Florenceville

After leaving our idyllic ( except for the mosquitos) cabin by the river, we've worked our way across the province to Brad's hometown.

At the wedding lunch yesterday, in which Haily was brought to tears by each of our family gifts, we had a chance to really visit as a family. Mike gives an impromptu speech in which he touchingly acknowledges Yvonne and Rons 40th wedding anniversary that day, and speaks of their example of loving supporting family, and the valuable lessons time with Ron and Yvonne both had taught him as a father, and how much their example was now going forward to yet another generation and new family.

It was so perfect to follow the wedding with an opportunity to really talk. After many hugs goodbye, Mike, Barb, Nicole and Hunter head over to Halifax to begin flights home.

We decide to spend the sunny afternoon seeing these giant lobster in Shediac, and wading in the warm surf at Parlee Beach - where we run into Christine and Jesus - before buying lobster to bring home for our dinner.

Setting out the next day, we stopped for a visit and overnight stay with Pierre and Andrea at their fabulous home riverside to the St John River. With a view of the river from their deck and wood burning fireplace crackling beside us, we had a wonderful relaxing afternoon catching up. After a tour of the property led by Pierre, and a tour of the interior led by Andrea. They've created a wonderfully elegant yet inviting home, and are positively loving the life they are building here. The evening is capped off, of course, with a classic delicious Andrea meal, with Ginger snap ice cream sandwiches for dessert.

Coming through Fredericton was a letdown. I recalled the Garrison District as being so interesting and historical. Yet when we got there, all we saw in the overcast drizzle was other dejected looking tourists wandering desolately around. Everything was shut down, locked up, closed for the season. A big festival is starting tomorrow, and huge white tents are being erected all over

We decide to visit the parliament building, being the only game in town. Luckily, it's a very pleasurable surprise, with Victorian elegance and the truly unanticipated surprise of a genuine original Audubon print displayed.

However, that's about it for Fredericton, with its only other revelation for us being the existence of barbecue chicken nachos. Shared at the Snooty Fox Pub, and rapidly polished off!

Today we left Pierre and Andrea after a waffle, bacon and sausage breakfast. Thus fortified, we ventured out in the pouring rain over towards Florenceville. Not that we ever go anywhere directly!

The obviously reasonable route we followed was via the world's biggest axe, the Woodstock public Library, the covered bridge chip factory, the world's shortest covered bridge, the world's longest covered bridge, Brad's sister Anne's home, and finally arrival at the restored train car that's our hotel tonight.😅

A dinner at the Down Under Diner, despite the waitresses hilarious eye roll when Brad said he heard it was the best restaurant in town; was a delicious pulled pork sandwich, served with wildly disparate fries on the sides. We had some good laughs over it, so worth it right there.

A really nice visit with Vince rounds out a day interspersed throughout with Hurricane Lee update checks. The word today is that it's headed straight up the Bay of Fundy, which Vince tells us he had never before seenRead more