arrived at Annapolis Royal to check out the Annapolis Tidal Generating Station. This is the largest straight-flow turbine in the world to generate more than 30 million kilowatt hours per year - enough electricity to power 4,500 homes.  A really fascinating spot and they do tours but unfortunately not while we were there.  This is also where we found out that the Osprey is the Provincial bird of Nova Scotia. Arrived in Digby about 3.00 pm looking for the Dockside Suites and the exterior is the complete opposite to the interior.  Had a great room with a balcony over the bay.  Sun was shining occasionally and it was really warm so we had a wander around the town and talked to a few of the fisherman. We were fascinated on how they would tie up their boats with such a high and low tide but they just have very slack lines and fingers crossed that the weather remains good!  Of course when in Digby (just like being in Rome!) you have to try the scallops - world famous apparently - but unfortunately the meal was a bit of a disappointment.  Steve and I had them fresh cooked in garlic butter with rice and everything came lukewarm and really not a lot of flavour.  We didn’t complain as the people are so proud of their heritage but, like me, if you were not a scallop lover to start with this would not encourage you to eat them - very unfortunate.

Set the alarm for 6.00 am so we would have enough time to get to the ferry by 7.00 for the sailing at 8.00 am. Still very warm at that time of the morning and enjoyed wandering around the ship.  Actually had wireless internet on board so we took advantage of it to catch up with our blog work and check out hotels that we may stay at.  Arrived at 11.00 to pouring rain and there are not a lot of things to do in St. John in that type of weather so we decided to head straight out to Fredericton.

Headed out at around 11.00 to check out Peggy’s Cove.  The topography started to change dramatically and was quite rocky.  When we arrived at “The Cove” it is very pretty but quite touristy - the most amount of people we have encountered on our trip.  We mentioned this to the waitress at the restaurant and she said that tomorrow would be even worse as there were 5 coaches from the cruise ship in Halifax - we chose the right day!  A little breezy and cool but luckily no rain. There are lots of warnings about walking on the rocks when raining as they can be quite slippery as they are very smooth.  Took a picture of the famous lighthouse and the Cove then moved on to Lunenburg to check out the Bluenose II.  Drove through Mahone Bay - obviously a very popular spot -  a very pretty town and had some craft fair on that day.  When we arrived in Lunenburg the Bluenose was out on tour until 3.30 pm so we decided to check out the other historic landmarks - one of which is the St. John’s Anglican Church built in 1753 that unfortunately had a fire in  November 1st 2001 (they never did find out the reason why but the insurance deemed it accidental).  It was then restored to its original glory in 2005 with help from private investors and the government and they managed to restore all the pews in the congregation.  It was going to be torn down but then it would not be considered a heritage site.  The chancel area has a beautiful dark blue ceiling with many stars hence being known the Church of the Stars and the guide explained that it was painted exactly as what they saw in the sky on Christmas Eve 1753.  In this area they also have brightly painted organ pipes. It is a beautiful town with all the buildings very well kept.

  We decided to buy a couple of t shirts at the Bluenose shop with all proceeds going to the upkeep of the ship.  We saw it in the distance and waited for it to come in and once everyone had “abandoned ship” we went on deck for a look around. We then headed for Liverpool with an easy run through and we could see the newly opened Best Western from the Highway.  We went through town to check out the Lane’s Privateer which just had a couple of rooms left - one queen on the second floor with a great view over the water.  Great place with character, restaurant, pub, gift shop and book store.  Had already booked the ferry from Digby to New Brunswick and tried booking a hotel in St. John and everything was booked. Decided to head down for an excellent dinner in their dining room and took an evening stroll before heading off to bed.  In the morning watching the news we realised that the Prime Minister was having a conference in St. John and that was why everything was booked - so change of plan!

Spent the morning before leaving checking on schedules and prices of ferries over to Portland or Bar Harbor, Maine or possibly leaving Digby to go New Brunswick.  Didn’t make any final decisions and headed out to Halifax.  Only took just over an hour and again the weather was beautiful.  Found our way to the downtown Tourist Information Centre but very little parking so Steve dropped me off and I said we were looking for accommodation for the night.  I was informed of a special at the Best Western overlooking the water for $99.00.  He called and they had availability for a Queen for the same price so gave them my credit card to secure it.  When Steve arrived he was surprised that I had made a decision so quickly. 

Got directions and it was a little further out of town than we wanted (not walking distance) - we just wanted to park and check out the downtown area.  Arrived at the hotel and mentioned my mistake and asked if we could cancel - no problem - but they would be happy to upgrade us to a lakeview larger room for the same price.  We realised there was no way we could get a place downtown for close to the same price so decided on taking a taxi into town and back to save us the problem of finding parking and paying for it. We were allowed to check in early so we headed downtown for a lunch on the waterfront at Saltys.  After that we wandered down the boardwalk with the sunshine beating down on us.  There is the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic with some artifacts outside that you can check out.  Got to Pier 21 where it is famous for Canadian soldiers leaving and coming back from both World Wars and the gateway for all the immigrants arriving to Canada - our version of Ellis Island.  We checked out a few things but decided not to take the tour as it was over an hour.  On our way to the Citadel we passed the Alexander Keith’s Brewery and they had tours up until 8.00 pm so we chose to go to the Citadel first while the weather was still good. We arrived and it was closing at 5.00 and said if we waited 10 minutes we could get in for free so everyone chose to wait.  It is quite the fort with an army display that is fascinating.  It carries General Wolf’s cape that he actually died on (you are not allowed to photograph it).  Walked around the top of the fort and checked out the cannons, shells and gunpowder - a great view.  There are two huge masts that look like sailing ships which were used for communication.  Unfortunately didn’t have too much time but saw all the highlights.  Left to do a tour of the brewery but there was a charge of $15.95 per person which we felt was a little pricy.  Checked out a little bit more of downtown before stopping at the landmark - Halifax Ale House - while the sun was setting and caught a cab back to our room.  Went for a wander around the property and to see what was around in the area and there was a small pizzeria which made souflaki with their own home made tzatziki sauce so that’s what we had for dinner in our room while looking out our window and the gorgeous view.

Made a reservation on the Northumberland Ferry for the 12.30 crossing so we had to leave the resort by 11.15 to ensure we got there on time.  Was an easy run through and we were third to get on. Luckily there was an official tourist information desk there and we picked up some maps and brochures and the girl was very informative.  She made some good suggestions and we were lucky to be third off the ferry and we headed for the tourist information office to book a place to stay. Glenora is the oldest  single malt distillery in North America and the only one in Canada, it also has an  Inn attached with a pub and a formal dining area.  We managed to secure the last room - a little pricey but it is a once in lifetime thing.  Tours of the distillery are 9.00-5.00 and we managed to arrive at 4.55 just in time for the last tour.  The property is spectacular and room was gorgeous.  The distillery started in 1990 with all the equipment transported from the Bowmore distillery in Scotland - very impressive.    They only make whiskey in the winter as there is no air conditioning in the building!  So not too many bottles produced which of course makes them very expensive.  Of course we had a sample and very smooth.  Decided to eat in the formal dining room and I was all primed for the Atlantic Salmon cooked in their whiskey but they were all out!!  Ended up trying their smoked salmon appetizer with their whiskey which was delicious.  Steve and I then split their lamb dish which again was extremely tasty.  Treated ourselves to dessert of a sticky toffee pudding drizzled with their whiskey with a touch of cream - mmmm!  What a way to end a day.

Our first day of heavy rain and once in the car we decided to head straight to Louisbourg and check out the Fort.  This way we only did a small amount of the Cabot Trail but it is a full day to tour around it and we would not have seen much at all.  Once on it you cannot cut across and make a shorter day of it so we will have to leave it for another time - a little disappointing but we can’t complain as the weather has been spectacular.  Stopped in Baddeck (Alexander Graham Bell) and had lunch at a restaurant that looked out over the water Bell Buoy and had a great seafood chowder and lobster mushroom caps.  Steve decided to try the crab cakes - if they can’t make them here they can’t make them anywhere.  The food was delicious. Got to Louisbourg by 2.30 and checked in at the Point of View.  They had a special which included dinner and breakfast - a very reasonable price.  Headed out to catch the bus to the Fort.  This is a definite “must see” if you are in this area.  Everyone is in period costume and very knowledgeable of the history.  The Fort was totally destroyed and rebuilt in the 1960’s - largest historical restoration in Canada.  It took 20 years to restore at the cost of 35 million dollars. It came about as there were so many unemployed coal miners that they trained in various trades to rebuild the site.  In the 1740’s they used to catch 30 million pounds of cod every year - by hand!!  To make sure you don’t stay overnight at the Fort they have a drummer and soldiers march out to set off the cannon for a 5.00 pm closing - very loud!!  If you have the time you can even have a traditional meal served to you on porcelain plates. Headed back to our hotel for a 6.00 pm seating for dinner which was fun with all of us there having lobster and crab with our bibs on!  We met a Nova Scotia couple travelling around and had a great conversation.  Ended the day by sitting on our balcony listening to the waves lapping.

Enjoyed a breakfast that was included and then we went around the corner  to the site of the oldest lighthouse in Canada. Then we set off to Truro to check out the Bay of Fundy and the Tidal Bore.  Encountered a little bit of construction but made it straight through and arrived at about 3.00 pm.  We checked out the Pallisers Motel for a room but a little too basic for us so we stayed at the Comfort Inn which is within walking distance of the Tidal Bore.  It was supposed to happen at about 6.07p.m. so we chose to eat at the Pallisers restaurant and watch it from there as it was quite cool and raining.  Had an very good meal - fresh haddock but unfortunately the Tidal Bore was very underwhelming - saw only a very small wave.  There were quite a few in the restaurant doing the same thing and a few hardy people waiting outside in raincoats and umbrellas.  We all waited until 6.45 but nothing major.  It was a quarter moon and we figured it is probably more spectacular when there is a full moon?

Even after losing an hour we still managed to get on the road for 10.30 and headed on the Trans Canada through New Brunswick to PEI.  Had a little rain at the very beginning but the rest of the drive was sunny with cloudy periods.  Again the scenery was breathtaking and a pleasant run through.  Got to the PEI bridge at about 2.30 pm and it was closed to the big RVs and tractor trailers because of the high winds.  Luckily we were let through and we checked at the tourist information centre for places to stay and found out it was the Shellfish Festival so a fair amount of activity downtown. We decided to stay in Charlottetown anyway and made a choice of three hotels to look at - the first being the Best Western.  The place was quite busy and had no cheap rooms so we checked out the more expensive ones and decided it was not for us - we were treating ourselves for our anniversary. The next choice was Delta Prince Edward which starting price was the more expensive Best Western. We arrived and again all the cheaper rooms were sold out.  They had a King size bedroom available which the receptionist took us up to look at and he dropped the price significantly and included the parking so we took it.  Unfortunately it had started to rain but we took a look around the town a bit and checked out some restaurants that we might want to eat at.  We chose a small, very busy Italian restaurant.  We made reservations and it turned out to be very good - I had a shrimp appetizer and lobster ravioli.  Steve had a veal dish with fettucine.  It was only steps away from a back entrance of the hotel so a very nice way to end the day.

Had a lazy morning and checked out the pool but decided not to have a swim - just filled up our jacuzzi in our room.  Checked to see if they would do any deal for a second night but no go so we checked out and had a look at the Rodd Hotel.  NIce but quite small.  Went to the Quality Inn and had a look at a Queen and a King Suite. The Queen was nice but the King was spectacular and we decided to take it as it had a small kitchenette which meant we could eat in our room instead of having to find a restaurant.  The receptionist allowed us to check in right away and we then took a tour around town.  The weather was gorgeous and quite a few people in the downtown area as quite a lot of people were checking out the shellfish festival.  We chose to just wander around as we wanted to make the most of the beautiful day. Lots of old buildings but quite touristy and a huge condominium building going up in front of the Founders Hall so they will lose their view of the water!  Decided to pick up some lobster and crab for dinner and enjoyed our evening in our room which was probably one of the nicest we have stayed in - even had a fireplace for heat and ambience!

It was a tough decision on whether to stay and enjoy our room or head out and enjoy the gorgeous weather.  We went out in shorts and shirts - fantastic.  Checked out at noon and headed for the Briarwood Hotel.  Signage is not very good in Charlottetown - street signs are very small and there are no large signs heading out of town to tell you which way you are going.  Anyway got on Highway 2 with the intention of taking route 12 to Alberton.  There are two route twelves very close to each other and after about a half hour we realized we had taken the wrong turn so we ended up seeing another part of the island that we hadn’t planned on.  Got on the right road and found the Briarwood.  Not quite as pretty as the web site makes out but very adequate.  Checked out the property and it looks over the water.  We enjoyed the last of the sunshine and barbequed some shrimp we had picked up in Charlottetown and had another enjoyable meal in our room.

Decided to try and make an early start and managed to head out by 10.00am. Went up to North Cape and there is a test windmill site so lots of various windmills of different shapes and sizes.  Again another glorious day and we spent a bit of time watching the seals playing out in the water.  We then headed towards St. Peters Bay to go see the Dunes in the Prince Edward National Park.  Encountered a bit of construction along the way which slowed us down.  Had a quick lunch in St. Peters - only RIck’s Fish and Chips open!! The Dunes is an absolutely facsinating place and it took us a while to walk along the floating boardwalk.  Once we reached the sandy part it was interesting to see how fine the sand was and the colour was amazing - red of course!!  We actually dipped out feet in the water and it was cool but amazingly refreshing.  We then headed to Georgetown with the intention of staying overnight.  The harbor front was completely torn up and under construction.  The small inn that we planned on staying at had no vacancy and the dining room was closed.  Luckily there was a large Rodd resort and golf course near by and we checked it out.  Managed to get a King Suite for the price of a Queen size room - it pays to go off season sometime!!  A beautiful view and we had a large deck to sit and have our evening cocktail.  Only one dining room open which was basically pub grub - very quiet!