Monthly Archives: August 2011

Brier Island … Something you Simply Should Not Miss

Posted by KiwiKaboodle on 25 August 2011 Comments Off

I know, I know. This was first meant to be a blog about why you should stay with us in our hostel. It then morphed into a blog about why you should stay in Lunenburg County … well, today I’m just going to go right ahead and smash down that final barrier and say you should visit Nova Scotia! Because today (well, yesterday) we spent the day in Brier Island, and I can’t even begin to explain what an incredible experience it was.

It was our intention to get up super-early and get going, however with garbage day and visitors in the hostel we didn’t end up getting away until nearly 9am. Still, we made it to the Island by noon, and even stopped a couple times on the way.

The drive through the middle of the province was winding and lovely — if we were going to take it easy we would have checked into Caledonia House Hostel for the night and spent the day in Kejimkujik National Park. Sharon & Dan run that backpackers hostel, and they are lovely hosts … and so close to Keji! It would have been perfect. Sadly, we are on a pretty tight budget for time, as there were people staying in the hostel, so we just plodded on passing through so many quaint little communities – I really would have loved to have stopped. We stopped briefly in Digby to grab some motion sickness pills for our 4 and 9 year olds, and a quick bite to eat from Timmies (yup – there’s a Tim Hortons pretty much everywhere) and then on to the first of two ferry rides.

The first took us to Long Island (… pity we couldn’t stop for an ice tea :) ). The boat ride was super quick, and Long Island was lovely. Little homes dotted here and there, the balancing rock (well worth the hike to see), shops, a school, cafe … a busy little island which we didn’t really have time to stop here though because our final destination was Brier Island, and we were hightailing it. The second ferry took a bit longer (like 7 minutes instead of 5) and we were there.

The first thing I saw was a local riding his lawn tractor down the road. Lawn tractors, 4-wheelers, golf carts … part of the regular flow of traffic on Brier Island. I was instantly in love. With the Island, not the local.

Our first stop was at Brier Island Backpackers to see Wally & Joyce. What an incredible hostel they have there. Colourful rooms, huge big kitchen & common room .. and the view? Absolutely breathtaking! Gorgeous!!

There was no time for chitchat, though, as Wally & Joyce bundled us up in the special wet-weather-flotation-gear and packed us into their zodiac. We practically flew out into the open ocean … and there? It happened.

Whoosh! A big spray of water up into the air and seconds later WOW the stinkiest smell … whale breath (glad I didn’t have to kiss one!). We found a whale who did some lovely dives for us. We sat and watched for a while and them zoom! We were off again and .. wonder of all wonders .. found a mother and her calf. Whale, not cow. We’re in the middle of the ocean, right? It was absolutely magnificent. They put on such a show for us – swimming along the top of the water for ages, blowing, rolling over, diving and showing us their massive great tails and, la pièce de résistance, the full breach. Two times. Seriously. If you haven’t seen it, you haven’t breathed.

Our three hours on the water passed far too quickly and we headed back (mostly, I think, because our 4-year old had had enough). We visited the lighthouse and the stunning beach. Ah! There was so much unexplored but we were running out of time :( . We had a delicious dinner at the Cafe there next to the Hostel — truly delicious: fried and yet completely ungreasy fish & chips. We met a very cool little puppy named Seven and Wally gave some dog treats to the kids to feed the sweet little guy. We watched a man drive his lawn tractor to the gas station and fill up with $1.87 gas and then drive off back home again. We caught the 7:25pm ferry to Long Island and began the treck back home. We got home at around 11pm.

So yes, please, come to Lunenburg and stay with us at our hostel where we have campfires and marshmallows every night the stars are out, and we are as relaxed and comfy and friendly as can be. Do it, because you’ll love it here. And it’s cheap .. even better, right?

But if you’re coming to Nova Scotia you simply have to make the trip to Brier Island. And if you’re coming to Nova Scotia and planning to go whale watching? Don’t do it from anywhere else. Brier Island is right there .. right at the open ocean. The Atlantic is surrounding you — it’s only a quick drive. You get to spend all your time watching one of the greatest creatures on earth. And if you’re going to Brier Island, you’ve got to stay at the hostel there. I mean, there’s an “upper class” lodge you can stay at of course. Which, I am sure, is incredible. But seriously – why go to Brier Island and not spend the night? It isn’t a day trip — there’s too much to see and do. Me? I could live there quite happily. But it’s worth at LEAST one night, but more likely two or three. It’s heaven!

What an Amazing Ride

Posted by KiwiKaboodle on 23 August 2011 Comments Off

Summer has been such an incredible one. It’s been quite perfect for me, because I’m someone who loves a bit of sunny hot weather to be followed by a bit of cool rain, and then more hot sun. We’ve certainly had more rain this summer than I ever remember, but so many hot sunny days mixed in it’s been the perfect combination. The farmers’ markets will be overflowing with fresh produce, and if you’re into eating meat then all those grass fed animals being sold will be chubby and absolutely delicious.

Summer is quickly coming to its end, and my regular old life is waiting for me just over the next Waxing Gibbous. Autumn is my absolutely favorite season of all —- the gloriously warm & sunny days; the cool, crips nights; the storms, when they come, are big & powerful; the leaves start changing … our whole world finishes and comes to a close, and who knows what the next season will bring. Anticipation of lots of snow for tobogganing; dread of all the many snowsuit days; the happy fire crackling each and every night in the woodstove to keep us toasty & warm …. and a regimented life where I know I can find time to write here, each and every day.

I’m thinking big changes are on their way — hopefully for the better.

Now hasn’t this been an odd little blog about Lunenburg and Mahone Bay ….

Our little hostel has been having a little campfire each and every night (when it isn’t raining) — marshmallows and homemade roasting sticks. Sometimes the kids join in for a while, sometimes not… their bedtime is fairly early, though, so most of the night is yours.

… And our toilet garden is blooming magnificently… now which of you isn’t filled with curiousity over THAT little statement ?? .. why not come see it for yourself

Top 10 Getaway? You BET we are!!!

Posted by KiwiKaboodle on 8 August 2011 Comments Off

So you think Lunenburg is out in the boonies? Nobody’s heard of it?? Take a look at this website (http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/2011/08/top-ten-getaways-for-parents/) … cheap flights .co.uk have Lunenburg as their second top getaway for parents … and that’s not some namby-pampy Nova Scotian company trying to get people here, they’re in the UK. You want to know one reason I have always thought Nova Scotia is an excellent getaway for Europeans? The flight from London is about 5 hours. Seat sales can get you here for practically nothing, and once you get here your money is worth so much more than ours it’s a dream … and that’s before you take into account how much cheaper everything is here anyway! Seriously: Nova Scotia is a great cheap vacation idea if you’re sitting in Europe wanting to do something completely different. Cheap direct flight from London – who could ask for more?

Cheap Flights are actually suggesting you leave the kids behind with the grandparents and come away for a romantic trip away. We have spas — three of them — and you can get all the pampering you want. Romantic places to dine, live music, so much for couples wanting a quiet break.

The only issue I take with the top 10 listing is that this area isn’t just for parents wanting a trip away without the kiddies – it’s kid friendly too. My kids love it here, and we LIVE here.

Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot…

Posted by KiwiKaboodle on 2 August 2011 3 comments

we’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.

So it seems I can hardly avoid the weather. It’s sticking its nose into my business every time I turn around, so I feel it is crying out for some attention. Not just the idle chitchat you hear from people – tourists and locals alike – but some serious, written in cyberstone attention that will remain, forevermore, in cyberspace.

Nova Scotia is a peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean. For anyone who knows anything about the ocean, you’ll be saying “Ahhh. Okay, I get it.” For those of you with less oceanic experience, let me just say that while weather changes everywhere all the time, coastal areas are ever so much much more prone to the changes, because that ocean is having a huge impact on our weather. And boy, she changes a lot around here!

Nova Scotia (and other chilly coastal areas) are quite famous for their remarkable colours in autumn. It’s .. well … impossible to explain. And as much as the colours are gobstopping here, up in Cape Breton is it even more so. One of the things affecting our beautiful colours is our changeable weather. From hot to cold, wet to dry. All of this is being registered by the tree and once we get that rain in September where the air just feels different afterward? That’s when the trees start their song. It builds slowly with the voice of one, lone, red maple leaf (why red? why maple? Because that’s what occured to me. I don’t actually claim to know which leaf turns what colour first.). The tune quickly spreads and to the red song come the yellow and orange harmonies. And then .. huzzah! Our whole arboribus world sings a heartstopping song … I’m off topic again, aren’t I. It’s like an addiction with me.

So yes, our weather is ever-changing. Sometimes you need a sweater in August. Sometimes people are playing golf over the Christmas holidays. No question but that you’ll need a raincoat in Spring … not that it’ll rain every day (although it kind of felt that way this year), but it will rain. And it might rain in summer as well. And autumn. And winter. You might get hail. Hurricanes (not like the kind down south, just our milder & gentler version). Snow. Fog .. ahh definitely some fog which is perhaps one of my favorite kinds of weather… it’s so mysterious, don’t you think? Adds to the whole pirate, ghost, haunted feeling I’m always looking for and finding fairly often when I can be bothered to look hard enough.

Despite the bad rap our weather gets, we also get gloriously hot and sunny days where people are complaining because it’s just too darn hot. 35 degrees (100 for all of you south of the border) is not at all uncommon, and it gets hotter than that as well, although not regularly (thank goodness).

Our backpacker hostel is on a well, which it shares with our house and a little cottage we rent out year-round. The rain is good for us. I’m always happy to see it, so long as I get a sunny day as well. Which we do. But that’s my purely selfish reason for liking the rain.

If it rains while you’re on vacation, all that means is that you have a day to look around the museums and art galleries without having to be distracted by the call of the sun .. calling you to one of our numerous beaches .. to the park .. to the back deck (if laying in the sun is what you’re into) .. to the campground. Tomorrow that bit of rain will look like a whole new world: the trees, plants and flowers will all be bursting with green .. looking lush and lively (say that 10 times fast!). The bird poop on the picnic table today will be washed away tomorrow, so you can sit down and enjoy a feed without fear that your child will think it’s a yoghurt covered raisin and pop it into his or her mouth. The veggies that our local farmers are growing and hoping to sell at the Farmers’ Markets will take a huge leap in growth so that instead of one bag of fresh beans you can buy 2 .. plus peas, carrots and some new spuds. All because of rain.

I know you want your holiday to be perfect, but really: Nova Scotia is all about changing weather. It’s part of what makes us .. us. If you got absolutely no rain or fog or storms or anything but sun when you were here, could you really say you experienced Nova Scotia?

A little bit of rain never hurt anyone … and summer rain is when you can run outside naked (okay, I guess we aren’t quite that liberal minded in these parts ..) you can run outside in your bathing suit and get a good soaking straight from the clouds. Remember doing that when you were a kid? Do it again on your holiday. Really. You’ll feel 15 again.