Happy New Year

 

Hi everyone

Well, another year is coming to an end and what a great one it has been for us. We sure hope you too can look back on lots of fun, happiness, success and hopefully good health.

As you know we have been on the road for the past six months and covered quiet some distance exploring the east cost of Canada. Then, after a "detour" through the New England states it was back to our old home on Lake Nipissing for a short visit before we headed south for the winter. We had such a good time and have seen so many beautiful things and met many wonderful people along the way. We explored some new foods while tasting the local cuisine and are looking forward to having a lot of our favorite, seafood, while here in Florida. Traveling has been all we had expected it to be and even more. There is so much to be learned about Canada's history, geography and the people who make this wonderful country what it is.

Of all the great memories of 2012 our respective trips to Switzerland and visits with our families and Alice's stay with us still are the most precious ones. Although we try to make it over there as often as we can, time between visits is still very long and we are already looking forward to the next time we will see them all again.

Now we will spend some time in the warmth of Florida and making plans for 2013. Our trip has just only begun and we still have so much to see and explore. The options are many and we will keep you posted as our plans progress and certainly when we hit the road again come spring. Until then we wish you, your families and friends a very

HAPPY, HEALTHY, FUN-FILLED and SUCCESSFUL 2013

André and Sue

@ home on the road

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Settling in for the winter

Hi everyone

It's been a while since our last blog and lots has happened since then. We had Alice, André's mom, visiting us for four weeks. It was a wonderful time as we took her on a small tour of the south of the United States. Though we mostly visited places we had been to before, it was interesting for us as well. First of all some of those places have changed a lot since we've last seen them. And secondly Alice's comments and questions gave us a different perspective of them, too. We did enjoy the trip big time.

We started out in Florida, Fort Lauderdale to be precise, drove all the way up to Georgia and over to New Orleans. Then we returned to Florida and Rock Crusher Canyon RV Park in Crystal River where we will spend the winter. Along the way we made day-trips and stops at Key West, Cape Canaveral, Daytona Beach, Apalachicola, Avery Island and, of course, New Orleans to name just some. We tasted the local foods and took in the local sights. We went on an air-boat ride and a cruise on the Mississippi river, visited wildlife parks and cotton fields, the homes of Tabasco Sauce and space travel. It was a lot to take in for Alice and so we also spent a few days doing nothing much and got her to help us wash our fifth wheel. The four weeks passed so fast and soon it was time for her and Sue to fly to Switzerland, where Sue spent a week visiting our families over there.

Before they left we had already done some leaf raking at our camp site and André had begun to clear out dead palm leafs. All around it looks like people here at the campground take great pride in well maintaining their sites. We got into the spirit as well and have to say, it looks so much better, once all the dead leafs are gone. The seasonals here are also preparing for Christmas and one doesn't have to go far to find decorated trailers, motorcycles and even golf carts. There even is a contest going on which will, by popular vote, award the best decoration in those three categories.

So we are settling in for the winter and it will be very special this year. Never before did we sit outside in shorts, t-shirts and sandals less than a week before Christmas. There will be no snow, and of course no shoveling, no coming in from the cold and huddling in front of the fireplace to warm up and it is kind of hard to even think of Christmas. Especially Sue, who just loves all things Christmas-lights, was kind of envious of the displays on other camp sites. But the sensible reasoning is not to spend a whole lot of money for something like an inflatable Santa which can only be used for a short time and will then take up precious storage space in our fifth wheel for the rest of the year. Besides, inflatables are not really our style. None the less Sue would really have loved some kind of decorations and so she was over the top when she came back from Switzerland and found out what André had done during her absence: there were solar tiki torches marking the entrance to our site, solar lights from there to the fifth wheel, two bird-feeders and a gorgeous flower display adorned with palm leafs and moss. Inside the fifth wheel Sue found a cute rosemary-tree lovingly decorated as our Christmas tree. There also is a clover spiked orange which, together with the rosemary-tree gives off a very nice, seasonal smell. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas here in Florida.

In this sense we wish all of you a
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Company is here

Hi everyone

As you know from my last blog, André flew over to Switzerland to visit with our families and fetch his mom. Alice has arrived here with him 6 days ago and we have been having a blast ever since. Not that we don't have a great time without her here. As a matter of fact we are both loving retirement better and better by the day. Fact is, my mother in law is a real sweetheart. She loves traveling and does a lot of it by herself back in Europe. With her every day is an adventure whether we plan on doing something or just hanging around making it a "relaxation day". And we laugh a lot. You wouldn't believe the things she comes up with. Sometimes it's because her mother tongue is French and even after all those years in the German speaking part of Switzerland she still has her own way of expressing herself. Let's just say she thinks in French and speaks in Swiss-German - translation on the go by Alice. Sometimes it's just her quick wit that makes us laugh or leaves us speechless. Bottom line is, we are enjoying her company big time.

The whole thing of André flying over to get her was an adventure in itself. At least for him. First Hurricane Sandy caused New York to shut down so both his flights (Miami to N.Y. and N.Y. to Zurich) were cancelled. The earliest plane he could catch was 3 days later which shortened his stay in Switzerland considerably if one takes into account that he had originally planned to stay just 7 days. Then their flights back (Zurich to N.Y. and N.Y. to Miami) also got cancelled because another storm shut N.Y. down again. They found that out the morning they were supposed to leave. Luckily they got seats on a different carrier and arrived here from Zurich via London England and then directly to Miami. Let's hope that we won't have similar problems in December when Sue will bring Alice home and visits with our relatives over there. Delaying Sue's flight back could bring her into the per-Christmas travel mess.

Anyhow, since their arrival here we have visited a flamingo and wildlife park and a large shopping mall. This was kind of a day off to adjust to the climate and time difference. The next day we made a trip down to Key West and on the day after that we took Alice for an air-boat ride to see alligators. We didn't see alligators, at least not in the wild but the air boat ride itself was worth doing. Sunday we did nothing but relaxing and going to the pool and then, on Monday, Alice got her first taste of what it is like to pack up, pull our home on wheels to a new location and setting up again. This was yesterday. We also drove to the beach in Daytona, surely a must for a first-time US east coast traveler. Today the Kennedy Space Center was our destination and once again Alice was impressed with what she has seen. We have been here before but it's been a while and we, too were impressed.

Our travel plans for the next 3 weeks will bring us further north and west and include stops in Nashville, Lynchburg Tennessee, Avery Island Louisiana and of course New Orleans, among others. So please stay tuned, we would love to tell you about our travels with Alice.

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Winter destination

Hi everyone

After having spent a good 2 weeks back in North Bay, we have taken to the road again. The destination: Florida where we will spend the winter. But first we had to make a stop at Sicard RVs where the maintenance department took care of some warranty work on our fifth wheel. They were absolutely great, taking us in the next day and getting things done in a very short time. We were able to cross the border the same afternoon and drove to a nice campground for the night.

The next day we started our trip south and arrived in south Georgia on October 21st. There we stayed at a Golf and Country Club and RV Resort. Sounds very expensive but was not. With our Passport America membership we paid less than $20 per night and that included free golfing. Now we had never golfed before but took the opportunity to try it out. Two of their members not only lent us some clubs but also gave us a one-on-one lesson so we would get off on the right foot. We had so much fun that we decided to give the sport a go and went to get our own clubs and stuff. We also added three more nights to the two we had originally booked and Sue picked up a new web site. She is now working on it and will have it finished as soon as she gets the information and pictures required. The site is for a BBQ competition Team and caterer. They have won first place in all categories in the past and are now preparing for the 2013 season.

Our next stop was in Crystal River at the exact campground where we will spend four months starting December 1st. They even put us on the exact site we will have. We stayed there for three nights and then continued to Fort Lauderdale where we will remain until November 12th. This will give André's mom a few days before we start traveling with her. She will arrive in Florida on the 7th and stay with us for four weeks. What route we will take with her we don't know exactly yet but we will be back in Crystal River for her last four nights.

So much for today. Take care

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

On our way back

Hi everyone

Yes, we are on our way back to Ontario and with that the first part of our trip is coming to an end. But that doesn't mean that we're done criss-crossing Canadian and US roads. It simply means that we will see our friends in Northern Ontario and take care of a few things before heading out again.

Traveling the way we did the last few months has been a learning experience. Not only with regards to history and geography but also as a new way of living. When we first moved to Canada we made a major change to our lifestyle and we just did that again. Not that we are sorry we did it. No way! We love it. But living in a fifth wheel full time, learning the ins and outs of camping (I guess we can't really claim to be roughing it), planing routes and other things can be challenging. One might think we now have all the time in the world which is true in a way. But we have come to understand that there is no such thing as too much time. There hardly is enough. We packed the most possible in every day until we reached an information overload a while back. So we had to cut back a little on what we wanted to do and see. Enthusiasm is great but we came to realize, that one has to take one's time, too or risk not seeing the forest for all the trees anymore. Good thing we have the opportunity to simply take it a bit slower as we don't really have any time restrictions. We are temporarily retired so to speak. Which brings me to another (kind of funny) realization: we are now the ones, one has to make an appointment with to meet. I used to joke about that after my dad retired and all of a sudden it wasn't so easy anymore to just meet with him for a beer. Oh no! If I wanted to do that, I better called ahead to make sure I would catch him. This seems to be a phenomena with retired people and now with us, too.

Anyhow, we did change our route and that took care of the "problem". Now we will spend a few days in our old stumping grounds and are really looking forward to seeing our friends. We will also have to take care of a few things and plan the next part of our trip before heading out again. This time the planing has another focus. We are more concerned with weather and temperatures as winter is just around the corner than with sightseeing destinations. Of course we want to spend the winter months in a nice location or nice locations. However, considerations for the climate will outweigh those for area attractions. There might not be many snow birds amongst you, our readers, who know what goes into the planning of the first winter on the road. But try to put yourselves in our shoes. How does one choose a campground or resort for a whole season? There are so many that comparing them seems impossible. Are we looking in the right places, on the right web sites? How do we narrow it down? What do we really have to have and what would be nice to have? What are we willing to "sacrifice" for a better price or what are our priorities anyway?

We've been looking at some web sites and to tell the truth, I was a bit overwhelmed with all the possibilities. Good thing that André keeps calm in such situations. I am so glad for that and confident, that we will pick a place we will be happy at. The decision has to be made shortly though as we don't have any idea or experience on how soon campgrounds in the south book up for the winter months. At the moment Florida looks very tempting. We will let you know in due time.

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Stranded in Pennsylvania

Hi everyone

It's been a while since our last blog which came to you from New Brunswick, Canada. Since then we have crossed the border into the United States and spend a wonderful time with our friends in Massachusetts. We didn't do any sight seeing since we had been there several times before and just wanted to spend some time with them, catching up. It had been way too long since we've last seen each other. So we did greatly enjoy our time with them. But all good things must come to an end and so we finally drove on on our way to Michigan where we will see more friends.

After a very long drive (somehow we did underestimate the distance when looking at the map) we stopped at a very nice campground in Pennsylvania. While talking to our host we found out that an about 2 hours drive away, in Hershey (yep, where the famous Hershey Kisses come from) the "biggest RV show in America" was opening its doors the next day. So we added a night and took a day-trip down there. It was very impressive and we got some information regarding some parts for our fifth wheel we're still looking for as well as on long-term camping in the South. After all that's where we plan on spending the winter.

Then it was on to a new destination which unfortunately we never reached. Sue needed to use the facilities and so André stopped, let her out and then drove around the parking lot to turn the rig around. Where he had stopped, there now was a puddle on the ground and getting out to investigate he found the problem: our truck was leaking cooling-fluid like a sieve! Now, it's one thing to have roadside assistance tow the truck but we could not find anybody who could haul our fifth wheel away. And the flat bed was just long enough to load our truck.

So we are stranded on a truck stop in the middle of Pennsylvania. By now we found out that the garage needs to order a part which will arrive Monday earliest. The whole thing happened on Thursday. We also got the phone number of a customer of the gas station where we broke down who has a fifth wheel himself and who might be willing to tow us to a campground in Du Bois where the garage is, some 60 km from here. He is at work right now but we will find out if he can give us a tow later today. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

A thing or two about tides

Hi everyone

as you remember from our last post, we are on our way to Massachusetts to see friends before heading back to Ontario. Along the way we came through Truro, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and we couldn't resist to go see two really interesting sights with regards to tides: the tidal bore in Truro and the world's highest tides here in Hopewell Cape.

A tidal bore is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) of water that travels up a river or narrow bay against the direction of the river or bay's current. It can be just a very small wave, no more than a few inches or a bigger one. The one in Truro is not huge but big enough to clearly see it coming and what's impressive, is the speed with which it moves and fills the riverbed. In order to give you an impression of what we've seen we have included two pictures which were taken only about 20 Minutes apart. In the second picture the water is actually a few feet deep.

Our next stop was in Hopewell Cape in New Brunswick where one can witness the world's highest tides. The difference between low and high can be as much as 14 meters (46b feet). On the evening of August 31 we were down there walking on the ocean floor and the next day around noon we returned to see the same rock formations at high tide. It wasn't the highest possible that day. According to a park ranger it reached "only" 13 meters (43 feet) and left a small gap in the arch between two rocks. This can hardly be seen on our pictures but nevertheless they give an idea of the change. We were awed by this display of nature and will not forget looking down to where the night before we were walking and now there was several meters of water.

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Nova Scotia

Hi everyone

Our stay on "the rock" came to an end after 3 more nights near Port-aux-Basques. We had to wait for our ride on the ferry and enjoyed the hospitality of Newfoundland at a beautiful campground about 40 minutes from the ferry terminal. Some sight seeing brought us to a fishing harbour where we, once again, got ourselves fresh cod. Then it was time to say goodbye to this wonderful province and set sail for Nova Scotia. The trip took only 5 hours since we had calm seas. It started kind of early though. We had a reservation for the 11:30 a.m. departure but received an e-mail telling us that we had been moved up to an earlier crossing which left Port-aux-Basques at 6:45 a.m. Since we had to be at the ship 2 hours prior to departure, that meant getting up at 3 a.m.

Once in Nova Scotia we drove up to Cheticamp where we visited friends and spent two nights. Originally we had planed a 3-night stay but the campground was booked up for the weekend. So we made the best of the time we had. Besides seeing our friends a day-trip along parts of the world famous Cabot Trail and tasting the Arcadian food were the other two highlights of our short stay. We then continued to Louisbourg

where we visited the fortress and lighthouse as well as the Miners Museum and Marconi in Glace Bay. All these visits once again offered us a tremendous amount of information on the history of this fabulous country. We were very impressed especially with the Fortress of Louisbourg and the Miners Museum with a underground tour guided by Sheldon who has himself been a coal miner for 32 years. Like so many times before we learned things we had had no idea about and which are so much part of Canada and Canadians.

After our return to the fifth wheel after seeing the Miners Museum and the Marconi we both came to admit that we have reached the point of information / history overload. We decided to change our travel plans a bit to "take a break" from seeing more historic sites and let sink in what we've seen and learned so far. It would be a shame to just rush through the exhibits which have been built with so much care and thought. Instead of just going "trough the motions" and not absorbing all the information, we will travel down to the US for some time before heading back to North Bay in October. We have friends in Merimac, Massachusetts whom we haven't seen in years and we are looking forward to spending a few days with them. We will take our time driving there and after a rainy day on the road, our first stop along the way is near Truro, Nova Scotia. Here we will stay for 3 nights and do some (last) sightseeing for the time being. This will include a trip to Halifax. After that we will add Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island to our Bucket List.

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Corner Brooks

Hi everyone

After leaving beautiful St. John's we drove to Botwood where we found the nicest campground so far. Nice, big sites with trees offering shade and privacy from the sites left and right. A creek is running the property and we were told that, when the water level is right, one can find and catch salmon right there. The owners are very nice and they told us that they bought the place 5 years ago when it was somewhat run down and have been working on upgrading it every summer since. And they do a great job. We can only recommend Shanawdithit Campground and RV Park.
Anyways, the campground wasn't the reason for our stop in Botwood. We came here to see if our friends were back from P.E.I. On the way to St. John's we had called them because we wanted to go say hi to them. They have moved to Newfoundland after they retired and bought a nice house 44 km north of Botwood. But they were just leaving for a vacation themselves and so we hoped to catch them on the way back towards Port-aux-Basques. So we called them an got the answering machine. André left a message mentioning that we were in Botwood and wouldn't you know it, the next morning the owner of the campground came by our fifth wheel with a message from them. They had figured out what campground we must be at and called there. So we actually got a chance to go see them and spend the afternoon at their place. We had only planned to go for a short visit but ended up being invited for BBQ in the evening. We had a really nice time with them and the next morning they came by our fifth wheel on the way to do their shopping in Gander. Thanks so much, guys, it was great seeing you!
We then drove on to Corner Brook. Our plan was, to make reservations for the ferry to Nova Scotia probably for Monday or Tuesday but we found out that the ferry is not running for a few days due to technical problems. So we have to wait for a ride until next Thursday. This really is no problem. We don't have a schedule and will enjoy our stay here: 3 nights in Corner Brook then 3 more close to Port-aux-Basques. Meantime we have a chance to do some housekeeping (laundry, cleaning, writing blogs etc.) and just relax.
When we arrived in Corner Brook it was pouring and by the time we had set up we were both drenched and wet to the bone. So the laundry and some shopping actually got done the same day. There was no sense in keeping our wet clothes around and one thing got crossed off the list right away. There simply are no bad days. If one looks for the positive in any situation, one will find it!

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

St. John's and area

Hi everyone

We've arrived in Holyrood just outside of St. John's almost a week ago and have explored it and the surrounding areas since then. First of all, should you ever be in or near St. John's you just have to see it! This is a must. On the day of our arrival we drove to the visitor centre which is conveniently located in the harbour area in downtown St. John's. Great, this is the part of the city we wanted to see anyways and while looking for a place to park, we got a little tour by car. We decided to come back in another day to explore it some more. Until then we went for a drive along the coast with all its little fishing villages and visited several historical sites. It would make for a very long blog if I was to write about everything we have seen and learned so let me simply give you the basics and the links to check them out:

Hawthorne Cottage is the house in which explorer Captain Robert Bartlett was born. He was one of the figures in Arctic exploration and the skipper who prepared the way for Commander Peary on his trip to the North Pole in 1909. Bartlett spent many summers in the Arctic and once became a hero when getting help for the crew of his ship which had become ice-locked and subsequently was crushed by the ice and sank. He and some of his men walked for weeks to get help while the rest of the crew were left behind in a camp. Some of them tragically had died by the time the rescue operation arrived.

Castle Hill National Historic Site. In order to protect their interests in fishing the French founded a colony in what today is Placentia in 1662. In times of war they used the fort as a base to attack English settlement. The most famous battle was a bloody invasion of the English shore in 1696. While the French launched a number of attacks over the next 70 years, the English were able to blockade the colony and in 1713 gain control of it.

Cape Spear is the easterly most point in Canada. Its lighthouse has guided the way for mariners entering St. John's harbour and played an important role in protecting the entrance to the harbour during times of war throughout its existence. Signal Hill has been used for signalling since 1704. These two sites communicated with one another at times of peace and war first by flag or canon blast and later on by other technologies as they became available to human kind. Signal Hill, which is located on the other side of the entrance to the harbour of St. John's, was the other fortified lookout for St. Johns' protection. The picture shows André at Cape Spear.

Needless to say that we, once again, learned a lot not only with regards to Canadian history and geography but also about the way people lived in the early days.

I mentioned at the beginning, that we went to the visitor centre upon arrival in St. John's. This has a reason: we find that going to the tourist information / visitor centre is the best way to get lots of information and literature for a specific area. The staff generally is very knowledgeable and helpful and will direct you to places of interest. If you have specific interest they will know of the places that will correspond with them and give you information and answer questions you might have. The same goes for the staff at the sites we have been visiting. They will usually give you an introduction and quiet often Parks Canada sites will also have short movies (6 to 20 minutes) about the site. In our experience it is well worth listening to the introductions and watching those movies. They will give you an overview of the respective place and help you to better understand its history and significance as well as what you're about to see. We found that we would have missed out on a lot of details and how things and events are connected had we not gotten those introductions. So if you are traveling or plan to do so our advice is to take advantage of the knowledge of staff, don't hesitate to ask questions and take the few minutes for the introductions. It will make your experience tremendously better.

Tomorrow we will hit the road again and start our way towards Port-aux-Basques from where we will catch the ferry to Nova Scotia.

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Gander, Bonavista and St. John's

 Hi everyone

It seems I'm slacking quiet a bit. Since my last blog we have traveled and stopped three times. So let me catch you up on those parts of our trip:
Another 387 km of road brought us from the Gros Morne National Park to Gander. This very interesting city was built in the middle of nowhere when man started to fly. After the pioneers of that new way of moving got better and better at it and had crossed the Atlantic ocean in "flying boats" with stop-overs along the way, the race was on for the first non-stop transatlantic flight. Newfoundland happened to be the closest to Ireland e.g. Europe and after exploring the different possibilities a location was found to become the jump-off point. Nothing was there but fairly secure weather conditions, enough land to build a runway and a lake close-by where the flying boats could land and take off. Work crews moved in, first living in tents and then building barracks and houses and started to clear the bush and build the airport. Gander had been founded. Up to 9'000 workers lived and worked in the new town at the peak of construction and the airport was stamped out of the ground in record time.

When World War I started Gander once again became most important. Newly built aircraft had to be brought to Europe from the US and shipping them by sea and then assembling them over there was too expensive and slow. Though the season was all but ideal when the first group of 7 planes took off from Gander, they safely reached the old world and by the end of the war over 10'000 planes had come through the town on their way to the war zone.

Gander also played a huge role after the attack of September 11, 2001 when all incoming flights to North America (not just Canada but also the US) which could not turn back were banned from entering US airspace and forced to land at the first available airport on the continent. Within hours and with no forewarning at all, the residents of the city and surrounding areas (about 10`000) saw the arrival of close to 7`000 passengers and crews. The airport was packed with planes and all those people had to be fed and housed. The people of Newfoundland stepped up to the plate: hotels, motels, B & Bs and makeshift shelters were soon overflowing and people started to open their homes to total strangers, giving them a place to sleep, food and what else they needed. A big party was held for everyone who had a birthday during their stay at Gander and friendships were built that will last a lifetime. Gander had always had a special relationship with aviation but who would have thought that this still hold true today as much as it did when the city was built?

Check Gander, the North Atlantic Aviation Museum and Gander's role in 911 out on their web sites.

From Gander we continued to Bonavista. We had heard so many great things about the Bonavista peninsula that we just had to go check it out. What we found is a nice little town with yet again a rich history and many attractions. We spent quiet some time there but also in Sandy Cove where we had found a campground directly on the sea. Once again we were welcomed by everyone we talked to with a smile and great hospitality. The young woman in the Elliston visitor center not only answered our questions but gave us great ideas and advice. She was the one to point out to us a little spot where one can watch the Puffins and so we went there, too.

Puffins are little black and white birds with bright red feet. They fish in the ocean and live in caves they dig into the ground, usually on cliffs where they are not disturbed. The place from where we watched these funny flyers was separated from their "rock" only a few meters which gave us a great look at them and their activities. Check out these pictures.


Now we are just outside of St. John's. where we will stay for at least a week. The first day we made a rest day. Today we took a drive along the coast on Hwys 70 and 80. This is the road along the coast of the peninsula northwest of St. John's. I just can't resist those little seaside towns with their harbours, fishing boats and mostly colourful houses. Simply gorgeous!

We will keep you posted on what else we will see and do here in St. John's and area as we go.

Writing a blog in St. John's

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Fish and seafood anyone?

Hi everyone

Have you ever dreamed of eating as much fish and seafood as your heart desires? If you have, you have to come to Newfoundland. We have been indulging in fresh fare from the local fish markets every day and have to tell you: there is no such thing as too much fish and seafood when it comes basically off the boat. We intend to enjoy this as often as we possible can. Not only doesn't it get any fresher but the prices are unbelievable as well. Fresh, live lobster for $ 6.60 per pound or 5 pounds of shrimp for $ 25.00! And we learn new stuff, too. In one lobster tank we saw a big lobster with just one claw. After asking about this, we learned that a lobster can not only survive the loss of a claw but will eventually grow a new one! Did you know that?

Anyhow, I thought I make your mouths water a little with this story ;-) 

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Newfoundland - you got to love it!

Hi everyone 

It's about time I write another blog and tell you a little of what we've been up to the last week. I really have to do some catching up.

After leaving Red Bay we got on the ferry and crossed over to The Rock - Newfoundland - where we drove up to the Northeast tip of the northern peninsula. Just outside St. Anthony we found a great campground and we spent a whole week there. The drive along the coast was breathtaking and I just fell in love with this province. Love at first sight you might say since we only just had arrived here.

During our week in St. Anthony we explored more great sights and also experiences. We found out that the local Royal Canadian Legion is holding a "traditional Newfoundland food and music" event every Wednesday and since we had arrived on Tuesday, we just had to go there. What a great evening we had. The food was very good, prepared by people like you and me and we had live entertainment. On top of that they did a screeching in for everybody from outside the province who wanted to become a honorary newfie. Of course we signed up and are now in the possession of our certificates attesting to our being accepted into the "Royal Order of Newfies". The process is simple: you have to speak like a newfie, to eat like a newfie and to drink like a newfie. Then you get to kiss the cod. Once you have done all this, a dance is in order and you are made one of their own. It's great fun. Now you might wonder about those things we had to do. The speaking like a newfie is the hardest part. They really have a language of their own and I for one didn't understand a word. All I could do, is to imitate not the words but the sound. Lots of laughter from everybody but mostly the locals who really enjoy the screeching in. Eating like a newfie means you get to eat salted, dried capeling (smelt like fish in one piece, head and tail included), newfie steak (bologna) and bread with molasses. Finally you get to drink screech which is a really good newfie rum. All this one does while wearing typical yellow fishing gear including the Southwestern. I have to admit that when I met some people on the whale-watching boat who were going to be screeches in the next day and asked, I only told them the very basics including that screech "is not straight up sea water" as they might have heard.Let them wonder a little what's coming their way :-)

As I mentioned, I also went on a whale-watching tour but other than 2 fin whales and some dolphins, we were out of luck. The very next day while visiting the lighthouse we both got to see the whales right from the shore. There were two pods further out which, based on their blowing, contained 4 res. 5 whales. One of them would show his tail every time he came up. And then all of a sudden there was a killer whale swimming along the shore only a few meters from the rocks! What an impressing view!

Just as impressing is the Parks Canada site showing where the vikings had landed on Newfoundland 1000 years ago. We visited the site of the archeological diggings as well as a replica of the village where locals dressed like vikings show how they lived. The blacksmith with the help of a visiting boy made a nail from scratch. This became the boy's pay after the blacksmith had told him about trading labour for goods and how this would also apply at home where making his bed or cleaning his room could be considered as paying for shelter and food provided by his parents.Great experience, story and lesson for life.

The history here is so rich it is hard to comprehend. And I am sure we have only seen and heard a part of it all. It was good to travel to Gros Morne National Park and "take a break"  from all the impressions. Gros Morne in itself is yet another fascinating place with a very interesting history. This history is more about geology and how the island of Newfoundland came to be. And of course it is as a protected area rich in wildlife. So did we see a moose cow with her calf only a few meters from us when returning to the car. The picture has been taken by our little camera - no telephoto lens.

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

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Labrador – the big land

Hi everyone

These last few days we have traveled quiet a distance coming from Québec and going all the way to the South of Labrador. What started as Québec Highway 389, continued as Labrador Highway 500 and finally 510 from Goose Bay to Red Bay – roughly 1800 km of dirt and gravel roads!

Labrador is called «the big land» and rightfully so. Kilometer after kilometer of forests are interrupted by open land strewn with lakes and criss-crossed by rivers and streams. Bushes resist the harsh climate and big rocks lay in the middle of nowhere. It is so easy to imagine how this land so long ago was covered by a thick layer of ice. When the glaciers receded they left those rocks and formed the landscape. It’s almost overwhelming and we were happy to finally reach the south coast and the lovely village of Red Bay. It was like coming home when we spotted first the sea and then the houses. This is what I always expected Newfoundland and Labrador to be: well maintained, bright houses spread along the shore, colourful little fishing boats rocking on the calm waters of the bay and a people so friendly and welcoming.

While driving through this province I imagined what it must be like to be there during a big thunderstorm or snowstorm in the winter. The wind hauling, visibility near zero – nature unleashing its fury. It must be impressive and very scary at the same time, even if one would experience this in the comfort of one of those friendly little houses. Sitting by the window with a cup of coffee and a book, knowing that the wood fire burning in the fireplace will keep you warm and taking comfort in the thought that, once the storm lets up, your neighbours will come out of their own houses to make sure everyone in the village is ok. People depend on each other and you will never be without a helping hand when you need one.

It must be a hard life but people here are taking it in stride. And no matter the harshness of the environment, or maybe because of it, it’s endless hospitality you will find among these lands.

Red Bay is one of those villages you can see on postcards or the TV ads the province placed to further tourism. But Red Bay is much more than that. It has a rich history which one can explore by visiting the local museum and the Parks Canada exhibition. Hundreds of years ago basque whalers sailed across the Atlantic ocean and spent months on end in the waters off the village. They would hunt for whales and then cut them up and render the blubber for oil which they brought back to Europe where the oil was used for all kinds of things. The whalers established camp where Red Bay is located today and on Saddle Island only a couple hundred meters off shore. Rich archeological finds were discovered at both locations. They include all kinds of artifacts from pots and dishes to the sunken wreck of a whaling boat. The remains found of the housing, the places where the basques would render the whale blubber, the whale skeletons and even the cemetery did allow historians to gain an insight of where those whalers had come from, when they were here (long before the new world was discovered) and how they worked and lived. It’s rich history and Red Bay is under consideration to become a world heritage site.

Today's village of course is very different but the sea still plays a huge role in peoples lifes. There still is some fishery going on and if you ever come to Red Bay you just have to go eat at the «Whalers Restaurant». You simply must not miss their home-cooked meals prepared with the catch of the day, desserts made with fresh wild berries and a chat with the locals.

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Damages happen - deal with them

From Red Bay, Labrador:

So far we were lucky on our trip. No light pols caped, no accidents with wild life or other users of the road. The first thing that we had to deal with, was a broken seam on our back bumper. 

We had added our two bicycles on an additional bike rack on the back bumper. During the drive over the past few weeks on sometimes a little rougher roads, the swinging and the weight of these two bikes may have put extra pressure onto the bumper and now - in Baie-Comeau - we dedected a welding seam that comes apart. OK - let's deal with it and find a welder to have it fixed. This is easier said then done since we are in a French speaking community and with different laws then in Ontario. First, here a welding shop is to be found under "soudeur" and there are not to many around.

We finally found one, that took care of our problem about 20 minutes after we had pulled in. The seam got re-welded, the bumper reinforced with extra steal plates, the bike rack taken apart and welded back together so that it is holding up and at the end we added two straps to the whole rack.
Glad we did this before hitting Hwy 389. This road was over 1,100 km of dirt and gravel and due to recent rain fall and construction not in it best shape. Driving some times comfortly with 80 km/h we had extended part where we were almost crawling along trying to avoid pot holes etc.
After the 1,100 km we found ourselves in Happy Valley-Goose Bay to find out that the next almost 600 km are again gravel and dirt road. Sure, we got our share of road dust but also some damages on our home on wheels. Not talking about the gravel chipping away on the metal bars under the rig, but part of our bed came loose, on light fixture fell down etc.

We also got a nail into the tire of our 5th wheel one evening while parking on a public place and had to get a tire fixing set from the nearest "here you find everything" store. We couldn't find the tire iron on the rig and will have to call the dealer to see, where it could/should be or if it was missing from the beginning. Now we had the set - but since neither one of us had ever plugged a tire, we ended up asking a local lad to show us how it is done. His work seems to be holding up and we drove with the fixed tire since then.

Latest issue is now the automatic leveling system the seem to be out of balance - but we will find out, if it is just today or if we have to report this to the dealer too.
Hope that these are the only hits that we had taken on this - our roughest drive so far. Sure happy to be back on paved road again :-)

Vous êtes de l'Ontario et vous parlez Français? C'est fantastique!

During our trip through La belle Province de Quebec we automatically tried to speak French where ever we were in contact with the locals like in the groceries store (dépanneurs), restaurans (resto), tourist information center and even at the hairdresser (coiffeur).

It was interesting to watch the reaction of the people we talked to - even our French was not perfect and sometimes more "franc-glisch" then French, the locals were so much more helpful just because we made the effort of speaking in their mother tongue. Admitting that in certain regions about 80 % don't speak English at all one can understand that communication could be difficult at times.

André had a real advantage and settled in very quickly but Sue was not far behind and did her best explaining in French what she was looking for. She even managed to go to the coiffeur and got a nice new haircut the way she was looking for and didn't end up looking like a shaved puddle after a summer rainfall .... lol

We just love the uncomplicated, simple way the french vocabulary is used here in Quebec: pommes-de-terre (potatoes) are still called patates, good eating is also called bonne bouff and not bon manger etc.

Knowing the basic language and using it here really pays - even if it is not perfect, the effort for trying will be recognized and an extra smile is guaranteed.

Continuing along the Saint Lawrence

Hi everyone

We are really enjoying ourselves here in Québec and along the Saint Lawrence River. The area is so beautiful and the people so nice. As soon as we speak (André) or at least try to do so (I) in French, they open up and start asking us questions and giving us tips. After our stay at "Chez Denise" we took a detour to Lac Saint-Jean where we spent 4 nights on a campground located on the premises of a Jesuit monastery. It was very tranquil and the ringing of the church bells reminded me of the times I spent at my grand-parents as a kid every summer. We explored the area around the lake and one day took a cruise on the Fjord of Saguenay. There is a tall statue of the Virgin Mary on a rock on the west bank of the fiord where, as a tradition, passing ships will stop or slow down and play the “Ave Maria” to thank her for a save passage. Very impressing, especially when you’re on one of those ships while they do so. Then we drove back to the Saint Lawrence by way of Saguenay from where we drove east bound once again to Tadoussac and Essipit. Yesterday we kept following the river to Baie-Comeau, a short drive only but here we want to spend a couple of days before conquering the real big adventure: the next roughly 1100 km will lead us north to Labrador City from where we will continue to Churchill Falls and finally Happy Valleye - Gose Bay in Labrador. The thing is that most of those 1100 km will be on gravel roads with narrow passages and turns. This should be very interesting to say the least. The reason we are telling you about our plans for the next few days is that Internet reception is kind of spotty where we are now and somehow we have the feeling it will not get better until we reach a bigger city. So if there aren’t any updates for a few days, this might be the reason. At least you know where we’re headed and we will tell you all about the drive when we get a chance to write a new blog.

Anyhow, the region around Lac Saint-Jean and the Fjord of Saguenay are gorgeous. We drove around the lake and found one spot nicer than the last and we can only recommend this area. It was worth the detour for sure. And the landscape continued to take our breath away as we drove towards Tadoussac and along the Saint Lawrence River to Baie-Comeau. We also had our first experience on a ferry in Tadoussac, turning a corner and thinking we would find a rest stop but ending up right on the ship. Nature had called for André and the short trip (only 7 minutes) due to a line in front of the restrooms was just long enough to answer the call.

 André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Along the Saint Lawrence River

Good Sunday evening everyone

After 5 very nice and relaxing days at Pia's and Alfons' we left Almonte Thursday and drove into Québec where we want to spend the next weeks while driving across towards Newfoundland and Labrador. So far our experience is fantastic. The people here are so friendly and helpful. The landscape is beautiful, too and we've seen pretty little villages, farms and settlements, neatly trimmed grass and well maintained flower beds and houses. After only three short days Sue is picking up her French again and we have been talking to locals and other campers, finding out where to go and what to do. So we visited a fromagerie, a farmers market and a wildlife park close to our first stop at "Camping au petit lac Simon". All of it was interesting and well worth while to see. The park for example stretches over a huge area where they keep all kinds of animals native to North America. Deer, elk, moose, bison, mountain goats, wild boar, coyotes, wolves and bears and of course all kinds of small animals and birds call the park home. They roam free except for the bears and wolves which, for safety reasons, have their own several acres big sections. What they do basically is introduce the animals to the park and then let them choose their own place to live within the landscape which includes everything from plains to rugged hill, fields to wooded areas.
We also visited the local historical museum which was very interesting. They display artifacts from the early settlers to the late 1900s, some of which we have actually seen used in our grandparents respective businesses. 
The next leg of our tour brought us to the Saint Lawrence River just east of Montréal where we arrived yesterday. We have already checked out some small stores and road-side vendors and will go pick up some wood-oven baked bread around noon. These small stores remind us of our native Switzerland where one can find a butchery, a bakery and a dairy and cheese store in most any village. They are often preferred over the big supermarkets by the locals because of the variety they offer and the personal service. Seems that here in Québec it is very similar.

Since we had some time before the bread could be picked up around noon, we went to see the Gilles Villeneuve Museum in  Berthierville where the legendary formula 1 driver was from. Check out the picture of André beside one of Gilles race cars

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Ottawa and Gatineau

We are getting ready to leave Hunting Ford Farm tomorrow. Yesterday we drove into Ottawa and Gatineau on the Quebec side to gather information in the visitor centers and do some sight seeing. What a beautiful day to stroll around and check out both cities! We spent most of the time in downtown Ottawa where we couldn't get enough of the farmers market looking at all the beautiful products offered there. Thank goodness we needed some fresh produce anyways and so had the opportunity not only to look at but also to buy a selection of vegetables. Some we already used at dinner time and they tasted fantastic. We also got some chickens for beer can chicken from the BBQ.

While at the market we enjoyed some Indian food, sitting outside and watching the fuzz and buzz of the market. This is a place we will definitely visit again when we're in the region.

Today we will use all the materials collected (and the Internet) to plan for tomorrow's drive. So please come back to see where we will end up. 

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.

Hitting the road

Writing the first travel blog in the fifth wheel

Hi everyone

The day has finally come when we hit the road for our coast to coast to coast trip throughout Canada. We have put a lot of thought into this and basically taken all winter to plan for it. Not a detailed route or even a rough one but the principles. And we decided to travel east first, starting in Almonte just outside of Ottawa where we arrived in the evening of June 30st and will stay a few more days on the beautiful horse farm of our friends Pia and Alfons. Their hospitality is as generous as their farm and the area are breathtaking. Thank you so very much, Pia and Alfons!

After packing everything up and put it into storage we still had a lot of stuff to take with us. We had already driven the fifth wheel to Almonte and parked it there a few weeks ago. Now we had to fit everything that was left into the truck, pack up the cats and say goodbye to our friends. Then we finally were on our way, starting a new chapter in our lifes. And we are very excited about it. In the next couple of days we will plan the first leg of our trip. It will lead us through Quebec with the destination being New Found Land and Labrador. This rugged and wide open province is something we always wanted to visit. But we will take our time getting there. As you know, André is a real foodie and Quebec has so much to offer not only with regards to sights but also in terms of food. We don't have a time line set in stone and definitely will explore along the way to the coast. But for the next 2 or 3 days we are taking it easy, relaxing in Almonte and getting used to life in a trailer.

André and Sue

Somewhere on the road in Canada

PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.