canada – ON THE ROAD with Maria + Stephen

Unama’ki or Isle du Cap-Breton or Eilean Cheap Bhreatainn or Cape Breton

09/08/202405/09/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Bike Trails, Camping, Hiking, Live Music, Travel

After departing Broad Cove we followed the Cabot Trail (CT) west along the northern perimeter of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park (CBHNP). This route took us up into the heart of the highlands and then back down along the western slope where the highlands meet the North Atlantic. As always, lots of spectacular scenery and driving.

Cabot Trail, Petit Etang

Along the way we stopped to hike the Skyline Trail, considered one of the best hikes in CBHNP. The trail leads out to cliffs providing dramatic views of the mountainous coastline and the ocean below. Although the weather began closing in during our hike, we were still able to see for several miles up and down the coast.

From the Skyline Trail we journeyed south on the CT to the Acadian community of Cheticamp. We had booked an AirBnb for two nights with a deck overlooking the harbour. Unfortunately, the rain moved in that evening squashing our plans for cocktails and nibbles on the deck (rough, eh?). We made the best of it— washed our laundry and got a good night’s sleep.

The next morning was still drizzly, so feeling chipper after a hot shower and wearing freshly laundered duds, we set off for coffee at Marguerite Boutique et Provisions. In the ‘it’s a small world’ category, we met a retired long-haul truck driver (J.P. — Jean Paul) who had lived in Meriden (our home base) for several years-and-a young man from Hamden, Connecticut (on a two year solo journey). We also met some folks from California and New Hampshire — all in all, an enjoyable fika segment!

https://www.boutiquemarguerite.com

After fika we poked around town a bit before returning to our our cottage for an afternoon lie down — perfetto on a rainy gray day. We capped off the day with a delicious dinner at L’abrie Restaurant, Cafe et Bar. This restaurant was recommended to us by our barista at the Periwinkle Cafe in Ingonish —thank you very much!

L’abrie is owned by the same partners that own Marguerite. You can read more about the partners, their mission and the restaurant by clicking on the link below.

https://www.labri.cafe/

***Cheticamp (Photo courtesy of Societe Saint-Pie*****rre)**

Chéticamp is an Acadian region on the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, on the western slope of Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia. It is located between Cape Breton Highlands National Park to the north and Grand-Étang and Montagne des Écureuils to the south. These magnificent sites stretch for many kilometres along the Cabot Trail. It’s settlement began in the decade following the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763, ending the Seven Years’ War between France and Great Britain. Chéticamp takes its name from a Mi’kmaq expression meaning “rarely full”, presumably in reference to Petit Étang (small pond) in La Prairie (the prairie) near Buttereau at the foot of Grande Falaise (big cliff) in the estuary of the Chéticamp River. All these names are the legacy of a rich heritage in the heart of a landscape where wild habitats and the sea merge with extraordinary beauty.

Learn more about the fascinating history of Acadian communities around the world at: acadie-on-the-roads-of-the-acadian-people-map-articles-and-references-about-the-acadian-communities

We departed Cheticamp traveling along the coast on the CT through the scenic villages of Grand Etang and Margaree Harbour. At Margaree Harbour we said our final farewell to the CT and our widdershins loop of CB. From there we followed Route 219 to Southwest Margaree, then we veered inland to explore some of the interior of Cape Breton in the distinctly Scottish heritage area around Lake Ainslie.

The photos above are from the MacDonald Farm in East Lake Ainslie – now operated as a museum by the local historical society. Alexander MacDonald emigrated from the Isle of Mull, Scotland in 1823 – receiving a land grant of 518 acres. His son Charles started the first mercantile in the area in 1848 and built the present house during the 1850s. He also established the first post office in 1876 – Charles also being the first postmaster. The post office operated until 1956!

After exploring the farm we pressed on further into the interior on what appeared to be logging roads which eventually gave way to farmland.

East Lake Ainslie, Cape Breton

Much to our surprise and pleasure, after cresting a rise in the road, we found ourselves staring at a bright red building housing the Skye Glen Creamery! We crossed our fingers in hopes that the creamery was open. Fortunately, we had chanced upon the creamery a few minutes before closing and we met one of the owners, Meghan. She and her husband bought the dairy farm (jersey cows) in 2020 and opened the creamery soon after – lucky us! We bought cheese and delicious chocolate gelato. What a tasty way to finish a ramble.

***Meghan, Matt, Sophie, and Heidi (Photo courtesy of Skye Glen Creamery)***

From the creamery we found our way to pavement and to the settlement of Mabou (Mi’kmaq for place where two rivers meet). Mabou was a definite on our itinerary due to its proximity to the Celtic Shores Coastal Bicycle Trail and the Red Shoe Pub. We checked in at the Mabou River Inn and then made the short trip across the river into town to dine and enjoy live music at the Pub.

The pub is owned by the Rankin Sisters, members of the multi-award winning Rankin Family musical group. The first generation of Rankins began performing during the 1970s. The Rankin family hails from Mabou and it is a big deal when the sisters drop in to perform at the pub. The pub boasts live music everyday and we were fortunate to hear the Campbell Sisters perform on the evening we dined at the pub.

https://www.redshoepub.com

American Loyalists were the first to settle in Mabou during the 1700s (as usual, if you exclude First Nations). The Loyalists were followed by British and Irish settlers but it was the Highland Scots that came to the forefront during the first half of the 1800s (emigrating as a result of the Highland Clearances). While fishing has always been part of the economy along with agriculture, a notable economic driver in Mabou and Inverness County was mining coal and gypsum. Coal mining persisted into the 1960s but was never successful on a large scale because the coal was under the ocean floor and was prone to flooding (not taking that mine tour!)The bike trail that we were looking forward to riding came about because of the abandonment of the rail line (I&R Railroad) as mining wound down.

We set out the following morning to bike the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail (CSCT) from the Mabou Rivers trailhead north to Inverness (and back). The trail is 57 miles one way – our ride from Mabou Rivers to Inverness and back was approximately 34 miles. Inverness is the northern terminus of the trail and sits right on the ocean.

***St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church (background) Mabou River (foreground)***

The trail is not paved but for the most part is smooth hard-pack and level. We chose this portion because segments to the south are quite windy making the riding difficult from both a wind and trail erosion perspective. The trail has very few road crossings (always a plus) and we only encountered one other cyclist over the entire 34 miles. We had been looking forward to riding this trail and we were not disappointed.

Upon arriving at the end of the trail we sought out lunch to refuel before riding back to Mabou. We felt it only right to dine at the Coal Miners Cafe & Lounge as the establishment is Biker Friendly. Good grub, definitely friendly and best of all – a Red Sox pub!

On our way back south we stopped to take in the view at Cabot Links Golf Course, which is adjacent to the trail terminus. We are not golfers but the course is laid out along the ocean and the combination of the course and the ocean view is quite magnificent (that’s for you Dorothy). The course actually sits on top of one of the reclaimed coal mines. Cabot Links is ranked as the 35th best course in the world while its sister course Cabot Cliffs is ranked as the 11th best. One of the people we met while at Marguerite for coffee had played at Cabot Cliffs – Twilight Round – nine holes at $350.00. The photos below are courtesy of Not Your Grandfather’s Mining Industry and Cape Breton University.

After completing our ride back to the trailhead at Mabou Rivers we made the short drive to Marble Hill and spent a relaxing evening watching the sky as the sun set over the Northumberland Straight.

We will pick up the final leg of our journey on Cape Breton as we drive two hours for a much needed consultation with Doctor Luke in Sydney. More on that in our next post.

Be seeing you!

Cape Breton, Anti-clockwise- Sunrise to Sunset

30/07/202419/08/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Camping, Coffee, Travel

After departing the bustle of Halifax we made our way east to tour the island of Cape Breton. We had become quite enamored of the beauty of the island and friendly folks we met along the way, we stayed two weeks before crossing back over the Canso Causeway onto the mainland of Nova Scotia. One of the major tourist draws is a loop auto route around the island known as the Cabot Trail (CT). While we drove the majority of the CT during our stay we spent considerable time poking around on the numerous side roads and back roads that led us to many scenic and uncrowded places.

***View from Cabot Trail, Englishtown, Cape Breton***

The morning after crossing onto the island we met Bill who asked us if we were going to drive the CT. We said sure – he replied that you will miss a lot of the beauty and culture of the island if you just follow the trail. We assured him that we would explore well beyond the trail. In retrospect, it was excellent advice – Bill had grown up on the island and moved away to serve in the military and was back visiting family – some of our best experiences were in little harbors and settlements we happened upon while rambling off the main roads.

After spending our first night camping at Whycocomagh Provincial Park, we drove a few miles along the coast and joined the CT at St. Anns. After a bite at the Lobster Gallery (with a view up St. Anns Harbour- photo above right) we drove up and around the bend to visit the Great Hall of the Clans at the Gaelic College (Colaisdena na Gaidhlig).

We toured the exhibits in the Great Hall and we were also treated to several demonstrations and performances taking place in the hall. There was of course, the obligatory Bagpiper along with a kilt maker. The kilt maker demonstrated with another guest how to properly put on and wear a kilt along with the appropriate accessories – actually quite interesting. We also watched a demonstration of a milling frolic and, finally, some good Cape Breton fiddling. We have included below background on the milling frolic (courtesy of Gaelic.com).

A milling frolic is a social event that was born of necessity, and is carried on today for enjoyment. After wool cloth is woven on a loom, it is necessary to shrink the cloth in order to make it warmer and more watertight. In the Scottish Highlands [in pre-industrial times], cleansing and shrinking the newly-woven cloth was done by hand in local communities. It was a social event of shared labour, made enjoyable by singing songs which maintained the work rhythm, preserved traditions, and encouraged original compositions with jokes about local events and personalities.

Nowadays the real milling is done in factories, but the milling frolic has continued as a social event in Nova Scotia Gaelic communities. This contrasts with Scotland, where you might see a milling frolic performed on a stage or as a historical re-enactment, but not as a social event in the village or church hall. Milling frolics involve special work songs which are known as “milling songs” in Nova Scotia (and “waulking songs” in Scotland). Some milling songs are shared with Gaelic Scotland, but quite a few were indigenously composed in Nova Scotia. There is a good but short collection of these songs on a Memorial University folklore website.

From the college we followed the CT along the breathtaking coast on a day made even more beautiful by blue skies, white puffy clouds and brilliant sunshine. Wow!

We camped for the next four nights at the Broad Cove Campground within the Cape Breton Highlands National Park (CBHNP). The site was on an open field (not great) but we were just a ten minute walk to the spectacular Broad Cove Beach (photos below). The location was also a great base for some nearby hiking and exploring back roads. Most importantly, it was under a ten minute drive to first rate coffee and “brekkie” sandwiches in Ingonish. Hot diggity!

Broad Cove, CBHNP

Periwinkle Cafe, Ingonish (Ingo) – pre and post activity base camp while camping at Broad Cove.

While camping at Broad Cove we hiked at nearby Warren Lake which sits at the base of Broad Cove Mountain. Warren Lake is the largest lake in the park. The trail closely follows the shoreline providing views of the lake from varying perspectives. It was a scenic hike with easy terrain albeit lots of water crossing and muddy patches. No bears or moose spotted during our hike but plenty of waterfowl and birds.

Always in search of the best chowder, we headed to Neils Harbor to sample the best chowder on Cape Breton. Neils Harbour is just off the CT at the beginning of New Haven Road. What a surprise awaited us when we came around the bend – another tiny, picturesque fishing village! Alas, the real surprise was that the Chowder House was not open! Thankfully, salvation was at hand because the ice cream parlour in the base of the nearby lighthouse had just opened for the season.

The settlement at Neils Harbour (pop. 300) has been occupied since the 1700s onward by French and Scottish settlers drawn to the close by and plentiful fishing grounds, as well as the protected cove (photos above). The lighthouse was constructed and began operations in 1899. The lighthouse was automated in 1956 and is still operational today; it is currently owned by the local community development agency. It is a Heritage Lighthouse which means it will be preserved in its current state.

**Lighthouse and Ice Cream Parlour, Neils Harbour**

***Neils Harbour, 1939 (Photo courtesy Nova Scotia Archives)***

After finishing our delicious ice cream and looking around the harbour we decided to push on further up the New Haven Road to explore a bit more. This road led us to White Point Road which runs parallel to the coast and provides wonderful view from a vantage point a couple of hundred feet above the shore. We spotted a bay below and turned down the winding White Point Road which took us down to the harbour.

There is a tiny settlement of houses sitting on the hill just above the harbour. The larger body of water beyond the breakwater is Aspy Bay which has been fished seasonally by Europeans since the 1500s (and before that by the Mi’Kmaq). The permanent population here is estimated at 100 people today. The point that extends out into the ocean is spectacular. We are so glad we spotted this gem!

Our last ramble before breaking camp and heading around the bend onto the Sunset Side of the cape was to Meat Cove (don’t ask – okay we will tell you – the local inhabitants used the beach pictured below to butcher whale and moose carcasses).

***Meat Cove, Cape North, Cape Breton***

Meat Cove is another end of the road settlement at the extreme north of Cape Breton. We would have to say getting there is half the fun with the twisty dirt road scraped out of the mountainside providing fabulous views of the coastline and mountains. And yes, at the very end of it, just like in a dream (only real) is a seafood stand selling delicious seafood chowder and other goodies fresh from the ocean!

After taking in the astounding views and consuming our delicious fish chowder, we backtracked down the road and popped into the tiny fishing village of Bay St. Lawrence. This area is know as the Top of the Island because it is literally as far north as you can go. Longtime locals call the area Down North because rivers and streams here run northerly down from the mountains to the ocean.

The village was settled in the 1850s by Scots and retains its Gaelic heritage to this day. Some of the folks fishing out from this bay are fifth generation and direct descendants of the original Scottish settlers. There is no official census because the village is not officially recognized as a municipality – officially it is just an area within Victoria County. We found one estimate from 2022 which puts the local population at 400 although you could not prove that by us. The Bay Cafe in the community centre was not open so we unfortunately did not get to meet any local folks ( we hear they are very friendly). In fact, we did not see a single sole besides two fishermen cruising by the wharf on their boat (maybe they saw the van coming and took cover).

After our visit to Meat Cove and Cape North we traveled back to Broad Cove for our final night of camping at CBHNP. The following day we traveled the CT up through the highlands and followed the trail along the sunset side of Cape Breton. We are going to wrap up this post here because we have quite a bit more to share about our time on Cape Breton in our next post.

Be seeing you!

Acadian Coast…Parlez vous français?

22/07/202412/08/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Architecture, Museum, Scenic Drive, Street Art and Murals, Travel

***Acadian Coast (Photo courtesy of Forbes)***

After a fantastic two week tour of Cape Breton (future post) we headed west back to Halifax for a night and then north to Moncton (see Marvelous Moncton post). From Moncton we spent a day exploring a bit of the Acadian Coast following the Acadian Coastal Drive from Shediac to Bouctouche. Many sections of the drive are right along the coast providing wonderful views of the beaches, small harbors and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

As you may recall from several of our previous posts from the maritime provinces, the first European settlers in this area of Canada emigrated from France, arriving in the early 1600s. The fortunes of the Acadians rose and fell as the French and British fought for control of the provinces over a 75 year period. In 1755 the British began to deport those Acadians who would not swear allegiance to the British Crown. Many were deported to the American Colonies, while some returned to France and a sizable contingent went to Louisiana, which was at the time a Spanish possession.

The group in Louisiana named their new home Acadiana. Today the Cajun French culture and language still flourish in Acadiana (we can attest to this having toured Acadiana). Over one third (22) of the 64 parishes in Louisiana make up Acadiana, which is officially recognized by the state of Louisiana. The are about 250,000 Cajun French speakers in Acadiana today (see our post Bayou Teche).

Our first stop on this daylong tour was at the Musee de Kent located at la Pointe-‘a-Jacquot. The museum was formerly a convent and girls boarding school. Father F.X.J. Michaud, the local parish priest, led this effort. He was very keen that young women have the opportunity to obtain a level of education that would otherwie not have been available at that time.The building itself is interesting architecturally and the interior is a treasure trove of local culture. The building was built by local carpenters who volunteered their time and the lumber was donated by parish families! The school and convent opened in 1880.

Our guide provided us with an informative tour in English, which was definitely her second language but fortunately it was much better than our non-existent French language skills! The absolute hidden gem in the museum is the Gothic altar in the back portion of the building.

From the museum we followed the coast further north to la Dune de Bouctouche. This sand dune extends 7.5 miles along the Northumberland Strait, creating Bouctouche Bay on its backside. The preservation and restoration of this significant and, of course, fragile dune has been made possible by J.D. Irving Limited. Seeing Irving facilities was a common occurrence during our travels through the provinces. Irving is a large privately owned company headquartered in New Brunswick; their core business is extractive industries – forestry, timber, crude oil and liquid natural gas. We drove through many miles of Irving Wood Lands on their logging roads. Irving operates the Irving Eco-Centre adjacent to the dune and fully funds the preservation and restoration activities. Thank you Irving family!

We learned a lot about the environmental aspects of the dune and the flora and fauna that inhabit the dune. We also had great fun walking on the long stretch of beach and in the water (surprisingly warm).

On our way back to Moncton we stopped in Shediac for some fresh seafood and a beverage (you know how hungry you are after walking on the beach!). Shediac is the self-proclaimed Lobster Capital of the World so we of course dined at the Lobster Deck. As always fresh and delicious! Footnote: Shediac is a French town as you would expect on the Acadian Coast but has a distinctive accent known as chiac named after the town.

Our hotel manager (Canvas Tapestry by Marriott) had graciously upgraded us to a Presidential Suite facing the river front so that we could watch the Canada Day fireworks from our balcony – sweet! Canadians, in Moncton anyway, were quite celebratory on July 1 with fireworks, music and civic events. Canadian flags were seemingly attached to every house, building and motor vehicle we saw.

Canada Day (formerly Dominion Day) has been celebrated since July 1, 1867. That was the year in which Canada was granted the right to be self-governing as a dominion and was no longer under the direct rule of Great Britain as it had been until then as a colony. However, it was not until 1982 that Canada implemented its own constitution and became fully independent. Interestingly, and perhaps weirdly from our perspective, Charles III is the King of Canada as Canada remains a member of the British Commonwealth.

During our brief second stay in Moncton we did take advantage of the opportunity to track down a few more street murals.

This is our penultimate post from OTR 10.0. Our ultimate post will cover our two weeks on the island of Cape Breton. We hope you have been enjoying our posts and finding them informative and perhaps even interesting.

Be seeing you!

Prince Edward Island

19/07/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Cities, Coffee, Dining, History, Travel

After out tour of the scenic Bay of Fundy coastline we made our way northeast to Prince Edward Island (PEI). The weather on the day we crossed over was raining, foggy and windy so we did not get much of a view of the Northumberland Strait or the PEI coastline. We have to admit that there was something a bit scary about driving across a narrow bridge over a strait that is part of the North Atlantic as opposed to a lake or river. Oh, by the way, when you cross the bridge back to New Brunswick, the toll is $48.00 Canadian!

The bridge is quite the engineering feat—spanning eight miles of the Northumberland Strait (North Atlantic) which freezes during the winter months. It is the longest bridge over frozen water in the world. The bridge opened in 1997 after four years of construction. Prior to the opening of the bridge, the only way on to the island in a vehicle was by ferry. The aforementioned freezing of the Strait meant that ferry service was periodically disrupted for extended periods during the winter.

***Confederation Bridge – Frozen Northumberland Strait***
***(Photo courtesy of Canadian Encyclopedia)***

Our pre-trip research indicated that PEI has an extensive bicycle trail network – the Confederation Trail. The trail runs the entire length of the island (140 miles) with many spurs to explore as well.

The Confederation Trail owes it’s existence to the Prince Edward Island Railroad (PEIR). The PEIR was a narrow gauge railway built during the 1870s. It hauled both freight and passengers. Much of the early freight hauled were potatoes – the major crop on the island. Potatoes are still the major agricultural crop today – you see large potato fields just about everywhere you travel outside of Charlottetown (no wonder, since there are 86,000 acres planted with potatoes). Farms on PEI produce 25% of all the potatoes produced in Canada even though it is the smallest province in all of Canada (land area and population).

The PEIR was heavily utilized during WW2 to haul supplies to military bases operating on the island as part of the war effort. After the war, volume declined as military bases closed and potatoes began to move by a combination of truck and large ferry boats. The railway was operational until 1989 when declining volume precipitated the demise of the PEIR.

The photos above are from our ride along St. Peter’s Bay. The scenery was delightful but the gusty winds coming from the bay made for a tiring ride (not complaining!).

Fortunately, coffee was at hand upon our return to Charlottetown, where we stayed during our visit. Most excellent coffee, tea and breakfast – thank you very much – at the stylish Receiver Coffee Company.

Receiver has three locations, two of which are in Charlottetown. The cafe and bistro is in the heart of downtown (above) while a second cafe and roastery is located on the waterfront (below).

The city of Charlottetown is quite charming architecturally with a downtown and residential area on the waterfront of Hillsborough Bay. We spent part of a day walking around much of the historic downtown (it is quite compact). There are several residential neighborhoods of charming and beautifully maintained homes.

*Government House (built 1833-1834), Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island*

During our walkabout we happened on to a peaceful green space within the residential district – Rochford Square – this green space was set aside in 1771.

The square is bounded on the west side by All Souls Lane. At the far corner of the green space and All Souls Lane sits St. Peters Cathedral – Anglican. The cathedral is handsome but as we rounded the corner we came upon the All Souls’ Chapel tucked right against the cathedral. The chapel was open so we ventured in for a look at an Anglican Chapel. The description from the plaque at the chapel entrance is included below.

This 1888 chapel, designed by William Critchlow Harris, Jr., is a masterful example of High Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in Canada. Its robust design is distinguished by rough textures in rust-red Prince Edward Island sandstone and by deep-set hooded windows. Inside, a profound sense of religious mystery has been created by the complex decorative scheme. It features a dramatic chancel arch, rich carvings, beautifully patterned encaustic tiles, subdued lighting and eighteen exquisite mural paintings by the artist Robert Harris, brother of the architect. (Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada)

We also visited St. Dunstan’s Basilica. The twin steeples of the basilica (opened in 1919) are visible from anywhere in the city. Each spire is 200 feet in height. The basilica is the fourth St. Dunstan’s and replaced the cathedral which completely burned in 1913.

The history of this Catholic parish is interesting in that the congregation is a mix of the earliest French settlers who started the first Catholic church on PEI in 1721 and and were joined in 1722 by Catholic Scots . The Scots were seeking to escape religious persecution in largely protestant Scotland.

Of course, in due time, the British set about persecuting all of the non-english speaking inhabitants of PEI ( the Mi’kmaq who called the island Epekwik and the French who called it Ile Saint-Jean ). The French and Mi’kmaq fought together against the British but eventually lost after fighting multiple wars over an extended period against the British Redcoats. Many of the French were deported to the American Colonies. Without the French the Mi’maq could not continue to wage war against the British and signed a peace treaty with them. Interesting to note that while the Mi’maq signed a peace treaty with the British they never ceded their territory and they were guaranteed the right to hunt, fish and gather in order to sustain themselves or make a living. In 1997, Canada’s Supreme Court affirmed these rights after Mi’kmaq Nation members were arrested for exercising their rights guaranteed within the treaty signed in 1761!

Okay, that just about completes our report on PEI. However, before we sign off we have a fine dining recommendation for y’all when you get up to Charlottetown (and you should). The Claddagh Oyster House had -fortunately for us- just reopened after a several month renovation.

While most folks think seafood in this neck of the woods (as do we) PEI is well known for it’s beef. Claddagh serves only certified PEI beef which they dry age in house for 50 days. If you like oysters we recommend you gorge on them for your appetizer and then enjoy a delicious steak (all the cuts are dry aged). Solid wine list and excellent cocktail selection.

Be seeing you!

The “Freddy”

11/07/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art, Art Museum, Bike Trails, Coffee, Street Art and Murals, Travel

As we swung back westward through New Brunswick (NB) inorder to ultimately re-enter the U.S. through Northern Maine, we decided to pay a visit to Fredericton aka the “Freddy”. Freddy appeared to meet our usual city selection criteria — small to medium in size, coffee options, art, live music, bike trails and a city waterfront.

***St. John River, Fredericton, New Brunswick***

We thought we would need two days but the weather was excellent and so much was happening that we ended up staying four nights; before departing on our wood lands ramble into remote northern New Brunswick (Wood Lands Ramble post coming soon).

Bicycling

A coalition of volunteers (Fredericton Trail Coalition) began to mobilize after the Canadian Northern Railway abandoned a number of lines in New Brunswick in 1989. The first trail was opened in 1993. In 1996, 377 additional kilometers of abandoned railway was donated to the province by the Irving Family allowing Freddy to connect a number of trails and create today’s connected network of over 120 kilometers of trail. A key aspect of the donation was the inclusion of the 906 foot railway bridge that spans the St. John River — connecting the trail systems on both side of the river.

As a result, folks in Fredericton have a plethora of riding and walking trail options. It is not surprising that Fredericton was named Canada’s 6th most-walkable city in 2019, one of 5 “Great Canadian Bike Cities” in 2021 by People for Bikes, and was #9 on Canada’s Best Small Cities as ranked by World’s Best Cities.com in 2022. We took advantage of the trail system and delightful weather to explore a number of the trails during our stay in Freddy.

fika

Combining biking with coffee is a double delight. Mill Town Coffee Roasters is conveniently located on one of the trails and we were able to take a coffee break on our way out and back during each ride. Pretty good, eh!

Street Art

In our humble opinion, public art adds a great deal to a city’s environment. We were glad to find that Freddy has several notable street murals in the downtown area, although we would have loved to find more during our walks through town.

Fine art

Freddy is very fortunate to have, in our opinion, a very impressive art museum, especially in light of the fact that the city population is barely 60,000. Much of the good fortune is owed to the generosity of one Lord Beaverbrook — who in 1959 gifted the museum building and 300 valuable works of art to a museum foundation he created for the benefit of the public. Did we mention that the museum is named the Beaverbrook Art Gallery?

The son of a Presbyterian minister in Miramichi, New Brunswick, the future Lord Beaverbrook, Max Aitken, enjoyed early success in Canadian business. In 1910, he left Canada for England, where he was knighted and elected a Member of Parliament, eventually serving as Minister of Aircraft Production in Churchill’s wartime government. No slouch Sir Max!

The museum is noted for it’s collection of renowned Canadian artists but also has works by Dali (not fans but still impressive to see a gallery of Dali paintings in Freddy) and Gainsborough and as well as other internationally acclaimed painters. The Beaverbrook became the official provincial gallery of New Brunswick in 1996.

Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989)
La Turbie: Sir James Dunn, 1949 oil on canvas
On Loan from the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation

Medrie MacPhee (Canadian / Canadienne, b./n. 1953)
Locke (1987)
oil on canvas / huile sur toile

Carol Hoorn Fraser (Canadian / Canadienne, 1930 – 1991)
The Guardians, 1976
oil on canvas / huile sur toile

Lucy Jarvis (Canadian / Canadienne, 1896 – 1985)
Iris Swamp (1961)
oil on board / huile sur panneau

Montreal-based painter Michael Smith (directly above and below) is known for his fluid and impasto surfaces as well as his ability to strike a poetic balance between representation and abstraction. Inspired by art history as well as historic and current events, Smith pulls from various sources to create his energetic landscapes and seascapes. His Sea of Change series includes massive canvases exploding with colour and energy, as well as smaller studies on paper. These were inspired by a serendipitous encounter with a 19th-century painting of the Arctic expedition ship H.M.S. Terror during his time as artist-in-residence at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in 2018. Layering texture and colour, the familiar with the unfamiliar, Smith’s paintings convey (as the artist writes) “a mix of excitement and anxiety of a land [that] although at times bucolic, is riddled with shadows.” Curated by John Leroux

A little bit of history

We often find that the early history of a city is intertwined with the creation of the dominate religion of the ruling class. Fredericton is no exception to that pattern. The city was named for Prince Frederick,son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. Subsequently, Queen Charlotte declared Fredericton a Cathedral City (even though its population was too small) so Christ Church Cathedral could be built. The Anglican Church at that time was utilized as a way to impose British custom and law (and to counter Acadian Catholicism) on the inhabitants be they British, Acadian or First Nations.

***Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton, New Brunswick***

The Cathedral sits on its own park like island of green at the edge of downtown. The surrounding neighborhoods consist of stately and beautifully maintained homes. By many accounts the movers and shakers in Fredericton were members of this parish and much business was conducted and deals made between the businessmen and politicians who belonged here.

We always seem compelled to add a little bit of history (and an opinion or two) when we report on our travels — oh well!

Music

We closed out our stay in Freddy with an afternoon and evening of food and music. The River Jam Music Festival was taking place all around us at our hotel with four or five music acts performing in different areas of the facility simultaneously. We took in a couple of acts, had dinner and camped at the bar (surprised?) to take in the performances in the lobby which ran to midnight. We were treated to primarily traditional music from the Maritimes and the local crowd was up singing along and dancing. So good!

That’s it from Freddy! We had a great visit and look forward to sharing more of our travels soon.

Be seeing you!

Halifax, Nova Scotia — Much Better Than Dunk, Nova Scotia

04/07/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art Museum, Cities, Dining, Travel

Yes indeed, Halifax was named in honor of George Dunk (1716–1777), Second Earl of Halifax and Chief Lord of Trade and Plantations. We will include more history later in this post to keep our readers on the edge of their seats! We think the photo below provides a good indication of the dramatic nature of this post and will allow you to stop watching The Crown on Netflix once and for all.

We arrived in Halifax in the afternoon fresh from our stop in the photogenic, post card perfection of Peggy’s Cove (no—we don’t know who Peggy was and no one else does either). Halifax is the largest city in the Canadian Maritime Provinces (population apx. 440,000). It’s modern, bustling and growing by leaps and bounds. Construction cranes are visible everywhere you look—there have been between 25 and 35 cranes across the area for the last several years! More on the growth topic later.

Halifax harbor is the second largest natural harbor in the world. Additionally, it is deep and ice free which has helped the port become the fourth largest by volume in Canada. Because one of us is like a child when it comes to big ships, trains, machinery and planes, we ventured to the south end of the compact waterfront to see the intermodal container operation.

Okay lets get to the truely important stuff….street art, fine art, coffee and food…..

Halifax has been home to an annual week-long street mural since June of 2022. We were able to check out some of the murals from the 2022 and 2023 festivals. The 2024 festival will not take place until mid July.

The festival brings together a mix of local and international artists. Many of the murals are on Quinpool Road, a diverse and lively area of shops and ethnic restaurants.Some of the murals we photographed on our walkabout are pictured below. Some of the murals were difficult or impossible to photograph as they were painted in very narrow alleyways. Still great to see all the work!

In addition to street art, Halifax is home to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia which is a provincial fine art museum. On our second day in Halifax the rains came so we donned our waterproofs and walked down the hill to the museum.

When we visited there were two major exhibitions taking place. We both were enamored of the exhibit of the Trinidadian-Canadian artist Denyse Thomasos (1964-2012). Thomasos began her career as a figurative painter and evolved over time to produce inceasingly abstract work. Thomasos was born in Trinidad and grew up in Canada and studied in Toronto before earning a MFA in Painting and Sculpture at Yale University. Sadly, Thomasos died unexpectedly during a routine medical procedure at the age of 47, ending her brilliant career prematurely.

Haligonians are blessed with a plethora of excellent specialty coffee shops spread across the town. We visited five different shops during our four-day stay. We can report that each shop was quite good but each also demonstrated a unique personality.

Coffeeology —— https://coffeeologyespresso.co/ Narrow Espresso —— @narrowespresso Glitter Bean Cafe —— @glitterbeancafe Uncommon Grounds —— @uncommongroundshfx Apartment3 EspressoBar —— https://apt3coffee.com

We had been dining extensively on seafood during our trip—why not when you are touring the Maritime provinces of Eastern Canada where the seafood is ridiculously fresh and delicious? We tend to avoid Italian cuisine (including pizza) when we travel outside the northeastern U.S. However, after several weeks without pasta, a fix was definitely in order. Fortunately, a solution was within our reach at The Bicycle Thief on the waterfront in Halifax.

The Bicycle Thief describes it’s offering as North American food with an Italian Soul. Assolutamente! We were able to acquire a late afternoon reservation on the rainy Saturday (after our visit to the art museum). The restaurant was absolutely packed but the service was impeccable and our cocktails, appetizers and entrees were delizioso! Please dine there if you go to Halifax.

There are of course many other things to do in Halifax beside art, coffee and food. The harbor is spectacular and a walk along the boardwalk will provide you with views of several of the small islands situated in the harbor as well as cargo ships, navy vessels and cruiseliners entering and departing Halifax.

The Citadel, which overlooks the city, is a good attraction for history buffs. This fortress is the fourth version to be built on the hill overlooking the harbor. The last and current fortress was constructed by the British in anticipation of a possible attack (1820s) at Halifax by the United States. That of course never happened and none of the four fortresses was ever part of a military conflict. Today the fort is a national historic monument operated by Parks Canada. For more information: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/halifax/culture/histoire-history/citadelles-4-citadels

Another worthwhile stop on a sunny day is the Halifax Public Gardens. The timing of our visit was a tad early for everything to be in full bloom. Regardless, the garden is an oasis of quiet and serenity in the middle of a bustling city. P.S. added bonus—Apartment3 Espresso Bar is directly across the street from the gardens on the Park Street side.

We mentioned the growth ocurring in the city earlier in the post. The economy in Halifax continues to be robust with significant population growth fueled by emigration to the province. This growth has fueled the need for housing which is clearly under construction. How much of the housing is affordable we cannot say. The one facet of all the growth we did observe is that the city has been increasingly building skyward. Previous height restrictions have been relaxed and zoning seems to be relaxed as well with high rises going up in the midst of blocks once dominated by two story “jelly bean” houses (brightly painted wood frame residences). The view of the harbor from above is now largely obstructed (unless you live in a highrise). Oh well, just an observation by visitors—perhaps without the necessary context. Regardless, an interesting, lively and fun city to visit.

We are off to Cape Breton to explore the beauty and rich culture of the highlands where the “mountains meet the sea”.

Be seeing you!

Sou’West—Lunenberg to Peggys Cove—Post Card Perfect!

22/06/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Travel

We made the short trip from Keji NP to the southwest coast to visit the town of Lunenberg, Nova Scotia. As we had been camping quite a bit on the stretch between Moncton and Keji we booked two nights at the B2 Lofts (AirBnb) one street up from the waterfront. This building was once home to one of the many shipbuilding businesses located in Lunenberg.

Lunenberg is a UNESCO World Heritage Monument which might infer that it is no longer a functioing, lively town; but it is infact so. The town is a very popular tourist destination with its beautifully maintained original architecture and Montague Street, which is lined with shops and a number of excellent restaurants. A brief history of Lunenberg from the Canadian Encylcopedia is included below for our history mavens.

Lunenberg

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, incorporated as a town in 1888, population 2,405 (2021 census), 2,262 (2016 census). The town of Lunenburg, the seat of Lunenburg County, is located on Lunenburg Bay, 90 km southwest of Halifax. Lunenburg is located on Mi’kmaq traditional territory. The Mi’kmaq call the town’s location E’se’katik or “place of clams.”To the French it was known as Merliguesche. The site was a small Acadian settlement until the British began deporting Acadians in 1755 (see also History of Acadia).

In 1753, the British government settled 1,453 “foreign Protestants” in Lunenburg. The settlers were recruited from southwestern Germany and the Montbéliard district of France and Switzerland. These mostly German-speaking people were intended to help counter the French and Catholic presence in Nova Scotia. The settlement was named for the royal house of Brunswick-Lüneburg, where King George I of England came from. Each settler was granted a free town-and-garden lot and farm acreage in the county. The town’s grid-like plan mirrored that of Halifax.

Despite initial hardships, by the late 18th century Lunenburg supplied Halifax with many agricultural products. Lunenburgers had also entered the offshore fishery. They first fished off the Labrador coast. In the late 1860s, with the introduction of new trawling techniques, the town’s schooner fleet turned to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and the Western Bank, southwest of Sable Island. The “Lunenburg cure” of dried cod found steady markets in the West Indies, particularly Puerto Rico.

“A boom of splendid proportions” (Lunenburg Progress, 1888) did not persist, however. The fish export trade became centralized in Halifax, where fast steamships left directly for the West Indies and US markets. Moreover, a preference appeared for fresh instead of dried fish. Local entrepreneurs, especially the Smith and Zwicker families, made adjustments to recapture lost trade. Beginning in the late 1920s, cold-storage equipment, processing plants and diesel-powered trawlers replaced cod-drying flakes and traditional schooners.

Today, Lunenburg is home to one of Canada’s largest fish-processing plants. The plant is owned and operated by High Liner Foods Inc., the successor to several Lunenburg-owned firms.

Lunenburg is also home to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. The famous racing schooner Bluenose was launched from a local shipyard in 1921.

Several churches serve as examples of Lunenburg’s heritage architecture. These churches include Canada’s oldest Presbyterian (St. Andrew’s, founded in 1769) and Lutheran (Zion, founded in 1770), and second-oldest Anglican (St. John’s, founded in 1754). Old Town Lunenburg was designated a national historic district in 1992 and a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1995. The film industry has been attracted by the town’s picturesque location and architectural heritage. The town hosts a craft festival in July and a folk festival in August.

As part of our self-guided walking tour we visited St. John’s Anglican Church which sits atop the hill over looking the town and gorgeous harbor. The church itself is a national historic site. The building is a wood frame “carpenter gothic” style church. The church was originally built by German Protestants who were brought to counter the French Catholic culture established by the Acadians that had settled the area prior to the arrival of the British.

The construction of the church was intended to help establish the Anglican Church of England as the preeminent church in Canda and assist the British in formalizing their authority over the territory. Regardless of the intentions of the Anglicans and the British ruling class the church is a graceful, beautiful work of craftsmanship. Remarkably, for a frame church it avoided a catastrophic fire until 2001. Fortunately it was quickly rebuilt and reopened in about four years.

Let’s not forget coffee—essential to any stop over—Lunenberg was up to snuff with No9 Coffee a three minute walk down Montague Street from our loft.

On our second day staying in Lunenberg we traveled about ten minutes east for a coastal tour by Zodiac. We had a picture perfect day although the open ocean was to quote our guide Jason —“a bit sporty”. The coves and gutters (channels) however were calm and serene. We saw many seals swimming and sunning on the rocks. We also were able to beach the Zodiac and explore several small islands. Jason was a great guide and host. After finishing the tour he served us Gin & Tonics on the dock. We squeezed fesh juniper berries that we collected on the islands into our G&Ts. Delicous!

Back in town we completed our stay with an excellent meal at the Beach Pea Restaurant. Beach Peas are native to temperate coastal areas in the Northern Hemisphere. I am not sure why the resaturant was named after this spcies since they are toxic if improperly prepared and are not on the menu. No matter — an excellent dinner and a greatwaytofinish our stay in Luxemberg.

From Lunenberg we set out for Halifax by way of Peggys Cove. Peggys Cove is a tiny working fishing village with a population of 30 year round residents. Amazingly, this tiny sheltered cove has upwards of 700,000 visitors per year. There is really nothing to do here other than soak up the scenery—pretty good scenery, eh!

After soaking up the scenery and walking out onto the rocks to the lighthouse and taking a silly amount of photos (that can never adequately capture what you have seen) we finished the trip to Halifax. Halifax is the largest city in the Eastern Provinces and we look forward to sharing our experiences there soon.

Be seeing you!

Entrez au Canada s’il Vous Plait

10/06/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Travel

After our night in Bangor we set out for Calais (Cal-liss) and our first visit to Canada since the pandemic. This crossing experience was quite a bit different than our previous crossings. In the past we showed our passports, answered a few questions and we were on our way.

It was a very different experience this time. After showing our passports and answering a few questions we were asked to go inside the station and wait while two Canada Border Officers thoroughly searched the van. While we did not have any contraband on board it was still a bit unsettling having the van and all of our possessions searched. The frosting on the cake was our realization after driving away from the station that our passports had not been returned! One of the officers that had searched the van had our passports in his pocket — oh boy!

After retreiving our passports, we traveled east to camp at Mouth of the Magaguadavic. This is a privately owned tract of land that sits at the mouth of the river and the Passamaquoddy Bay. We were able to pull our van up to the edge of the bluff to have an unimpeded view of the gorgeous bay. Unfortunately, that evening a thick mist had settled over the bay and were not able to enjoy the full view. We sat by the campfire until the mist overwhelmed our fire and we retreated into the Beast.

In the morning we awoke to a much different view than the previous evening’s shroud of mist and fog. We enjoyed our breakfast as we sat outside transfixed by the pristine bay.

We pulled ourselves away from the view eventually and began our trek east along the coast and the Bay of Fundy. The Bay of Fundy has a beautiful and rugged coastline and an impressive 40 foot tide occuring twice daily.

We stopped for lunch in the tiny fishing village of St.Martins. We walked out to caves which are accesible when the massive tide is out and then lunched at a seafood restaurant perched on the beach. To say the seafood is fresh and delicous is an understatement.

After our delicous lunch we continued along the coast to Fundy National Park where we would spend a couple of days hiking and exploring the area.

Big Salmon River, Fundy NP

About ten miles southeast of our campsite at Fundy NP sits the village of Alma. The village is another quaint fishing town with great fresh seafood and quite impressively a specialty coffee shop — The Buddah Bear.

We enjoyed our stay at Fundy NP — beautiful scenery, moderate hiking and specialty coffee nearby (what could be better?). We are off to Prince Edward Island.

Be seeing you!

Marvelous Moncton

09/06/202422/07/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Travel

After departing the charm of Charlottetown we decided on a brief stay in Moncton, NB on our way through to Nova Scotia. We booked two nights at the hip Canvas Hotel a block off of Main Street in downtown. The hotel is a newer hybrid property with hotel rooms on the first five floors and residences on the five floors above. This is a great location which allows walking access to the river, restaurants, coffee shops and street art in downtown.

The city has a growing and diverse population with a current estimated census of 85,000. The Greater Moncton area boasts a population of approximately 152,000 and is the fastest growing region east of Ontario. The population growth has been bolstered by much needed foreign immigration to fill the shortfall of labor created by an aging population and a robust economy.

The economy here has been traditionally anchored to transportation and related industries and more recently the financial services sector and increased tourism to the area. Moncton also has a Major Junior Hockey League team — the Wildcats — the team plays in the Avenir Centre. The venue was opened in 2018 and seats 10,000 fans. The Centre also hosts major music artists for concerts (we just missed Billy Idol — dang!).

Most importantly from our perspective, the city is rife with remarkble restaurants, home to countless coffee cafes and a multitudinous mural scene (50+ murals and counting). We will let the photo collection below illustrate our 36 hours in Moncton.

**Moncton, New Brunswick (Photo Getty Images)**

***The Universe in his Eyes—Artist Kevin Ledo***

***Croffle with maple butter at La Factrie***, **Moncton**

“If we can’t cry or get angry, let’s make a face to lessen our misfortune and look less ridiculous.”— Rotchild Choisy

Built in 1939 and 1940, as the Monument of Remembrance, this cathedral is a symbol of the achievements and resilience of Acadians. It recounts their history in decorative elements, such as the tower sculpture of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, patron saint of Acadie, capitals sculpted by Acadians, and stained glass windows depicting both secular and religious events in the history of Acadie.

***Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral***

The exterior combines elements of Art Deco and Gothic Revival styles, while the interior is Romanesque. An affirmation of Acadian identity, the construction of this cathedral followed the creation of the Archdiocese of Moncton in 1936.

This cathedral is historically significant as a reminder of the Great Deportation (Grand Dérangement). When Acadians (French) living in what is now New Brunswick, Noca Scotia, Prince Edward Islands and Maine refused to sign an oath of loyalty to the British Crown they were deported en mass to the American colonies — most notably Louisianna where they became known as Cajuns. Their homes and farms were destroyed and the land was given to British loyalists.

Moncton is also home to a number of fine art gallleries. We visited the Moncton Gallery housed inside the ground floor of City Hall. The small gallery currently has an exhibit of art by Luc Joseph Damien Cormier. We do not know much about the artist but we were really taken with the vibrant colors of the paintings featured in this exhibit.

If you are traveling in the Atlantic Provinces for the natural beauty of the breathtaking coastlines and quaint villages, don’t bypass Moncton. It is perfect for the classic 36 hour visit and can also be used as a base for many nearby attractions and outdoor activities. We will leave you with a couple more photos of our favorite street murals.