….thanks to Becky B for hosting Walking Squares https://beckybofwinchester.com/2022/11/10/walking-squares-10/
Last week my husband was in London with my stepson and grandson. While there they spent a good deal of time with our son, B and his family. Here he is with B walking along a street in London. I’m assuming that J took the photo.
….happy birthday Andrea
On Day 4 we took another road trip but this time we headed east toward Prince Edward Island.
There are two ways to get to the island by car. One is taking a ferry and the second is crossing over on the Confederation Bridge. The bridge is 12.5 kilometres long and is only two lanes. We were wondering what happens when the bridge needs repairs. Well just as those words left our mouths we started to slow down. Luckily it was not a busy day and the construction only affected about 50 metres of the bridge. Once we passed the workers traffic resumed at the normal rate.
The unfortunate part about travelling to PEI on November 1st is that most of the museums and points of interest have closed for the season but the plus side is that the place isn’t swarming with tourists.
Cows Creamery is a big deal in this part of the world and it was opened today.
PEI is famous for its red soil, potatoes and north shore beaches.
On the drive home we drove into the sun but we also experienced a beautiful sunset.
Sunday was a very busy day. We started out at 9:00 in the morning and drove to Hopewell Rocks. When we got there the tide was out and we were able to walk on the ocean floor and explore the caves.
After walking 8000 steps we were in need of some nourishment so be we drove to the town of Alma. We stopped at the Lobster Store and I ordered a lobster roll. It was on my bucket list of one of the things I wanted to eat while out here. Unfortunately, I have discovered that some of my tastebuds are not working as they should since I had COVID. As a result I am not able to give a fair review of the meals that I’ve eaten.
After our meal we drove to Fundy National Park. This was one of the few places in New Brunswick that was actually opened to the public, Most places are closed after Thanksgiving but it doesn’t stop people from visiting. You have to park outside the entrance and walk to get in. All the information centres and refreshment facilities are closed. The upside is that you can see these places for free.
Our last stop on our way home was the lighthouse at Cape Enrage.
Cape Enrage derives its name from the large reef that extends south into Chignecto Bay, which causes the water off the point to become extremely violent, particularly at half tide when the reef is partially exposed and the water is moving quickly.
After being on the road for seven hours it was good to get back to my room and relax for an hour before dinner.
…..giant lobster, Parlée Beach, flaming dessert
For dinner we decided to go to a seafood restaurant. Dinner was okay but the dessert made our day. Winnie wanted to try the Strawberries Flambé. We knew there would be some alcohol in the dessert and even though the alcohol is burned off we weren’t sure that she would like the taste. Her second choice was carrot cake so we ordered both.
The dessert was prepared table side. I had my camera focused on the server making the dessert and Gaelan had her camera on Winnie to catch her reaction.
Well wouldn’t know it, she loved the strawberries flambé and she ate half our carrot cake as well.
…thanks to Marsha for hosting PPAC https://alwayswrite.blog/2022/10/14/ppac-67-portland-international-rose-test-garden/
Close to where a dear friend lives I witnessed what happens when a community comes together to create gardens on land that would normally be ignored. Some of the gardens are pollinator gardens and others have bird houses to attract birds. The schools have become involved by encouraging children to paint signs and make sculptures that have been carefully placed among the plants.
….this year it was more about the pumpkins, decorations and squash
Usually the turkey is a big deal but when it’s just the two of us, we tend to keep things simpler. Leading up to Thanksgiving we stopped at some favourite places and picked up some gourds for decoration, lots of vegetables and yummy butter tarts.
….thanks to Jez for hosting I’m a Fan of…..https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2022/09/26/arches-wk1-fan-of-175/
At both ends of our beach on Big Sand Bay there are wonderful stones and boulders that the water and waves flow and crash over all year round. As a result most of them are smooth and rounded. They come in many colours and have interesting veins and cracks. I love how the water gives them a glossy sheen when they are wet.
….thanks to Sue W. and GC for hosting the Weekend Challengehttps://weeklyprompts.com/2022/09/24/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-review-3/
Reviewing my day in Hamilton. Had I known that I was going to do this I would probably have taken more photos.
My daughter and daughter-in-law had appointments in Hamilton to get their hair done and the car isn’t very reliable anymore for long trips so I volunteered to drive them in my car. I haven’t been back to the downtown core of Hamilton since our daughter moved to New Brunswick.
The first thing I did was drop the girls off at the salon and then I drove to Denninger’s. It’s a German deli that has been in Hamilton since Rudolf Denninger immigrated to Canada from Germany with his wife. The family owned business has grown from the original store on King St. in Hamilton to 5 stores, a warehouse and a manufacturing facility, employing 300 people in southern Ontario. https://denningers.com/pages/about-us
The visit was bittersweet because so many things in the store reminded me of my father, who passed away almost two years ago. I picked up many things that had a special meaning for me. My father loved chocolates, herring and small oranges like clementines. The cashier asked me if I was all right because I had tears in my eyes. I told him they were happy tears. I spent way too much money.
After my shopping trip at the deli I drove back to Mulberry and MacNab because I knew that I could park there for free and I walked up James St. to the wool shop. I had some money left on a gift certificate from the Hand Knit Yarn Store. It wasn’t for a large amount but I thought I would check out the new merchandise. I haven’t been there since before COVID, over two years ago. Everyone was very friendly and using up the remainder of the gift card was no problem. Again I spent way too much money. https://handknityarnstudio.com/
After my purchase of yarns I walked around the corner to Arcana Salon https://www.arcanasalon.ca/ to check on the girls. Andrea had another 1 1/2 hours to go, so I walked back towards my car and my favourite coffee shop in Hamilton, Mulberry Coffeehouse https://www.mulberrycoffeehouse.com/. Along the way I stopped to take some photos of flowers and Interesting doors.
Once I was in the coffeehouse, I ordered a tea and a breakfast sandwich. It was very busy, as it always is and I was lucky to find a seat at a counter. I pulled out the book that I am currently reading but I didn’t get too far. Josie walked in with her new haircut and wanted to visit the Farmers’ Market which was within walking distance from the cafe. When I finished my tea we made the trek to the Hamilton Farmers’ Market and we were delighted to see that most of the vendors had survived the COVID restrictions and closures. I purchased two large bunches of basil and garlic after overhearing another customer talk about making pesto with his purchase. I thought it was a great idea. In the next post I’ll show you our busy day making and putting the pesto into jars.
Andrea met us at the market. We walked around a little bit more and I treated myself to a bunch of flowers. My Dad also enjoyed buying flowers for me and my husband used to do it weekly. We headed back to the car with our bags of produce in hand and then made our way back to Toronto.
That evening we shared a meal together and I cooked up the spaetzle that I bought earlier. Kevin had made a lovely beef stew that complimented the German noodles perfectly. To burn off some of the calories from our meal, the girls and I and Olive went for a long walk through the neighbourhood. What a perfect day!
…the vegetable and fruit stands are overflowing with beautiful produce from our local farmers
On my way home from the cottage last weekend I stopped at one of my favourite farms to buy some vegetables to take home. I wasn’t disappointed. So colourful and so varied.
Mama Cormier 