Christmas for Kate

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Every year, for many years now, I've prepared a "Xmas for Kate" CD of tunes to remind us of the year that has past, events we've been to and places we've been. You can find these playlists on my iTunes and YouTube channels (click on the image for the 2024 YouTube playlist).

Kate's car has a CD player, our Honda CRV does not. The portable CD player I have for my computer, which I use to create the CD for Kate, failed recently and was replaced.  I'm not sure how long we'll continue with physical media like CD's. What was once the state of the art is now dated and obsolete.

This year we did get to do some travels. We returned to Austin for our winter long stay; we hadn't been back since 2020 when the pandemic hit. A lot has changed in Austin. In the spring/early summer we were back in Australia; Kate had a conference in Fremantle, we visited with friends in Brisbane and had a short say on Lady Elliot Island. In the early fall we drove out to New Brunswick to visit with our neice Paula. And then there was the US election in November, Christmas in December.

What follows is an annotation of the music selected on this year's playlist.

1. "Amarillo Highway (For Dave Hickey)", from "Lubbock (On Everything)", by Terry Allen (1979). In Austin we saw David Rameriz do a swaggering version of this song at a Moody Theatre event. I really liked the expression "I don't wear no Stetson, But I'm willin' to bet son, That I'm as big a Texan as you are!"
2. "No Tom Petty", from "Invisible Mary - Single", by Kimmie Rhodes (2024). We saw Kimmie at a house concert and then at the Saxon Pub in Austin. " ...we're livin' in a world with no Tom Petty, the world was bad enough already".
3. "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", from "Songs Of Kristofferson", by Kris Kristofferson (1988). Original release 1969/70. The world got even worse, Kris died in September.
4. "Dollar Bill Bar", from "Trail Of Flowers", by Sierra Ferrell (2024). Hot album and artist on the Americana charts. A bar tale.
5. "Old Familiar Drunken Feeling", from "El Viejo", by Corb Lund (2024). Another hot Americana artist, this time Canadian. And another hard drinkin' bar tale, this time with a THC twist.
6. "I'm Waiting for the Man", from "The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed", by Keith Richards (2024). When hard drinkin' leads to very hard livin'. I really liked Lou Reed's work in the 1970's, Keith Richards survived that hard livin'.
7. "The Painkillers Ain’t Workin’", from "In The Throes", by Buddy & Julie Miller (2023). This appeared on last year's CD and I'm sorry to say they're still not workin'.
8. "Sleeping On The Blacktop", from "Imaginary Appalachia", by Colter Wall (2015). Another hot Canadian on the Americana charts. I recognized this tune in a TV series we were watching. We saw him at Waterloo Records a few years ago.
9. "I Already Know", from "Someday, Maybe Sooner", by Barbara Nesbitt (2020). An Austin singer we've seen several times. The song is a woman "done wrong" and planning on revenge: "She [momma] hated being married, knows where all the bodies are buried, And thinks you'll fit right in."
10. "Down Home Girl", from "Give the People What They Want", by Rainbow Girls (2019). Paula sang this one for us on her deck in the woods. A very funny love song.
11. "Right Back to It (feat. MJ Lenderman)", from "Tigers Blood", by Waxahatchee/Kathryn Crutchfield (2024). Another hot Americana artist. I love the voice and melody, but haven't figured out the story.
12. "Sun in an Empty Room", from "Reunion Tour", by Weakerthans (2007). A nice tune Kate likes; it's used in a podcast she listens to. A Canadian band from Winnipeg — Kate's home town.
13. "California Stars", from "Mermaid Avenue", by Billy Bragg & Wilco (1998). I keep bumping into this lovely tune. Lyrics are by Woody Guthrie; there was no music with the lyrics. An invention by Bragg and Wilco that works very well.
14. "Dumb Things", from "Paul Kelly's Greatest Hits: Songs From The South, Volumes 1 & 2", by Paul Kelly (1987). Paul Kelly is an Australian institution and, like him, we've done some dumb things.
15. "What If You Were a Refugee", from "What If You Were a Refugee - Single", by Lynn Miles (2015). There's a lot of folks blaming immigration for our woes, they need to have some empathy and imagine themselves as refugees.
16. "The Lunatics (Have Taken over the Asylum)", from "The Fun Boy Three (Extended Version)", by Fun Boy Three (1981). How true! On November 6, 2024 the "Don" from Mara-Lardo is elected president of the USA — we are surely in for some "interesting times".
17. "Grateful for Christmas", from "KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories)", by Hayes Carll (2011). We like Hayes Carll, he's grown on us. We did get to see him a few years ago at Waterloo Records.
18. "She Left Me For Jesus", from "Trouble In Mind", by Hayes Carll (2007). Another Hayes Carll. The premise, that his girl friend left him for Jesus, and he thinks Jesus is some guy: "If I ever find Jesus, I'll kick his ass!" I wonder how Steve Earle feels about Allison Moorer leaving him?
19. "When I'm Dead", from "Voices", by Eric Bogle (2016). Another great Australian singer. We saw him while we were in Brisbane and feel particularly blessed. This is just a funny song, but makes you think — no one gets out of this game alive.

These songs span our life with the earliest being by Kris around 1969. There are quite a few about/by heroes who are no longer around; some are obvious, like Tom Petty, Kris Kristofferson, and Lou Reed; others are subtle like Terry Hall (1959-2022) of Fun Boy Three and others long gone like Woody Guthrie (1912-1967). So I guess the outro song by Eric Bogle fits pretty well. When the story ends, we can plan for it, we can laugh about it.

Home From Overseas (1945)

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A clipping from the Markdale Standard November 1, 1945 as posted December 15, 2024 to the Markdale Standard Memories Facebook group by Helen Ward. Google extracted the following text (with minor edits) from the image of the newspaper clipping.

"Home From Overseas

A member of the 1st Hussars to return home this week after four years of army life in the front lines is "Mac" Dixon, son of Mr. and Mrs. Russel!! Dixon of Markdale, and formerly of Walters Falls. This regiment was one of three who were assigned the special task, after months of training, of forming the spearhead on the Normandy beach on D-day, and Mac is one of the few survivors of their regiment whose experiences would, no doubt, fill a book. Mac Dixon went overseas with the Ist Hussars, the 6th Armoured Regimen:, in 1941. After landing in England they were broken up, and with troops from the Grey and Simcoe Foresters and other regiments, his detachment formed the 2nd Armoured Brigade. During three years in England they were on guard duty, and for seven months were trained for the task of Invasion under the British 79th Army Division.

It has just recently "been told how their tanks were made to actually swim the channel under water, and in the crossing Mac was one who had his share of thrills as well as good fortune. By means of a canvas hood, air-filled inner-tubes and other gadgets, their steel tanks carrying a crew of specially trained men, were given the task of landing on D-day. It so happened the sea was heavy that morning and the floating tank carrying Mac with four other crew sank — which must have felt like the end of everything. But the Hussars were prepared for that, and equipped with suits much like that of pearl divers and special oxygen masks, when they hit bottom and their tank filled with water, the pressure was released and they reached the surface. Three were able to reach the floating air raft, leaving Mac and his pal still in the water. While still floating his pal met death, and Mac was picked up two hours later by a small craft of  L. O. P. All went well till their craft hit a mine, and they were thrown out. Of the crew of five Mac was lucky enough to be still in one piece and to float in with the tide about two hours after the first tanks had landed on the beach.

The rest of their squadron continued on into France, and it was here that W. E. Harris was in command and was wounded shortly after he took over. At the Belgium border Mac was slightly wounded and rested in hospital for fifteen days.

When he returned to the field a new regiment was being formed to carry the infantry to the front lines — the youngest Regiment in existence in the Canadian Army, and called the Armoured Carrier Regiment (the Kangaroos). It was formed from various detachments of men and their Canadian Ram tanks with the turrets removed were used as carriers for the infantry. It was on this assignment that they went into their last attack on V-E day in Germany. It was also while carrying wounded back to the clearing station that he met Pte. Isaac Lemon, an old school fellow from Walters Falls.

After V-E day this Regiment was broken up in Holland, and he was reposted to the 1st Hussars. While there he was posted for home, and enjoyed leave in England before sailing. At the Coliseum, Exhibition grounds, in Toronto on Sunday, he received a warm welcome from his parents and other members of the Dixon family.

On one of his previous leaves in England Mac had visited the grave of his only brother, Sgt. Pilot Walter Dixon, who had been killed in England in April, 1942."

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The article is pretty accurate. The Duplex Drive tanks are better described in Wikipedia. They did not "swim" so much as "float" and they didn't do that very well. We have visited Juno Beach (2020) where Mac's tank, the Bold, is on display. It raised from the sea in 1971 having been a fishing obstacle fouling nets for many years. Juno was one of the several beaches at the D-Day landing of June 6, 1944. I was aware that Mac went on to serve with the "Kangaroos" but this is the first place I've seen that explained. 

Mac Dixon was Reg's uncle. The younger brother of his mother Margaret Dixon. She describes the family ordering:

"My brothers and sisters were Edna (1916-1959), Grace (1917-2012), Walter (1919-1943), Margaret (1920-1997), William (Mac) (1922-1999), and Iva (1925-1997).  Walter died during in England training as a pilot during the war. Mac drove tanks and similar equipment during the war, he landed at D-day and returned home safely." — See Grandmother's Album (2021) in this blog.

You may notice the date was December of 1945 when Mac returned home — VE-day was  May 8, 1945. The reason for the delay was Mac was single and married men were returned home first. For more see Going Home 1945-46 at the War Museum. Uncle Mac went on to marry Aunt Shirley (nee King) and raised four children: Nancy, Walter, Dianne and Gordon.  It was Dianne who drew my attention to the Facebook posting.

See also 

• William (Mac) Dixon posting (2020) in this blog
• Sgt Walter A Dixon posting (2021) in this blog
• "Mac" Dixon and the Bold and In Her Father's Footsteps (2024) at the Juno Beach Center.

Toys for Tots

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Yesterday, Sunday December 8, Kate and I went into London to see some of the "Toys for Tots" show at the Palasad. Apparently this is the 12th anniversary of the show — the goal is to have some fun and in the process raise funds and collect gifts for needy boys and girls. They have arranged for something like 13 different bands to play starting at 1pm and ending at 9 (see the poster for all the bands and the sponsors). That kind of time line is a little beyond our endurance — we arrived around 4pm and left around 7pm having caught these acts: Stunning, Distgusteen and Boys from Nowhere. Each were great, well worth the drive into the city.

We arrived just as Stunning (with Scott, aka Steven R. Stunning, on lead voice) was starting their set. We had brought a toy to add to the donation pile and found a table near the stage where we joined Rena & Dave (pictured, credit: Kate) who were sitting with Debbie. It turns out that today (Monday) is Debbie's birthday. We were greeted warmly with hugs exchanged. We would have first met Debbie at our London home back in the early 1980's. At the time she was dating Peter from 63 Monroe. It turns out that 63 Monroe was the closing/headline act for the evening, we weren't able to stay until the bitter end.

After the Stunning set (sic!) I bumped into Scott and Oscar at the bar. I bought Oscar a beer and he tells me he's currently playing in three different bands. Scott was pleased to see me, I even got a hug and a peck on the cheek. He asked about Kate and came around to say hello later. I gather Scott is one of the driving forces in organizing this event.

Disgusteen is a very competent Teenage Head tribute band. I recognized the tunes while chatting with Scott and Oscar at the bar. Stunning and Boys from Nowhere are punk/rock & roll. From the stage Scott had announced the tunes they performed were from a soon to be released album. The singer from Boys from Nowhere commented on how the audience was mostly older/mature folk like us and them who still like to rock and roll — we just jiggle now as we're all carrying some extra weight. There were lots of young people as well but mainly aged rock and rollers dressed in leather, denim or ugly Christmas sweaters.

The photos in the album (at least at the moment) are digital. I thought it might be fun to try the old school method and shoot a bit of film with my Nikon F, a Nikkor 80-200 zoom, and a Vivitar 3900 handle flash (see my Senseless Collection (2023)). I must confess that the old school is awkward, heavy and constrained. The Canon t6i with a 18-135 is far easier to use. Kate dropped off a roll of film for processing this morning and asks, "Why would you spend $20 to get film developed when you can shoot digital for free? And then you have to wait until January for the results!". Good question. My only answer is GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) — My name is Reg and I'm an addict.

McAdams and Home

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Our trip home from Fredericton, NB was pretty uneventful. Rather than return via the Canadian route and retrace some of the path through Quebec and eastern Ontario we decided to take "the American Route" through Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York. Our idea was to make time on the Interstate system and only stop for a couple of overnights on the road. We had fine weather and enjoyed the drive but didn't do much touristing.

The first overnight stay, Monday, was at the Kittery Inn & Suites in Kittery, which is just at the Maine/New Hampshire border. The last night, Tuesday, was at a La Quinta in Batavia, NY just outside of Buffalo. We might have made it home with only one stop but this was hectic enough. Kate was nursing her painful ankle injury, often times stretched out in the back, and I did pretty much all the driving. On our last day, Wednesday, we crossed at Lewistown/Queenstown Heights and were home by early afternoon. Glad to be home where our cats have been kindly cared for by our friend Chandel from Trusted House Sitters.

Our first stop on Monday, before leaving Canada, was to visit the McAdam CPR Railway Station. This was one of those "peculiar travel suggestions" that Kate is so fond of. When we were visiting the Resurgo Place/Museum in Moncton Kate had asked if there was an interesting train station in town. The guide remarked that although there is a train station in Moncton, it's not particularly interesting. If you want to see something really interesting visit the former CPR station in the town of McAdam. It's an alternate route to Maine but well worth the diversion.

That's a view of the McAdam station above. There's an extensive Wikipedia page with lots of information but here's my quick summary. It's quite large, built of stone, three stories with guest rooms on the second floor and staff rooms on the third. The station hotel was built around 1900 to cater to wealthy travellers to/from the US. The station is the first within Canada on what was a rail line destined to link the east coast to the US. It was abandoned by CPR/VIA back in 2005 and has since been restored and maintained by a local historical society. That's quite the feat as the village of McAdam, at last census, was barely 1,200 bodies. The station is an important landmark designated as both a National and a Provincial Historic Site.

I recall a couple of interesting stories about the station. First, when the station was shutdown CPR had told those working there to take anything they wanted. They did, the station was effectively stripped by the townsfolk. However, when the McAdam Historical Restoration Commission was set up and they went about restoring the station all those artifacts were donated back to the station. Second, apparently kitchen staff (at the restaurant and luncheon counter) were in the habit of tossing dirty dishes into the nearby lake to expedite cleanup. There's quite a display of broken dishware retrieved from the lake. How did they get away with that?

We did not have time to take a tour but were taken on a bit of one nevertheless — they insisted! There's a spacious waiting room in the middle with a restored ticket office and station masters office. At the very far end there's a massive lunch counter room and between them a very large fine dining area. They have special event dinners here (like at Christmas) and have even catered weddings. At the other end there would have been area for baggage, mail room, customs and the like. Several exhibits on the war effort, train crashes, and more history were on display in that area.

We were talking to one of the fellows who is very involved in the management of the site. I had noted that the building had a newly shingled roof and wondered about the cost. He was telling us that they're trying to upgrade the heating system (although it's only open during the warmer summer months, it has to be heated all year round) and how much it cost just to maintain the building during the cold winter months. We were surprised that it's this small community, not National Parks and Monuments, that keeps this place going. They of course get some national and provincial funding and grants. During the summer/tourist season, when they are open, they get 50-100 visitors each day. Visitors who tour the building are another important source of funding — which helps to explain why they insisted we do at least some of the tour (we didn't go upstairs to see the guest rooms).

From McAdam it's a short drive to cross the US border at the towns of  Vanceboro (ME) and Saint Croix (NB). We followed the two lane Route 6 through to Interstate 95 at Lincoln where we could really make time. It was a pleasant drive through densely forested hill country where the leaves were brightly on display. There were, no surprise, several logging trucks along the way. Some quite large. I was surprised at how much forested land there was on this trip. Here in Southern Ontario, where we live, there remains some forest but most land is flat, well drained, and intensely agricultural.

We zoomed quickly along Interstate 95 to Kittery where we had reserved a room. On check in we asked the clerk about local eateries. She replied, "Well, there's Roberts" ... followed by a long pause. So I guess that's where we have to go. She gave us no other options; but this was a good choice. It's only a few miles back on Route 1, which runs parallel to the interstate.  Roberts Maine Grill and Raw Bar  is a pleasant modern facility in a clapboard building, with a faux lighthouse entrance, set on a large tidal creek. There's a small outdoor area on the second floor but the weather is cool and it's not open. Reg has yet another lobster feed — this time it's steamed lobster with lots of butter and corn bread. Kate has a lobster risotto. Both were yummy, just as good, if not better, than anything we've had on this trip.

The next day, Tuesday, was a long 8 hour drive to Batavia, NY, with only rest area/fueling stops along the way. We are only briefly in New Hampshire (there's all of 20 miles of NH that butts onto the Atlantic shore); we skirt around Boston and meet up with Interstate 90 that will take us all the way to Buffalo with our overnight stay in Batavia.

The interstate system is pretty great but most of it on this trip was on toll roads. In Maine there were staffed toll booths where you would stop; but they weren't taking any Canadian cash and we didn't have any US money. They gave us paper receipts/bills and that evening we were able to login at the web site to pay the fares. Interstate 90 was different; instead of toll booths they had toll sites along the way to capture your licence plate or transponder signal. Since we didn't have a transponder at the end of the day we logged into another site to give them our Mastercard and tie it to our licence plate. I've not seen the bill yet but I'm confident it was not cheap. We might have avoided this expensive route by heading cross country on secondary roads through the moutains; that might have been fun, it would have been scenic and taken much, much, longer!

At Batavia, which seems to be a horse racing destination, we note a crew of Mexican Americans who are doing some restoration work on the entrance to the La Quinta where we are staying. They were busy and spoke to one another in Spanish. Should Trump get his way, will these be part of the 10 million deported? And if so, then Who's Gonna Build Your Wall?

— An update on the New York Interstate fares. We were billed only $28.43; that's far cheaper than the fare to use the Ontario 407!!

Fredericton, NB

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On Saturday, the day after the wedding, we four (me and Kate, Sam and Barry) headed out to Fredericton, NB for a couple of days. The "newlyweds" were flying home to Winnipeg on Monday from "Freddy", we were heading home via the "US route" the same day.

We had some travel suggestions/guidance from family and friends. Paula did her MA at the University there so was able to provide several recommendations including the gallery and a couple of restaurants. Our other friend Sam (of Sam and Albie in London) had lived in the area in her youth; her sister is still in the area. She recommended we check out the pretty town Gagetown which is on the St John River just a little off the Trans Canada Highway 2 (about two hours from Shediac and an hour or so to Fredericton). Oddly the "Gagetown Military Base" is in Oromocto, closer to Fredericton, and not in Gagetown. There's a story there but I'm not entirely clear about it.

We stopped in Gagetown to have lunch at Gulliver's World Cafe on River Run Lane. Kate had read about it on TripAdvisor (or perhaps Google Maps); it was rated as the best restaurant in Gagetown. But then again Gagetown is a very small town, not much larger than a village, and only has maybe two other restaurants. It wasn't hard to find tucked down a lane beside the river.

We arrived to a lovely sunny day. The restaurant had a patio where we could sit to enjoy the view and it wasn't very busy. There was another table being served. The hostess, who turned out to be the owner with her husband (the chef), asked if we had reservations. "Ah, no. Do we need one?" It turns out that reservations are very much recommended, especially at this time of year. They chef orders supplies sufficient for those who have made reservations and, as we didn't make a reservation, they may not have enough in stock to feed us. She checked with the chef and fortunately they were able to take us. The menu was quite limited — a soup, some sandwiches and a roast chicken which I had. I'm surprised we weren't seated right away without any fuss.

We enjoyed the food and drinks and had quite a chat with the server/hostess/owner. I understand they cater to weddings and other special events. Also that their busy season is the summer and at this time of year they really looking towards shutting down for the season. It's a lovely spot on the river and perhaps it was busy with reservations that evening. But not so busy when we stopped in for lunch. It was perhaps busier than expected, especially since there's not much else in the town. We think it's a "destination" kind of place.

We gas up at the highway and discover you can buy liquor and wine at the gas station. We stocked up. Needlessly. Which meant we entered the US later a little over our liquor import limits. Fortunately the kindly fellow at US Customs and Immigration did not ask nor did the Canadians when we crossed back into Canada.

In Fredericton we're staying at the Delta Fredericton (a Marriott) a little up the river from the center of town. Kate and Sam have made the reservation, I stay out of the way as they check in. Barry has yet to learn to leave well enough alone ("A lotta guys would stay clear ...."). The Delta is a large, fairly posh place, with a convention center and an outdoor pool/recreation areas (closed for the season). There was some big international convention/gang there during our stay. They were competing in a fishing competition. Google tells me:

"The 2024 Pan-American Black Bass Championship will be held in Fredericton, New Brunswick from September 25–29, 2024"

The fishers had team uniforms and hung out at the bar until very late. Much later than we. There was some live music that evening at the lobby bar (we had eaten at the hotel restaurant). They were pretty competent musicians and played music we enjoyed. We asked them, even asked them on a $20 bill, to play certain songs. It became a bit of game as they'd usually turn down our requests. "I like the music, I know the song, but we haven't rehearsed that one!". They dragged a friend in who was able to play some John Prine for us. The waitstaff, the next day, were telling us that someone from the fishing tourney bought a round for everyone at the bar. They had a hard time shutting things down that night!

The next day we used Uride (an alternative to Uber, there is no Uber in Fredericton) to get around the city. Our hard drinkin' ways mean that we ought to be safe rather than sorry.

At Paula's recommendation we first went to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. We arrived there on Sunday morning just as it opened. It's a large modern gallery, across the street from the NB Parliament, with a collection that just blew me away. There's a modest entry fee you pay at the gift shop. We found that you could borrow a wheel chair which I used to push Kate around. Not that she couldn't walk, but this makes it much easier for her.

The first gallery we enter has an impressive collection of Canadiana — Group of Seven through to modern classics like Alex Colville, Mary and Christopher Pratt. There's a large group of religious paintings from around 1500. Nearby is Kent Monkman's "The Trapper's Bride" (2006) — we saw a travelling exhibit of his works at the LRAG (London) with Ross and Bev a few years ago. One of the real surprises there is a large (3m x 4m) Salvador Dali, "Santiago El Grande" (1957), which, with a few smaller pieces occupies it's own gallery at the end of the building. It's a piece you would expect to find at the MOMA in New York, the Louvre in Paris or the Prado in Spain. How it ended up here must be an interesting story.

In the basement there were some experimental installations. All quite interesting. But Sam and Barry are not as keen. We return to find them nursing a glass of wine in the lobby. We have a lunch at a nearby restaurant Isaac's Way. We sit outside on the back patio which overlooks a classic red and white clapboard lighthouse. Inside they have interesting quotations on the wall including:

"Once, during the Depression, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water!"

— W.C. Fields

We return for a rest at our hotel and meet up with the newlyweds at the bar later in the day. That evening we returned to the same area downtown to have some drinks at the 540 Kitchen & Bar (a gastro pub recommended by Paula) and dinner around the corner at MOCO Downtown (an Italian restaurant) where again the hostess/server is in fact the owner with her husband the chef. I think her son was there bussing too.

I feel we did not do Fredericton justice. There's a lot there to see and we barely brushed the surface. Perhaps next time we'll stay longer and explore more.

 

Wedding Day

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Our friend Sam (her real name is Alison, aka Altz) and her partner Barry came to visit with us in Shediac. And, while here, made it a special day on Friday by planning a small wedding service at our AirBnB at Shediac Bridge. That's them to the left, happily married with Shediac Bridge in the distance. It had been a grey dreary morning but by the end of day had cleared with glorious skies for the wedding service.

Sam and Barry stayed in Shediac proper at an historic old Victorian era boutique hotel — the Tait House. I drove into Moncton to pick them up Thursday; they had spent the previous day getting all the paper work in order for the marriage. That evening we five (Paula, Kate, me, Sam and Barry) had a pre-wedding dinner at the Kuro Sushi restaurant on the main street a short walk from the Tait House. Paula had recommended this restaurant, it's sort of a "Barbie meets Japan" themed place with a ton of pink, too many dainty floral arrangements and too many odd little knick knacks tucked around all over the place. The menu was beyond us but, with help, we got it figured out and enjoyed our meal together. 

Paula had pointed out the restaurant a few days ago when we were at La Coast (maybe three doors down) for lunch and then later that same day for dessert. Paula, who lives nearby, was a good guide to the area.

But back to Sam and Barry. Sam is a childhood friend of Kate's; they were in grade school together in Winnipeg. Kate left when she was in Grade 9 when her family moved to Belleville but she and Sam have maintained a relationship over the years. You'll find pictures of Sam throughout this blog — we often get together when travelling. Notably, I first met Sam at Our Wedding in 1980. She stood up with Kate as her "Maid of Honor". In the photos of the wedding she's the one dressed in black!

As we are all getting on in years, maintaining relationships with old friends is important. Kate and Sam had made sort of a pledge to see each other at least once a year. We could go to Winnipeg, they could come here, or we could meet up on our travels (Sam has been with us to Texas several times). Kate had suggested that Sam and Barry should come and meet us in NB if they were interested. Sam knows Paula and we thought it might be fun to explore some of the East Coast together. They said sure, sounds like fun and shortly after agreeing to come, sprung the idea of getting married here in NB. They've been together for about six years and had already agreed to get married but hadn't committed to a date and place. I think they wanted to do something simple; like elope to Las Vegas for a weekend wedding. Instead they picked this Shediac holiday.

With Paula's help they found an "officiant" in Moncton (they flew into Moncton) who would conduct a wedding service at a place of their choosing. We had thoughts about having the wedding on some beach but ended up having it at our AirBnB which overlooks Shediac Bridge and the bay. The officiant did a lovely service which actually brought tears to both Kate and me (can't speak for anyone else).

For the service Kate got to be Sam's "Maid of Honor", I got to be Barry's "Best Man", Paula got to be the ring bearer and her two dogs, Gerry and Felix, were the "witnesses" I guess. After the service we took photos of the various participants and some funny photos in costumes that Paula had brought along as a lark. We popped open some bubbly wine to share and invited the officiant to share some and come to dinner with us. That story continues in another blog post on the "Witches Crawl".

Witches Crawl

 

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After Barry and Sam's wedding at our AirBnB at Shediac Bridge, we invited the officiant (who was from Moncton) to share some bubbly and a dinner with us. She said, "Thanks, but no thanks. I have to get ready for the Shediac Witches Crawl." Hmmm.... I wonder what that might mean.

Paula had recommended, and we had made reservations, for the five of us to have a dinner that evening at "Le Moque Tortue". It's an odd little restaurant in a Victorian Era home all decked out in an Alice in Wonderland theme. The Mock Turtle is a character in the story and Le Moque Tortue is the French version. We had been here earlier with Paula for lunch on the patio.

Anyways, we were enjoying our dinners upstairs and slowly became aware that the witching hour had arrived as the hubbub increased downstairs. We met a fellow in the hallway dressed up as a Warlock who had come upstairs to find a washroom that wasn't busy. It turns out he was one of the very few fellows on this witches crawl. The women, of all ages, were dancing up a storm, hooting and hollering with a DJ on the main floor and, with a lovely warm evening, even more were drinking, laughing and having a gay old time on the outdoor patio area. I don't know how many there were at the restaurant when we were there, I'd guess about 50 or so, but the streets were busy with even more of them circulating between the bars. I suspect they were up that evening much later than we. They showed no signs of tiring when we left.

We never bumped into the wedding officiant, but then again, if she was dressed up like the others, we might not have recognized her in her witching outfit.

We understand that this is a long standing, regionally famous, ticketed event celebrated each year around this time in Shediac. It seems to be an autumn celebration well in advance of the usual Halloween hijinks. See the event description. It was a treat for us and seemed to be great fun for the witches participating.

Shediac

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Our niece Paula (Gord's eldest) lives near Shediac and works as a postie in Moncton. She has a "cabin in the woods" not too far from Cocagne and Shediac Bridge. We have visited with her a few times over the years, notably a trip to St John's (2014) when she was studying at Memorial, and had the pleasure of visiting with her again this year in the land of lobster. None so big as that on the left but there were lots to try.

We were there from Sept 19 through to Sept 28 and stayed at an AirBnB we had rented at Shediac Bridge — that's about 5-10 minutes north of Shediac proper; from our place it's the same time to Cocagne and to Paula's place in the woods between the McDougall and Whites Settlements. Our rental will be described in other postings. Here I'll try to describe some of the photos in the album at left.

Across the Shediac Bridge (a one lane bridge that spans the Shediac River) and along the coastline is Grande Digue. That translates as "great dike" but we never saw any dike, although there is a nice market "Digue" and across the street an historic village. We drove out to the Caissie Cape so Paula could give Felix, her younger dog, a run along the beach. There is a working harbor (I'm guessing lobster) with a nice sandy beach. It was an awfully windy day so finding shelter from the wind was a bit of a challenge. It's also an area where people go wind surfing — where you're on a surf board but have a sail to pull you along. That day there was a fellow wind surfing with a parachute like apparatus. Watching him take it down in the wind was interesting.

Shediac, the town, is about the size of St Marys with a population just over 7,000. In the summer the population swells with tourism being an important activity. There are quite a few summer cottages along the water and several beach areas. The cottage areas are a lot like the beach area on Lakes Huron and Erie here in Ontario. There's also the lobster that draws people here.

In Shediac, on the Main Street, there's the Homarus Centre (Homarus means lobster) where you can learn a bit about the life cycle of lobsters. There are several gift shops, both inside and nearby, and the "Giant Shediac Lobster" pictured above. These days there's quite an effort to help lobsters along the way. There are hatcheries where they get the little ones started before returning them to the sea. It was quite an interesting place. They do tours in English and French. We three (Kate, Paula and me) timed it right and got on an English guided tour. As it was off season the Centre wasn't very busy and most of the gift shops were closed. Across the bridge is the Shediac Lobster Shop, more on that in a moment.

In town, not too far down Main Street, we had lunch at La Coast. Paula was a great guide at steering us to the better restaurants in town. Later, that same day, we returned to have some dessert and enjoy some live music. There was a couple that night celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary — wow! We, of course, had lobster and seafood for our lunch.

Another fine day, again not too far down Main Street, we had lunch outside on the patio at La Moque-Tortue (the Mock Turtle of Lewis Carroll). This was again a place that Paula had recommended and where we came after "The Wedding" for dinner and the "Witches Crawl" at the end of our stay. For brunch we enjoyed poached eggs with, you guessed it, more lobster. This place is themed around Alice in Wonderland and decorated to the hilt to emphasize the theme. E.g., the downstairs bathroom is covered with dozens of clocks (in the book the White Rabbit rushes around: "I'm late, I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say 'hello, goodbye,' I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!"). Across the street is the Adorable Chocolaterie Cafe/Patisserie which continues the same theme. We considered a chocolate dessert for the wedding at our AirBnB but instead opted for dessert at the restaurant.

We were to Paula's cabin several times. Her two dogs are Gerry (the elder) and Felix (the younger). Both are fun critters. Paula is convinced that Felix is a very smart dog, a genius even!, and has trained him to do several interesting tricks. We met Gerry back in St John's (2014); Felix is new and, as a youngster, needs a lot of exercise. He's part Blue Heeler, a working dog, who needs a lot of exercise. Hence our trip to Caissie Cape. Paula and I took Felix on a long walk through the woods behind her house. The woods here go on forever! On these regular walks with Felix Paula has found some bleached bones of Moose and other wild life who met their sorry end. She was telling me that there's a bobcat that frequents the woods. One day a young kitten (is that what you call young bobcats) was treed in the woods by some of the local dogs. She managed to get the dogs away and hopefully the cat is repopulating the area and killing off some of the smaller wild life.

Near to Shediac is Pointe-du-Chêne (where you can take a tour boat out on a lobster trip) and Parlee Beach. Both are popular during the summer high season with a lot of cottage like homes in the area. At this time of year there's not much going on at either location. We considered going out on a boat tour from Pointe-du-Chêne but the weather was usually quite windy.

Back in Shediac proper we continued to explore for more lobster. We were at the Shediac Lobster Shop a couple of times to take away pre-cooked lobster for dinner at our AirBnB — once with Sam and Barry. This seems to be a proper factory with a store front, there is no dine in. We also had another lobster lunch at the Lobster Deck on Main St (walking distance from the Lobster Shop). Again, they weren't busy as it's end of season. I enjoyed my steamed lobster; Kate had a lobster roll. I understand that this was the last of the season for them. Busy in those summer months but not so much now.

The photo album ends with a visit to the Magnetic Hill Winery just outside Moncton. It's about 20-30 minutes away on good roads. On the way back we followed the Shediac River Rd rather than the expressway and bumped into the Joshua Gallant Covered Bridge which is fairly close to Paula's place — she tells us she sometimes takes Felix there. I understand there are many covered bridges left in New Brunswick. This one we discovered by happy accident, it's no longer in use but seems to be in reasonably good repair. I talked with a local who lamented the graffiti and local kids who deface it.

The Magnetic Hill Winery, surprise, surprise, in on the famous Magnetic Hill. There's a theme park there but again it was closed for the season. The hill itself, from where we were sitting at the winery, is obviously a hill and anyone who thinks there's some magnetic pull that moves your car is suffering from an illusion.

The winery itself was quite nice as Paula had recommended. Well appointed and busy with the harvest. We had some wine outside on the deck. The weather turned a bit on us and we moved into a sheltered area. As for wines, this isn't wine country. It's a fun place to go enjoy a glass or two and enjoy the scenery. The restaurant looks very nice as well, I suspect they probably do special events like weddings. As to the wine, it's drinkable but only.

There were other side trips from Shediac covered in other postings. We had a day in Moncton and Hopewell Rocks; another day we went to Charlottetown PEI. Both of those are for another posting.

Moncton & Hopewell Rocks

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On Tuesday we did a bit of exploring beyond Shediac where we were staying. Some places, like the Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy shown at left, are well known points of interest. Gord and Paula had both recommended we go there. However, we started and ended our day in the city of Moncton with more modest adventures.

Paula, our niece who we were visiting, works as a postie in Moncton; a nearby city of around 160K (cf. Shediac is around 7K). It's at a big bend on the Petitcodiac River a little over a half hour from Hopewell Rocks and the Bay of Fundy. We planned our day around the tides — that's low tide at the rocks in the photo, high tide, at least in the summer, is for kayaking around the rocks. We're not up for that and, in any case, it's off season so there weren't any high tide events.

From Shediac Bridge, where we were staying, it's about 20 minutes into Moncton. Mostly on a divided highway of 4 lanes; it's all part of the Trans-Canada highway system. Our first destination was Resurgo Place; a museum and hands on transportation discovery centre which would have been great fun for kids. There is a lot of transportation history in the museum including a large model train and whimsical hanging pieces. Kate is keen on train stations and nearby, on the way in, we saw an impressive large building with a train track running beside it that we thought might have been the old train station; it turns out to have been the Old Moncton High School (1898-2015, temporarily closed).

The staff on the ticket/information desk at Resurgo Place were friendly and very helpful. A lady our age working there, who had figured out for us that the building we had mistaken for the train station was in fact the old High School, told us that although Moncton had been an important railroad crossroads the station wasn't all that interesting; however, if we were really interested in train stations, we must see the McAdams CPR Station (near the US border) which we did on our way back home to Canada a week later. The young fellow on the desk pointed out when the next tidal bore would happen (later that afternoon at high tide) and advised us to get to Bore Park (a tiny park with benches & a balcony, a popular place to watch the tidal bore on the Peticodiac River) well in advance of the time indicated on a white board. We're glad we took the advice from both.

A note on naming. "Resurgo" is the Moncton motto. The city was historically an important shipping and transportation center but fell on hard times. Wikipedia, in the History of Moncton, tells me

"Located in New Brunswick, Moncton's motto is Resurgo, which is Latin for I rise again. This motto was originally chosen in celebration of the city's rebirth in 1875 after the recovery of the economy from the collapse of the shipbuilding industry."

The city was an important rail transportation hub after the shipping era but even that has faded. The idea in the motto is to "rise again" from adversity — as in the Stan Rogers' song "The Mary Ellen Carter" (1979).

After our Resurgo visit we follow the Petitcodiac River south out of the city on two lane secondary roads to Hopewell Rocks and the Bay of Fundy. Along the way there are good views of the river which, at low tide, is a very wide shallow muddy expanse. It's hard to believe that it was ever navigable; but I suppose back then you're talking about small wooden boats/ships and nothing like what passes for shipping these days.

At Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park there's a large parking area; we found a spot close to the entry booth (Kate's mobility problems) and paid a seniors' entry fee. The entry fee is good for a couple of days so you can, if you wish, experience both high and low tide. The rocks (Elephant and Diamond Rock are some of the many, we descended at Cape Rocks) where we are to visit are some distance away and you can get there on a walking trail through the woods. There's also a golf-cart shuttle service and we're able to take that without any extra fees! They take pity on geezers like us. The young and agile could easily manage the trail — it would be about 20-30 minutes at a leisurely pace.

The rocks are quite impressive and you can get up close to them on foot at low tide. The Bay of Fundy has impressive tides and here rises around 16m! (That's 52' for those on the American system.) These high tides explain how the river to Moncton was navigable for shipping in the old days and also explains the tidal bore that floods the river each day.

We were able to safely wander around the rocks without getting too muddy. I was dancing around in thongs and avoided the muddy areas. But some brave explorers were not so careful and ended up covered in mud. But there's a washing station to clean the mud off your shoes as you leave. There's a staircase down to the rocks; essential as the cliffs here are quite steep and high. Some visitors would go for long walks along the shore in either direction. I suppose you could walk the shore back south to Diamond Rock at the visitors center but I don't know if you can easily get back up from the shore. From the maps I see you can walk a short distance further north and come out at Baymount Adventures (the kayak rental place).

After our clambering about (and picture taking), back at the very large visitors center, there's a gift shop one cannot avoid. There's also a very nice dining area. The day was sunny and warm enough that we could sit outside and enjoy the views of the expansive mud flats to the south on the Bay of Fundy. I had a bowl of chili and some local beer. On our travels we picked up quite a few local beers from the area and brought them home to share with our neighbors. Our neighbor Darrel is one of those guys who has not met a beer he does not like. He was appreciative of these souvenirs from the province.

We returned to Moncton and explored a bit, nothing too exciting. There's some interesting shops along the river: The Riverfront Cafe and Market is a "Starving Artist" gallery, the La Bikery Cooperative has some interesting graffiti. There is an extensive trail along the river, but we weren't up for that. As the day cooled off we waited at Bore Park for the high tide on the Petitcodiac River. There's a nice viewing area within a small park. There's an information center but again, closed for the season. As the tide rises it creates a wave (or a "bore") that progresses up the river. It's interesting but not exciting. If you're expecting a big wave you would be sadly disappointed. I'm not sure what the tidal effect is here in town (it cannot be as high as the 16m difference at Hopewell Rocks).  Paula tells us that it is possible to Surf the Tidal Bore — that would be interesting to see. We told Sam and Barry about the bore when they came later in the week but the weather was too cool; they retreated to a bar to warm up.

The guide at the Resurgo Place was wise to tell us to arrive early. After the bore had passed through and as we were leaving, we bumped into some folks who were just arriving at the "designated time" — they had missed it and would have been disappointed. But again, if they had been there they might have been just as disappointed!

We did a bit of shopping at Sobey's and the Alcool NB (cf. the LCBO in Ontario) in Dieppe on the way out of town. We are regular shoppers at the Sobey's at Chapman Corner in Shediac and had discovered the Alcool NB store on Main Street across from the Lobster Deck. The wine selection at the Sobey's stores was pretty minimal; the Alcool NB stores are well stocked. Later in our travels we discovered that you could get beer, wine and liquor at some gas stations. How convenient is that!

Ps. we were in the Moncton area another day when we visited the Magnetic Hill Winery.

Charlottetown & PEI

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On Monday we drove to Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island. It's not a long drive from Shediac — only about 2 hours away, mostly on very good Trans Canada highways (Nos. 15 and 16 in NB and No. 1 in PEI) and much of that is 4 lane expressway. There's also that impressive Confederation Bridge to the island that makes the trip quicker. Not too long ago you needed to take a ferry across the Northumberland Strait which separates the island from mainland Canada. There still is a ferry, further along in NS, but the bridge is very convenient.

The 13km (sic!) Confederation Bridge opened in 1997 — at 8 miles that's longer than the famous 7 mile bridge in the Florida Keys. It's not the longest bridge in the world, but it's up there. There is a ferry to the island from Caribou, NS which is a little further along the way (see Northumberland Ferries). I suppose when the bridge is closed, as it sometimes is for high winds and rough weather, one would have to continue on to that crossing. That would add many hours to our trip. The bridge fee is interesting. It costs you nothing to go to PEI, it costs about $50 to return over the bridge!

As we are approaching the bridge we decide that a bathroom break might be required (later learning that there's a great shopping area on the PEI side with every possible convenience including washrooms). We take what we think might be the last exit before the bridge and drive along a secondary road through the village of Bayfield searching for a pit-stop. We find the Cape Tormentine Beach Campground which looks like a good spot and, we think, must have a pissoir. Had we continued along the shore here we would have come to Cape Spear (not to be confused with Cape Spear, NFLD — the most easterly point in North America).

It turns out that this Tormentine Beach campground used to be the staging area for a big ferry that went to the island. There's a huge paved parking area that would have been the staging area for vehicles waiting on the ferry. Now it's empty with a performance stage for special events, concerts and the like in the summer. There's a dirt and land fill barrier at the end which blocks the old access road to the pier. It's a very big campground with many trailers and mobile homes but it's off season and there's not many folk around. I am amazed that the east coast tourist season is so abbreviated. But again, we are having very nice weather. I expect in the summer months this place is hopping and the wide sandy beach would be an important draw.

After the pit stop we drive back a bit and find a way around the barrier in the campground and out onto the old pier. There's a lighthouse on the shore; a traditional wooden building painted white with red trim, I suppose it's still in operation. Apparently there's a shabby little lighthouse on the end of the pier, but we didn't get there. There is still commercial activity on the pier and it is a working harbor — fishing boats and a factory/warehouse of some sort. There's a good view of the bridge in the distance and the campground behind us on the arc of a wide sandy beach.

The Confederation bridge crosses a couple of small islands, the last of which, Cape Jourimain, has a pull off and information center. We stop for some closeups of the bridge. There's an information center and another lighthouse to explore but we're bound for Charlottetown and lunch. A quick "snap, snap" and we're back on the road.

The shopping area, immediately when you arrive on PEI, is quite large. There's a PEI Alcool store (c.f., LCBO Ontario), a brewery, restaurants, gift shops and much more. The gift shop is loaded with Anne of Green Gables (that's Anne with an E) dolls, books, trinkets and much more. I recall our grade school teacher reading the book to us when I was in the middle grades. If you're Canadian, you know the story. We are not that interested in her; although many tourists come to PEI to visit her "home" not knowing, or caring, that she's entirely a fictional character by Lucy Maud Montgomery.  We discovered that the gift shop was unloading a bunch of glassware on sale and ended up buying some wine glasses, champagne flutes, and martini glasses at give away prices. Our AirBnB is not well stocked; we reckon we'll use them at the wedding and either leave them with Paula, or at the AirBnB or take some home. Kate is keen on collecting plates and glass ware.

An aside: Our local St Marys Community Players staged the Anne of Green Gables play a few years ago and I see Stratford Festival is staging the same in 2025. People love the play.

The drive across the PEI countryside on two lane roads (Trans Canada Highway No. 1) into Charlottetown is through rolling hills and farmland. Not the huge farms we have here in south western Ontario, more like the small farms of my youth in Grey County. The red dirt and potato farms, after Anne with an E, are what make this island famous.

The other thing that makes this part of the world famous is Lobster. Kate has investigated and determined that the best lobster in Charlottetown is downtown, in the old city, near the harbor at a place called the Water Prince Corner Shop and Lobster Pound (at Water & Prince) and that's where we're going. When we arrive we see there's a huge cruise ship, the Emerald Princess, in the harbor and discover that this tiny restaurant is quite busy with a waiting list to get in. Charlottetown has a population around 40K, this boat probably holds 3K or more. Clearly the harbor area is going to be busy while that boat is here.

Another aside: on our Alaska Cruise (2015), when we stopped at Ketchikan (population around 8K), there were 5 cruise boats of a similar size docked all at once! How do these small port towns survive the onslaught of so many tourists?

So we decide to join the wait list for a table. The greeter takes our name and tells us a table should be ready in an hour or so. Kate explores the nearby Market Building and waits with the car; I go for a bit of a march to explore the town and take some photos. I walk down to the waterfront where there's a large green space at Confederation Landing. There are lots of ocean side restaurants, it's a lovely day, but they're all pretty busy with the guests from the Emerald Princess. Around the waterfront a bit is an area called Peake's Quay (with Dave's Lobster and COWS Peakes) with many more restaurants and shops. From there, along George Street, I find my way to St Dunstan's Basilica and at the top of the street is the PEI Parliament. Unfortunately the Parliament building is under renovation so there's not much to see there. 

Across the street from the Basilica there's a statue of two guys chatting, the John Hamilton Greys statues, which recreates a fictionalized conversation by two characters with the same name who were at the PEI conference that led to the confederation of Canada in 1867. It's life sized and casual; they're talking over a barrel. It's not on a pedestal, it's just there on the sidewalk, so you can join in their discussions should you wish.

While the parliament may be closed for renovations there's still lots of lovely colorful clapboard and sometimes historical homes in the area. When I wend my way back to the restaurant we still wait a bit but in reasonable time are seated inside.

Back at the restaurant we get a small table inside. There are tables on the street, and it was a fine day, but this is where we ended up. It's still very busy so we'll take what we can get. The restaurant is very much a diner kind of place; very casual, no white table clothes, definitely not a "ferny bar" with that trendy "Pierre water". But it's busy and has very good lobster (and other seafood dishes; apparently the chowder is to die for). Kate was talking to a fellow who was working in town, off and on, as a consultant from the US. He said he was spoiled by the lobster here and always comes to this restaurant. He says it's the best he's ever had. He also said he hoped that he and his wife could be like us when they get old (hey, we're not that old!).

Kate had the lobster roll, Reg had a full lobster dinner (in a bib for the mess) that came with a large bowl of mussels as the appetizer. Both were really good; I'm not a mussels fan but these were good. I practiced pulling the mussels apart using the shells as tongs as our No.1 son Chris showed me years ago. The lobster was split and the claw were cracked so, with some instruments, not that hard to tear apart. I don't know if this was the best lobster ever but it was certainly well worth the visit. Kate says I'm nuts for lobster because I like all the drawn butter. She may be right.

Afterwards Kate and I do a little walk about. She's keen to see the parliament buildings even though I've let her know you can't get near. We park 5 blocks down the street near a lovely old Anglican Church, St Paul's, at Princess, Grafton and Church Streets. We walk by the Parliament, Kate manages to get some snaps, and along Richmond Street near the Confederation Arts Center where, surprise, surprise, they're doing some version of Anne with an E (Anne of Green Gables, the musical!). We find a place for Kate to sit near the Arts Center, she's not able to walk very far and has pushed herself too far.

On the way back to get the car I find a small theatre, The Mack, which is showing the "70 Mile Yard Sale". This is a one man stand up comedy routine/story that we had enjoyed this summer at the Here for Now Theatre in Stratford. They described the show as:

"THE 70 MILE YARD SALE If someone was asked to name three things about Prince Edward Island, they’d probably say potatoes, Anne of Green Gables, and potatoes... again. Using a unique blend of storytelling, comedy, and theatre, Justin Shaw sheds light on an interesting facet of Island life that many people from the mainland (or from “away”) probably haven’t heard of. 

WRITTEN BY AND STARRING JUSTIN SHAW"

The story centers around a long standing tradition on PEI where along 70 miles of coastline they hold a very big yard sale each year in late September (see Facebook Page). We have missed it. Loved the Justin Shaw show, if you get a chance to see it, you should.

We took a bit of an alternate route back to the bridge on side roads through the hilly country side and ended up at Chelton Beach Provincial Park; a small park a little to the west of the bridge. The red soil makes for red fields, red roads, red cliffs and a red beach. I'm not sure about tides around here, there wasn't much of a beach when we were there and at this time of year we were pretty much the only folks visiting. There was another couple strolling the shoreline but it was otherwise pretty quiet.

Driving back along the shore there are a few rather grand homes with views of the Northumberland Strait. We saw one rather huge home, turned around, came back, turned around again and were taking pictures of it when the home owner came out to get her mail. She must have thought we were "burglars casing the joint". We stopped at the PEI Alcool store and WC at the bridge and paid our toll before returning home to NB.

There was a lot to see in PEI and I fear we only touched a tiny bit of it. It would have been fun to be part of that 70 Mile Yard Sale, there's lots of history in Charlottetown, and there were several scenic lighthouses we missed. However, we did have a bit of a lobster feed and I can now say I've been to every province except Saskatchewan. We should go back to visit Paula sometime next year when the weather is warmer and the other tourists arrive (like swallows to Capistrano).

Shediac Bridge

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For our visit with Paula in Shediac (Cocagne and Moncton) we rented a two bedroom apartment from AirBnB in the Seagull Condo Resort overlooking the water and the one lane Shediac Bridge. The panorama above is from one of our balconies. Shediac Bridge is a bridge, but also a community just 10 minutes north of Shediac the town.

We arrived from Percé Rock, Quebec on the afternoon of Thursday September 19; visited with Paula, explored the town and saw some sights over the next week; Sam and Barry arrived from Moncton on the following Thursday with their wedding at the apartment on the afternoon of Friday September 27; the next day, Saturday the 28th, we left with Sam and Barry for Fredericton. See related blog pages around this one for those stories.

The view in the panorama above is mostly to the north. To the center left, i.e. to the west, is the Shediac Bridge over the Shediac River. Paula lives up the river in the woods about 10 minutes away.  To the right, i.e. to the east, across the bay is Grande-Digue, to the far right, but out of view, is the nearby Shediac Island and from there away across the Northumberland Strait is PEI which we were able to visit. We had several gloriously dramatic sunsets but never had an impressive sun rise. Most days started fairly cloudy with the weather clearing as the day went on. I understand this is off season for tourists and we were lucky to have the good weather we found.

The Seagull Condo Resort is a fairly new long building of 33 identical 3 story units each facing the water. The building must be a bit of an eye sore to the homes across the road to the south as the building blocks their view of the water. See "Construction begins on controversial Shediac Bridge condos" (CBC 2017). Our condo unit is very nicely appointed; both bedrooms, on the top floor, are quite large with a shared bathroom; we were pleased to have a king bed overlooking the water. The second floor is the living area with powder room, kitchen, dining and TV/lounging area. The ground floor includes a drive in garage and a small entry room. Each floor has a balcony or walkout area to the seaside as above.

On our arrival Paula came to visit, we played with her and the two doggies Gerry and Felix many times. We brought her a souvenir from the Musee National des Beaux- Arts du Quebec — a very funny picture book about "Men to Avoid in Art and Life". Paula is single and has met many of the men in that book as have most women. We found it tragically funny and liked it so much we ordered another when we got home. We also brought Paula some consumable greenery from our garden. She asked about this year's crop — it wasn't ready yet but seems pretty lush.

Our route here from Quebec City and around the Gaspe Peninsula is not the direct and fastest route. Paula asked if we had went that way on purpose. Kate laughed and jokingly replied, "No, we got lost!" Although it was the route we had planned I was somewhat pleased when we entered New Brunswick. Along the Gaspe it's slow going with a two lane coastal road through many little villages. In NB it's a quick drive on a good road through the country miles far away from the beach roads, seas side villages and cottage country. The Trans Canada Highway No. 11 from Miramachi to Shediac is a very good, very quick trip. Shediac Bridge is an off-ramp exit from No. 11 as a 4 lane expressway just before Shediac proper.

The purpose of this blog is to just give a sense of where we stayed. Read other blogs for our adventures.

Percé Rock

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Our trip plan from Quebec City today is to see some of the St Lawrence south shore, the Gaspé Peninsula, and arrive at Percé Rock for the evening (hopefully before sunset). Google maps tells us that will be an 8hr and 23minute drive but you know about planning your drive with Google. It's just a guide, add a few hours. So we are aware — it's going to be a long day.

Not too far from Quebec City we stopped at a small village on the St Lawrence, Saint-Vallier, across from l'Île-d'Orléans, for an advertised Fromagerie (Cheese Shop). They are making cheese and you can watch through a window into the small factory (I recall the nearby Welburn Cheese was like that). We buy some cheese and snacks for the drive, to share with Paula and, it turns out, to have as our dinner that night. The Trans Canada Highway here, No. 20 aka A. Jean-Lesage, is a 4 lane expressway that continues much of the way. There are many advertised stops like this cheese shop, e.g., there are some wineries and cideries too. Cider is probably pretty good, the wine I suspect not.

The village and cheese factory is on a secondary road along the river, and we end up on those kind of roads around the Gaspé Peninsula. The "quick route" to Moncton would be to go South East at Rivière-du-Loup and follow the Trans Canada. We instead take the road less travelled to see more of the coast and the Percé Rock. As such we didn't get to the Percé village until the evening and it was dark when we arrived. We even took a short cut across the hills in Percé to get to the hotel. It was very weird! Turns out that hill route also leads to a mountain top viewing platform. Much of that road looks like it's never used.

We have reserved a room at the Hotel/Motel Panorama de Perce with Expedia. It's just a little to the south of the village of Percé. It's a nice enough room with a small balcony overlooking the parking lot and the ocean beyond. But it's dark out and there's nothing to see; we hunker down to watch some TV and munch on goodies we had brought with us. Behind us there's a huge campground — mostly empty at this time of year.

The next morning we check out, grab a coffee and some snacks from the breakfast buffet, and explore the views before heading on to NB. From our hotel there are good views of the rock from across the street. Between our place and the village there's a large seaside Camping Côte Surprise, with good views of the rock; again mostly empty. In the village there's a tower to climb (the panorama above is from the tower), a pier and some seaside to explore. At the dock there's a tour boat to take people out for a close up view of the rock but it was cool, a bit wet and awfully windy. I might have climbed up to Cap Mont Joli for another view of the rock but we have a day ahead of us. Google says it's 6hr 30min to Shediac and you now know Google route plans.

Kate has investigated and found that Belvédère Au Pic de l'Aurore, a hotel/restaurant/cabin complex a little back along the coastal trail also has good views of the rock. We stop in for some last pictures before hitting the road.

Along the way our car tells me we have a soft tire. They all look fine to me and I'm not too worried but we find a small garage along the way and, through my mangled French, borrow a pressure gauge and fill the tires to their recommended pressure. The warning light is out, great! The next step would have been to try and find a Honda dealer.

It's a two lane coastal road in Quebec until you cross into New Brunswick at Campbellton. This is rather slow going but there are some digressions. The town of New Carlisle has the René-Lévesque Space to commemorate his childhood home, we skip that. Around noon, near the town of Caplan, we stop at Distillerie des Marigots where they make gin and flavored gin alternatives from local wheat. There are some cider houses nearby that the guide recommends; I ask about places distilling cider (to make something like the Calvados from Normandy) but there's none of either on our route. She suggests we might get something to eat at Edgar's in nearby New Richmond. We are hungry so let's try that.

After a bit of search we find Edgar's (the Edgar Café Buvette at New Richmond/Taylor's Point). Something got lost in translation — it turns out it's a gourmet fast food truck, by a campground (which is closed for the season), by the water and, although closed, there is someone there. This must be Edgar. It's his shop and he tells us he's closed for the season but is here getting prepared for some special one-of catered event. Better luck next time, we grab a bite at Tim Horton's and are soon back on the road.

We cross into NB at Campbellton, it's almost 5pm when we're at Miramachi and I'm worried if we'll ever make it to Shediac. Fortunately in NB it's all on the Trans Canada Highway, No. 11, which is far from the coastal roads and we are able to make very good time. We stick close to the speed limits, others are not so cautious. The warning signs for deer and moose tell me night driving might be dangerous.

Again, this was another day that was far too short. We spent most of the day driving and were only able to take brief visits along the way. We should have devoted several days for this trip. Next time.

Quebec City

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Our long car drive adventure to visit Paula in New Brunswick had some stops along the way. Even if we were to go on the fastest route, Google has it mapped out as nearly 17 hours and you know how accurate their route times are (not!). Anyways we are not able to leave London until noonish so we have some planned stops to give us time to see things and not rush through.

We have a hotel reservation in Cornwall the first night (Monday) at the Ramada by Wyndham and have our dinner at the Kelsey's Roadhouse across the street. We eat outside on the patio as the weather is still pretty nice. It's an opportunity for Reg to have a steak, Kate has a spinach salad with shrimp. As the sun sets it cools off and the mosquitos are out in full force. They bugs compel us to finish early and head off to bed.

Tuesday our destination is Quebec City via the St Lawrence north shore. We had visited years ago; a November visit sometime in the 1980's for a conference of Kate's, we stayed in the Chateau Frontenac (pictured above) and had met up with Sam and Bruce from Winnipeg. I haven't found a blog or pictures of that visit. Google tells us that this drive from Cornwall is just a bit over 4 hours (and you know how accurate Google routes are) and there may be issues navigating through Montreal. We have reserved a place through Expedia but arrive in the city well before check in time which is late in the afternoon.

Near the Plains of Abraham we visit the Musee National des Beaux- Arts du Quebec. We see some art, have lunch and kill some time. The gallery is an impressive modern building and the exhibits were dominated by modern artworks. There was a gallery of native Inuit art but most of that was behind plexiglass. 

Of the many Quebec artists showcased, there's a huge painting, Point de rencontre - Quintette (2002), by Jean Paul Riopelle. To me this modern abstract piece is in the style of Jackson Pollock and is of the same period — his appeal is equally incomprehensible. The gallery is doing some renovations/expansion to have a whole new gallery building (sic!) devoted to this artist. Like Pollock, he's a big deal but I don't see why.

A large piece I did like was Rainbow (for Rose and Licorice), David Elliott 2008. It's a huge piece, mixed media, and looks like a collage. It is also part of the permanent collection. That one I really liked.

There's a gallery of works by the Canadian impressionist Helen McNicoll (1879-1915). Historically, and even today, women artists struggle to be recognized and taken seriously. She was an exception with a short career, dying young from diabetes. Wikipedia tells me:

"In 2024, the exhibition Helen McNicoll: An Impressionist Journey which presented more than 65 paintings by the artist, including 25 from the collection of Pierre Lassonde, was held at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ).[8] The major book/ catalogue focused on the idea of travel and its repercussions on McNicoll's work.[8]"

We had lunch at the gallery and afterwards went for the views from the Capital Observatory. It's a glassed in observation deck on the 31st floor of a building near the National Assembly (the Legislative Buildings or Parliament). The picture above is from the there. You can see some of the old city around the Chateau Frontenac. I'm often looking for high viewing points like this for the views of the city. Kate found this one for me.

Afterwards we did a bit of a drive around the Plains of Abraham before going to our rental. There's the old Citadelle of Quebec and lots of green space to explore. The gallery has been enough walking about for today though.

Les Lofts Vieux-Québec have rentals around the city, ours was on Dorchester at Charest, and we booked through Expedia. This was a modern refurb of an old city building; it might have been a warehouse in a previous life. The rooms were quite nice with keypad access. There wasn't a check-in desk — we were given an entry code by email. And parking was around the corner and down a block or so. But was a nice apartment, well appointed, with a comfy king bed and a bit of view north towards the mountain (a view of other buildings, not terribly scenic).

We were avoiding driving in the old city and, for dinner, had decided on a place, Chez Temporel, with good reviews on Google Maps. We took an Uber to the restaurant (advertised as a "Neighborhood Bistro") where we had made a reservation and I'm glad we went that way. Driving in the narrow streets of the old city would have been a challenge, and likewise for parking! The restaurant is on a narrow street, almost an alley, the driver found his way and dropped us off at a nearby corner. We had a nice table at the window. There were tables on the street but they were taken. As the evening progressed, more guests arrived and soon it was busy. The waitress was excellent and she effortlessly switched between languages.  The food was very tasty. I'd recommend the place.

After dinner we walked a short distance up the street, stopping at the de Pannier/Deli (Epicerie de la Couillard) next door where we loaded up with some treats and beer, to a busy area where we called for an Uber. While waiting for our ride we were approached by some tourists ((I recall they were Scandinavians) asking for directions. We were useless in that regard — try Google Maps!

I liked our visit to Quebec City. The weather was nice, the people were friendly, there's lots to see, it's a good city to visit. Once again the "3 minute Louvre" style of our visit doesn't do it justice. There's much to see, and we saw very little on our brief over night visit. We should come again and stay much longer.

The next day our destination is Perce Rock on the Gaspe. 

 

Jack Verhulst Dinner

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Sunday September 8, 2024 was the third annual Perth-Wellington NDP Jack Verhulst Fundraising Dinner & Golf held at the River Valley Golf Club just outside of St Marys where the Thames River and Highway 7 meet. Kate and I were there with many of our NDP friends.

Jack Verhulst was a local long time NDP supporter, party bag man and sometimes candidate who passed away a few years ago (2021). He lived just outside St Marys when we first met and they used to have the NDP summer picnic at this place. When he and Tina moved to a smaller home in Stratford Jack convinced us that we should host the picnic at our house. We did, several times. This September event is to honor Jack's memory and to raise a bit of cash for the local NDP party.

One of the things Jack liked to do at fundraising dinners like this was to have a "Pie Auction". People would donate a pie and everyone else would bid on them. It's a way to encourage folks to open up their wallets and give a little. The pie is a bit of an incentive, the bidding a bit of a competition. Neither Kate nor I are bakers but we do make jams, pickles and various preserves. We donated several baskets full of our goodies to the auction. Today the event was run as a silent auction; Kate and I bid on several items but didn't win any. I guess we ought to have bid much more. Oh well, we'll continue to donate to the NDP.

Irene R. Mathyssen, retired NDP MP from London, was there with her husband Keith and won the bid on some of our preserves. We bumped into them at a Stratford event and asked how they liked the preserves from the year before. They've been great supporters of the local association and she often speaks at this event. Now that Irene has retired, her daughter Lindsay Mathyssen, who holds the same London-Fanshawe seat in Ottawa, was there and spoke about how and why the NDP have withdrawn their support from the Liberals.

It was a good day all around. I tell my friends that they ought to come to this, and other, Perth-Wellington NDP events because, "It's right to lean left."