John Bickerstaff

John Bickerstaff

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Cycling The Netherlands John Bickerstaff
Cabin fever or snoozer.
May 15 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
With the uncertainty over passport control it seemed prudent to get to the port well in time. The ticket stated check-in closed 1 hour prior to departure so 2 should do. That meant getting there for around 12 & the apartment had to be vacated by 10. That gave us around an hour to kill somewhere along the way. Small matter of getting the car loaded & the bikes on. Needed all the time available & no sign of the missing bike computer. Decided to head to The Hague's coastal suburb - Sheveningen. A few options to pass the time - beach & pier depending on the weather. The beach walk was nice enough but they very much go for the beach club option here - couldn't understand why they hadn't taken the cushions in though - soaked. Wouldn't be sitting down. Headed back just as the sun reappeared. Typical. Off to the ferry & aside from a brain fart choosing to play chicken with a tram, a traffic jam with no cause and the dashboard choosing to be as dim as possible things were all good. Looking quite quiet and boarded way ahead of schedule - just as we walking back from the toilets - dashing back. Opted for a cabin. Admired the views from the top deck both The Hague & Rotterdam were visible despite the grim conditions.Read more
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Cycling The Netherlands John Bickerstaff
The great Dutch pottery showdown
May 14 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 11 °C
While all looked good outside in the morning the overnight weather coupled with the forecast strongly suggested otherwise. Opted to go with the car & explore Gouda, cheese capital of the world apparently. Do a bit of cheese tasting & maybe a few other bits & pieces that are largely indoors. Other than a couple of bridge hold ups, some undutch manic drivers and a slightly sketchy multi-storey car park, we made it to Gouda in good spirits - the sun was out - all was well. Located the Gouda cheese museum, struggled, however, to locate the cloakroom. Hmmm. Presented with our test to become a cheese master and so it began. Far too much cow information, including a bit of smellivision. Not so good. The cheese crafting business was quite interesting - the quantities produced was staggering. The main event was the tasting session. The differences though subtle were definitely there. Onwards to the Siropwaffel tasting, except now was the time for the heavens to open. Sheltered but eventually grinned and bared it. Went through the market square - it was Gouda's ceramic day. All sorts of hands on events as well as a potter's showdown. The commentary in Dutch didn't help. Headed to the longest church in Holland - the 11€ entrance also didn't help. Eventually made it to the Siropwaffel factory and all that dawdling meant we'd missed the last tour. No matter - had plenty of free samples. Opted for some more kebbling for lunch. Little mooch around with a hint of sunshine and then back to pack.Read more
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Cycling The Netherlands John Bickerstaff
Jumping on the Moon
May 13 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
A pretty grim forecast necessitated an indoor approach and by happy coincidence located 7 miles from the apartment was the main European Space Agency Testing site and for PR spin they had a visitor centre which had pretty good visitor recommendations. Too good an opportunity to pass up. Laid back morning and headed out to arrive it seems just at the same time as a couple of school trips were finishing lunch & heading back in pretty excitedly. Urgh. Studiously avoided wherever they were. Yet again little England and Thatcher have meant the UK missed out. Learned a lot about all the satellite work that the ESA do and how it all comes through this site. How Holland was involved in The Artemis program. Really interesting and frustrating at the same time. Some fun interactive stuff aimed at the school kids but enjoyed by all. Jumping on the moon was good. Finished up with another Dutch classic apparently - Apple Tart. A cross between apple pie and crumble. Definitely hit the spot.Read more
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Cycling The Netherlands John Bickerstaff
Classic John
May 12 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
A combination of bike injuries and inclement weather put paid to a hurried start. While the wind had subsided a little, it wasn't great nor was the on off rain and hail showers. The apartment had signed up to a variety of streaming providers or more likely previous guests had logged in and not logged off on departure. So Liz had her eye on Wouter's Disney account and some Star Wars viewing. Out on the bike at that point. Firstly lunchables had to be sorted - off to Jumbo mid-shower. Back and the weather seemed to be easing a little. Decided to try and get bits and pieces together to head out. The plan was to do a fairly big ride up to Haarlem except the Satnav could not be found. Turned the apartment upside down. Nothing. Checked the bike shed. Nothing. Had it when I got back from the shops last time cycling. Best explanation was it was put down on the bench while unpacking the bikes and then not picked up again. Classic John buffoonery. Checked with reception whether anything had been handed in. Nada. He was adamant that it wouldn't have been taken - it was more likely to have fallen off. No sign. Oops. Not optimistic. Denmark 1 Netherlands 0. Presented big issues for a long ride - all routes & maps were on that magic little device. Watched a comedy to lighten the mood. Managed to have a little walk down to the local lake and went back on the bike to have a little mooch across the ferry to Kaag Island. Very high end ship-building business and virtually all of the lake front had been bought up by millionaires. You could only get to the lakeshore at 1 small section of shoreline. Still - nice little cycle, not quite as planned though. Back for another movie and Chicken Yakitori.Read more
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Cycling The Netherlands John Bickerstaff
Really not very open.
May 11 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
A combination of a suspect weather forecast and bike related injury pushed the idea of using the train. The local station, a 40 minute walk away offered easy access to The Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Opted for the former - nearest and easiest option. While it was sunny the wind was definitely of the cold NE variety. Wrapped and made the hike to the station. All very easy but got told off by the guard for not checking in the ticket. Headed straight for the tourist info at the station - map sorted and a range of ideas. Headed out and the rain came. Needed indoor options. Opted to go to the Maurithuis Gallery - so called 'A small World class musuem.' Got there to find people queuing - not open till 1. The temporary viewing tower near the oldest parliament building on the world had been postponed due to the rain so decided to try the cathedral tower. Closed on Mondays. Next option was the optical Illusion gallery - in particular the work of Escher. Closed on Mondays. It seems The Hague is really not very open on Mondays. Had a lazy McDonalds lunch and re- grouped. Topping off the wondrous introduction to The Hague - went to the toilet to be greeted by a lady snapping at me in Dutch. Made it clear I couldn't understand on numerous occasions. When I carried on to toilets suddenly managed English. It seems customers here have to pay to use the toilets. Initially it stunk of a scam but there above the entrance was a McDonalds sign. Sod that, not that I had any money. By now the sun was out - needed cheering up. Climb a tower. Did the trick, didn't feel too secure though - swaying around in the wind a bit more than I'd like. By now the gallery was open & no queue. App downloaded and ready for culture. That was the theory. In practice it pointed out dead possums, people who'd fallen through the ice and shagging dogs so that was nice. Mooched around the old town and enjoyed some evening sun in the Palace gardens. Much better day than the start suggested. Train back and then a battling walk through the wind that was working it's way up to a yellow weather warning.Read more
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Cycling The Netherlands John Bickerstaff
The devil rides an E-bike.
May 10 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌬 14 °C
The sun was out for possibly the last time so had to be a beach day. 15 mile cycle to Noordwijk and then through the dunes. Ignored the fact that the wind had gotten up somewhat since yesterday. Should be fine. Got out to discover it was chillier & windier than anticipated. Ignored. Bike lane all the way to Noordwijk. A couple of miles in had to decide which route to take wind against to start or finish. Went with the start with the proviso of lots of stops. First stop was the beach only to discover the bike lock key had been left behind. Muppet. Zip-tie would have to do - not particularly secure but then the bikes weren't particularly valuable. Wandered down to the beach to discover it was rather exposed - lots of kite surfers. Tells you something and the height they were getting to also suggested something. Not really soak up the rays weather. Pushed on to the lighthouse - some nice views of the coast & the local fish shack. Couldn't pass up trying kibbeling - a Dutch speciality. Essentially fish & chips but little chunks of fish. Was freshly cooked and very nice. A little further on and we stopped at the Atlantik Wall Museum. Nazi fortifications designed to protect against invasion. Normally such sites are derelict but this had been renovated. They tried to persuade us to take the tour but that added an extra hour so just the audio tour. Very interesting. By now we were exclusively on a cycle track with endless e-bike old codgers flashing past barely pedalling - damn them. Found a sheltered spot and enjoyed a break & some sunshine. Pushed on & had been lulled into a false sense of security. Back to battling the wind & the e-bikes. Eventually back to base and since the shops closed at 6 back out to shop.like a Dutchie bike and panniers.Read more
TravelerLooks like you've made the most of the good westher, looks as though you've found some interpreting places to visit. Continue yo enjoy your trip xx
5/11/26Reply
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Cycling The Netherlands John Bickerstaff
Hyacinth scented queuing.
May 9 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
The sun was out, which bearing in mind the forecast was something to shout about. So in light of that, it was a case of make the most of it. Get the bikes sorted & go. Except the pedals had to be mounted and then it was noticed that the maps hadn't been downloaded to the Satnav. Superb organisation. Then the pinnacle of idiocy - at some point the Satnav mount had been taken off - God knows why & hadn't been put back on. Oops. Looks like someone was going to be riding round with one hand being used to navigate. Not ideal. Eventually set off having been informed that this week's weather was going to be spot on or at least if it rains it'll blow over. Not quite the same. Nice cycle track & quiet lanes to Lisse & then it got a little busier as we approached Keukenhof, supposedly the world's best spring time garden. Judging by the the coach park a good proportion of the world had turned up to admire the tulip fields. This was after all the penultimate day that it was open and the sun was out. Never mind - dumped the bikes. No queue for tickets and opted for the shortest entry queue. While there was no avoiding the fact that it was very busy it was possible to avoid the worst of it and the constant scent of the hyacinths softened the blow a little. The spring flowers did look very nice and you could understand why it pulled in the punters. Also some nice sculptures mixed. Baffled by the queues on the stepping stones and assorted pouts and poses we saw. The actual fields were dying back unfortunately so not quite what the marketing speil suggests but all very pretty nonetheless. They were certainly milking it though - all manner of tulip related tat. Cycled back along the canal.Read more
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Cycling The Netherlands John Bickerstaff
Rush job.
May 8 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
The small matter of navigating to the apartment when Google was deciding not to play ball. Went with the BYD sat nab. Spent the queuing time locating the apartment and hoped for the best. Needed to hope that I remembered to stay on the correct side of the road as well. Thankfully not too busy - hairiest bit was the tiny single track access road to the apartment - all sorts using it bikes, walkers, buses. Relieved to park up - located reception - pressed the buzzer & waited & waited. Started to wonder. Eventually on old lad appeared - father of the owners who were away. Gave us a quick tour, sorted out the air-con and showed us the bike store. All good. Quick dash back down he 1 track nightmare to the supermarket & chill. Nice golden sky to finish.Read more
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Cycling The Netherlands John Bickerstaff
Customs Chaos
May 8 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Free breakie but an early check-in for the ferry presented a timing problem. Down scoffing as soon as it opened to make the best of it. Headed off well before last check-in time. Not the biggest of queues and the absence of cars in 50% of the lanes suggested it wasn't going to be the busiest of ferries. As it turned out that was a damn good job but all in good time. Boarded and settled down to a window spec with a plug - all mod-cons. Departure 15 mins early - every little helps. Some nice views of Suffolk, Felixstowe Port and Harwich as we went out. Channel was a bit of a mill-pond but loads of traffic. Settled down to 7 hours of time filling - games, wandering, sunbathing & struggling to stay awake. All in all far more relaxing than a flight. Felixstowe is a big port but Rotterdam - of the scale. Ferries though dock at the Hook of Holland. Disembarked reasonably quickly & then customs. Juggled endlessly between lanes, none of which were moving particularly efficiently. Hardly surprising since every UK passport holder had to get out to have biometric scans. Yet another Brexit bonus. And fools are still voting for the frog faced twat. I digress. Virtually last to the booth & when it was my turn I got a wry smile from the border guard - 'Your wife's ok' - I'm assuming he was referring to her passport. Welcome to the Netherlands...Read more
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Cycling The Netherlands John Bickerstaff
Essex bloodbath
May 7 in England ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Last minute panic packing & battling with a stubborn pedal that wouldn't come off. That said setting off by 11 wasn't too bad. Should avoid the worst of Birmingham and so it proved - only a couple of miles of slowness. Lunch and charge at Cov services - bikes hanging on the back cut efficiency somewhat - should still make with one stop though. On to the A-roads bit of chunnering about selfish HGV drivers trying & failing to overtake each other & clogging up the road. Could've been worse & it was for the deer population of Essex - whether the M11 cuts through a major population or Essex drivers are particular dickheads or the road carries HGV's with particularly bright lights, god knows but at least 6 deer were spotted in 20 mile spell. Depressing. And as for Braintree - proper Flagshagistan. Not a single lamppost was missed - grim. Made it to Harwich by about 6. Liz chilled while the car was charging. Took the chance to have a little walk to the coast along the North Sea Cycle Route hmmm...Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
The final act.
October 4, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 19 °C
As if the small matter of a 300 mile drive to Halifax wasn't enough, online check-in was playing up and was suggesting no checked bags were allowed and still there was returning the car to contend with. All good fun. Managed to finish pretty much everything in the fridge for breakie. Quick scoot down to the beach. Ryan made a quick appearance to say goodbye as did the herd as we were driving away. Sad to go. Just a couple of stops along the way and made it to Halifax for around 2ish - rather than spend too much time in the airport decided to head down to Pleasance Point in the city - a nice coastal park that we enjoyed on our previous visit to Halifax. It proved to be a fittingly peaceful final act of the holiday. Hard to believe we were in a city. They do urban parks really well in Canada. Only slight downside was finding out that Liverpool were losing. Ambled back to the car & braced for the challenging stuff, except it wasn't. Car had a cursory check - no charges. On to check-in, all ready for an argument. Really nice lady sorted us emergency exit seats & the bags were sorted through to Manchester no charges. No queues at security & everyone was very friendly. Settled down to wait for boarding.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Chilling with Ryan.
October 3, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Spent the day trying to absorb the magical place that we've been enjoying for the last week. Be that sitting at the water's edge watching Ryan the seal snorting away, or lazing in the sun listening to the peace. Taking walks along the beach or paying one last visit to St Andrews and finally getting an ice cream. Took the final opportunity to get fish & chips at the famous Clam Digger take out & had our final meal with the best view possible - at the cabin.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
A little part of Liverpool
October 2, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Post walk hunger & settled for a poncy looking recommendation - there wasn't too much open. This was the only place in the whole day that wasn't quiet - it wasn't busy it was just a gobby yank nearby that had no volume control. Sarnies & smoothies balanced the irritation. And as for the toffee cake mmmm. The cholesterol drugs were having to do some hard work. Pushed to the most southerly point - supposedly good fur seeing whales - nothing doing. Some very overgrown paths and yet more seals. Stopped at Deep Cove Beach - gorgeous sandy beach and not a soul on it. Would've been good for a swim but sea & wind too chilly. Next stop Seal Cove. Took in the fish smoking huts and then more randomly North Americas biggest collection of Beatles memorabilia - Bill's Beatles collection. Happily chatted away to him about Liverpool, the Beatles and some of his more quirky bits & pieces. Very entertaining & he liked the fact in some small way he was going to Liverpool - in photographic form. Quite a character. Back to the ferry port and having 40 mins to wait, went for a walk to the beach. Figured when we saw the ferry we'd have time to get back. Probably walked a little too far. Saw the ferry & it was belting along. Ended up dashing again. All good but still no whales - more seals and a couple of dolphins.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Doing a Dom
October 2, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
Another island day hopefully not another stressful race to get off it in time. Early start & woke to find the car frozen. Had to be at the harbour to check in 45 mins prior to the 9.30 departure, but we were 40 mins away from the harbour so it had barely got light before we cracked on. The ferry was suggested to be a good way of seeing whales and other ocean wildlife. Settled in a window seat until midway through & then decamped to the outside decks - chilly temps with a cold breeze. Multiple layers and hood up a la Dominik Szoboszlai. Only wildlife we saw was a little bird hitching a ride to the island. Had found an itinerary for a day on Grand Manan Island & opted to give the recommendations a go. First was to head up the Swallow Tail Lighthouse but specifically straight after disembarking so you can see the ferry depart with the lighthouse in the foreground. All exactly as promised & with virtually no-one about. In fairness the ferry wasn't particularly busy so hopeful of a quiet day. Back down to Pettes Cove for a walk along the beach & up along the cliffs and we got some great views of seals both from the beach & the cliff. Glasses & binoculars really do help.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Race against the tide.
October 1, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
The tide dictated today's schedule. It subsided far enough to reveal the Minister's Island causeway at around 10.45 so no great hurry. Leisurely breakfast & sorting out. The causeway itself was easier in a car - wider tyres, 4 wheels & a little more power all help. First stop was the wrong stop it turns out. The vast majority of the buildings on the island were the creation of William Van Horne - the brains behind the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Needless to say a wealthy man and what we'd opted to stop at was his barn not his 50 room palatial summer hut. The guide talked it up and despite him being apparently 'a bit of a prick to work for' evidently had a passion for farming & offered a decent deal for his staff. Onwards to his house - again a guide gave us an insight, also had a video then mooched around. Interesting to see the contrast between the staff & the aristocracy. Once all had been seen, including the striking bath house, the aim was to walk the perimeter route along the coast of the island to try and see where our cabin was. We finished the tour at around 1 and had to be off the island by 4. Plenty of time. Ambled along, having a cake stop at a sunny, sheltered spot (for it was pretty windy today) with a belting view. It was at around 2ish that Liz was getting a little concerned that going to the furthest point might not tally up with getting off the island. We pushed on but in hindsight it ended up being a more stressful walk than it could've been - bit of a mad dash but in the end had an hour to spare. And I'm sure there's a bit of leeway. Back to St Andrews for an ice cream - clouded over again. Postponed. Popped back later to fill the car up & stopped off to see how covered the causeway was - very and the rain just made it a little more dramatic.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
A Canadian horticultural treasure.
September 30, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
The last day before a cold(ish) snap necessitated that we make the most of the day. Had to go into St Andrews for a few bits and pieces so it was either Ministers Island or a famed Canadian horticultural treasure. The tides were against us for the island who can resist a horticultural treasure. If nothing else it would be a nice walk in an attractive setting and we'd probably be the youngest people there. Judging by the RV park, when I cycled past, half of geriatric Canada was here. So it proved though the youngster thing was a close call - a family walked out as we went in - and so the baton was passed. Liked the maze and orchard and the sculpture garden had the usual mix of striking and bizarre. Just a really nice walk and a bit of shelter from the increasingly cool breeze. Figured out that the therapy garden was for people to use growing vegetables as therapy - some tasty looking chillis. Had to pass on the cake as the cafe was closed and initial plans for an ice cream looked shaky as it was getting more cloudy. Shops and back - noticed the local marijuana shop tucked away - not quite as brazen as the drive through dope dealer in Toronto. Back to the cabin for another explore of the local tracks.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Hilly stuff.
September 30, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
A cycle morning born of pragmatism - Liz needed to chill so to avert boredom cycling it was. The plan was to head towards St Andrews and see what happens. Straight onto the main road and a turn off led to Chamcook Lake. Intrigued but disappointed in the hill up to it. Nice enough place but essentially the lakefront had been bought up. Onwards through the hills. Couldn't resist having a look at the causeway to Minister's Island - not really a made causeway just compacted stones & sand. It showed in places where cars struggled with the lack of traction. Not so easy on a bike either. Back & this is where time ran away - hit a nice easy cycle path to town. Drifted along taking in bits and pieces - Katie's Cove, Pagan Point Nature Reserve, the Irish Memorial - all easily got to, all steadily further from home. What caused a further shock - the Satnav was an hour behind. A leisurely 10.30 suddenly became 11.30. Battled back to base over the hills in time for a lunch of sorts.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Like goats in Llandudno.
September 29, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Had a little explore of the beaches and trails around the cabin. Snacking for lunch can only stave of the inevitable for so long. Back into St Andrews and couldn't resist the self proclaimed best fish n chips eva. Well Liz couldn't - I went lazy lobster - hard work done & slapped in a roll. Had to have a walk to aid digestion - down the pier to investigate whale watching options or more to the point the sizes of the boats. Liz unconvinced. Onwards to the lighthouse and past some ludicrously expensive looking houses. Lighthouse was nice enough - on the way back to the car, a couple of deer wandered across the road & on driving out a couple more were not for moving out of the road. Come a certain time of evening it seemed that the deer started to roam pretty much anywhere, kind of like the goats in Llandudno. And as for back at the cabin. A few appeared just after we got back & by sunset there was practically a herd grazing in the front lawn. Occasionally they would get spooked and a couple would bolt and then drift back. Nice to watch - maybe a moose or 2 next.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Fraud.
September 29, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Managed to catch the sunrise - autumn offering a later version - 7.30 is more doable. Today was likely to be the last really warm day of the week which meant probably the last opportunity to go for a swim. So it was either back into St Andrews & Katie's Cove or further afield to a recommended provincial park - New River Beach - supposedly the best beach round these parts. Also had some good coastal walks and a nice looking cafe on the beach. Managed to irritate an HGV driver on the way so all was looking good. The park closed signs were not comforting especially when 1 of the gates to the car park was closed. The cafe didn't scream open either. The trailhead car park was a little busier & at least had both gates open. Down on the beach & it was a little breezier than expected & the sea temp wasn't encouraging. Walked the beach & soaked up the rays on some deck chairs in a sheltered spot. Opted to head back to the wooded headland walk - bit more sheltered. Warnings of wildlife prompted a range of reactions but mostly skepticism. Intrigued by a poem promising hidden monsters along the way but not a single monster was found - fraud or they had all been taken. No matter - nice coastal views & indeed a bit more sheltered. Back to the cabin for a snack.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Dark sky safari.
September 28, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 21 °C
Slow start both in terms of getting going & in terms of the weather - the greyness didn't encourage getting out & about though the forecast suggested things would pick up. While Liz was sorting out her hair there was a bike to be made ready. Once done it would be rude not to have a go. Admittedly not the best but it did the job - quick cycle to the other side of the bay - some hefty hills & gravelly tracks. Back for a lunchtime snack and an explore of the tracks around the cottage. Disappointed at the lack of wildlife - the guest book was full of smug sightings & would've hoped for something in either or both of the outings. Had to go into St Andrews for some shopping, to investigate laundry options but also to have a look around. Very quiet & quaint it was too though in August it might have been a very different picture. The High St was pure Americana with lots of touristy shops & restaurants. The quay was very focussed on whale watching which is a possibility. Stocked up & checked out the Blockhouse one of only 2 such fortifications left in Canada. Liz spotted some deer snaffling fallen apples & followed them into the nearby park. They tolerated us until a noisy kid showed up. Got where they were coming from. Stopped off at the town beach - possible swim tomorrow maybe. Back to cook tea & as we were 3 deer roamed onto the back lawn for a graze. Evening seems to be the time. After tea, spent some time enjoying the clear and dark skies. Helps with glasses on though.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Settling in.
September 27, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Unfortunately of the 160 miles to go the first 60 or so we're on local roads which proved slow & challenging, if only sticking to the speed limit. Found it hard to believe there'd be any police around - it was as close to the middle of nowhere as you could get. Thankfully the one we saw had already pulled someone else over for speeding. In the clear for a while. As soon as eventually made it to the highway the prospect of services & being able to get food was back on the agenda though the sales pitch for the services wasn't pushing the limits - "the washrooms are clean" despite the meagre claim we stopped for petrol & snacks. Decided to stop in St John for a bit of a shop but finding a supermarket was a little more challenging - bit of round in circles action & eventually punted for a Google recommendation. Huge bags of cherries so all is good. Bit concerned about the directions to the off the beaten track cabin - would the track be too obscure. While the cabin proved to be beautifully away from it all the instructions were spot on. Enjoyed the isolation & peace.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Exploring the ocean floor.
September 27, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Endured breakfast within earshot of some of the noisiest most cackly people in the world. On the bright side had some nice muffins. Ying and Yang. Since we were just round the corner from it, it seemed rude not to pay a quick visit to Magnetic Hill. Fortunately, being out of season, there was no-one to take an entry fee. Drove to the instructions & followed them for both directions. Underwhelming would be the best description - some possible hints of rolling uphill but certainly not worthy of being one of Canada's most recognised attractions. Definitely glad we didn't pay. Onwards to a genuine attraction - a natural wonder of the world. Hopewell Rocks isn't a household name but is probably the most photographed part of the Bay of Fundy. The ideal is to go there at low tide & high tide to see the unique tidal range. We were hitting low tide & the tentative plan was to do high tide on the way back. With it being low tide, there was access to the beach area around the rocks - what they called rather dramatically the ocean floor. It was quite a striking beach walk with all manner of names for the rocks - elephant being the obvious candidate. Headed back up to the cliffs for an above view. Agonised over having lunch here - the rangers were doing a BBQ with a view but the small matter of 160 miles to go before darkness got in the way.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Apple Nirvana
September 26, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Sleep was somewhat elusive so stupid o'clock turned into quarter to stupid. The subway strikes necessitated using a taxi to get to the airport & he was duly waiting 10 mins before he was due. Roads were quiet and a taxi lane got us there in no time. Self serve check-in is great if it works - typically it ran out of baggage tags. Shepherded to the solitary assistant able to help & then to the appropriate drop off for backpacks. All a bit fraught & wandered off without my passport - not like in San Francisco when I realised the other side of the airport but still away from the machine. Oops. Through the photon torpedo baggage scanners & grabbed some breakie. All was going swimmingly - boarded & was informed by the captain that it was likely to be a bit bumpy on the way to Halifax. Thought nothing of it & complimented Liz on how relaxed she was. Famous last words. 20 mins in just as they were going round with the trolley & the seatbelt sign goes on. And boy does it go. The attendants struggled to get the trolley back, one fell over and bits and pieces flew everywhere. Liz was not happy & definitely not relaxed anymore. In fairness two of the staff popped by once things calmed down to check in with her. Thought she'd do a Pope kissing of the ground on disembarking. The book vending machine cheered her up. The upgrade on the car hire cheered me up not that it bothered me. Sorted the Satnav and onwards to New Brunswick. Hotel in Moncton gave us an early check-in so dumped bags and formulated a plan mainly focussed on hitting one of the local apple PYO. By now the rain had cleared & it was bright sunshine. The farm was on a hill with gorgeous views & apples. Apparently they needed to be treated carefully as they were a bit delicate this year. Had one on the way round and then a couple on the bench chilling & taking in the surroundings. Chatted to the owner about our plans & her plans for visiting the UK. Bags full of apples sorted, off into Moncton to explore & eat. Worst case scenario - have a walk, can't find a restaurant, have apples for tea. Turns out finding a restaurant wasn't the issue, finding a parking spec was. There was plenty but paying with no data - challenging. Eventually found some WiFi, paid 39p for parking & had a walk along the river. Found a superb BBQ pub & was persuaded away from ordering too much - one big plate of meats & sides did the job. Needed a big walk after.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Canada the brave.
September 25, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
If there's a sporting entity that is quintessentially Canadian it's Ice Hockey - the national sport and something of a religion in these parts. And if there was a Canadian game to go to it probably would be one between Montréal and Toronto. Admittedly the tickets were up in the gods and it was a pre-season friendly but my suspicion would be that no game between these two was likely to be friendly aside from Ice Hockey being a fairly brutal and combative sport anyway. Short hop to the Bell Centre - part of the subterranean city, then lots of stairs - no escalators - hmmm. Grabbed a snack & then to the seats and this is no ordinary ice rink - absolutely massive. Some gratuitous national anthem singing & then the main event - lots of men flying around the ice hitting a chunk of metal at high speeds and ramming each other into the rink wall. What's not to like. Other than when they scored not a clue what was going on but it was fun if a bit stop - start. Bizarrely they had 3 halfs of 20 mins and after two of those Half's 90 minutes had passed it dawned that with an early start tomorrow it might be prudent to call it a day. Montreal were 5 - 2 down so things were a bit subdued. Getting out of the arena was a little challenging but made it back to see the final whistle / siren on TV. Montreal conceded 2 more goals.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Outdoors - bad, indoors - good.
September 25, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
A wet day, or at least that was the forecast so the plan was to explore Montréal's subterranean city. Virtually all the major facilities and functions can be accessed via the subway and a series of access passages and thus the extreme cold of winter can be mitigated. We just wanted to avoid getting wet. The small matter of getting to the nearest access point. Unsurprisingly no-one was playing chess - all boxed up. First stop Place des Artes which unsurprisingly was architecturally adventurous but otherwise pretty much deserted except for a noisy school party - the memories. Back via a couple of government offices and the first of many shopping malls. Over the days we had noticed that the main street - Rue St Catherine was fairly quiet - this is where everyone was. The malls and food courts were very busy. Interesting to see how a city can exist entirely undercover - though if there was ever a power cut, Montréal would crumble. Stopped around half way for lunch - some tasty Mexican. Throughout the signposting had been impeccable, that was until the last main mall - try as we might we couldn't get out. Took 2 separate sets of instructions from the information booth. Reckon it was a case of make it hard to leave so you spend more. Not how I work. Eventually reached the end of the loop and just a short hop back to the hotel to get ready for the Ice Hockey.Read more
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East Canada & the Fundy coast John Bickerstaff
Shut up legs
September 24, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Even as we were heading back to the hotel there were hints of brightness but a short break later and a confused exchange with one of the room staff - no soap left. Not a clue what that was in french and similarly for her in English. Might get a refill - we'll see. Off out again to enjoy the views from Mont Royale park. The name was something of a clue - going to be a bit of a climb. First things first, through town - stopped at the jumbo chess boards and watched a game - not sure how good they were. Suspect not great as checkmate came about fairly quickly. The uphill started a little after that. Turned of the road onto the grand staircase and that didn't bode well for fatigued legs. Reminded Liz of a favourite cyclist Jens Voigt who when he was in a breakaway and was knackered would shout repeatedly 'Shut up legs' Whether it helped him is debatable. Didn't help Liz. The prospect of cake at the cafe at the top did a little. To be fair the views of Montreal were stunning in the autumn sunshine - something that didn't seem possible this morning. Adjourned to the cafe to find it closed and the only snack option was ludicrously overpriced maple popcorn. And so the addiction was born. Up there with crack cocaine I reckon. God it was good. Took an alternative route down to take in a Montreal icon - a Schwartz deli sarnie. Never have I seen as much meat crammed into a sarnie as this.Read more
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