Arrival in Hamilton

I made it to Hamilton and am making myself at home with my cousin Jane and her family. Angela took me to the bus station in Ottawa this morning. It was very busy with people trying to get away for the long weekend. My bus wasn't even from the Greyhound fleet as they had extra buses to cope with the volume of travellers. I didn't get my preferred window seat and the journey to Toronto felt very long. I read a bit, snacked a bit and looked at the scenery. It was always going to be tight to catch my onward bus to Hamilton but I did think for a while I'd miss it when we hit really bad traffic with about an hour left on the journey. 

I guess the schedule allows for these things as we actually arrived in on time. The Toronto bus station was quite confusing with so many people and some construction but I eventually found the right queue to join and the bus to Hamilton was quiet so I could stretch out. The traffic getting out of Toronto was horrendous so we ended up being half an hour late arriving at 6.30pm. I sent Jane a text and she was soon by to pick me up and drive me the short distance to her home.

David, her husband, Susan, her youngest daughter and Nancy, her mother in law were here to welcome me. We had supper then David and Susan went to pick up Emma and Catherine, their other two daughters from the airport. They've been catching up a lot this evening and I've been sat back relaxing. I'm not sure what the plans are over the weekend but I'm happy to just go with the flow.

Jane and David's house, Hamilton

 

Gatineau Park

For my last day in Ottawa we headed out and across the Ottawa River to Gatineau Park. The park is enormous, a lot bigger than it comes across on the maps I'd looked at prior to our visit. It took us a while to get there and we headed first to Pink Lake which had a great lookout point from which to admire the view. From there we still had quite a long drive through the park to get to the visitor centre. Sadly by the time we arrived it was raining heavily and our aim was to do some walking but we would have been soaked if we'd have stayed out in it for long and gotten cold as there was quite a chill in the air.

We had a very early lunch and headed further around the park in the hope that we could at least get out at some of the other lookout points marked on the map we'd picked up. We drove to the Champlain Lookout for great views of the Eardley Escarpment and Ottawa Valley. It stopped raining just after we got there so we took a walk around the 1.4km trail which gave further good views and plenty of opportunities to take in the autumnal colours and nature around us. Although the trail wasn't too long it was up and down a lot so took a while to walk.

We drove on and to the King Mountain Trail. This was said to be 2km long but felt much longer and wasn't an easy trail as it included a number of rocky passages and climbs up and down steep gradients.  Both trails featured a series of interpretive signs telling primarily about the ecology on show but neither were particularly well signposted and it did feel like we were almost off the trail at times. Again there were some fantastic views to be seen and a wide range of trees and plants growing around the mountain dependent on conditions in particular areas. That walk must have taken a good 50 minutes. 

We drove out of the park and back to Angela's apartment to have some tea and then to Osgoode to first see my cousin Kate's daughter Samantha who's in town for a few days (I'd not seen her since I was about 10 years old). We went around the corner to see my cousin Sarah and her sons, Colin and Michael and then back to Angela's apartment via the grocery store. 

My laundry has been done and we've had a good supper. We're both tired after all the exercise and fresh air and I need to finish packing including fitting the things into my bag that I left here on my previous visit. My bus leaves midway through the morning so it won't be a rushed start tomorrow.

With Angela at Pink Lake, Gatineau Park

Panoramic view from the Champlain Lookout, Gatineau Park

Black Lake, Gatineau Park

 

Back to Ottawa

I'm back in Ottawa after the short flight from Halifax. I woke before my alarm went off at 6am and had time for breakfast before leaving the hostel. I caught the shuttle bus as planned to the airport, was very quickly checked in and through security. I had plenty of time to get a coffee and use the free airport wifi. My plane left on time and I was lucky to have two seats to myself. I read for much of the 2 hour flight and enjoyed the complimentary drinks and snacks offered by the airline. Porter certainly offer much better service for the budget traveller than other more established companies. We landed about 15 minutes early and Angela was there to wait for me by the luggage carousel.

We drove the short distance back to her apartment, caught up and had some lunch then went to Hog's Back Park for a long walk. It was really good to stretch my legs as we wandered along the trails along the Rideau River to Vincent Massey Park and back again then over to the canal. We watched a boat go through the lock gates before walking along the canal, back over the river and back to the car. It rained a little when we were out but not too heavily and I did start to notice more autumnal colours which make things look quite pretty.

This evening I've been looking at what's on for my time in Toronto and we've been chatting a fair bit. It's nice to be able to put my feet up and relax and to plan the few days I have left of travelling alone once I've been to Hamilton and spent the Thanksgiving weekend with my cousin Jane and her family.

Point Pleasant Park, Galleries and the Maritime Museum

I've had a nice final day in Halifax. It was sunny again so I elected to go without a coat. I spent much of the morning in Point Pleasant Park. It wasn't too far a walk from the hostel passed some lovely big houses and once there I wandered around the various trails. My first sight was the Prince of Wales Tower and I came across several of the batteries all seemingly in different states of disrepair. I worked my way down to the coastline and walked alongside the ocean stopping only for a few photos. When I got to Black Rock Beach I found a bench and sat and read for a while.

I made my way back to the hostel via the bus terminal where I picked up a ticket for the airport shuttle bus. I could have saved money and taken a city bus to the airport but that would have meant a 20 minute hike across the city in the morning to get to the stop so convenience won out over cost on this occasion. Back at the hostel I had lunch and relaxed for a while. 

I wandered across the road to the small but interesting ViewPoint Gallery to see their current photography exhibit, went to a nearby record shop and a couple of other neat stores then walked all the way to the North End neighbourhood, through some less desirable looking parts and to the Angus L Macdonald Bridge. I didn't go up on the bridge instead making my way down towards the docks. I couldn't get that close to the water but did see a number of Navy ships. I walked along and found the Anna Leonowens Gallery, again quite small but hosting a diverse selection of art.

I went and sat at Grand Parade for a while then found a more sheltered spot closer to the water where I sat and read. It had clouded over and the wind made it feel a bit chilly. I went and got fish and chips from The Battered Fish stall on the waterfront. It was one of the best rated places I found online and it was very tasty with the fish particularly good. It wasn't exactly the same as the fish and chips we get back home but still worth it. I went and brought a locally printed t-shirt I'd spotted the other day and then went to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. It's free on Tuesday evenings and was worth checking out. I must have been in there for almost 2 hours and learnt a lot about the Halifax Explosion and the Titanic. They had exhibits on the War of 1812 and Shipwrecks as well as lots of general information about Canada's maritime history.

I've had a snack back at the hostel to use up some of the food I've brought rather than carrying it with me and am pretty much packed. I'll take a shower tonight and set my alarm for 6am to ensure I'm on the shuttle to the airport for my mid morning flight back to Ottawa.

Prince of Wales Tower, Point Pleasant Park

Halifax Memorial, Point Pleasant Park

Black Rock Beach, Point Pleasant Park

 

Walking Tour and Ferry to Dartmouth

It's been a much better day for tourism, lovely and sunny and warm enough that I didn't need to wear my jacket for much of the time. I was the last one out of bed in my room this morning but still not up particularly late. I took my time over breakfast then wandered down to the boardwalk, through the crowds of people coming off a recently docked cruise ship and found a guide for a free tour around the historic city. It wasn't as informative as some of the free tours I've been on but did give me some further knowledge of the city and its buildings.

The tour finished in Grand Parade where I visited Saint Paul's Anglican Church then walked down to the ferry terminal. I took the short ferry ride over to Dartmouth where I went to grab a coffee and an enormous (and very delicious) muffin at a coffee shop I'd seen recommended by a travel blogger. I had time to take a quick walk around the Common which gave good views of Halifax, a short look around Downtown then a walk through Ferry Terminal Park. I jumped on the ferry back to Halifax shortly before my transfer was due to expire and walked along the boardwalk stopping to sit in the sun and read for a while.

I headed back to the hostel to freshen up then went out to meet Emma and Catherine, my cousin Jane's daughters. We went for an early dinner at Darrell's which is very close to the hostel and university. I was advised to try the peanut butter burger and whilst it shouldn't work it does being absolutely delicious. It was an enjoyable meal and great to catch up with both of them and I'll be seeing them again shortly when I'm in Hamilton for Thanksgiving. 

I've been for an hour walk this evening. There are loads of bars and restaurants around the city but all quite quiet. I guess it is Monday night so shouldn't have expected much. I grabbed a bottle of soda and headed back to the hostel to put my feet up, write this blog entry and figure out what I should do on my final day here.

City Hall

Panoramic view of Halifax from the ferry

Ferry and Angus L Macdonald Bridge

 

 

Football and Exploring Halifax

It's been a stop start day. I had slept well, got up reasonably early and made myself breakfast as the hostel doesn't provide it. I did however take advantage of their free coffee to wake me up properly. I walked a couple of blocks to check the bar was open for me to watch the football at and as I had a little time to kill before kick off walked around the block before heading back there. The bar, Niche Lounge was more like a restaurant and there were a few people in there having breakfast. They had the game on at the back and it was just me and one other guy watching. We had a sofa and big screen TV each so it was comfortable although the service very poor. It was a frustrating game which we lost 2-0 to Chelsea.

After that I came back to the hostel for a quick snack as by then it was lunchtime. I went back out and had a look around the Old Burying Ground and Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica which was quite plain inside except for its fantastic stained glass windows. I walked from there to the Public Gardens and enjoyed a lengthy stroll around them. I was surprised just how colourful they still were with lots of flowers in bloom. I walked from there up Citadel Hill. I didn't go inside the Citadel itself but did walk all the way around the perimeter which gave some good views of the city. I heard a bagpiper inside and it was very strange hearing this tune being played without being able to identify exactly where it was coming from. I walked on and through Camp Hill Cemetery. I noticed many of the headstones were very simple just bearing the deceased's surname on one side, further details on the reserve. Maybe a style from a certain period in time.

Whilst I was walking to the cemetery it started to rain. It was light at first but soon got heavier so I had to get indoors to avoid a soaking. Luckily I was close to Dalhousie University and quickly managed to locate the Dalhousie Art Gallery. The exhibition there was small but worth looking around. When I came out it was raining even more heavily so I marched straight on down to the hostel to get in the dry and to have a cup of tea.

I sat around the hostel for a short time watching all the Arsenal Fan TV videos on Youtube then went back to the Basilica for their evening mass. The two times I've been to church on this trip have both been on very rainy days (the other time was in Baltimore). I wanted to go and eat out at the Lower Deck, a bar recommend to me where they have bands playing. I walked to the bar and by that time the heavy rain had changed to drizzle which made for a fine mist. However the bar wasn't doing food due to a private function and the band weren't starting until late. I was feeling tired and whilst I did look for other places to eat didn't spot anywhere which looked particularly appealing on a foul night so found myself back at the supermarket grabbing something I could quickly cook back at the hostel.

It has now stopped raining and the forecast for the next couple of days looks better so hopefully I'll be keeping dry as I venture around Halifax during the remainder of my time here.

Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica

Standing guard, Halifax Citadel

The Old Town Clock

 

Arrival in Halifax

The day started very early. I didn't sleep particularly well partly on account of my very sore legs from all the cycling yesterday. I woke before my alarm, threw my final bits and pieces in my bag and had the breakfast the hostel had kindly put aside for me. It was an overcast and chilly day so it seemed I was leaving at the right time. I was asleep almost as soon as I got on the bus and slept for about an hour and a half nearly until I had to change buses. The bus arrived in Halifax just after 1.30pm, a little late but not by much. I took my time at the station here grabbing a couple of maps before the very short walk to the hostel.

By the time I was checked in at my hostel and ready to head out it was 3pm and drizzling quite heavily. It was very windy too although not especially cold. I walked first to the Farmers Market then along the boardwalk to the tourist information centre. I walked a fair way along the seafront then up and back along Barrington Street where the hostel is located. I went in a few shops, stopped for a cup of tea, found a bar to hopefully watch the football tomorrow and then went back down to the station to ask about shuttle buses to the airport. I went to the supermarket right by the station, walked around part of the Dalhousie Sexton campus then back to the hostel. It had dried up midway through my walk and was quite pleasant given we're now in autumn. The kitchen was very busy but I found space to cook myself a nice meal.

The location of the hostel seems very good. There's plenty going on in this area and looking at the map I can see many of the sights are nearby. I've had some recommendations of things to do from Emma, my cousin Jane's daughter who's at university here. I'm exhausted so won't do anything tonight but review the maps and information I've picked up. I plan to be in full on tourist mode tomorrow after watching the football in the morning.

HI Hostel, Halifax

Georges Island

The Wave

 

Cycling PEI and Bowling

I was going to write what a frustrating day it had been but it has redeemed itself somewhat this evening. I needed to get further around PEI so decided to rent a bike from the hostel. First I collected a cycle route map and some advice from the tourist information centre then came back for the bike and mandatory helmet. I set off shortly after 10am with my aim to ride part of the Confederation Trail. The weather was perfect for it with barely a cloud in the sky, a light breeze and a little of the cool side. I thought it better than riding around on the roads (although there are many cycle lanes) and though there might be some things to see along the way. What I found was a lovely trail to ride but absolutly nothing to see just field after field and lots of trees. All the places I past though on the map were tiny, just a few houses, there was little signage and virtually no toilets let alone anywhere to buy something to eat. I rode much further than I should in hope that things might change and ended up going all the way to Mount Stewart over 20 miles away. I thought I could see an alternative route back on the map but it turned out to be along some big looking roads and quite hilly (the trail was at least generally flat) so I simple turned around and headed back. I did try to go to Tracadie Bay which looked like it was just off the trail but once again found it meant riding on some big roads and I was not happy doing that without a designated cycle lane.

I eventually make it back to the Charlottetown in the late afternoon and went straight to the supermarket. I wanted to pick up food for my journey tomorrow but was also staving having not found anywhere en route to pick up anything for lunch. Thatkfully I at least had my water bottle with me though. I ate as soon as I walked out of the supermarket then came back to the hostel for a cup of tea and a rest.

Being a glutton for punishment and having not seen the sights I had expected I went out on the bike again for about an hour and headed west through Victoria Park and over to the North (Yorke) River shore and over to Lewis Point. There was not much to see that way either but at least I saw what there was to offer including some very nice property on the shorefront. I was racing back to the hostel as the light was running out and got back just before 7pm. I had a little rest in the garage which has been converted into an extra common room with a pool table and music system then came in to cook and eat.

Levi, the hostel owner invited me along with him, Sina, his girlfriend and her father to go 5 pin bowling close to the hostel. Marie, one of the hostel workers came too and it made for a very fun evening. We had three games and only had to pay for shoe hire. I found it easier than 10 pin bowling and was slightly better at it as a result.

I really need to shower tonight, pack my things and set my alarm as I have to wake up early to get the bus to Halifax via a change in Amherst. I should sleep well tonight and hopefully on the bus too. Fingers crossed I am not too sore after all the exercise I have had here.

Hillsborough River

Brighton Beach Range Rear Lighthouse



Levi bowling

 

Exploring Charlottetown

I've had a day of walking. I slept very well but as usual on this trip woke up early and was one of the first people down for breakfast. I spent quite some time eating and chatting including having several pieces of the lovely banana bread on offer. When I was ready I walked down to the nearby tourist information office. It was a lovely day with bright sunshine but with a bit of a chill in the air. The tourist information didn't have anything extra for me so I walked on stopping first at Saint Dunstan's Basilica then on to Province House to learn something about the history of Prince Edward Island and Charlottetown's place in the formation of the Confederation. I walked on towards Victoria Park going past Beaconsfield Historic House and Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island. I walked along the boardwalk past Prince Edward Battery and all the way along to Brighton Beach Range Lighthouse.

I walked back through the park towards the centre of town. There I visited the Confederation Centre Art Gallery. It was small but hosted a whole variety of Canadian art. From there I went down to the seafront walking around Peake's Quay and Confederation Landing Park. I wandered back into the town centre and around the shops then back to the hostel.

I was glad to be off my feet for a while and it had clouded over a little in the middle of the afternoon. I did go back out and over to Victoria Park again late in the afternoon but went the most direct route from the hostel as my legs didn't feel like walking too much further. I came back to the hostel shortly before it got dark, cooked and ate and chatted (me mainly listening) with the few guests and workers who were around. There are a lot of new arrivals today and the place is full up tonight. I'm tired so don't plan to do anything much for the rest of the evening. I did a lot more walking than I thought during the day as I seem to have covered ever street across the town centre at least once. I'll try and venture further afield on the island tomorrow.

Saint Dunstan's Basilica

Government House

Brighton Beach Range Front Lighthouse

Moncton Audio Tour and Travel to Charlottetown

It feels like it's been a long day. I started at a slow pace with a leisurely breakfast then checked out of the hostel before the 10.30am deadline. I was able to leave my bag there as I went to explore further around the town using a Hertitage iTour I'd downloaded. I managed to get around all 30 of the sights in just over an hour. I'd actually passed them all previously but not noted many of the buildings and to get some of the history behind them was interesting. I stopped back at the hostel to have a snack then headed down to the station for my bus.

I had an hour bus ride to Amherst then changed to a smaller bus for the two hour ride to Charlottetown. I couldn't relax on the first bus and the second was quite noisy with a couple of people talking to the driver the whole way. It was like they saw him as their private tour guide. I did manage to read for a bit on the second bus then when we crossed over to Prince Edward Island I spent my time looking at the scenery. The Confederation Bridge is quite something to drive over as it just goes on and on. The island itself is very pretty. As we got closer to town the sun started to shine after what had been a gloomy day otherwise which helped enhance the views. The bus arrived about 20 minutes late and it took me 15 minutes to march to the hostel. As soon as I'd checked in I was logged into their wifi for an update on the Arsenal score as I'd been unable to follow the game during my day's travels. It was with much joy and relief that I saw we'd won 4-1 against Galatasaray. I need to find some highlights online and watch all the Arsenal Fan TV videos on Youtube to see the reaction to our performance.

I went for a power walk over to Victoria Park but got there just too late to see the sun set. It was a good walk though and I know I'm well located and where the main centre is for when I go out exploring tomorrow. I cooked and ate at the hostel using food I had left over from Moncton and have sat chatting to some of the staff members and other guests. It really is a very friendly little hostel, even friendlier I think than the one in Moncton and there seem to be a good, diverse mix of people working and staying here. Hopefully that makes for a more interesting stay.



Moncton trash cans

Transcript Building

HI Hostel, Charlottetown