There and back again...
So I’m back!
Yes, Tam and I have had a wonderful vacation!
It started with a frustrating trek across the island of Montreal in a Thursday afternoon. After two hours of traffic, we were finally on our way. We stopped in Lévy (across from Quebec City) for supper at Boston Pizza, and made it to our hotel on Edmundston, NB sometime around 10:00pm. It rained most of the trip, but we weren’t hampered by the weather.
Friday was the continuation of our trip. After breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we took a quick coffee break in Woodstock and stopping somewhere between Fredericton and Moncton for lunch. There were more periods of rain, but we made it to Truro without any problems (except for that torrential downpour between Amherst and Truro!)
We made it to Ruantallan Warcamp with lots of time to spare (about 6pm) and met up with Gareth and Gwen to set up camp (they had arrived just a few moments before). Warcamp was great, and it was nice having a chance to spar with the guys and gals in armour. I did my best to offer up whatever technical advice I could, and many thanked me for making the trip (which in itself made it all worthwhile). I really enjoy my trips to visiting folks in Ruantallan.
Sunday morning we packed up and went off to visit Tam’s old stomping grounds. She lived in Stellarton for several years, and showed me her old house, the school she attended, the old theatre that is now a drug store… yeah things have changed a little. We then went off looking for Twoey’s (her horse) place of birth and the barn Tam worked at for several summers to help pay for the horse. It’s now a horse rescue farm (a noble undertaking). It was a sad sight - the original owners are no longer there, and the place looks rather dilapidated and not well maintained. I’m guessing Tam was better off with the memory of what the place looked like 15 years ago than the state it is currently in.
The next few days, we spent over at Rob and Wendy’s. They are great hosts, and we had a wonderful stay (Thanks a million guys!). Tam and I spent both days in Halifax, one with her Aunt Pat and Point Pleasant Park, and the other by ourselves walking around the shops and Public Gardens. Halifax is a wonderful city, and given a choice for a place to retire to, that place is on the top of my list.
We left for Freeport, Maine, on Wednesday morning and arrived in ample time for supper. Thursday was the mandatory stop- and-shop at LLBean, where Tam greatly increased her wardrobe (I just got a jacket and some shoes) followed by a trip to the Rockport/Reebok Factory outlet, where I got some exercise gear for myself and new shoes for Tam. This was all accomplished by 11:30am, which left the rest of the day to go driving around the coast and check out the scenery. Saw an old Civil War Fort in the coast somewhere east of Bath, and a few fishing towns with lots of lobster boats in the harbour. We ended our day with a visit to the much advertised Butt Naked BBQ, which is known locally for its pulled pork, ribs, and seasoned chicken. Wow - the portions were enough to feed me for a week! We boxed the leftovers and had them for lunch on Friday.
After we checked out Friday morning and repacked the car, we headed off to the site of an old colonial fort (Fort William Henry in Pemiquid, east of Bath along the coast). It’s a nice historic site with a modest museum, knowledgeable staff and beautiful surroundings. We had our lunch there then made our way to GNEW.
GNEW was a blast! I got to fight most of the day which was lots of fun and not only bore witness to the elevation of a good friend, Baron Godfroy de Falaise, to the Order of the Pelican, but had the honour and privilege to speak on behalf of aforementioned Order. I also got a chance to speak at length with Al faris Mohamed about regional stuff, and I have to say I was very enlightened with the conversation and look forward to speaking with him some more in the future.
Sunday morning we packed and we made it home early enough for me to mow the front lawn (the back will have to wait until later this week - if the weather permits.)
Thankfully, the majority of the wet weather we experienced was when we were driving. Most of our time at our many destinations was “wet free” (Except for Warcamp). It was overcast in Halifax, but beautiful blue skies in Freeport and the surrounding area. All in all, a great vacation, albeit too short.
My apologies to any of my friends whom I may not have contacted or said hello to on this trip. Aside from the folks we directly interacted with along our journey, and the wonderful hospitality we received from our hosts Rob and Wendy who put us up for 3 nights while in Halifax, my main focus was to spend time with Tam, to do stuff with her, and do things she wanted to do. I hope you understand.