Iceland: Somewhere between Reykjavik and Hveragerði

Hwy. 1 to Hveragerði

Iceland

June 19, 2012

Have you ever wondered what Mars would look life during terraforming?  I have a feeling it will look something like this.

You are looking at Iceland, minus the ice and snow.  This is a vast, ancient lava field that is slowly being covered in a beige lichen...or moss, or something like that.

Not my best shot, but it was taken through the window of our tour group's van.

Late June in Iceland was spectacular, warm days but cool in the shadows.  I'm sure it's a much different experience in the depths of winter, with only ~3 hours of dusk every day!

Reykjavik: Skólavörðustígur

Skólavörðustígur Street

Reykjavik, Iceland

June 28, 2012

This street is one of the 'main drags' in Reykjavik. It features many art galleries and assorted shops as well as some neat cafes and restaurants.

It begins at Laugavegur, another main street and ends at the famous Hallgrímskirkja church, with its distinct and imposing concrete structure.

The colours on this street are fairly typical of what you see in Reykjavik. Many buildings are clad in coloured metal sheeting, similar to what Canadians would normally see used on a barn roof. Concrete is also a common building material, no doubt due to its resilience to the harsh Icelandic winters.

More shots from Iceland to follow, stay tuned!

The Big Ex: Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner

The Big Ex dining hall

Bridgewater, NS

July 25, 2012

This may come as a shocker to my regular readers, but this was my first meal at the dining hall at TBE (aka The Big Ex).  I've walked past it every year but this time I finally made it inside for some down home grub served up Big Ex style.

It was pretty much what I expected.  Salty corned beef, luckily not too salty. All the veggies spent the requisite amount of time having the life boiled out of them in large pots.  The carrots were especially salty, bordering on unpalatable...but I soldiered on. The lemon meringue pie was a predictably delicious end to the meal.

It was a fun time, mostly for the people watching.  As you can see, there was no shortage of plaid in this joint!  The vinyl gingham table cloths were a nice touch.  Most men were sporting mesh backed ball caps and suspenders to accompany the regulation Dickies slacks.  Local yokels held court with their buddies, trading yarns about livestock and various diesel fueled machines.

I will definitely be returning to this eatery next year!

Return to Sappyfest 2012

Sappyfest Main Tent

Sackville, NB

Aug. 4, 2012

The warm weather this weekend put me in a summer mood, thought this shot of Sappyfest music lovers wearing shorts might help you remember the glorious month that was August.  Actually, July was pretty awesome as well!

My only complaint from this year's iteration of Sappyfest, no charcoal bbq pits!  FOR SHAME!

What's on this weekend? Strawberry Shortcake! Turkey! Eggs & Bacon! Fried Bologna and erryding!

The fall season of community grub is back in full force!  Lots of breakfasts to choose on Saturday.  If you enjoy a good feed of newfie steak (aka fried bologna), head over to Chester Basin.  

You might have to go for a wee bit of a drive on Saturday, but the trek out to Blandford is always worth the effort.  

The First South Variety Supper is always a 'must attend' in my books.  As per my usual caveat, arrive early and expect at least a 30-45 minute wait before you get seated.  Pro tip:  purchase your ticket and then go for a walk or a drive to kill time.  Or, hang out in the pews and join in on the singalong!

Have a great weekend, everyone...wherever you are. ^_^

Breakfasts

Saturday, September 22 

Newfie Breakfast,

Chester Basin Legion.

7:30-10:30, 

Menu selections and take-out available. 

Saturday, September 22. 

Firemen's Breakfast, 

United Communities fire hall, Cherry Hill, 

8 - 11 a.m. 

Adults $7, children 5 -12 $3.25, under 5 free.

Sunday, September 23

Brunch, 

Mahone Bay Legion,

10 a.m.-1 p.m. 

Adults $7; children $3; under 5 free.

Suppers

Saturday, September 22 

Bean and Salad Supper,

Pinehurst Community Hall, 

4- 6 p.m. Adults $8, children $3. 

Proceeds for New West Pine United Church

Saturday, September 22 

Strawberry Shortcake Supper,

Camperdown Little Red Schoolhouse. 

4- 6:30 p.m., 

Adults-$8; children 5-12 years, $4; under 5 free. 

Baked beans, potato salad, macaroni and hamburg casserole, brown bread, rolls, lots of sweets & Strawberry Shortcake of course! 

Takeout available within local area. 

Please call 543-4930 by September 19 for take-out orders. 

Proceeds to the Christ Lutheran Church Ladies Aid. 

Saturday, September 22 

Turkey Supper,

District #1 Blandford Community Centre,

4:30 - 6 p.m. 

Adults $10, children $5, under 5 free. 

Bake table. Proceeds to St. Barnabus Church.

Sunday, September 23. 

Variety Supper. 

Grace Lutheran Church, First South, 

4- 6 p.m.,

There's a chill in the air

Lunenburg, NS

August 6, 2012

It's that time of year where piles of wood start showing up in the yard ;or in this case between houses, and the endless task of 'putting the wood in' begins.  

For those of us that grew up with a wood stove, handling (throwing, moving, stacking and splitting) wood is a core part of our upbringing.  My sister and I use to come up with various games when throwing wood in the basement.  We must have developed good hand/eye coordination, it's a wonder we didn't knock out our teeth while we threw pieces of wood to each other rather than carry it.  

In the end, nothing beats the warm glow of a wood fire which must explain why we put up with all the extra work that comes along with wood heat.

The sun was shining, so they made hay

Upper Kingsburg, NS

July 11, 2012

The mild weather this morning made me think of warmer days back in July.  Remember the heat?  Hopefully this image takes you back.

I spotted this vista on the last leg of my drive home.  You can see a tractor loading round bales of hay in the distance.  Man, that sky.....

She's got the look

Edinburgh, Scotland

June 18, 2012

Rather, she's giving a look.  

The fellow on the right was hanging out with some friends in front of a Primark.  Some were sitting on the ground, all were smoking.  

It was a gorgeous day and there was a steady stream of shoppers entering and exiting the store.  I was snapping shots of the people around me while I waited for my two friends who were inside the shop.  

I think I lucked out with this capture of a shopper casting quite the glance at the smokers sitting just beside me.

Zach is not modest

Lunenburg, NS

Sept. 14, 2012

Man, poor Charlie can't catch a break....

The Big Ex: Pure Country

The Big Ex

Bridgewater, NS

July 25, 2012

Another candid from The Big Ex, spotted around the horse barns.  One of the few times of the year you'll see someone walking around with a cowboy hat in Bridgewater.  

Edinburgh: East Princes Street Gardens

East Princes Street Gardens

Edinburgh, Scotland

June 18, 2012

After wandering the Royal Mile for a spell, we made our way to the East Princes Street Gardens to rest our feet.  As we entered the gardens from the south-east corner, we were greeted with this splendid vista.  Without hesitation, I stopped, whipped out my trusty S95 and took this shot.  

The Balmoral Hotel can be seen in the distance in the center of the image.  As you can see, It was a sunny and splendid day!  We spent an enjoyable afternoon at the National Gallery of Scotland.  Turns out the gallery (and many other public museums) are free, funded by council tax.  Go figger.

Pentz United Lobster Roll Dinner

Lobster Roll Dinner

Pentz, NS

Aug. 19, 2012

First off, apologies for the lack of posts in recent weeks.  Hopefully the delicious shots from this church supper back in August make up for it.

Believe it or not, this was my first lobster roll dinner.  I know, I know...shocking.  My mom and her sister were the instigators to attend this event.  It was held on the same day as the Conquerall Bank Planked Halibut Supper.  That was my first choice, but we checked that one out last summer so we decided to try something different this time around.

Tickets were sold in advance, by all accounts most were sold before the day of the event.  We had no problem finding a table and our plates arrived shortly after we sat down.

The lobster roll was....amazing.  I'm not sure what I loved more, the food or the presentation.  The cardboard 'sleeve' was just right.  The white bread, New England style hot dog roll was perfect.  The potato salad sure hit the spot, especially when combined with a nosh of delectable cucumber salad.  Not as good as mom's, but a close second!

The desserts were to die for, are the shots making you hungry?  I'm getting hungry remembering the great meal.....

For dessert, I sampled the blueberry cake.  It was moist and sweet as it should be. There was a dusting of sugar (and...cinnamon?) on the top too.   Combined with the usual weak tea (not as good as the Maitland suppers, that's for sure!) it was a great way to end my meal.

We probably lingered longer than 'allowed', but I have seen plenty of oldsters take liberty with their post-meal chats so I didn't feel bad about having an extended sit, digest and chat.

Next summer, keep your eyes peeled for this event and add it to your 'must attend' list!

Dessert Table

Starry Night

Upper Kingsburg, NS

Sept. 3, 2012

Shot this a couple nights ago, just as the moon was peeking over the ridge near our house.  What a night!

Edinburgh: The Balmoral Hotel

Balmoral Hotel

Edinburgh, Scotland

June 18, 2012

Somehow I managed to snap a shot of this building without a view of its famous clock tower.  To be honest, I had to search online (thanks, gMaps) to figure out the name of this striking building.  

Our day trip to Edinburgh was one of the warmest days I experienced in Scotland.  Possibly the only day I wished I was wearing shorts.  We were en route to the royal mile tourist drag, as we crossed the bridge, I turned around and snapped this shot.  Hard to believe that was almost 3 months ago!