On the road again......

Sunday, September 24, 2017
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
2017 September 24 - Sunday
We had an early start this morning and had to be on the bus at 07:45. I was slow getting started this morning, so had to hurry through my breakfast but I made it in time.
Our first stop was the Borden-Carleton Marine Rail Park, which is at the P.E.I. end of the Confederation Bridge, on Northumberland Strait.  Borden used to be the terminus for the rail service to the island, with rail cars arriving by Ferry.  Ferries operated on that route from October 1917 until May 1997, and ceased operation when the bridge opened.  The tour director provided a talk and a video prior to arrival there, to explain what was required to construct the Confederation Bridge.  It’s quite an incredible engineering achievement!
Just as we were arriving at the marine park, I received a phone call notifying me that my home alarm system had triggered (it was 05:00 at home).  I was able to determine which entry point had caused the alarm, but wasn't sure whether I should ignore it or phone police.  I took a few minutes to think about it, but  finally decided to call the RCMP and I provided them with the entry code to the house.   They found nothing and felt that the cat had opened the window as the screen had fallen out.  I’m not convinced of that, as that particular window is normally very hard to move.  However, the problem is solved for now.
We then proceeded across the Confederation Bridge and drove to Shediac, which is billed as “The Lobster Capital of the World”.  A boat was waiting for our Lobster luncheon at sea.  A few of us had selected the optional chicken and a few more the vegetarian Lasagna.  A crew member hauled in a couple of Lobster traps, with the first one containing a rubber chicken.  The second had a couple of Lobsters, some Crabs and a Starfish.  He explained how the design of the traps allows the Lobsters to enter but not escape.  The traps are divided internally and once the Lobster falls into the “living room”, there’s no chance of escape.  He also mentioned that one of the claws on a Lobster is for slicing while the other is for crushing, and it’s powerful enough to crush a human finger (which is why he had large rubber bands around the claws to keep them closed).
He then provided a demonstration of the proper way to eat a Lobster (which had already been cooked).  It was quite gross and disgusting to watch him tear the poor creature asunder, complete with the sound effects of crunching bones, etc.  The three other people seated at my table found it equally disgusting, and I said to them, “aren’t you glad you ordered chicken”.  Overall it was a somewhat different way to spend a few hours to have a look at local culture, and for the most part quite pleasant.
After that it was off to the Hopewell Rocks to have a look at how quickly the tides cover the beach.  The rocks consist of dark sedimentary conglomerate and sandstone rock and are about 40-70 feet high. The area where the rocks are located have the highest tides in the world, and increase very quickly by about 40 feet.  While there I chatted with a retired NYFD fire fighter from the Brooklyn station and a couple from Colwood, B.C.
We arrived in St. John, New Brunswick at about 17:45 and only had a few minutes to get cleaned up and organized before our pre-selected dinner time.   I had chosen the early seating at 18:00 so didn’t have any time to rest.
The dinner menu was specially arranged for our tour, and included two choices for an appetizer, four choices for a main course and two choices for dessert.  I ordered the spring greens salad and the chicken with Asiago cheese and organic vegetables.
After dinner I walked outside to have a look at the harbour, but it was almost fully dark by this time so I wasn’t able to see much.  One of the other members of our group was also out for some fresh air (and to have a cigarette) so I had another visit with him.  Once again with our stop here, several other tour groups arrived at about the same time.  All the tours must follow a similar itinerary, which no doubt puts a strain on smaller hotels.
2017 September 25 - Monday
Today was a relaxed start day, as we wouldn’t be leaving St. John until 12:15.  I lingered over breakfast and then went back to the room to watch some TV and get organized.  My large pack had to be outside the door by 10:00 to be "pulled".   I have to admit that it’s a treat not to have to haul my heavy pack around.  I guess I’m paying for the privilege though.
We first drove to a location near St. John that has a “reversing rapids”, which are created by a “collision” between the St. John River and the Bay of Fundy.  The tide comes into the St. John River first and then reverses abruptly.  There’s an Irving Pulp Mill right at the narrows, which didn’t provide the most scenic vista, but I guess it provides employment so that’s a good thing.  There's a viewing point with descriptive placards just below the car park and we stopped for about 20 minutes to watch the rapids, although not much was happening at the time.
After the rapids we headed for the Ferry that goes to Digby, NS (it was a fairly short drive).  After loading the trip took about 2.5 hours.   This was a larger Ferry than the one we used previously and had Escalators to bring passengers upstairs which was a nice touch.  They had a well equipped cafeteria-style restaurant but I only had a light lunch (soup & sandwich), as I knew the group would be having a fine hot meal at dinner.   After lunch I sat down in a large open lounge that had aircraft-style seating.  They were playing Quantum of Solace (James Bond) at the time, so I watched that.  On board movies – another nice touch!  It was a great way to spend a few hours. After landing in Digby, as we were driving away from the dock the tour director pointed out the cages for a salmon farm that was just a short distance offshore.  We arrived at the Digby Pines Golf Resort at about 17:00.  We have previously chosen times for the included dinner and I had chosen 18:30 so I had enough time to have a short rest in the room and get cleaned up.
While I was waiting for my dinner time, I spent a few minutes exploring the hotel.  It’s a beautiful older style property with an old world elegance, and the hotel has a somewhat interesting history.  It was originaly built in 1905 by a businessman named Harry Churchill.  During WW-I it was used as a barracks for Army officers, and the famous movie star Theda Barra spent her honeymoon at Digby Pines in 1921.   The Canadian Pacific Railway replaced the original building with the present version in 1929, a building which approximates the design of a Norman Chateau.  The hotel is now owned by the Province of Nova Scotia, and operates as a seasonal tourist destination from about April to mid-October.
While in the Lobby I had a visit with a woman from Vancouver.  Her 82 year old husband had fallen and injured himself when they were hiking one of the nearby trails, so was being tended by hotel staff.  When I ventured out to the beautiful lower garden, I also chatted with a couple who were travelling with their dog.  They were from Studio City (California) and said they were thinking of moving to the Vancouver area.  I provided them with some information about the various cities in Vancouver and nearby cities and the Fraser Valley.  It would have been nice to stop for a drink in that wonderful setting overlooking the Annapolis Basin, but I only had time for a short visit before dinner.
We were provided a special dinner menu to order from which had a number of choices for appetizers, main course and desserts.  I decided on the Annapolis Greens salad, the “100 mile” chicken dinner and a Mousse for dessert, along with wine and coffee.  One glass of wine was provided but myself and a couple of others at my table ordered two glasses.
Although I probably should have taken a walk after that large dinner, I wanted to check my E-mail and get organized for tomorrow so went right back to the room.  Even though I'm just sitting on the coach on travel days, I find that I need a bit more rest.

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