Whitecoat
Tag: Canada
Barbour Tickle
Summer here in Newfoundland and Labrador is gradually drawing to a close.
It was a lovely one – and still is – and now, Environment Canada is predicting a warmer than usual fall. I’ll take it! I’d already been dreaming of a sunny September so that is more than welcome news. We are in the process of painting our house, so good weather is gladly received for that as well.
Today I’m sharing pics I took in July of Barbour Tickle here in Newtown. Along the tickle lies Barbour Living Heritage Village, which has been offering a taste of history to tourists since 1991. From the NL Tourism site:
“Venture along the coastal loop to Newtown, known as the Venice of Newfoundland to explore with local guides and experience life in the outport. Tour the active village by day, dine at the Olde Shoppe Restaurant, enjoy an evening of live music or theatre…Visit the Barbour Living Heritage Village today for a Newfoundland outport experience.”
Tours and events are wrapping up for the season very soon, so if you’re planning a visit, better make it this weekend!
Find out more about the Barbour site here.
My Season’s End Newsletter will be emailed out next week. If you’re not on the list yet, please click on the tickle photo below to add yourself. You will then be eligible to enter a Reader Gift Basket Giveaway for a Kindle Fire, a $25 Amazon eCard & a bottle of wine to be drawn at the end of September.
See you next month!
Hello, August. Here So Soon?
July is over! Whaaa?
Can you believe how quickly it whizzed by?
This month is shaping up to be
another busy one for yours truly.
First, there’s this:
I am honoured to be making three appearances during this Author Tour.
Getting to rub shoulders with the literary talent in our fair province is a huge part of the fun. Do drop by our libraries if you’re in Gander or Clarenville on these above dates, or if you’re in St. John’s for the Grand Finale. (More about the finale later)
I will also be busy with my two grandkids + one little friend, who are coming tomorrow for a week-long stay here on Perry’s Point.
And then there’s work on the new novel in between all of this, not to mention all those chances to soak up more summer.
FYI:
I’m running an Amazon Countdown Deal
for Calmer Secrets from
August 2nd to August 9th.
Score a Kindle copy
of this sequel to Calmer Girls
at a discount on Amazon.com
and Amazon.co.uk.
What are your plans for August?
Do tell!
“Took Brain to the Beach”
One summer day, when my son Brian was just a little boy, his Aunt Sherry came to babysit him.
When I got home from work, I found a note stuck to the fridge. It read: “Took Brain to the beach. Sherry.” We all had a great laugh over the funny spelling. (Yes, my boy is smart, but that’s beside the point.)
Fast forward to the present. Last week, he had some time off, so he came to visit for a couple of days. The weather was perfect and off we went. We took Brain Brian to Lumsden North beach for some practice on his golf swing.
This is one of his favourite pastimes when he visits. I’ve blogged about beach golf here before, when they used the beach right next to our house as a driving range and the sandbar as a target. Check out the photos here.
The next morning was even warmer and more beautiful, so for a change, we headed out to the beach at Cape Freels.
Momma got bored watching, so she went for a walk.
Too bad she didn’t bring her own brain to the beach. She forgot to turn her iPhone the proper way for the following video! Oh well, if you watch it on your phone, it’s fine. And black bars or not, it’s still pretty, and the sounds of the wind and waves will help you feel the warm sun and the gentle sea breeze on your face.
Happy Friday, everyone!
Will you be going to the beach this weekend?
4 Things You Have To Do When Visiting Montreal
Montreal is one of the true gems of Canada, an incredible fusion of historical authenticity, cosmopolitanism and sheer beauty.
If you’re planning a trip to this wonderful city, there are plenty of ways to make the most of it. While any trip to Montreal (click the link to check out photos from one of my visits there) is bound to be unforgettable, there are certain highlights that you may want to add to your list. Here are just four:
Trek Up Mount Royal
Image: Wikimedia
Mount Royal is probably the first place you should head to when you arrive in Montreal. The gorgeous views you’ll get of the city will instantly make that hassle with the electronic travel authorisation system worth it. It’s a lovely, scenic walk (or bus ride) to the top, and once you reach the Belvedere Observatory, you’ll be captivated by the beauty of your vantage point. It’s also a great spot for an impressive selfie! If you’re an early bird, try to catch the sunrise from the top of Mount Royal. Seeing the sun creep up over the horizon and spill its rays through the skyscrapers is a magical experience.
Try the Food
Montreal is a true foodie’s city, partly due to the French colonists’ influence. The culinary classics of Montreal may be a little greasy for some traveller’s tastes, but don’t knock it until you try it. Poutine is a trademark of the city, and while it may not be all that appetizing to look at, after just one bite you’ll probably understand why it’s become such a local staple. You also should try a four-inch thick smoked meat sandwich, a specialty of many diners and cafés scattered throughout Montreal. A lot of guidebooks will recommend Schwartz’s, but the locals may tell you otherwise.
Visit a Market
Markets are one of the best ways for visitors to meet the locals and get a taste for the city’s culture. You’ll also want to try a variety of fresh and delicious fruits and vegetables, especially if you’re there in the summer when pretty much everything’s in season. If you’ve never tried locally grown Quebec strawberries, then this needs to go on your bucket list immediately. Try to save a fair chunk of your souvenir money for a market, to look for local delicacies such as ice wines and ciders or preserves. Just like anywhere in Canada, you’ll also find countless maple-flavoured products.
See the Basilique Notre-Dame
Whatever your spiritual leanings, the Basilique Notre-Dame is one church that you need to see when you’re visiting Montreal. The Basilique Notre-Dame (Or Notre-Dame Basilica, to Anglo-Canadians) is one of the most breathtaking cathedrals in the world, and one of the few in North America that doesn’t pale in comparison to the ones in Europe. Have a wander around, and spend a while marvelling at the rustic gothic facades, the giant organ, and its beautiful chapel.
These are just a few suggestions to make your visit to Montreal a fun and interesting one. I hope I am lucky enough to return again one day to enjoy this beautiful city’s culture.
Have you ever visited Montreal?
Daily Prompt: Impression
This small photo collection, all taken here in Newtown,
was inspired by today’s Daily Prompt.
Impression: (definition #3) a mark impressed on a surface by something.
Bird tracks in snow:
Cat paws in snow:
POLAR BEAR TRACKS! YIKES!
Sandy Beach fun:
Not so fun: sandy sinkhole in our driveway when we first moved here:
Oh “Deere.”
Author Event This Saturday
For more information, visit:
Author Reading
Jennifer’s Amazon
Author Website
Calmer Secrets Setting in Pictures
This is Part Two of the Calmer Girls series setting in pictures.
Calmer Secrets takes place in Newfoundland in 1997-98, four years later than the first book. (The Calmer Girls Book One setting pictorial can be seen here.)
First, let’s take a look at Samantha’s school in Corner Brook, Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus on the west coast of the province. Samantha is enrolled in the Visual Arts program there.
Later in the story, tragedy strikes.
The youngest character in the book is brought to the Janeway Children’s Hospital,
the one that existed at that time.
A new facility was built a couple of years later.
Photo sources: Grenfell College, NL Tourism, Eastern Health, Pinterest, Google (public domain)
Thanks for coming along!
Calmer Girls Setting in Pictures
Although Calmer Girls is a fictional tale, its Canadian setting certainly isn’t.
It was fun writing a pair of novels set in my birthplace of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and perhaps the following pictorial will better explain why it had inspired me. After all, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!
All of these locations are featured in scenes throughout the first novel. Calmer Cove is not included as it is semi-fictional.
Samantha and her sister took their first ride in Ben Swift’s T-bird to Signal Hill and along the harbourfront. Later, Samantha took pictures of a cruise ship in the Narrows.
Newfoundland, Canada
Thanks for visiting my hometown, which is, in my opinion,
one of the most vibrant and colourful places on earth.
Photo sources: NL Tourism, Government sites, Wikipedia, Google (public domain)
Come back next time for Part 2: Calmer Secrets Setting
Spring and a Special Remembrance
Spring takes its own sweet time
to show its face here
on the northeast shore of North America.
Life lies dormant, still deep in hibernation
beneath a fresh blanket of snow and a glittering sheen of ice.
We wait for the arrival of warmer, softer days later in the season,
when the sun shines bright
and full of promise,
giving a welcome glimpse of what is to come.
As we do every year around this time,
we look forward to our coastal world’s transformation and rebirth.
***
A special remembrance today:
Here is our neighbour, Ben
(in the boat above)
from a popular commercial for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism.
It has played all over the world many times.
This scene in the video is from Barbour’s Tickle here in Newtown.
This post is dedicated to the memory of our beloved neighbour, cousin and friend, Benjamin Perry.
(August 4, 1936 – March 24, 2016)
