My job today was to remind Denise that she needed to change her watch by 1/2 an hour. Did you know that Newfoundland has its own time zone? Today we moved from Atlantic Time to Newfoundland Time. It's the only place in Canada with a half-hour difference in time zone, and we don't have any of those funny time zones in the United States either.
Now all I need to do is to remember to tell Denise to switch her watch back when we bounce onto the next ferry.
--- Rover
Monday, August 17, 2009
Floating
Another early start... breakfast, then off to the ferry. The target floating away time was 10AM, with a requested arrival to wait in line time of 8:30. Yes, you know me well, I was there just before the requested time.
Vehicles lined up by size, parked, waiting... Drivers and passwengers wandering, chatting with others who were also waiting, listening to occasional announcements, sharing, waiting. We rolled aboard a bit late, ferry pushing out at 10:30.
I boarded, parked, and asked the ferry staff member who was helping, “you're not going to have us back off of here, are you?” He laughed. No turns on this ship – we drove in the front, and we'll drive out the back. Straight in, straight out. Phew!
I walked the decks outside on level 7, then repeated my circles around the deck on level 10 – the level shared with the off limits bridge. It was so nice to have a place to walk.
Speed wasn't apparent; at first it felt like we were crawling. And yet, the MV Atlantic Vision is the fastest ship in the fleet, movng at 27 knots per hour, which translates to 31 miles per hour or 50 kilometers per hour. Hey, that sound's fast, doesn't it? Given our sailing time of 4+ hours, we certainly weren't moving that fast for the entire time. It was probaby the combination of moving slowly out of the N Sydney harbor and flipping the boat around to park in Port aux Basques with stern to land (so we could all drive forwards to exit the ferry).
An end to the water passage of the day...
In Newfoundland...
Vehicles lined up by size, parked, waiting... Drivers and passwengers wandering, chatting with others who were also waiting, listening to occasional announcements, sharing, waiting. We rolled aboard a bit late, ferry pushing out at 10:30.
I boarded, parked, and asked the ferry staff member who was helping, “you're not going to have us back off of here, are you?” He laughed. No turns on this ship – we drove in the front, and we'll drive out the back. Straight in, straight out. Phew!
I walked the decks outside on level 7, then repeated my circles around the deck on level 10 – the level shared with the off limits bridge. It was so nice to have a place to walk.
Speed wasn't apparent; at first it felt like we were crawling. And yet, the MV Atlantic Vision is the fastest ship in the fleet, movng at 27 knots per hour, which translates to 31 miles per hour or 50 kilometers per hour. Hey, that sound's fast, doesn't it? Given our sailing time of 4+ hours, we certainly weren't moving that fast for the entire time. It was probaby the combination of moving slowly out of the N Sydney harbor and flipping the boat around to park in Port aux Basques with stern to land (so we could all drive forwards to exit the ferry).
An end to the water passage of the day...
In Newfoundland...
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Heading east
It was (as expected) a driving day, a day that started once again with breakfast and conversation. As a starter there was fresh fruit salad topped with a small scoop of green apple gelato. The taste? Subtle, and very enjoyable. That was followed by french toast and more fresh fruit. Ah, that was my kind of breakfast!
I headed east, then southeast, east, northeast, the east some more until I hit the causeway to Cape Breton Island. Then northeast again, except for temporary reversal of direction coming off of Kelly's Mountain. Funny, I stopped at a look-off at the top. It was so hazy that I didn't even pull the camera out, but I did notice a green bridge across a section of Bras D'or Lake that was down, and back to the west. Little did I know that the road I was on would loop back, down, and go across that bridge. I'm fascinated by bridges, and I would have happily stopped to share the view with my camera. Nope, not going to happen. It was a two-lane bridge, no shoulders, no pedestrians allowed. Do you ever want to ignore the "no pedestrians" rules?
The road was far enough inland that I couldn't see the water most of the day. The scenery changed from farmland to rolling forested hills, ups, downs, I caught a glimpse of the water as the road edged around and down, and then a sign jumped out to make me smile. Danger, watch for blowing snow. Hmm... no snow today!
I knew that the connection from mainland Nova Scotia to Cape Breton is referred to as a causeway, but somehow that didn't click for me. I kept thinking bridge. The connection is mainly a land connection, finishing with a short bridge section that swings out to allow passage for boats. That passage is the Canso Canal, a structure that was completed in 1955. The causeway supports wheeled vehicles and trains, and the canal allows passage of the same ships that travel the St. Lawrence Seaway.
I stopped in Baddeck to stretch, to walk a bit, to take in some views of Bras D'Or Lake.
The end of the road today wasn't too far past Baddeck, just under an hours drive. My home for the night? At the Harbourfront B&B in North Sydney, up the hill from the port. As I sat on the back porch this afternoon, I could see a ferry docking, nose lifting, unloading.
The sight of the ship pulled me toward the harbor, to walk, to explore. I wandered into what appeared – from a cradle to hold a ship - to be a repair facility. What caught my eye there? piles of rusted parts. chains, buckets, gears. Even rust can be beautiful.
Tomorrow? A ferry beckons, the MV Atlantic Vision. Please add your wish to mine for a quiet sea!
I headed east, then southeast, east, northeast, the east some more until I hit the causeway to Cape Breton Island. Then northeast again, except for temporary reversal of direction coming off of Kelly's Mountain. Funny, I stopped at a look-off at the top. It was so hazy that I didn't even pull the camera out, but I did notice a green bridge across a section of Bras D'or Lake that was down, and back to the west. Little did I know that the road I was on would loop back, down, and go across that bridge. I'm fascinated by bridges, and I would have happily stopped to share the view with my camera. Nope, not going to happen. It was a two-lane bridge, no shoulders, no pedestrians allowed. Do you ever want to ignore the "no pedestrians" rules?
The road was far enough inland that I couldn't see the water most of the day. The scenery changed from farmland to rolling forested hills, ups, downs, I caught a glimpse of the water as the road edged around and down, and then a sign jumped out to make me smile. Danger, watch for blowing snow. Hmm... no snow today!
I knew that the connection from mainland Nova Scotia to Cape Breton is referred to as a causeway, but somehow that didn't click for me. I kept thinking bridge. The connection is mainly a land connection, finishing with a short bridge section that swings out to allow passage for boats. That passage is the Canso Canal, a structure that was completed in 1955. The causeway supports wheeled vehicles and trains, and the canal allows passage of the same ships that travel the St. Lawrence Seaway.
I stopped in Baddeck to stretch, to walk a bit, to take in some views of Bras D'Or Lake.
The end of the road today wasn't too far past Baddeck, just under an hours drive. My home for the night? At the Harbourfront B&B in North Sydney, up the hill from the port. As I sat on the back porch this afternoon, I could see a ferry docking, nose lifting, unloading.
The sight of the ship pulled me toward the harbor, to walk, to explore. I wandered into what appeared – from a cradle to hold a ship - to be a repair facility. What caught my eye there? piles of rusted parts. chains, buckets, gears. Even rust can be beautiful.
Tomorrow? A ferry beckons, the MV Atlantic Vision. Please add your wish to mine for a quiet sea!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Evening colors
The tide was in, there were wisps of clouds in the sky, smooth water in Wolfville Harbor, and the sun was edging downwards. Magic!
I was walking just after dinner without a camera when I saw the clouds reflected in the water. My immediate thought was that if I went back to the B&B to grab my camera that the magic would disappear before I returned. I thought that maybe I should just enjoy the sunset. It was a fleeting thought.
I tried to capture the magic. Reflections, a sunset, a clicking camera, and oh! mosquitos too. I'm very glad I ran back to get my camera.
I was walking just after dinner without a camera when I saw the clouds reflected in the water. My immediate thought was that if I went back to the B&B to grab my camera that the magic would disappear before I returned. I thought that maybe I should just enjoy the sunset. It was a fleeting thought.
I tried to capture the magic. Reflections, a sunset, a clicking camera, and oh! mosquitos too. I'm very glad I ran back to get my camera.
A different view
Hey! Denise told me she would share the writing, so now it's my turn to play with words.
I had a chat with Denise this morning before we headed out. I can't believe she even thought about hitting both Cape Split and Blomidon Provincial Park in one day. Not enough time! I guess she didn't really think it was possible either, because I didn't need to argue with her. Phew!
We started by walking through the Wolfville Farmers Market, an every Saturday morning occurrence. Oh! we're not cooking on this trip, but there were some good baked goods there in addition to the wonderful looking fresh vegetables. Denise picked up an orange chocolate chip scone for a mid-day energy boost. We shared it after our first hike; that was a nice treat.
Next we went to Blomidon Provincial Park. In case you wonder what attracted Denise to the park, here's a description from the park's web site:
Sometimes walks in the woods are good. You know Denise though, she likes to be out in the open. After we finished our hike we headed for the beach. The tide was out pretty far, and there was (relatively) hard red sand to walk across. There were small rocks covered with fibers of bright green seaweed, so pretty against the red background. Walking on the beach here was much different than walking in the mud at Hopewell Rocks. I know Denise is thinking of stopping there, but I would be very surprised if we go home that way.
It was a good walking day, with a visit to the Acadia University botanical garden a good finish to our wandering.
--- Rover
I had a chat with Denise this morning before we headed out. I can't believe she even thought about hitting both Cape Split and Blomidon Provincial Park in one day. Not enough time! I guess she didn't really think it was possible either, because I didn't need to argue with her. Phew!
We started by walking through the Wolfville Farmers Market, an every Saturday morning occurrence. Oh! we're not cooking on this trip, but there were some good baked goods there in addition to the wonderful looking fresh vegetables. Denise picked up an orange chocolate chip scone for a mid-day energy boost. We shared it after our first hike; that was a nice treat.
Next we went to Blomidon Provincial Park. In case you wonder what attracted Denise to the park, here's a description from the park's web site:
I bounced while Denise hiked the Jodrey Trail. It was mostly in the woods, with occasional look-offs allowing visions of Minas Basin in the Bay of Fundy. I could probably have bounced along the very edge of the cliff but it's a very dangerous place for a person to walk. The look-off points were actually wooden decks with railings around them, some with an older fence in front of the deck where the ground had eroded.
Rising majestically from the shores of the Minas Basin, Blomidon Provincial Park is renowned for its spectacular views. Blomidon's 759 ha (1,875 acres) include 180 m (600 ft.) high cliffs, a variety of habitats, striking natural features, abundant wildlife -- and the world's highest tides wash its shores.
Sometimes walks in the woods are good. You know Denise though, she likes to be out in the open. After we finished our hike we headed for the beach. The tide was out pretty far, and there was (relatively) hard red sand to walk across. There were small rocks covered with fibers of bright green seaweed, so pretty against the red background. Walking on the beach here was much different than walking in the mud at Hopewell Rocks. I know Denise is thinking of stopping there, but I would be very surprised if we go home that way.
It was a good walking day, with a visit to the Acadia University botanical garden a good finish to our wandering.
--- Rover
Morning...
...conversations and good food
A restful sleep, morning, time for a good B&B breakfast. As Pam explained, breakfast this morning started with desert – a crepe wrapped around banana slices, topped with a light caramel sauce, and surrounded by berries and a scoop of gelato. Yum! The main course was hard-boiled eggs in a tomato-based sauce, baked. I have to admit I've never had hard-boiled eggs prepared that way – and they were very good.
I sat for a while, chatting with my hosts and with the other guests who chose an early breakfast time.
And then... time to head out to enjoy a warm sunny day.
A restful sleep, morning, time for a good B&B breakfast. As Pam explained, breakfast this morning started with desert – a crepe wrapped around banana slices, topped with a light caramel sauce, and surrounded by berries and a scoop of gelato. Yum! The main course was hard-boiled eggs in a tomato-based sauce, baked. I have to admit I've never had hard-boiled eggs prepared that way – and they were very good.
I sat for a while, chatting with my hosts and with the other guests who chose an early breakfast time.
And then... time to head out to enjoy a warm sunny day.
Friday, August 14, 2009
New places...
Off the ferry, through immigrations, on the road, rolling north and then east...
The two-plus hour drive from Yarmouth to Wolfville took me down roads I traveled last on a bicycle, past the point that I turned to the south on my first visit to Nova Scotia three years ago and onto new-to-me roads. The views were of rolling fields, distant hills, trees, green beauty.
Home for tonight and tomorrow night is In Wolfville B&B. I had a wonderful conversation with hosts Gordon and Pam when I checked in, a good start to this adventure's B&Bs.
Tomorrow? I have a strong suspicion that there are more places I want to wander than I have time. That's a good problem to have, isn't it? I'm headed for the water, to Cape Split, or Blomidon Provincial Park, or maybe, who knows, maybe both. Then there are the botanical gardens at Acadia University. I wonder if there is time to play in all three places. I suspect not; only tomorrow will tell.
A welcoming entry to In Wolfville B&B...
The two-plus hour drive from Yarmouth to Wolfville took me down roads I traveled last on a bicycle, past the point that I turned to the south on my first visit to Nova Scotia three years ago and onto new-to-me roads. The views were of rolling fields, distant hills, trees, green beauty.
Home for tonight and tomorrow night is In Wolfville B&B. I had a wonderful conversation with hosts Gordon and Pam when I checked in, a good start to this adventure's B&Bs.
Tomorrow? I have a strong suspicion that there are more places I want to wander than I have time. That's a good problem to have, isn't it? I'm headed for the water, to Cape Split, or Blomidon Provincial Park, or maybe, who knows, maybe both. Then there are the botanical gardens at Acadia University. I wonder if there is time to play in all three places. I suspect not; only tomorrow will tell.
A welcoming entry to In Wolfville B&B...
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