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  • Amy Phillips

Canada

May 2019 Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 1, 2019
    Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Here I go!!

    May 1, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Well here goes nothing...such an adventure awaits and I am so excited! It was hard to say goodbye to everyone in Burlington but I’ll see you in a couple of months!

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Arrived!

    May 1, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 4 °C

    Arrived safe and sound and settled in my new home for the next month...lots of pretty coloured buildings and lots of hills! Also stumbled across the Newfoundland Chocolate Company.. oh dear!!

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Newfie kitchen party

    May 3, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    Last night we went to a Newfie kitchen party - not quite what we all thought, there was no food.. 🤔 But there was live Irish music and lots and lots of beer! Tried the iceberg beer for the first time...it was nice but too easy to drink! 😳Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    A very Newfie day

    May 4, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Today we went on a tour of some of the hotspots in St John’s and it was great! We spotted an iceberg just off Cape Spear and even saw some in the distance which will hopefully make their way closer to us in the next few days! I also met a Newfoundland dog called Chief and then had some toutons (‘towtons’) for lunch...Wish me luck with my hike tomorrow (if the weather is decent)!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Lobster season is open!!

    May 5, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    What a day!! We set out this morning to Portugal Cove planning to get the ferry across to Bell Island. Well we just missed the ferry so got talking to a fisherman who just came in from a successful day catching lobsters on the first day of the lobster season...we persuaded him to sell us some and he even offered to take them home and cook them for us while we were on Bell Island! After a long trek across the island and a stop for something to eat, we headed back and collected our lobster! Wow!! Can’t get any fresher than that, it was so delicious!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
    1

    A spontaneous road trip

    May 8, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    So we decided last minute that we would rent a car and take a road trip which turned out to be a super fun day! We drove along the coast from St John’s to Western Bay where one of the guests at the hostel has an aunt who lives there. We stopped off at a few lovely places along the way to take in the view although it was a bit foggy for our first couple of stops. Harbour Grace was probably one of the most interesting places where a ship that ran a ground in 1967 has never been moved and still sits there today! We made it up to Western Bay in time for lunch where we had fresh cod, followed by a hike for a couple of hours along the Western Bay lighthouse walk and then up over the hills (which reminded me of Scotland!) we saw some more icebergs as well - clearly I was more scared than excited to see an iceberg?! 🙈 We enjoyed moose for dinner and then headed back to the hostel after a bit of fun on quad bikes!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    A weekend away

    May 11, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    Making the most of having a week off, we all decided to have a weekend away in Bonavista where there is a sister hostel to the one we volunteer in. It’s a lovely place, maybe a bit quiet as the summer season hasn’t really kicked off yet but it’s been nice to have a bit of down time. We saw lots of icebergs and had a lovely, long walk from Dungeon Provincial Park along the coast and of course we had to stop off at a cafe to have some homemade dessert!! Yum yum! We also celebrated that’s it’s been a year since I arrived in Canada 🇨🇦 with a few beers! It’s hard to believe it’s been a year already...it has gone so fast!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    A fun and not so fun day :(

    May 14, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 1 °C

    So myself and another of the volunteers woke up at 4.30am this morning to hike up Signal Hill and watch the sunrise! We were both a bit reluctant to begin with, but wow! It was so worth it! After working the morning in the hostel, I had to go see a dentist after being in pain for the last few days...just as I thought, it was my wisdom tooth so that had to come out!! Feeling sorry for myself 🙈 but been well looked after! 😊Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Fort Amherst

    May 17, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    I wanted to make the most of the lovely sunny day we had here today so took a stroll to Fort Amherst. Such an interesting place! Even saw some more icebergs! Spent the afternoon trying to plan the next few months of my travels, but it’s hard when there’s so many places to see!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Screeched In - an honaray Newfoundlander

    May 20, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    A few of us went to get Screeched In to become honorary Newfoundlanders! What’s involved in getting screeched in?? Well...when asked if we all want to be Newfoundlanders, we were to reply ‘indeed we do me old cock and long may your big jib draw’, followed by a taste of some Newfie steak (it’s baloney), kissing a cod, and then a shot of Screech! It was definitely an experience!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
    1

    Icebergs and Puffins!!

    May 21, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    I was lucky enough to have received a gift voucher for an iceberg and puffin boat tour, so I made the most of one of the few days it isn’t supposed to rain. It was awesome! We got close to some fascinating icebergs, and learnt all about them from the wonderful tour guides. We then made it to Witless Bay ecological reserve where we saw lots of Puffins! I was surprised at how small they were, which unfortunately made it hard to get any decent photos! It was a chilly one, but such a great tour!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
    1

    A day of walking...

    May 25, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    Such a fun and busy day! Started at 4.30am with a hike up Signal Hill to watch another sunrise, then we walked to the Farmers Market (the scenic route!), had some lovely food and walked back to the hostel. We then went to a cat cafe, axe throwing (AMAZING FUN!) and then we went to watch the sunset but it was a bit foggy. A great day but a lot of walking!!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
    1

    Hello Alpacas :)

    May 30, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    After a 3am start, I arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia and took the bus to Amherst where I met my next host. I spent the afternoon looking after their 2 children and then learnt all about the different products the family make with their alpaca fibre. Think it’s going to be fun learning all about these animals! Shearing day on Tuesday... 😬Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
    1

    Alpaca shearing day

    June 4, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    The owners of the farm had been preparing us for this day...and we were all dreading it slightly! Last year they had 2 less volunteers but also less alpacas and it took 10 hours to shear them all so we were all expecting to be working until sundown. We were told to wear clothes we didn’t mind getting dirty, spat on or pee’d on... hmm, this was going to be a fun day!! Well they used a new shearer this year and he must have done it in record time, we were done in 4.5 hours! The alpacas were for the most part very well behaved so we came out, not quite smelling of daisies, but certainly cleaner than we were all expecting! It was a very interesting day, but it was also quite hard in the beginning to see them tied up. It is however, the safest way to shear alpacas for everyone involved and it doesn’t hurt them at all. Although shearing can be stressful for them, getting rid of their fibre before the warm weather is so important for their wellbeing. They all look a bit ridiculous and I think they know it as well 🙈 I finally think I know all of their names now! Next, the fibre will go through a process called skirting - basically we pick out the big pieces of dirt/poop/straw etc. Then it gets sent to a mill where most of the fibre is turned into felt which is what the owners use the most for producing their alpaca products!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
    1

    Prince Edward Island

    June 5, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    I thought I would treat myself to a rental car and a trip to PEI. It was horrible and raining for the entire drive there, but luckily the sun came out early afternoon. This place is beautiful! It’s known for its red sand beaches and seafood, so it would be rude not to visit Thunder Bay Cove with the sandstone ‘teacup’ and enjoy some seafood for dinner! Also enjoyed a stop at Lucy Maud Montgomery’s (author of Anne of Green Gables) birthplace as well as a glass bottle village someone has created in their backyard to raise money for charity.Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    When in Canada, go to a Highland Games..

    June 15, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    So the dad of the family I’m staying with at the moment loves everything Scottish and has traced some of his family roots back to Scotland (which Canadian hasn’t?) so we took their kids to the Highland Games in Moncton (in New Brunswick, so another province ticked off!) It was a fun day out especially when the sun came out! It’s funny though that more North American’s know more about their family clans than most Scottish people. They had food vans serving ‘haggis’ burgers and Scotch eggs - I think maybe they need to do some research on their Scottish foods, oops!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Parrsboro

    June 17, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Making the most of my last couple of days off, the Mum and kids of the family I’m staying with took me to Parrsboro, a cute little town along the coast of the Bay of Fundy for the day. Our first stop was a hike around Partridge Island, then we played with the kids on the beach, followed by a picnic and ice cream! Then we had a little wander along the Main Street. The weather was perfect which made it such a lovely and fun day!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Goodbye alpacas, hello open road!

    June 18, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    I really enjoyed my 3 weeks on the alpaca farm, learning all about the animals and what can be done with their fibre. They all have such different personalities and it was fun getting to know them! Gardening, painting, childcare, wine making and basic maintenance were among the other things I got up to, as well as helping with the baby chick and ducklings! Now I’m off on a road trip around Nova Scotia! (The last picture is my favourite...they are very strong 🙈)Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    First Stop

    June 22, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    I picked up the car in Halifax and took to the road! Unfortunately it was pouring when I set off but the sun was soon shining! I drove through Wolfville and stopped off at a lovely winery and even sampled a few wines! Then I made my way to the Annapolis Valley and checked into my Airbnb before heading to The Crow’s Nest for a lovely dinner of scallop caesar salad...apologies in advance but there’s going to be lots of foodie photos on my journey ☺️ Now I’m sitting in a beautiful spot watching the tide of the Bay of Fundy go out. The Bay of Fundy is known for having the world’s highest tides!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Kejimkujik National Park

    June 23, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    I hit the road early this morning and made it to Kejimkujik National Park earlier than I thought and before there were many other people which was great! There are two parts to the park, inland and at the sea, so I spent a few hours inland first and hiked a few of the trails. I took to the road again, and then it was a bit of a hike to reach the sea (and I was a bit on edge as there had been black bear sightings in the area 😬 ) but when I got there...wow it was beautiful!! I spent the afternoon walking along the beaches and watching the seals! Found a nice spot for dinner once I’d checked into my Airbnb...and yes, more seafood!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    A sunny day for a long long drive..

    June 24, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Another early start this morning and I headed straight for Ovens Natural Park to do the sea cave trail. It was a relatively quick stop with it being a short trail but it was cool getting to go further down into the sea caves. I jumped in the car and drove to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Lunenburg. It is very pretty, you can see why it has the reputation it does. I spent a few hours wandering and enjoyed some fish and chips for lunch overlooking the harbour before jumping back in the car and driving to Peggy’s Cove lighthouse. At first when I was arriving, I thought to myself - this is a long drive just to see a lighthouse... but when I arrived I could see just why it had become so famous. The boulders around the lighthouse separating the land from the sea were just so fascinating! There was even a bagpiper playing there!! Then I faced a 6 hour(ish) drive up to Pleasant Bay on the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton. It was a long drive but I made it before dark and got my bed in ‘the bunkhouse’.Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler
    1

    Cabot Trail Day 1

    June 25, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    I took on 3 hikes today - 8.4km, 7.5km and a short 0.5km one to finish a day of hiking! For a novice hiker, the first one was a challenge but enjoyable and well worth it for the views at the top! There was another warning for black bears in the area but I didn’t come across any while I was there. Arriving at the second trail, there was a gathering of people...not far from the trail was a moose just minding it’s own business eating the trees! Unfortunately it didn’t want it’s face in the picture!! I treated myself to a lobster roll for dinner and watched the sunset from Pleasant Bay beach! What a day! Everyone I told I was coming here told me how beautiful the island is, but nothing really prepares you for it’s beauty, especially when the sun is shining! Tomorrow I will drive the rest of the Cabot Trail and maybe take on another couple of hikes along the way.Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Cabot Trail Day 2

    June 26, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    I set off to finish the Cabot Trail and made a few stops along the way - first was a beautiful place called White Point which had been recommended to me by a few people. There was a trail to hike from the small fishing village and it was well worth it for the views, and I more or less had the place to myself! Then I stopped at Neil’s Harbour, Ingonish Beach where I took a trail around the lake which was nice and easy! My whole body hurt from all the driving and hiking the days before!! My last 2 stops were Sydney where the largest fiddle in the world is, and then the Fortress of Louisbourg which was very interesting. I finally made my way to my hostel for my final night on Cape Breton. The last picture was the view from the hostel, it has to be the nicest one I’ve stayed in so far!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    Happy Birthday to me!

    June 29, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    I arrived in Halifax on Thursday afternoon and it was grey and wet, and just not very nice after the lovely days I’d had on my road trip, but I got checked into my hostel and went to visit the Citadel. I found out that one of my friends from Newfoundland was making her way to Halifax so she arrived at my hostel a little later that evening, it was nice to catch up with her. I was all prepared for spending my birthday alone but she changed her plans so we spent the day together exploring Halifax. I think we walked around the whole city!! We had cake for breakfast and ice cream for dinner - we did have some actual food for lunch when the sun came out! It turned into a really fun day! Today, I decided to extend birthday celebrations and had cake for breakfast again 🙈 I then went on a tour of the Alexander Keith brewery which was a lot of fun! It was really interesting - he learned how to brew beer in Scotland and England, and today they still import some of the ingredients from Scotland to make their beer! Finally, on my last night in Halifax I had a lovely dinner in a restaurant called Lot Six. I started with a gin cocktail (what else?!) and then had cod followed by date pudding..it was so yummy! I’ve definitely been spoiled with the amazing food this province has to offer!Read more

  • Amy PhillipsCanadaTraveler

    A short stay in Burlington

    July 9, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    After my time out East I headed back to Burlington for 10 days which went so fast!! I had lots of cuddles with Ruben and lots of play time with Arlo, and also helped with lots of packing for Sarah and Stevie moving back to Scotland. I even had time to meet some of the great friends I’d made while I’d been living there which was lovely! Next adventure...a 3 day train journey to Jasper.Read more

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