Swimmin' With The Fishies!

We weren't sure if we'd even get away!

We had intended on being away for the whole winter once again, but (as was the case, with our winter of 2015 plans) ... things got overly complicated!

A townhouse we are having built has been delayed by about 7 months now. We should have been moved in by August of 2017; unfortunately, we're now looking at mid-March 2018. We had also hoped to be away for 2-3 weeks but, now we're down to only one. We'll be joined by Heather & Randy but, unfortunately will miss our American friends Janet & Andy who will be there ' just a few days after us ' and Mark and Reese whom it seems, we will now ' miss by just a few weeks ' ... SIGH!

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This first view is from our our rental apartments' deck in Bath ON ... it was easy to leave! 

A 3 hour drive to Toronto, then a 4 hour flight, almost due south to Cozumel MEXICO and the next view ... it will NOT be easy to leave! 

BACKYARD 11.24.17 ... " A Re-purposed Distillery "

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Part 4 in the Series, Exploring Our Backyard

... a new brewpub opens ...

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Getting There

Open the map as [Full Screen], from the left-sided list choose a Numbered Location and click, zoom in/out.

Kouchibouguac National Park

We drove from Linkletter PP in PEI, along as much of the remaining North Cape Route that we could, until road construction encouraged us to detour inland. 

A mild tailwind wind, nudged us back over the Confederation Bridge. 

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Along the Way to There ...

... I was able to continue my search for the ' World's Best Seafood Chowder '. This latest, tasty offering was from the Bayou Pub and Eatery in Shediac.

BACKYARD 07.10.17 ... " Tall Ships and Vineyards "

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Part 3 in the Series, Exploring Our Backyard

... we set sail, drank fermented grape juice and were joined by The Raisins ...

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Getting There

Open the map as [Full Screen], from the left-sided list choose a Numbered Location and click, zoom in/out.

BACKYARD 07.01.17 ... " Flags & Rabbits "

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Part 2 in the Series, Exploring Our Backyard

... we celebrate Canada Day and have lunch in " the land of the running rabbit " ...

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Getting There

Open the map as [Full Screen], from the left-sided list choose a Numbered Location and click, zoom in/out.

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DOWN UNDER: Waterfalls & Boulders - To Waihola Lk, Oamaru and Rakaia R

' The EARTH Has Music For Those Who Listen '

William Shakespeare

We're running out of travel time now. 

We only had 4 more nights camping after Curio Bay and then just 1 additional day moving northerly towards Christchurch; which pretty much marks the end of our stay in NZ. Once the coastal highway diverts away from the Southern Alps along the South Islands' west coast (and all the National Parks there), the opportunities for many activities, including longer day-hiking are limited. 

Oamaru, appears to have a few things that interest us and there just happens to be, a 3-day Harbour Street Jazz & Blues Festival on right now. We're also a bit road weary and may use these last few days to relax and sleep in, readjust and begin to repack before our flight(s) home, maybe just do touristy sight-seeing trips and short hikes along our way. 


From Oamura we just drove, a night in Rakaia River and then the final night in Christchurch.

SO ... here you go, the map to your right, tracks our route from the south end of the South Island and then along the east coast, there's some text and photos too.

' Nourishment ' - Lagos

' Journeymakers are the good folk who turn your trips into treasured memories.'
 

Follow us by opening TRAVEL MAP 2016/2017 on the right sidebar ([view larger], zoom +/-, pan around).  

Click on any photo (some are stock) in this post to launch a slideshow gallery of all the photos.

Wikipedia provides some content.

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LAGOS  
Pronounced [Laa-gowsh]

The FISH MARKET
 

SPAIN & UK: To Estepona and Gibraltar Territory

 Eating  In SPAIN ... Is PLEASURE

foodie

noun

informal

noun: foodie; plural noun: foodies; noun: foody

a person with a particular interest in food; a gourmet

Follow our route by opening TRAVEL MAP 2016/2017 on the right sidebar ([view larger], zoom +/-, pan around). Click on any photo in this post and launch a slideshow gallery of all photos.

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Driving In SPAIN

We've driven about 1400 kms so far, and followed the Mediterranean coastline as closely as possible, from Barcelona to Estepona. The driving has included the areas' major highway, Autovia A7 (also called Autovia del Mediterraneo) and several secondary and municipal highways, through large, medium and small cities. In general, the road system is in excellant condition. The 300 kms or so that we drove between Roquetas de Mar and Estopona is a superbly built, newer highway corridor. We probably passed through 3 dozen tunnels (some were 2 kms or more in length). I would estimate that 65% of the vehicles on the road are small cars, 15% are large tractor trailer trucks (some trailer trains), 10% are medium sized trucks and the remaining 10% include all the rest; medium sized RV's (Class C & Motorhomes, 1 Unimog), vans, SUV's, motorcycles & scooters and a few full sized pick up trucks (I've seen 1 Ford F150 & 1 Nissan Tundra and a few Toyota Hilux's). The only North American built vehicles we've seen, have been Fords (cars, vans) and a single, older Jeep Wagoneer.

Hiking The Bay of Fundy

The WORLD'S Highest Tides 
and 
A Meal At Nova Scotia's BEST Restaurant 2015

Home to the highest tides in the world, the Bay of Fundy is a 270 km (170 mile) long ocean bay that stretches between the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on Canada’s east coast. Each day 160 billion tonnes of seawater flows in and out of the Bay of Fundy during one tide cycle ... MORE than the combined flow of all the world’s freshwater rivers! 

We hiked at several locations as we travelled around the Bay of Fundy; in the bay at low tide, above the bay along the coastal trails and in adjacent forest near the bay. We also had one of our best restaurant meals E V E R ... anywhere !

Lighthouse Route & The Evangeline Trail: Peggy's Cove to Grand Pre

The Lighthouse Route and Evangeline Trail 

In a loop, south west from Halifax to Yarmouth, Digby and on to Wolfville and ending at Halifax ... follows Nova Scotia’s South Shore, where the past is a part of everyday life. You’ll find it along quiet country roads, where ox teams still haul lumber, and in coastal villages where fishermen still row wooden dories out to sea.  Explore towns like Liverpool and Lunenburg while taking in majestic coastal scenery, featuring 20 lighthouses - from the dramatic beauty of the Peggy's Cove lighthouse to Yarmouth's towering Cape Forchu lighthouse to the harbour fishery in Digby and on to the vinyards of the Annapolis Valley.  

Overland to The Rock: We Have NO Itinerary and We're NOT Far From Home ... to Quebec City, QC

AFTER an unexpected delay of several weeks and due to a situation completely out of our control, we've finally embarked on Trip #138 (see our Trip Index) ... it's our latest. Even though we'll be travelling from our home in Ontario and through several provinces before returning, our focus will be on the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Affectionately referred to as 'The ROCK'. Our previous visits here, were a 1996 road trip with Mae & Earl (The Outlaws) and a 2010 trip to hike several sections of the East Coast Trail with a group of friends. We plan on being away, this time, until early October ... for 6 or 7 weeks.

                                                                                                                     Karen Ron Rhonda Cliff Carol Helen Gerry

1996                                                       2010

Brief Stays On MEXICO's Yucatan

Journal Entry: Monday, February 23 - Tuesday, March 03
Nancy and Jim drove us to the Orlando Airport. We landed in Cancun, MEXICO and from there, took a hotel van shuttle into Playa del Carmen. We'll spend three nights there and visit with my brother Tom and wife Peggy, who are renting a condo in the area. There's also a chance for us to see Phil & Rose Fawna when we are there ... I haven't seen Phil since an Algonquin PP canoe trip, probably 30 years ago! 

At Papa Charlies', Playa del Carmen (clockwise lower left) ... Tom   Peggy   Helen   Dann   Phil   Rose