Scotland: Leverburgh Sunset

Isle of Harris, Scotland

June 25, 2012

It was hard to take a poor shot of the sunset that evening in the Outer Hebrides. The sky turned a gorgeous shade of pink as we kept snapping shot after shot.

I'm unclear if I was in Strond or Leverburgh.  I was staying here with friends who had just been married the day before.  It is located on the Southern coast of the Isle of Harris. 

Harris is known for it's gorgeous beaches, with their white quartz sand and turquoise waters.  Stunning is an understatement.   The Blacksheep House was an incredible venue for a wedding.  Much swankier than the historic blackhouses we visited later in our trip.  This one was not filled with acrid peat smoke which was nice.

Stay tuned for more shots from our trip to Scotland and Iceland

Iceland: Hveragerði hot springs

Hveragerði, Iceland

June 29, 2012

Who are these masked marauders? Don't worry, they're not viking invaders, just a large group of tourists on a horseback tour of the excellent hot springs of Hveragerði!

The hot springs are an easy hike into the nearby hills. I'd recommend going on a guided tour on your first excursion, mostly so you know where to go (and step) and where to avoid. Take a wrong turn and you could find yourself scalded in the geothermal heated waters!

Our destination was not far from where this photo was taken. You can see the steam rising from the nearby geothermal stream. Upstream from this location, a glacial fed stream and a geothermal stream meet and flow downhill. As our guide suggested, if you find the temperature too hot, simply wander downstream until the water temperature cools to your liking. He estimated the water temp. at 42 C, pretty toasty! 

The area of Hveragerði was one of the first areas in Iceland to harness geothermal heat. Settlers built their homes nearby (and sometimes above) geothermal heated waters. I'm sure the appeal of using naturally heated water for warming their homes, washing, baking and cooking was hard to resist. There are many greenhouses in the area, which harness the natural abundance of heat, the first of which date back to 1929.

Visiting this area was one of the highlights of my trip to Iceland. If you find yourself in Iceland, do yourself a favour and check it out!

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.,