Oh Canada! What can I say about how beautiful my country is. Here are some of my favourite placed and pictures of Canada.
Probably one of the most beautiful places on the East coast is Cape Breton Island.
But I was most surprised by the Gaspé.
Then, there it the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick.
This is just a taste of Canada, but I would be remiss not to celebrate my home, Toronto.
Learning how to photograph different things while I travel is part of the challenge and is becoming a passion. When I took a cruise around the tip of South America, not only sis I see cities and expansive landscapes, but I become challenged by taking photographs of wildlife. Here are some of my favorite photos of wildlife.
First group: sea lions in Argentina.
This group a seals found a floating dock to use as a place to catch some rays — and to play in the surf.
Birds have been more difficult for me. Here are some of my first attempts at taking photos of birds. These were taking new Cape Horn.
Off the coast of Ushuaia, Argentina, there are groups of islands that are homes to various seals, sea lions, and water birds.
And of course, there are penguins!
So, I started looking for other opportunities. In the Canadian Maritimes, I was able to get a fox on a beach at sunset, I got “photo-bombed” by a seal near Cheticamp, and watched an eagle fish on Bras d’Or.
And finally, from near where I live, is Niagara Falls. If you look closely, you can see at least twobirds in this picture.
Québec’s Gaspé Peninsula is a beautiful drive with covered bridges, lighthouses and magnificent scenery.
I fell in love with Percé. I took a cruise that brought me close to the rock as well as Bonaventure Island, known for its large population of water foul. If you want to find a beautiful place to get away — this is it!
Prince Edward Island, or PEI is a Canadian province on the East coast of Canada. It is an island connected by a bridge to New Brunswick. It is a laid-back place where you can enjoy fresh mussels, lobster and other types of seafood, walk along red sand beaches and even re-live favorite childhood books about Anne of Green Gables. Here are some of my highlights of my visit to PEI.
Ann of Green Gables
Acadian Village and Charlottetown
Beaches, sunsets and wildlife
Here are more stories of my trip to PEI: Anne of Green Gables and Acadian Village.
One of the world’s natural wonders is the Fundy Bay that lies between the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It is on the New Brunswick side of the Fundy Bay that we find the Hopewell rocks. These magnificent rock formations spark the imagination. And twice a day, the beach they stand on is immersed by the tidal bore of the Fundy Bay ‘s high tides.
Here are some of these amazing rock formations and the beach that lies net the Fundy Bay.
On March 14, 2016, there was news the the largest rock, known at the Elephant Rock had cracked. I feel very fortunate that I was able to take pictures of it before this happened.
As I plan for my next adventure, it is probably good to reflect on my 2014 trips. It was the first time in a long while that I traveled with anyone and this time both of my trips were with someone.
The first was a cruise around the British Isles with my mother — and her first time to Europe. I wanted everything to be perfect and I think we both will agree that it was an amazing trip. While we saw some incredible sights, the best part was traveling with her.
The next trip was completely planned for me by my friend Marshall. I pretty much left it all to him and it was amazing. I love Canada more and more and the Maritimes are beautiful beyond belief. I still haven’t seen any whales, but I saw a sunset on the beach with a fox, a circle of seals and even got photo-bombed by a seal! The food, music and people were wonderful. Now, I really need to see more of this great country.
I also took part in the A to Z blog challenge. So, while I am planning for my next great adventure, I’m also mapping out my stories that will start up for the month of April. Of course it will be about travel, but the overall theme will have to wait a few more weeks. Why? Well, I’m deep into finalizing my plans to go to Cuba!
Of course, unlike most of my friends who head to an all-inclusive beach resort, I have to be different. My first couple of days, I will be on my own in Havana. Then, I’m going on the Cuba Cruise which sails around the island with stops at Holguin, Santiago de Cuba, Montego Bay (Jamaica), Cienfeugos, Punto Francis on the Isle of Youth, the back to Havana. Since I have a lot of freedom to see different things, it means that I’m doing a lot of planning.
So, look for more posts on my planning and experiences in Cuba and in April get ready for this year’s A to Z challenge.
Canada is truly blessed with beautiful places to visit. On my last trip, I was swept away by the magic of one of these beautiful destinations – Percé, Quebec, which is on the tip of the Gaspe Peninsula.
We stayed in La Normandie Hotel, which is a real treat. The sliding glass doors in our room opened up to a beautiful lawn that was right on the boardwalk along the beach and had the best view of the Percé rock. Across the bay, we could also see Bonaventure Island which is a nature preserve and home to some of the largest groups of migratory seabirds in the world. Boat tours take you around the rock, then out to Bonaventure Island to see the bird colonies. You may even spot a few seals along the rocks. The boat makes one stop on the island where you will be met by National Park Guides who will tell you about the trails on the island to see some of the wildlife. There is a boat pickup every hour until 4:00 PM.
There are a number of restaurants in town, including a very nice one at La Normandie hotel. We stopped in one restaurant, opting to go in the `back door`which ended up being where the locals go. We had a wonderful chat with a family out celebrating a birthday. They convinced the bartender to make a caipirinha for me. Since he did not have any cachaça, the bartender went to the local liquor store and bought some, making me two of the best ones I`ve ever had!
If you love nature, a laid-back attitude, beautiful scenery and great food, go the Percé. I cannot wait to go back!
After driving through New Brunswick and spending the night in a lighthouse in Campbellton (nice!!!), we headed to the Gaspé Peninsula for a drive along the St. Lawrence coast. Once we crossed into Quebec, we started to see covered bridges — something I’d never seen before, even after living in New England!
Then, we headed up the coast road with sights of waterfalls, waves, big rocks, little villages and lots of lighthouses. Parts of the trip reminded me of the Pacific Coast Highway between Half Moon Bay and San Francisco. We finally coasted down into Gaspé and then headed to our final destination – Percé.
Here are some of the pictures of the day.
NOTE: Updated information! After I posted this blog, there was an article in the Globe and Mail about traveling the same route we took along the St. Lawrence. That it would be nice to share this article (and it includes a nice map!)
Much of the Acadian story would have been lost, if it weren’t for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his poem Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie. At Grand-Pré in Nova Scotia, there is a Canadian National Park set aside to tell the tale of the Acadians and honour the mythic tale of Evangeline. We got there on Canada Day, so the park fee was waived. There is a very interesting multimedia film presentation. The park is very peaceful and feels more like a garden. There is a group of four statues that represent the people who were removed from this land. It reminded me of the famine statues in Dublin. Then, there is the statue of Evangeline that leads to a reconstruction of a church that stood in the same spot. The church tells more of the same story. It also has a resident calico cat (you can probably guess what her name is)! I would highly recommend a visit to this site if you are ever in Nova Scotia.
After a day travelling the Cabot Trail and lunching at the Keltic Lodge, I visited to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, Fortress Louisburg, and sailed on Bras d’Or. I’m very overwhelmed. I have so many pictures to share, however here are a few of the best. Needless to say, I love Cape Breton Island!
