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2002 On Tuesday 1 October 2002, Steve and I, along with my sister and her husband, left home at 5 a.m. for the drive down to Heathrow. Despite checking in four hours before we were due to depart, we were given separate seats all over the plane. We politely pointed out that we had been told by our travel agent that we had four seats together - already allocated. The staff at Air Canada could not have been more helpful and managed to get us three seats together at the back and one a little way off with the promise of better later if possible. We accepted these as we knew that it was not their fault and went off to wander round the shops and have breakfast. When our flight was called and we reported to the departure gate, our boarding cards were changed and we realised to our delight that we had been upgraded to Executive Class. This was certainly the best start to our trip that we could have had. None of us had ever flown first class before and we all thoroughly enjoyed the experience although I doubt if we will be repeating it. The luxurious flight was over all too soon and we landed in Halifax to find it was a gloriously hot sunny afternoon. We collected our car and made our way to the hotel to unpack and shower before getting a taxi down to Water Street to start getting our bearings and to stretch our legs a bit after so much sitting down. We wandered round the waterfront area for a while then we found ourselves in Maxwells Plum - a pub that sells “the largest number of draught beers in the Maritimes”! Well, we had to try a few, didn’t we? We explained that we had just arrived from England and did not know Canadian beers, so we tried the ones recommended and were given samples of so many others to try. We only paid for about half of what we actually drank due to all the samples. This was our first taste of Canadian friendliness and hospitality - it continued in this vein for the next three weeks. The following morning, after breakfast, we surveyed the slow moving line of traffic making its way along the main road in front of the hotel and decided that it would be quicker to walk into the city rather than try to either drive or call a taxi. It was a lovely morning and we all enjoyed the walk and probably saw parts of the city that we would not have seen otherwise. We were heading for The Citadel, high on a hill above the waterfront. On arrival, our first stop was for cold drinks as we were so hot. We then spent a very pleasant couple of hours exploring this star shaped fortress manned by the 78th Highlanders, resplendent in their kilts. At noon, every day except for Christmas Day, one of the cannons - The Noon Gun - is fired out over the city; apparently, a few years ago, the G8 Summit was held in Halifax and the press were outside clamouring for photographs of the world leaders. They were duly brought out surrounded by security for a press photo when all of a sudden there was an almighty boom, the security men leapt into action and world leaders were pushed here, there and everywhere in the ensuing panic. The only ones who remained calm were the Canadian guards who knew it was only The Noon Gun. After watching the firing of the Gun, we made our way down to the waterfront and took a ‘Harbour Hopper’ tour of the city by land and water, in an amphibious vehicle that had served in Vietnam. We also managed a tour of Alexander Keith’s Brewery: well, we’ll start as we mean to go on. The following day we set off early and made our way down The Lighthouse Route to Peggy’s Cove where we had breakfast in The SouWester. Peggy’s Cove is allegedly the most photographed place in Nova Scotia; unfortunately it was a dull damp morning when we were there and the walk over the rocks to the lighthouse, which is now a serving Post Office, was quite treacherous. I would say that it would be impossible when the sea is rough. We carried on along the coast, stopping at Mahone Bay to photograph the three churches next to each other on the sea front, before arriving at Lunenburg where we were to spend the night. We spent a happy afternoon exploring this lovely old town that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Friday dawned clear and sunny and we set off on the overland drive to Digby. We stopped at the Medway River and again at Red Lake to take photographs and admire the spectacular scenery and the colours of the trees. This was what we had hoped to see and we were not disappointed; the colours were magnificent. We stopped for coffee at M & W’s and were again struck by the friendliness we encountered. This coffee shop and store were literally in the middle of nowhere and the lady who owned them told us that she would be soon be closing for the winter. During the summer she was very busy but come autumn, business disappears - people have not yet realised that the wonderful colours of New England also appear in Canada where it is much cheaper to see them. After a night at Digby, we caught the early ferry to Saint John (New Brunswick) so that we could visit The Hopewell Rocks and experience the world’s highest tides in the Bay of Fundy. We arrived at the rocks late morning in strong winds and heavy rain but undeterred, we set off to view these half submerged rocks from a dangerously wet, see-through metal staircase that leads down into the swirling waters below. We soon made our way back to the visitor centre for a warm drink and a baguette for our lunch. We spent some time in the shop and viewing the various exhibits about the area then, as we were about to return to our car, we realised that it had stopped raining. So we walked back to the rocks and to our surprise found that in our absence, the tide had gone all the way out and the staircase now led all the way down to the beach. We were able to spend the rest of our time there walking on the “seabed” round the rocks. They certainly are worth seeing and I imagine that they are even more impressive if you time your visit to see them at both high tide and low tide; we managed half tide and low tide. The following morning we drove along by the “Chocolate” River, so called because that is just what it looks like - a river of chocolate. We stopped in Shediac for coffee, then again at the information centre at the New Brunswick end of The Confederation Bridge, a 12.9 km bridge which links the mainland with Prince Edward Island. Our base for the next couple of nights was Charlottetown, the capital of the island and also where Canada was born. The Conference of 1864 laid the foundations for the confederation that was formed three years later. While on the island we visited the P.E.I. Preserve Company and sampled many of the delicious (and also alcoholic) preserves and spreads made in this delightful little factory which is set in the country by the side of a river. We also spent some time on Cavendish Beach - famous for its red sandstone cliffs which are eroding at the rate of a metre a year - before going on to see Green Gables where we wandered round the house and also walked down Lovers Lane, through Balsom Hollow and The Haunted Wood. It was lovely just to wander in the colourful countryside and enjoy the peacefulness, because it was very quiet being out of the normal tourist season. I think that we would all have liked to spend longer on the island. But Tuesday saw us on another ferry back to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island where we were based at Cheticamp, at the end (or beginning) of the Cabot Trail. We were told at reception in our hotel that the best time to see moose is either dawn or dusk and that we could not miss them at French Lake, not far along the trail from our hotel. We set off full of expectation and saw some lovely scenery, but we managed to miss any moose that there were. As we were driving back, any disappointment that we may have felt by the absence of moose, was overshadowed by the magnificent sunset that we saw over the ocean - truly memorable and a case of being in the right place at the right time. As we were watching we also realised that there were two moose on the skyline, very distant but definitely moose. The next morning we set off to traverse The Cabot Trail in an anticlockwise direction. Our first stop was at Baddeck, a lovely little town, “where the Bras d’Or Lakes meet The Cabot Trail”, home to Alexander Graham Bell and where the first powered fight in the Commonwealth took place. We live and learn every day. We stopped to photograph the colours at The Barachois River and went in St Annes Celtic Cafe for coffee and cookies in what was originally an old church but is now half church and half tea rooms. Our next stop was Old Smokey for yet more photos before we finally entered the National Park at Ingonish. We stopped at Freshwater Lake where we saw various birds, squirrels and also a beaver lodge, then we stopped by the sea and saw seals below us and a pod of pilot whales further out. More photo stops before we walked on the boardwalk round The Bog, another good place to see moose - allegedly. We stopped at French Lake again and this time we saw two dark shapes moving on the far side of the lake; we presumed that they were moose. No sunset tonight, so we returned to our hotel, had our meal then went upstairs as we had been told that there was to be a ceilidh that evening and that we would be very welcome. We thoroughly enjoyed the music and dancing; in fact we recognised most of the old folk songs. At one point every one was asked where they were from. Most were from Eastern Canada but when we said that we were from England, we had a round of applause. We really were made to feel welcome and special - almost like VIPs. The following morning we set off at 7am to do the Cabot Trail in a clockwise direction and we did actually see two moose quite close to the road - mission accomplished! The Trail is impressive whichever way round you do it and we were glad that we had the chance to see it from both directions. We carried on to North Sydney which involved taking a chain ferry at Englishtown - another new experience for us all. We left our bags at our hotel then spent the afternoon at Louisburg - one of Canada’s most visited tourist sites. There is a sign in the car park that advises you to wear a coat, even in summer, because the fortress itself is on a peninsula that take the full force of the Atlantic winds! In October it was bleak to say the least but very enjoyable; in the high season there is a lot more going on but we enjoyed our visit. We were on our way back to Halifax now and the next day was spent driving back over The Canso Causeway, and making our way to Liscombe to spend a night at Liscombe Lodge - the only hotel that I have ever stayed in that has its own salmon river in its extensive grounds. The next day we made our way back to Halifax and checked in at the airport for our flight on to Toronto. After a two hour flight, we landed in Toronto and a different time zone, we collected the hire car for this half of our trip and made our way to our hotel. After unpacking we went for a wander to get our bearings, had something to eat then had an early night. Sunday morning saw us all up and raring to go. We had breakfast then set off to explore the city. The clouds were obscuring the top of the CN Tower so we went underground to wander round the shops - before half of them were even open! When we came back to the surface we saw that the sky had cleared, so we headed for the CN Tower and went up to admire the views as we enjoyed a high rise coffee. Walking on the Glass Floor was certainly an experience - you know it is safe, but it is still a bit daunting, but I did it and we have the photos and video to prove it. We then made our way to the Waterfront where we enjoyed a beer before heading into the Hudson Bay Department Store for some serious shopping. Monday was Canada’s Thanksgiving but we were disappointed to find that there were no celebrations going on in Toronto; it is evidently not the big event that it is in the USA. So we headed for Niagara as it was such a lovely day. We parked at the Skylon Tower so that we would be able to find the car easily - just head back to the tower. We went to the top of the tower for our first view of the falls - we had been able to hear the roar for a while. No matter how many times you have “seen” the falls, on TV or in photos, nothing prepares you for that first sight. They really are breathtaking. No wonder it is said that more photographs are taken here than anywhere else in the world. We did all the usual things, Maid of the Mist, Behind the Falls and wandered along the side just gazing in awe. The actual town of Niagara was a shock to the system - it is so tacky once you leave the waterside - we were not impressed. We did not go over the bridge to the American side because we could see how slowly the traffic was moving, due, we supposed to increased security. Instead we headed to the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, a delightful place that I would recommend to anyone. The shops were lovely and not full of the tacky souvenirs on sale in Niagara itself. The town tries to discourage coaches and parking is limited, so the character and peacefulness of the place is retained. Back in Toronto we enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in the hotel. The following day, we set off by foot then by underground for Chinatown. When we stopped for lunch we asked what “Poutine” was as we had often seen it on menus. We were told that it was a plate of chips covered with grated or crumbled cheese then gravy on the top. We thought that we had better try this and found this unlikely combination absolutely delicious. With full stomachs we set off to visit The Steam Whistle Brewery - it is a good job we had eaten because they are very free with the samples - I think we all came out a little the worse for wear! We still managed to do some more shopping on our way back to the hotel though. Wednesday was the only day of the entire trip when it rained most of the day. We left Toronto and made our way north to Kingston, once the capital of Canada and the gateway to the St Lawrence River - home of Thousand Island Dressing. It also marks one end of the Rideau Canal, the other end being 202 km, 47 locks and 24 dams away in Ottawa. I would have liked more time in Kingston as, even in the rain, it looked a lovely place, and just for a change we found a brewery to shelter in - The Dragon’s Breath Brewery - very nice. We only stayed overnight and the next day we drove along Thousand Islands Parkway, then continued north to Ottawa, our home for the next three nights. Our hotel was not quite ready for us when we arrived and they tried to offer us smoking rooms. We pointed out that we had pre-booked no-smoking rooms and were promptly upgraded to suites, ours being on the top floor. It was nice to have his and hers bathrooms and TVs; the lounge was larger than most hotel rooms and the bedroom was simply enormous! We stayed in these luxurious surroundings for the following two nights and wished that we had been staying for longer. The hotel was ideally situated for the Houses of Parliament and all the sights, shops etc. We did the tour of the Parliament Building the following morning, seeing the House of Commons and the Senate before going up to the top of the Peace Tower to admire the views over the city. After this we walked over the Portage Bridge so that we could say that we had been to Quebec; also, the best views of the Parliament Buildings are from this side of the river. As we crossed over the bridge, we stopped to visit Turtle Island, a native village where we learned a lot about the native way of life, history and crafts - we had intended to stop for a short time but stayed a lot longer because we found it all so interesting. We returned to Ottawa by way of the Alexander Bridge before splitting into two couples to go shopping. On Saturday, we left the city behind and drove to the Haliburton Highlands where we spent our last three nights staying at The Bonnie View Hotel, on the banks of Lake Kashagawigamog. This was the ideal place for us all to relax and unwind before coming home. We went to the Haliburton Wolf Centre on Sunday, and were lucky enough to see all twelve wolves - sightings are not guaranteed although most people do see at least one of the pack. We saw them all because we visited on one of the days that they were due to be fed. The wolves live in a fifteen acre compound and are viewed through one way glass at the visitor centre. They included two cubs that had been born at the centre five months earlier. They live as a wild group and have little contact with the people who run the place. This is to keep them afraid of humans as, once they lose their fear, they become dangerous. We spent ages watching them, then went for a walk in the forest to admire the colours of the trees and to collect some of the leaves that had fallen to the ground. These now brighten up my photo album. We spent our last full day in Algonquin Provincial Park, where we went round the Logging Museum and thought that there must have been a heavy frost overnight. We later found out that there had been a slight snowfall in the mountains. The scenery in the park was wonderful and we stopped several times to walk along set paths, very glad that we had brought clothes of varying thickness - I was wearing a fleece that I had bought in Baddeck. The Bonnie View was very aptly named and the rooms were on two levels, the higher one being the sleeping area and the lower level being the sitting area, complete with fridge and an open fire in the corner. Our rooms were next to the log pile so it was not long before there were two roaring fires to keep us warm - the heating was soon turned off! We awoke on our last morning to see that it was snowing. We stood on our covered balconies overlooking the lake and it was really lovely. There was just a slight covering on the trees that were still in their autumnal colours (the leaves here were three weeks late changing colour). It really was a sight to be seen. We drove back to Toronto and flew home from there. About booking the holiday It was a
wonderful trip that was put together for us by The Independent Traveller
of Loughborough. We had come across their stand at Destinations (held
at Olympia earlier in the year). Our original plan had been to fly to
Halifax and drive to Toronto to fly home. They pointed out the drawbacks
and suggested doing the trip as two loops, flying from Halifax to Toronto
did not alter flight price. They also put us into some lovely little Inns
that we perhaps would not have found on our own. We had planned to go
for the last week in September and the first two weeks of October. They
pointed out that the price of the flights reduced by about £100
per person when the airlines changed to winter schedules on 1 October
- we did not mind delaying our departure by a week. Their advice was invaluable
and we would recommend them to anyone who is planning a similar trip.
Canada is their speciality, but they cover everywhere as a good travel
agent should. We also did a lot of research on the Internet before we
went, so we had a good idea of what we wanted to see and do once we arrived.
Most countries and cities have websites and will send out brochures, maps
and leaflets on request - we ended up with boxes full before we set off! Apart from the magnificent scenery, what struck me most about Eastern Canada was the friendliness of the people. English tourists are nowhere near as common as they should be and we really were made to feel welcome everywhere we went. Nearly everyone that we spoke to had relatives over here or else they had worked in or visited the UK, so they all wanted to talk to us - it was lovely and made me want to return one day. First published in VISA issues 53A and 54 (Dec 2003 - Jan 2004) Return
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