Road Trip – Days 8 and 9

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…day 8 was Winnie’s birthday

After a full day, celebrating Winnie’s birthday (breakfast at Steve’s Diner, a trip to the Green Pig and a party with a piñata, sushi for dinner and birthday cupcakes) we packed our bags and bid farewell to Moncton and New Brunswick.

Our next destination was Halifax, Nova Scotia. In comparison to Moncton, Halifax had a much bigger city feel and was very hilly. Our hotel was right downtown near the water’s edge but navigating the hills and the construction aggravated the sciatic that I developed that morning when packing and moving my luggage.

I knew that I needed Naproxen but I only had Tylenol with me. Unfortunately the drug store right by the hotel was closed on the weekend so I made due with what I had. Not wanting to miss out on exploring the area close to the hotel I ventured out with Kevin. We headed over to Durty Nellie’s for an early dinner and to catch the World Rugby match between Ireland and New Zealand.

The food and drink were very good, the game was exciting but heartbreaking ( Ireland lost by one point) and the company was excellent.

I thought that the Guinness might have helped ease the pain in my back and legs but it became very evident on the walk back to the hotel that my condition was worsening.

In that short walk to and from the hotel I did manage to capture some of the interesting architecture.

Day10….relief (continued)

Travel Theme: Hills

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Where’s My Backpack for this week’s travel theme

From the hills that surround Florence to the hillside town of Assisi we were either looking up at the hills or we were on the hill looking down and across at more hills. Italy has an abundance of hills.

How to Stay Cool in Italy

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….when people tell you it’s hot in Italy in the summer….believe them

We knew going to Italy in July that it would be very warm. Everyone who had been there before us warned us over and over again. One thing that we made sure of was to book accommodations that had air conditioning. Here is my list of how to stay cool in Italy in July.

Stay only in air-conditioned hotel rooms or homes with air-conditioning.
Drink lots of water.
Walk in shady areas and underneath porticos if you can find them. They were everywhere in Bologna.
When eating outside make sure you’re under an umbrella and preferably next to water.
Spend time in the mountains (the Dolomites) or high up in the hills of Assisi.

6. Always wear a hat.7. Cool off in the sink, shower or pool.

8. Sit or stand by a fountain.

9. Spend time in an air-conditioned museum or find an old dark cathedral to sit in.

10. Enjoy a gelato.

11. Cover yourself in yogurt.

11. Find a shady park and sit or lie down for a spell.

12. Enjoy an icy glass of Aperol spritz or Prosecco.

I hope these suggestions are helpful. Enjoy!

Sherwood Park

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…. another gem in the heart of Toronto

We had about a 2 hour window yesterday when the sun tried to peak through the clouds and the rain, wind and hail took a break. In that time my family and I decided to take the dogs for a walk to burn off some of the calories from our wonderful Mother’s Day lunch.

My daughter and her husband live in the North York district of Toronto and are lucky enough to have numerous parks and off leash areas for walking their dog, Lucy. We decided to head over to Sherwood Park, partially because we could walk there and secondly because I’d never been there.

The park is a picturesque wooded area nestled in a ravine.

There are great trails for runners and walkers. The hills and stairs give the user an excellent workout. In the off leash areas the trails are fenced in, allowing dogs to enjoy the freedom to run to their heart’s content. We kept our eyes open for trilliums, our provincial flower. They are protected so it is illegal to pick them and another reason for the fence is to keep human feet off this sensitive ecological area. This was as close as I could get to photograph this patch of trilliums.

The total distance walked yesterday from Yonge and Blythwood Rd. to the park, up and down the hills and then back again along Sherwood Avenue was about 4.3 k. The day before I walked 4.0 k and I worked in the garden pulling weeds. The latter activity has played havoc with my back and I paid for it last night and most of today. Back pain sure makes one feel old.

Hopefully I’ll feel better tomorrow so that I can run with the girls at school. We’ll see. Till then, cheers!