Sun Jul 20th - Halifax Waterfront

Sun Jul 20th - Halifax Waterfront

Great day today. We headed into town and parked the truck for the day by the waterfront boardwalk. It is such a vibrant boardwalk on such a sunny warm day. Lots of street musicians (of varied talent!)

Self Explanatory - Some history of Cunard Lines

We sauntered the length of the boardwalk in both directions. We were passing the ferry terminal going to Dartmouth and decided to go for the ride. $4.25 return for the two of us was the cheapest harbour tour on record!! We just puttered there and back on the same ferry, sitting in the sun watching the shoreline and the vessels in the harbour area. Getting a bit hungry we shared an order of fish n' chips from a kiosk on the waterfront... excellent and fill a hole. On one end of the waterfront boardwalk we found a brewery, (the Garrison Brewing company) ) so we went in and ordered a couple of cold beer samplers each, sitting in the sun to enjoy them. 

Maritime Museum. Pirate!

Not far from the brewery we found a statue of Samuel Cunard .. the founder of the huge Cunard shipping empire. We were very surprised to find out that he was a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia... who knew?? Reading the history of him and the Cunard line was enlightening to say the least.
We saw other interesting statues and landmarks as we continued our exploration. 

Cute way to use an old tugboat.. tours

As suppertime approached we re-parked the truck in the downtown area so we could go to one of our favourite pubs (from other trips) where they have good food and live music. The Old Triangle did not disappoint. We decide to graze on appies such as the Lobster Dip (incredible stuff),  mussels and Irish nachos (made from thin slices of potatoes---yummy). A fun end to a great stay in Halifax. It is one of our favourite Canadian cities. Well worth the visit if you have never been there before. 

Cheapest Harbour tour - the Ferry!

Something old, something new,

George Island- used to imprison French/Acadians

Golf green... in the harbour.. 3 balls for $10... No thx!

Hot day, Cold beer, Priceless!

Great spot for a cold one.

Harbour walk.. great way to enjoy Halifax

Old Triangle Pub... worth visiting. Great music!

Thur-Sat July 17-19 - Halifax & Peggy's Cove

Thursday  July 17th

Camped Near Halifax NS. Woodhaven RV Park

Managed to pack up the condo and get on the road before more rain hit. We are set for a relatively short driving day to Halifax. All was well and the spare tire is performing as it should. Got to the Woodhaven Campground and RV park at about 3pm and set up in the pouring rain. Needed a few groceries so Derek got them while Janice tried to fight the last battle with her cold which she is winning. Brought in supper and we watched a few episodes of “The House of Cards”. What a great series. 

Friday July 18th

Had an at home day, cleaned some of the road grime off the rig, and got some research done for Cape Breton. The microwave wasn't working properly and Derek fixed it (fan blades had slipped off). Late afternoon an old friend from Mr Lube days (Gary K) came over.  It was really good to see him again and catch up. After a quick trip to his house where we enjoyed a beer on his dock, we picked up his wife Lauren and went for a great dinner at the Bicycle Thief in Halifax before going on to see their daughter Brynn performing in The Taming of The Shrew at Shakespeare by the Sea. A wonderfully entertaining evening of live theatre outside in the park with good friends. The play was excellent... great professional performance. We would recommend anyone who comes to Halifax in the summer to come to see some performances here... well worth the visit.  Sorry.. once again no photos... very forgetful. One of the great parts of this traveling lifestyle is to catch up with friends across the country (and round the world). Most are just fleeting visits, but each one is indeed precious and memorable. We are so very lucky.

Saturday July19

Coffee break stop along the way

Peggy's Cove from Swiss 111 Memorial

Swiss 111 Memorial

Fisherman's monument by DeGarthe

Beautiful weather so we packed a picnic and took off to Peggy’s Cove. En route we enjoyed seeing fishing village and some very picturesque bays, stopping at one to gaze at the view and drink some coffee.  We paused at the memorial to Swissair 111, that came down into the ocean just 5 miles off the coast from Peggy’s Cove in Sept 1998 with the loss of 229 lives. Very sad.

Peggy's Cove. So rich in heritage

Whale jaw in the buoy shop

In Peggy's cove we joined a walking tour of the village and learned much about the local history, including a quick tour of the house (now museum of William E DeGarthe. He was born in Helsinki, Finland but settled permanently in the beautiful village of Peggy’s Cove in 1955. He was a painter and sculptor. His “Fisherman’s Monument” was sculpted out of a 100 foot granite face of rock below his home. It depicts people who were living in the village at the time (our guide's father and uncle are shown in it.) The monument is now also his gravestone as he was buried in his garden. His art works are quite breathtaking. 
Out by the lighthouse we tried for ages to get that perfect picture of the waves crashing over the rocks and got a few good ones. Peggy’s Cove....What a picturesque icon of Nova Scotia.

We sat out on our folding chairs on the rocks to picnic in the sunshine with views of the ocean, rocks and lighthouse, followed by a quick walk into the village for the very best homemade ice cream EVER!!!

Lobster Traps outside a fishing hut

Colourful and relatively unspoiled

Back at he condo we quickly prepared for John and Sue M, who picked us up and we had a great time catching up at Montana's. Actually only called John that morning so we were thrilled to be able to get together on short notice. John and I realized that we have known each other for quite a 'few' years, all the way back to Mother's restaurants in the early 80's. After a wonderful dinner, Sue and John dropped us off and had to take off to pick up their daughter, so Derek and I sat outside with a beer by a fire.

Looking down on the cove from a hill

Great folks here in Halifax and, when the weather is this good, it is just a fabulous place. It is truly a beautiful city on the Atlantic coast... so much to see and do. We must come out here for a longer visit in the future. Love it!!  Woodhaven Campground is advertised as the closest to Halifax and we have found it to be a great place to base ourselves during our stay. The sites are a little small, but the one we are in is set in the trees, sheltered and private. The internet is a little erratic and unreliable. Te washrooms and showers are basic but serviceable, and the pool looks great.

What a great day.

The village- from the lighthouse area

Picnic time.... aaaaahh!!

Ice cream... with a view

Sun-Wed 13th-16th July - Montreal-Quebec-Moncton

Sun Jul 13th 

Quebec City KOA Overnight

We left Montreal and stopped in Quebec City at the KOA overnight. It was a reasonably nice park, but we decided that, with the long journey ahead, we would not even unhook, just overnight and leave in the morning. We are coming back this way and will be spending 5 nights near Quebec City in early August, so no worries about missing the city. It was nice to just chill for the afternoon and do  bit of research as the internet was passable. It is actually a great place for a few days. The pool and play area are great, but a bit noisy as they are very close to the highway. The sites are a good size and mostly pull-thoughs which makes things easy for parking up.




Mon 14th Jul

Our Site at Stonehurst

Stonehurst Golf Course/Campground Nr Moncton

We left Quebec City KOA Camground with the intention of stopping overnight on our way to Moncton. However we were enjoying the drive and we switched drivers every 2 hours. By the time we got to half way (about 375km) we were still energized and decided to motor on. Janice was getting a bit of the sniffles... not a good thing. We finally accepted the fact that we were psychologically set on the idea of going all the way to Moncton in one day... and we did. (750km). A problem arose in the last 100km stretch whe we got a noticeble vibration coming from the wheels. At first we thought it road surface, but it became obvious that we had a problem. A check of the computer systens showed that tire pressures were fine etc, so we did a quick visual check as well and decided to take it easy for the rest of the way. We arrived at the the campsite (Stonehurst golf club and Campground) at about 6:30pm. It was pretty busy and we were grateful to get a nice spot.. no privacy, but a big level grassy site. By now Janice was feeling a bit rough and we were both a little concerned about the vibration in the truck which was quite noticeable.
 Tues and Wed Jul 15-16

Going backwards UPHILL!

Magnetic Hill NB

Well not much to report. We never did get to explore Moncton.  Janice became engulfed in the cold ... sore throat, sneezing and generally feeling very sorry for herself, and did not venture away from the campsite. Our plan to golf and explore the area did not happen. Derek spent the time taking the truck in to get it checked (turns out a belt on the tire had come apart). The spare went on, but it is a slightly different tire than the rest. So Derek spent an  inordinate  amount of time trying to find a replacement tire (they are not available in this area)... so the spare will have to suffice until we get a new tire delivered from Quebec to New Glasgow Canadian Tire in Nova Scotia and we can get it installed when we pass through there.
On our last evening (Wed 16th) we both felt the need to see SOMETHING of the area, so clutching a box of Kleenex for Janice, we headed out to the famous Magnetic Hill. We had been there in the early 70's and it was just a hill signposted on the road ... now there is a theme park and water-park etc etc and they even charge $5 just to go on the hill. But we went and happily traveled the magnetic hill a few times. It really is quite a phenomenon. I assume it is an optical illusion but you could swear you were drifting UP the hill backwards in neutral.  It was only a few km from the campsite so it didn't take long, but we felt we had at least seen something. We packed and had an early night ready for the drive to Halifax tomorrow. As a note. Stonehurst Golf Club and Campground is a good spot to base yourself to visit Moncton. Maybe not for weeks, but a good spot for a few days. The golf course is walking distance from the campground and is a short 18 hole par 3 executive course. We didn't play it, so don't know how 'pretty' it is.  There is a pool, play areas and basic but clean showers available.

Sat Jul 12 - Montreal

Sat Jul 12 - Montreal

Notre Dame de Montreal

Neat statue in Old Montreal

We got off to a slow start this morning as we were both not sure what we wanted to do.. bad mix!! Bit we finally got ourselves realizing that we would like to see Old Montreal and have a slap up meal later on. A Metro station is about 20 minute drive away so we made our way there and worked out the system map and made our way into Old Montreal The first stop was the Notre Dame Cathedral... just a quick look from the outside as we are still reeling from the beauty of Canterbury Cathedral.

Lunch... Bevo pizza

Rue St Paul

Really cool pedal cars for sale

Stop for Cappuccino

We spent our afternoon walking and walking, checking out galleries and stopping for a quick beer and shared pizza at Bevo Bar... wow... Parma ham, arugula and reggiano cheese. Totally enjoyed the hustle bustle of the old town and the Place Jacque-Cartier .. the happening place for restaurants, buskers and artists! Our meal at Auberge St Gabriel was exquisite... It is the oldest Inn in North America so they say (1688) ... Derek has Veal shank and Janice had Paella... both were wonderful. The bread was of an ilk we haven't had for years.. crusty french bread with the crustiest of crusts and a taste that I thought had disappeared many years ago... we had a second helping with fresh butter.. naughty, but scrumptiously wickedly good!!!! Janie couldn't manage a dessert, but Derek was a trooper and oredered "The Framboise". Hard to describe, but would bring us both back to Montreal again... maybe we could move here...!!!! The picture shows you what it looked, but the taste is unbelievalble.. even Janice had a small taste and was in raptures. Biscuit base with thick raspberry and Mascarpone mousse balls crusted lightly with ground Pistachio and filled with  Raspberry Coulis, topped with thin dark chocolate. If you ever get to Old Montreal go and have this dessert if it is the only thing you do!!!! The restaurant is a bit pricy, but no more than Toronto pricing. 
Stopped at the cathedral again on the way back to the subway to listen to a violinist who just seemed to belong there. He was talented and very soulful. Another stop in the subway walkway tunnel to listen to a guitarist playing and singing 'Stairway to Heaven'... he was terrific too. They sure have talented buskers here in Montreal. Needless to say both these guys got tips from us. 

City Hall

Back to camp and a reasonable early night. 

Auberge St Gabriel

FRAMBOISE

Well fed and happy

Thur July 10 - Fri Jul 11 - Montreal - Camping Allouette

Thur July 10 - Fri Jul 11 Camping Allouette

Site 171, Camping Allouette, near Montreal

The Driving range

General view (more sites in trees)

Pool and office area

Nice Stance D

Our drive to Montreal was uneventful. We stopped en route to have the wheel bearings re-packed and the brakes checked. We stopped at a place called CanRV in Vars just outside Ottawa. Really good operation. Family run and they seemed to know what they are doing and are reasonably priced. We were impressed and would have no problem recommending them to anyone wanting work done in the Ottawa area. While they were doing the work we tossed off to a local mall and Janice had her nails done (much needed) and we sat and chatted in a coffee shop. The rest of the drive was great. Janice did the driving today as it was only a couple of hours and Derek often did more than her on other days. We arrived at Camping Allouette in  St-Mathieu-de-Beloeil just outside Montreal. We have stayed here a few times in the past and were blown away with the changes and improvements. It truly is a fabulous RV resort  and has expanded to include a wooded upper area and a large lower area. The sites are large, people friendly and has a pool, driving range, lots of sports areas, and even a small restaurant open from morning 'til evening. We arrived in time to make supper and enjoy an early night. 

FORE!!!!

On Friday, it was a lovely sunny day so we decided to enjoy the resort, going swimming, reading in the sun and hitting a couple of buckets of balls on the driving range after supper. A lovely relaxing day.

Cool moonrise view