Montreal to Halifax - part one
Atlantic Canada has been on our must-do list for a while. It moved up the order after we saw the Canadian Race Across the World on the BBC. It jumped to the top of the queue after the pronouncements from the man in the White House. Not that we are particularly political but it did seem like awfully rude bullying behaviour to a neighbour. So we thought we would give them our support by going on what was, for us, quite an expensive road trip.
Planning did not take long as we knew pretty much where we wanted to go. At first we thought 3 weeks would be enough to see what we wanted. Once we started to map out the route it was clear that was not enough and we stretched it to almost 5 weeks. We opted to go after the main holiday season when the children were back in school so that accommodation availability was easier to find and flights would possibly be cheaper. We were a bit worried about getting colder weather but, on the other hand, we would get the benefit of the autumn colours. Our final dates were 4th September to 8th October. Trailfinders booked our flights and car hire. They gave us package price which meant we only had to pay a small deposit with the balance due shortly before we travelled. Time to save up! We booked our accommodation independently through Booking.com and AirBnb with free cancellation. Where possible we chose places with cooking facilities so we could keep the cost down.
Heading Out
Montreal was the obvious place for us to enter Canada from LHR. We booked Air Canada Business Class. We intended to go Premium Economy but for some reason Business was cheaper.
We reserved our seats back in April and did not really think too carefully about the timings. Our flight was leaving at 9am and we were told to be at the airport 3 hours before. Traffic was light until we arrived into LHR. After a rapid and efficient rental drop off we were soon on our way through the tunnel to Terminal 2. Check-in was perfunctory. Our lady at the desk clearly wished she had stayed in bed. No jolly 'have a lovely trip' from her. Happily the Maple Leaf staff were more welcoming and we had a relaxing second breakfast before the Dreamliner took off for Montreal. Montreal Airport was busy but found our way through the crowds and a rather stern Border Control let us immigrate. A fairly short, seemed like 15 minutes, taxi ride from the Airport into the City. It was supposed to be a fixed fee but we were put on the meter for our journey. We were not going to start our holiday with an argument so we paid up and used Uber for future rides. We are used to taxi drivers being quite chatty but ours didn't respond at all to our questioning in both French and English. At least he found our Hotel OK.
Our itinerary
Montreal - 2 nights - 4th to 6th September
The L'appartement Hotel was perfect for us, the Receptionist was friendly and let us check-in early. For our two night stay we were next-door neighbours to McGill University. There seemed to be quite a jolly vibe to the area although we were not at the smartest end of the street. We set out on foot in the direction of the Old Town to see some of the sights. Hunger got the better of us in the Old Town and we stopped for a pasta at xxxxx.
The staff were very friendly and we were able to ask them about tipping in Canada. Our conclusion was that we were expected to be generous. About 20% seemed to be par for the course. So we were learning that even though menu prices looked reasonable the total to be paid was significantly higher. as we had to add sales tax and a pourbois. We were going to need all our budget!
We had difficulty finding a Supermarket for some essentials but found one eventually quite a way from our Hotel and had to carry everything home. We should have asked Reception at the Hotel as there was a Supermarket just around the corner. Bit of a long day and we slept very well that night.
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| Mont Royal |
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| Mont Royal |
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| Mont Royal |
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| Walking up via the University |
Quebec City - 3 nights - 6th to 9th September
After our short stay in Montreal we took the train to Quebec City. There are very few trains and we booked on-line before we left home. Boarding the train was a bit unusual. We had to queue up on the level above the platform and a man with a set of scales came along and weighed our bags. I passed the test but Jacqui was over the limit and I had to dash to a booking office to pay a supplement. I can understand why airlines might do that but, on a train? Anyway we paid up. Our bags were pretty heavy and we had to negotiate a narrow staircase down to the train. Happily a strapping lass, working as a Porter, grabbed the bags and sprinted down the stairs and onto the train. We were very grateful and she was happy with her tip. We had a comfortable journey to Quebec City past acres and acres of farm land. It must have been a single track on some sections because we had to wait for other trains to pass. A short Uber ride and we were at 209 Le Caiman. We were not sure we were at the right place as our entry code did not work. Luckily another resident helped us and we were soon in our smart apartment on the second floor. Canadian floor numbering ignores the Ground Floor.
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| Quebec Railway Station |
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| Pavement Cafe |
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| TW and Chateau Frontenac |
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| Dufferin Terrace |
Quebec City - 8th September
We opted for an Uber into the Old City on our second day. We though we'd save out energy for our touristing. Lunch was nice, it was in a friendly and traditional Cafe Buade. TW probably should have had Poutine which is a local speciality but played it safe. Our coffee break was at Baguette & Chocolat. Overall, it wasn't a leisurely day as we did wander extensively hilly town but we did stop to watch street entertainers and enjoy plenty of people watching. An omelette back at the flat for Dinner.
The Gaspé Peninsula
Rimouski - 9th September -
We had arranged to pick up our hire car at Quebec City Airport, just out of town. We took an Uber to Alamo and picked up quite a smart Mazda CX5, our chariot for the next month. It took us a while to work out how to get it moving and make sure the fact there was no parcel shelf would not be an issue when we returned it. The discovery of the start button was a massive step forward. We were quickly over the bridge and on our way to Rimouski, our first stop. The Gaspé road, Route 20 was very good. The Police seemed very active on our route North so we had to keep one eye on the speedo as we nipped along. We diverted off route for our lunch break which was at a Canadian icon, Tim Hortons, in Montmagny. We saw these popular outlets everywhere we went, often with a big drive-in queue outside. They seem to be fine for a burger or sandwich and a coffee. Time Horton was a Hockey player apparently. We paused at a Walmart on the way to buy a plug-in hob and a pillow for her Ladyship. The Motel Rimouski was a typical North American Motel. It's big plus point was its location right on the waters edge. We opted to cook ourselves a meal using our new hob and the microwave. It was all going swimmingly until the power breaker tripped and we were plunged into darkness. We couldn't find a breaker so I toddled off to reception to ask them to reset it. They didn't know where it was either and the receptionist had a mobility issue so couldn't go looking for it. Happily they had another room vacant so we moved all our stuff to our new home at the extreme end of the plot. It was so dark that we were worried we would lose, or forget, something in the transfer. Eventually all was transferred - we hope. The potatoes and broccolli were a bit cold but the salmon went back in the new microwave for a boost. The hob stayed in the car! Not our finest hour but we had a decent meal in the end. Rimouski looked a pleasant town and a lot larger than we anticipated. We had a pleasant stroll along the prom in the darkness, all was quiet.
Saint-Anne-des-Monts -10th September
The staff at the Rimouski Motel were still friendly when we checked out so we didn't upset anybody with our nocturnal transfer.
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| St Luce |
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| Restaurant in St Luce - sadly closed for us |
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| Heading up the Gaspé Peninsula |
Gaspé - 2 nights
After a morning walk on the beach at Saint-Anne we headed North again. A quiet road beckoned with impressive scenery. Not many people live on this stretch of road and it seemed tranquil and unspoiled. The pretty wooden houses were quite spread out. We came across quite a few sections of road being repaired with temporary lights in place so the traffic did bunch up a bit. We stopped for lunch at a roadside eatery in Grande-Vallee. One thing that Canada has in abundance is coastal views and seaside locations. Our humble eatery had a million dollar view. We ordered through a hatch outside and sat in a lean-to area at the rear with a great view of the St. Lawrence. We were joined by a couple with a massive RV that partially blocked TW's view. Canadians certainly love their caravans and RV's. We didn't get stuck behind any but it wouldn't have mattered as we were in no hurry. The speed limits in Canada are pretty pedestrian. 80km per hour was typical for the coast road with drops down to 50km in communities. We reached Gaspé in good time and checked into a another nice Motel/Hotel Plante.
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| Sunset at Forillon |
No view from our room this time but it was just a short, but steep, walk into Gaspé town. The location is impressive but the town less so. They were resurfacing the road so that didn't help its appeal. Quite a few restaurants lined the street and we found a great bakery and cafe, Oh les pains. There was a decent Supermarket within the Jacquies Cartier shopping centre. Our room at the Plante had a full kitchen so we had no problem cooking up a nice Dinner. We built up an appetite with a brisk walk to the seaside and harbour which is labelled the Birthplace of Canada. After a good nights rest and a leisurely morning we were back in Oh les pains for our lunch. It seemed to be a bit of a community hub and was very relaxed and pleasant. Our afternoon excursion was to the Forillon National Park. This is a lovely area and we found a lovely boardwalk to wander along to an unspoiled beach. We encountered great views as we travelled further into the park. Some signage explained that, to create the park, the government had displaced a community that most likely had an idyllic lifestyle in a quite corner of paradise. Bit sad, but we can all enjoy the nature today. Forillon was definitely the highlight of the Quebec section of our tour. We were warned about bears but didn't see any which was a disappointment for TW.
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| Bears in transit |
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| Forillon National Park |
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| TW on the Forillon trail |
Carleton-sur-mer - 13th September
After 2 nights in Gaspé it was time to move on towards Percé and then to Carleton for our night stop. Percé is a bit of a tourist town but small, quite pleasant and we spent a few hours there. As we approached the town we saw, what we thought, was a smart cafe. It was smart but it specialised in Breakfast and other meals so no chance for a coffee and cake at the Maison Mathilde. The typical routine for restaurants in Canada is to bring glasses of water and menus to the table so its not easy to just walk out, they have you hooked. We were glad we stayed as we noticed a very promising crepe on the menu. So tea, coffee and a very lovely crepe was ordered for our second Breakfast.
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| Coffee and Crepe |
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| TW at Maison Mathilde Percé |
Suitably fortified we set out do some touristing. The Percé Rock is the iconic landmark here. We had to get a photo as we passed on our walk. There is a pleasant boardwalk along the coast and we enjoyed our brief visit. Our Waitress at Mathilde told us the Restaurant closed in October and the town was dead in Winter.
Apparently its good place to swim and there is a nice trip out to the National Park on Bonaventure Island with its bird colonies. We could see why it was a popular area in Summer.
Lunch was at Boulangerie le Fournand. This was another place that looked like it was a community hub and we had a good lunch before setting off down the coast for Carleton.
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| Percé rock |
After the unspoiled areas we had been through, the road down to Carleton seemed relatively built up. It was also quite a slow drive as the speed limits were quite harsh. It seemed to take quite a while to get to Motel L'Abri. Our new base offered good accommodation and cooking facilities and we were quite happy there. We bought some food in the local Supermarket in town and then took quite a long walk along the waters edge. Definitely an end of season feel about the place on a mid-september evening but it was still a good place for a night stop.
Miramichi - 14 September
It's about a 3 hour drive to Miramchi. We were getting hungry when we arrived and pulled into Burger King for a spot of lunch. The other customers were very friendly and we had a good chat with a couple of them. The burgers were not bad either. The weather had deteriorated a bit and rain was on the horizon when we set off for our hotel. We were really not impressed with the Ramada by Wyndham Miramichi. After inspecting the room I asked reception if we could leave but unfortunately as we had paid through Booking we couldn't cancel. It really was a dull place. It had plenty of space as we had booked a studio but TW wasn't sure the sheets were clean and the whole place seemed really run down. We couldn't afford to move without getting a refund so we stuck it out and spent minimal time in the Hotel. We went for a walk on the Strawberry Marsh Trail and, after dodging an horrendous downpour, stopped for a beer in Mikes Bar and Grill. It was fine, a proper townie sports bar.
We tend not to drive out for meals but we had no choice as, on this particular evening, we chose the 1809 Restaurant. Miramichi is a actually a combination of two previous communities, Newcastle and Chatham, plus some other bits and bobs. We were staying in Newcastle but 1809 was in Chatham across the River and quite a distance away. Not an easy drive on a wet evening. We wished we had stayed the night in Chatham as Wyndham was in a bit of a boring area. 1809 Restaurant and its Hotel were by the River and looked more interesting. Dinner was good with friendly service.
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| Meccano Bridge New Brunswick |
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| One of a couple of rainy days in Canada |
Kensington PEI - 4 nights - 15th September to 19th September
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| Getting there - Crossing the road to the Lobster Deck at Shediac |
We were glad to leave Wyndham and couldn't understand why the reviews were so misleading? With the sun now shining we headed off towards Prince Edward Island.
Our stop on the way was at Shediac which professed to be a Lobster Capital. We had a good wander in the town before heading to the Lobster Deck. We would have gone in earlier bit a tour bus from Saskatchewan had just landed when we arrived. After a decent interval we went in and ordered our lobster rolls. I liked the Lobster Deck, it was a bit rustic and friendly. The system was a bit like a takeaway where you paid and collected but then sat comfortably inside on a terrace.
After lunch and another hour or so of driving we were on PEI. TW drove over the 8 mile bridge, she didn't want to but there was nowhere to stop and change horses. Once on the island we went straight to the Visitor Centre and picked up loads of information from the helpful Lady on duty. Fully armed we were back on the road to Kensington and our Airbnb - Cozy Cottage in Long River. Now this was a place we liked and we had four nights to enjoy it. It was a large wooden cabin with all mod cons in a very quiet area. No problem with cooking at this place as it had a full kitchen. It was also a good place to freshen up our laundry as it had a washer and dryer.
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| An iconic Canadian lighthouse |
Next morning we were heading to the North of PEI. Cavendish by the Sea, North Rustico, Brackley Beach and Dalvay by the Sea were all on our radar. A beautiful sunny day to visit the land of Anne of Green Gables and we had a good look around. We would have preferred to have done some of it by bike. The roads were quiet and the National Park is free entry in mid September. Our lunch choice wasn't great. We had been recommended to go to the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company. When we arrived it was full and we really should have gone somewhere else. Unfortunately we agreed to take a walk in the gardens and come back later. However the tour group was very slow to leave and we waited even longer. When we eventually sat down the waitress ignored us for ages. I was getting very grumpy. If I had looked at the menu when we first arrived I wouldn't have wanted to stay anyway as nothing appealed. Bit of a shame really as there are plenty of other places we could have gone for a meal.
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| North Rustico Beach |
At the end of our drive along the coast we came across Dalvay-by-the Sea.
Dalvay-by-the Sea is a very interesting old hotel. We stopped for a coffee in the late afternoon and chatted to the Filipino barman who was on cruise ships prior to PEI.
17th September
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| The beach at Thunder Cove |
PEI is a fair sized island but visiting the North and South on the same day is easily do-able. The roads are quiet in September and of a decent quality.
It's a lovely drive to French River and Thunder Cove on the North Coast. Thunder Cover is a beautiful beach, arguably the best in the North within easy reach of Kensington. If my towel and togs had been in the car I would have gone in for a dip. We had a good walk along its long sandy beach before heading back to Kensington for lunch at Friends and Family, a pub and eatery in the centre of the small town. The waitress had migrated from Ontario and had a house at Thunder Cove. We think she's a lucky lady. Our pm excursion was to the South. We headed to Summerside and its wharf for a walk followed by a trip further west to the Bottle Houses. As the name implies the Bottle Houses were built using glass bottles instead of bricks by a retired lighthouse keeper. There is not much else around but it makes a pleasant excursion as the land around them has been landscaped to form attractive gardens.
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| Church in PEI |
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| French River |
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| Just a glass please barman |
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| Bottle Chapel |
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18th September - Kensington
We were back in our local town of Kensington about 15 minutes drive for a morning coffee. Our venue was the Willow Bakery & Cafe. It is very good for a coffee and cake is one of our Canadian favourites. It's easy to find as it is just by the old Railway Station. The old Railway line is also useful resource as its now the Confederation Trail, a cycling and walking trail. We opted for a walk and did our morning steps going south on the trail. Rain stopped play after a while so we headed back to our hut for lunch followed by a bit an exploration of our local area in the afternoon. In September it seemed very quiet and unspoiled. We had a walk alongside the river and only saw a couple of people, out walking their dogs. There are a few properties dotted around and probably in high summer it is a fun area for families and BBQ's.
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| Our Cozy Cottage in the woods |
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| Out walking near Cozy Cottage |
Georgetown - 3 nights - 19th to 21st September
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| The beach near the Loft |
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| TW at Montague |
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| One of many beautiful properties |
Time to pack up and head east towards Georgetown. We chose to drive along the North Coast stopping along the way. Our coffee stop was next to the Brackley Bay Oyster Company in a shipping container. They called their can the Oh Hey by the Sea. It was a gift shop but we managed to resist temptation and limited our purchases to Coffees and Muffins. Pressing on, it was soon lunchtime and we stopped at a roadside diner. The Holy Cow in Morrell was a bit of a sports bar and strange local ball games were being shown on three tv's as we ate our fish and chips. It was a friendly spot and fortified us for the final push across country to our new Airbnb outside Georgetown. We were out in the woods by the water again but certainly no complaints. When we arrived our hosts Husband was busy cleaning some fish he had just caught and was a bit bloody. We didn't shake hands. Our new home, The Loft, was above the garage so we had steps to negotiate but it was modern and comfortable. It was a lovely location and we enjoyed a quick walk on the beach before heading to Sobeys in Montague for provisions. When we returned we chatted with a couple of local ladies who were walking their dogs, they gave us a couple of recommendations. We then popped into the very small town of Georgetown. It was on a traditional colonial layout and it did not take us long to see the whole place as we walked up and down the streets. We liked it a lot and also enjoyed the walk along its pretty seafront. We made a reservation for the next evening at the Wheelhouse, an attractive Restaurant on the seafront. We ate a very nice salad at our new home.
20th September off to Mouse town.
Heading up the coast today to Souris. We would have stayed up here if we had been able to book suitable accommodation. We took the scenic route on a rather bumpy road via Fortune Bay. We parked near the harbour and wandered up to a very helpful Tourist Office. We were buffeted by very strong cold winds. One of the tourist office recommendations was for us to go for coffee at the Tipsy Farmers. How could we refuse. It was just across the road and had only been open for two weeks. We were impressed. Apparently the owners have a farm and do a lot for the local community and many of the guests appeared to be locals having a Saturday lunchtime get-together. We stayed for lunch! Pulled Pork and Chips was very tasty. Eventually we had to leave and put our tourist hats back on. We walked to the lighthouse, past the ferry terminal. There is a ferry from Souris that goes to the Magdelan Islands and takes about five hours. We needed a warm-up before we headed back so we popped into the Breakwater Restaurant. It was quite smart in there but it was more of a Restaurant and only had filter coffee. They were friendly and it had a good view so we rested a while and enjoyed the good view and the pleasant surroundings.
We drove back and stopped near Georgetown at the Brudenell Resort. This is a large complex with what looked to be a very decent golf course and lots of other facilities like Camping, RV parking and swimming pools. As usual, we had a wander and then enquired about e-bike hire for the following day. No problem, just come in tomorrow.
Dinner at the Wheelhouse was perfect. I had mussels and a caesar salad, TW had a local take on Fish and Chips with a potato starch batter followed a shared carrot cake and ice cream. Service was nice and friendly and there was a beautiful sunset, what's not to like?
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| The quiet streets of Georgetown |
21st September - Pedalling the Confederation Trail
We presented ourselves at Brudenell in cycling gear only to be told that bike rental was only for their guests. We had clearly told the guy we spoke to the day before to that we were not staying. Bah humbug, no point in arguing as it was allegedly due to insurance. We drove off to Montague where we had been told we could also hire bikes. Errol Flynn sorted us out with 2 bikes and we set off on the Confederation Trail towards Georgetown on quite powerful e-bikes. It was about 18km each way so we had to move pretty quickly to get to Georgetown and back and have a picnic lunch in just 3 hours. We made it back to Errol with minutes to spare. We made a repeat visit to the Wheelhouse in the evening for dinner and another good meal. The waitress also gave us some helpful tips on Nova Scotia.
Charlottetown - 22nd to 27th September - off to the big City
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| The ring maker |
One of the tourist tips given to us in Souris was to visit an Artisan Jeweller in Georgetown who was a bit of a character. We made sure we followed this up before we left town. The owner is certainly a character. He showed us how he make rings and other pieces of jewellery and TW bought a nice ring as a souvenir.
Our route to Charlottetown took us back through Montague and down to the South Coast. We had a look at the Murray River on the way down and had lunch at the Deck Restaurant. The Restaurant was pretty empty but the food was fine and the waitress friendly and chatty. It has a campsite next door and a swimming pool. Mosquitoes were apparently horrendous during the summer. We were really glad we came later in the season. We only saw one mozzy in 5 weeks.
We also broke our journey at Northumberland Provincial Park which overlooks Northumberland Strait. It was lovely sitting in the Autumn sunshine with the water gently lapping at the shore. It's only 3km from Wood Island where the ferry docks so it is probably a popular campground in Summer. Today, there were just a couple of RV's so it was very peaceful.
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| Northumberland Provincial Park |
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| Taking steps to the beach |
We continued along the coast and, before long, we started to contend with rush hour traffic. We made our way through Stratford and around Charlottetown to our new home North of the City. Driving in Canadian Cities is not always easy. There are traffic lights hanging high in the sky but you can ignore when turning right. Traffic seems to come at you in all directions. Despite the danger made it safely to our new Airbnb in Penny Lane. This was probably the largest and most comfortable place we stayed in. It even had an electric piano! Penny Lane seemed quite rural but it was just one field away from a very busy light industrial area. Conveniently, supermarkets were also just up the road so we were able to take full advantage of our large kitchen.
23rd September - Victoria by the Sea
Our first excursion from our new base in Charlottetown was to Victoria by the Sea. It's a small fishing village with an artistic bent. For a small town it has more than its fair share of galleries and craft outlets. We thought we would get a quick coffee at the Lobster Barn when we arrived but we were beaten to the tables by a large tour group. We made a hasty retreat and had a wander. We did find a coffee at 'feelin no grain', a small lean-to next to an art studio. It wasn't a warm day but we were ok sitting outside on a picnic table in a large grassed area. With our thirsts quenched we got on with our tour and eventually ended up back at the Lobster Barn for lunch. Another lobster roll! We were quite happy with our visit to Victoria, a nice little backwater.
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| Walking the streets of Victoria |
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| The maple leaves are turning. |
Off to Sobeys, our Supermarket of choice to pick up Dinner.
24th September - City Slickers
We were only 15 minutes from the City Centre and we opted to park in a multi-storey rather than drive around looking for a free spot. With our map in hand we toured the fairly busy streets taking far too many photos. Our refreshment stop was at Receiver Coffee. It was a recommendation from one of our previous waitresses and was quite pleasant. Charlottetown is a popular port for Cruise Ships and we were fortunate that for our City touring day only one fairly small vessel was in port. We were warned that, on the following day three ships would be in Port so the City would be swamped.
Our escape plan to avoid the hordes was to hire bikes. We went to the tourist office hoping to rent bikes in Cavendish or Brackley. Sadly this proved difficult so we booked two bikes for the following day at Rising Tide on Queen Street. They offered us transport to join a tour in Brackley but it was too expensive.
Back to Sobeys on the way home, its becoming a daily ritual.
25th September - on our bikes
Into Charlottetown to pick up our bikes. The guy doing admin had a heavy cold, or something nasty, which was a concern. We collected our bikes and headed down to the port turning left to take us over the bridge towards Stratford. We were on a quiet road with very smart houses. We stopped at a couple of bays along the way and picnicked by a cricket ground of all things. No idea how popular cricket is here but there are a good number of people of South Asian origin who no doubt boost interest in the game.
26th September - Blue Mussel
For our final full day in PEI we returned to the North coast ending up in North Rustico for lunch at the Blue Mussel Cafe. We had previously by-passed the narrow strip of land that is home to the Blue Mussel Cafe, some fisherman and a nice beach. Lunch was lovely, definitely one of our favourites. Nice fresh fish with salad. We took a stroll along the boardwalk into the centre of the community and found Frothy a coffee hut. I had a Canadiano, a Northern variant of the Americano.
We had a last look at Cavendish on the way home. Tomorrow we would be leaving PEI, destination Nova Scotia.
