Reset search
Stephen FrenchStephen French
SatelliteEdit route
traveled in 7 countries Read more Dartford, United Kingdom
  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 16

    Surprising Scotia

    July 4, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    This part of Nova Scotia is pretty as a picture. The forested countryside undulates and then open’s out to clearing’s where colourful houses have spectacular views over lakes. These lakes lead towards inlets and the sea. It’s difficult to stop your eyes straying when driving down the roads that follow the coastline towards the Atlantic. We pass fishing boats tied up to stone jetty’s that are full of traps. Lobster is the main catch. All this within ten minutes of where we are staying. The weather can be fickle. As I took some photos we watched the fog roll in at speed. Two minutes up the road we were back in blazing sunshine and sunglasses.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 15

    Roots, roots oh! and a snake.

    July 3, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    The forecast was 18 degrees and sunny intervals, ideal for a walk. An old railway line has been turned over to a trail the ‘Musquodoboit Trailway’ which is ten minutes from where we are staying. We elected to walk a side ‘wilderness’ trail the Admiral loop, 5.5 km long. Just under 2 km from the start of the trailway. However we couldn’t understand why the proposed time to complete was 4-5 hours. We know now! It was difficult clambering over tree roots and boulders all the time as well as up and down hill. It all required effort, no easy stroll. Bugs buzzed and bit us even with liberal applications of deet based insect killer. Even though the temperature was now in the mid twenty’s which added to our discomfort. We were rewarded with some beautiful views from the lookouts. It was slow going and I thought the reason Heather wanted me to go ahead was that she wanted to walk at her pace. Not so, she didn’t want to see any snake action. I nearly trod on four of them, a couple between three and four foot long the first and last ones really surprised me. Defiantly knackered by the end. Took us just over 5 hours then a slow walk back down the trailway but we did it.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 14

    Nova Scotia or bust.

    July 2, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    The rain was coming down like stair rods as we left the motel at Cavendish on PEI to catch the ferry at Wood islands an hour and twenty minutes away. It was full and as I had booked in advance, we got on. Unlike the two rows of cars that were left on the quayside and had to wait for the next boat. On arrival at Caribou, we drove through the forests and the occasional gathering of houses to the South Coast of the Nova Scotia peninsular where Scott and Denise’s ‘granny flat’ is above their garage. Very nice and private with views over the Petpeswick lake and surrounding Forrests near the community of Gaetz brook.

    Halifax is half an hours drive away and it has a beautiful harbour. We parked at Dartmouth on the Eastern side and then hopped on the ferry for the ten minute ride over to the city. Can’t say it’s that interesting. Blocks of 1970s high rise business’s line the waterfront with a bit of heritage squeezed in between. The land sharply raises to the fort, we know as we climbed it. This leaves the tourist trying to find something photogenic to snap and there was a few of them around as the cruise ship ‘Queen Mary 2’ was tied up further along the quay. For me a saving grace is that there are number of small breweries dotted around the city. We visited one called 2 crows, no history just shiny stainless still vats. Beers ok just the one as I was driving. May come back as we missed the immigration museum and the three other breweries.    Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 11

    Straw hat and pigtails

    June 29, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    1172 miles travelled
    We journeyed through the forests of New Brunswick over the eight mile long confederation bridge to Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.). The first thing that struck us was how red the sand and dirt is (like Dawlish!). It’s a pretty island with watery inlets cutting into the rolling landscape and there are farms with red barns and tractors rusting away in the undergrowth. One of the reasons to visit this island is to see the house that was the subject of the book ‘Anne of green gables’. Canada parks manage it and a fine job they have done. Nice to stroll around and take in the atmosphere. L M Montgomery the lady author was born and lived close by and the house was owned by her elderly relatives. However outside the gate. Some ‘entrepreneurs’ have cached in on the theme. If it’s not ticky tacky shops, it’s crazy golf or miniature roller coasters that vie for your attention. Not really in keeping with the area. We have enjoyed some nice trails nearby and as we walk along we come across swathes of lupins they are everywhere. Unfortunately the mozzies here are everywhere too and ferocious. Stop for a second and they are on you biting away. However a liberal application of deet see them bouncing and skidding away. It defiantly works on these horrors. Visited Charlottetown the capital of P.E.I. Nothing much to write home about. Bit of a tourist trap.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 9

    Panic over

    June 27, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    845 miles travelled

    Picked up the car from Montreal airport and had an unremarkable journey along the trans-Canadian highway through Quebec to New Brunswick where we changed time zones. The only thing to note was that when we did stop for coffee and a break. French is the dominate language. Unlike Montreal which is largely bilingual. On arrival at Edmundston our home for the night. We drove across the river and after formalities at the border post we were back in America, Why? I needed to pick up a geocache in Maine. I left Heather in a McDonalds with free WiFi. But she didn’t need it as it’s the local gossip hotspot for the small town of Madawaska and I went to pick up a cache. Couldn’t find the first one, neither the second. Getting panicky. I wanted to colour in Maine on my geocaching website. Third attempt got close but had to retrace my steps as I came across a ‘no trespassing’ sign. Eventually arrived at the coordinates and looked around for some minutes. Found it, panic over. The container was a plastic pine cone attached to a pine tree in a wood that hadn’t been found for over a year. Signed the log, picked up Heather. Took a photo of us in Maine then scrambled back to Canada over the metal grid decking bridge that buzzed as we drove across and on to our bed for the night.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 8

    Old town and bagels

    June 26, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We wandered aimlessly around Montreal and found ourselves in the Old town. While pleasant to look around it really wasn’t for us. Too many stalls selling T shirts and maple syrup. Then we took the subway up to the Jewish quarter and visited the St Viateur bagel shop. Now this is authentic and very busy. Sesame seed was the most popular The bagels were still warm as we ate them, walking along looking in the shops. Later on we came across this toilet which was just a smudge in the road but when viewed through a camera it became 3D. It’s called Anamorphic street art. Over the last week Heather’s walked her socks off and as a result she’s got a number of blisters. She’s stuck plasters all over the offending bits and now, fortunately her feet are on the mend.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 7

    The eyrie.

    June 25, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    I have renamed our Airbnb in Montreal the ‘eyrie’ it is situated on the 19th and top floor of a block of flats. When I look out the open window I get that tingling feeling of apprehension as I stare down to road level. Just one slip and I could be a stain on someone’s car. The inference would be that there are nice views to be had. This is not the case though. Opposite is another block of flats and we are directly in line with the air conditioning system that drones on day and night and we have to keep the windows open to in order to cool the flat. Below the A/C I can look into people private lives. I’d like to reenact scenes from Hitchcock’s ‘The rear window’ but I haven’t seen anyone across the way yet. Noise and smells funnel up to our level and we get snippets of conversations that are a disproportional distance away. Our apartment fills with the aromas of cigarettes, Chinese cooking and weed as it’s legal in Canada. It’s rained a lot today!Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 6

    Ah! Montreal, Mount Royal of course

    June 24, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Today we walked up the steep hill to Mount Royal, the park that overlooks the city with some fine views. We did feel out of place as mostly the people we were walking up with were giving the illusion of fitness dressed in their activeware. The walk continued on down the other side though the woods until we came across an area with lots of small restaurants. The area is also dotted with many fine murals and it took some time to admire and photograph them. Following all that action we were hungry and ended up in a tiny diner called Patata patati. Smashing vibe and hudgly popular.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 5

    Toronto to Montreal.

    June 23, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    475 miles travelled.
    I do like the wide loading gauge of North American trains. We certainly didn't feel cramped on our published five hour trip to Montreal. On the journey we got stuck behind a freight train which we leap frogged using bidirectional signalling. I can just about remember what that is! however it did add thirty minutes to our arrival time. Chucked our bags in the Airbnb and went for poutine, heart attack on a plate.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 4

    Going local.

    June 22, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Our last day in Toronto was forecast to be a scorcher and it was. We did what most locals do on weekends like this and rode the ferry across Lake Ontario to the islands. Only ten minutes away from downtown and the park is very pleasant to walk around with BBQs and beaches. We did have to dodge the odd flooded area though. Apparently this region has seen more than it fair share of rain this winter. The lake is a little too cold to swim in. We realised this after we saw plenty of sunbathing going on and the odd dog crashing into the water chasing a chewed up Frisbee but no human swimmers. I went for a paddle and yes it was very cold. After we returned to the mainland we finished our day with a meal in another brewpub (Goose Island).Read more

Join us:

FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English