2 Days in St. John, New Brunswick

No not that St. John’s, drop the ‘s’ and move miles back to the east coast shoreline.

St. John, New Brunswick is a small, incredibly historic town that screams for a plethora of photoshoots. Ordinarily it isn’t a place I would think to visit. My father had a conference there and so I thought I would tag along for a free trip to a place of the country I’ve never been. I decided not to do much tourist site seeing activities, but rather, just explore at my own pace in a much more relaxed fashion.

First we checked into the Hilton right on the harbor. I was stunned by the size of the room and the incredible vista.

As we headed further into the downtown I couldn’t resist this epic Canadian treat which I’m afraid I’must clarify is sugared dough and not real beaver tail.

Downtown there is an old indoor market, with tons of seafood and lots of kelp- seriously my dad loved the salty kelp treats. There were a few quaint boutique stores, lots of vintage consignment shops, an adorable cupcake shop, Birks jewelry, Java Moose (who needs Starbucks when you can go to Java Moose) and art galleries. Perhaps my favourite aspect of St. John was the historic architecture. There are some seriously beautiful old buildings, some refurbished and glorious, others vacant and a bit run down, but still gorgeous. There was a beautiful park with an old bandshell and further down once you pass through Victorian Iron gates, an old loyalist cemetery that was perfectly blended into the shrubbery and landscape of the park.

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That evening after a pleasant stroll by the docks overlooking Partridge Island, we had dinner at the St. John Ale House which if you’re a beer lover is paradise, but also had some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. It’s worth noting that St. John has a ridiculous amount of restaurants, and really good ones. Mexican, Indian, Canadian cuisine, pubs, fine dining, seafood…

The next day we drove about 40 minutes to St. Martin’s Sea Caves. There is an unmatched soothing sensibility you garner from relaxing along the ocean and The Bay of Fundy is unparalleled. The Sea Caves are only accessible during low tide so you must check tide times before visiting for maximum beauty and safety. It was a rainy cold day (even in mid-June) but we warmed up with tea, sandwiches and seafood chowder at The Caves Restaurant which overlooks the panoramic views of the bay. There isn’t much in this area in terms of shopping, tourist stores or information but there are a few restaurants and ice cream shops. The primary reason for coming out here isn’t to be inside though, it’s to travel the bay, take some of the hiking trails, kayak and have an Atlantic adventure. It’s worth the trip and I am a firm believer that no photograph can accurately capture the true beauty of a landscape, but I tried my best…

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One Day in Quebec City

What struck me most about living in New Hampshire was just how rarely Americans visit Canada, let alone the incredibly close Quebec. I don’t think enough people (Canadians included) recognize how incredible this place is. I single out Americans specifically because the US dollar is worth more up here and for the price and the experience, its cheaper and closer than visiting France. I’ve visited several times and done the typically touristy things, but I couldn’t resist stopping by on my way back from The Atlantic coast. We had less than 24 hours but still managed to pack in quite alot.

Hotel

We booked a last minute boutique hotel in the Old Town (which is where you want to be) at Chateau De Pierre. It was basic and arguably old fashioned, but in the most intimate and beautiful way. I personally love velvet wallpaper, plush curtains, wood frame beds and a creaky balcony. It was directly behind Chateau Frontenac on a quiet street. The great thing about Quebec City is the multitude of hotels and b&bs. There are great, large hotels outside the old city that are usually more affordable and still in nice locations. Boutique hotels in the Old city as well as some beautiful stays in the lower town. There are some seriously gorgeous hotels in this city, I plan on staying at all of them, but the good thing is there is usually something in everybody’s budget.

Dinner

We arrived just before dinnertime on a Wednesday evening and the old town was buzzing. The place to eat is Aux Anciens Canadiens, which serves traditional Quebec and Canadian cuisine and shines as the oldest restaurant in North America. Unfortunately, we didn’t have reservations but restaurant selection is in no short supply. Italian, Korean, Fast Food, Fondue, Pubs and Traditional cuisine is everywhere. We ate at 1640 Bistro which overlooks the Chateau. We drank delicious white whine and watched the sunset, ate our beef bourguignon as the sky turned pink and finished off with maple creme brulee as horsedrawn carriages trotted past on cobblestone streets and dim amber streetlamps glowed upon the ancient historic sidestreets.

Stroll

Post-dinner stroll down the Promenade outside the Chateau, gaze upon the St. Lawrence and the lower town, window shop. This is also a great time to take a ghost walk, bar crawl or historical info tour.

Breakfast

Creperie Le Petit Chateau directly beside Chateau Frontenac. My favourite thing about Quebec is that they always bring you glasses of water with every meal (It’s the little things people). Though I must say as a dear tea lover, their tea selection is rather lacking. I had a coffee and raspberry crepe and I find most breakfasts here are quite affordable.

Activities

In the past I’ve visited the mall outside the Old City, done a boat tour along the St. Lawrence, visited the Citadel (The activities are endless really) but we all felt like taking it easy. So we strolled around the shops, Simons is my favourite and is essential for basics, contemporary designs both men and women, I’m always surprised more people don’t know about this amazing trendy but top quality store. We looked in art galleries, old cathedrals, tourist shops then took the funicular to the lower town for lunch. On our way back we visited the recently excavated Saint Louis Forts and Chateaux National Historic Site. Kept cool underneath the promenade, this 17th century fort and residence is an incredible site, artifacts are scattered throughout and the modern information system makes learning easy.

Worth Noting:

Some stores take US money but can only give change back in Canadian currency

Contrary to what you may think in the service industry everybody will speak English. It’s highly tourized and you’ll have no problem getting around, all menus have English copies or translations. But it’s always nice to know Bonjour and Merci just to be polite.

Quebec City has an energetic, European vibe with tons of shopping, history, art, street festivals and amazing food. I know I visit as often as I can and I encourage everyone to make a trip! Summer can get very busy as can Mid-winter for Carnival (which is another trip in itself) So Spring and Fall are best for off-season.

Bon Voyage

Aotearoa

I think about William Wordsworth most when I’m laying lethargically across my couch, staring aimlessly into a bright television set. I suppose it should affect me differently; like when I’m trekking across a beach to spot a colony of yellow-eyed penguins, or silently gazing up at the Southern Cross. I should feel a jerk of emotions, calmness and retrospection. I should embrace the legacy of the romantic poets who paint the ideal portrait of escape and enchantment. Yet when I’m encompassed by exotic and serene landscape, I feel unsettled. I have to remind myself that soon, I will be back in that familiar groove in my overstuffed brown couch staring blankly ahead wishing I was somewhere meaningful.

I can’t help feeling that I’ve disappointed Wordsworth, and all the other writers who’ve discovered the healing powers of nature. I didn’t embrace the moments; I didn’t savour the scent of crisp mountain air. I didn’t find myself, or my life’s purpose.

I can never seem to walk out my door into an unpredictable world without some struggle. I watch the leaves change colour safely from a streak-free window or the back seat of a car. I observe the snowy caps of mountains from a plane window, as I jet past, on my way to somewhere else. I walk through jungles of concrete, tough pavement and indifferent people, wondering what it would be like to hear nothing but wind brushing against tired leaves and the gentle baas of sheep.

If I’d never known development, technology, and expanding population maybe I’d be more content in an insulated brick building. If I had grown up playing in trees and forests instead of on plastic slides and monkey-bars, maybe I wouldn’t be so disillusioned. I could be planted on the ground, instead of high above, on a metal swing. I wouldn’t feel more comfortable on a grey day wrapped in a hand-knitted blanket but would long to splash about in the rain without the worry of getting wet.

I’m disenchanted. I’ve lost the connection I should have to the land which sustains me.

And still, I have little concern for threats about respecting the land. Global warming is a sham, surely. I have little belief recycling has any benefits and ‘going green’ has become nothing more than a marketing ploy to appeal to the desperate humanitarian in consumers. Maybe some eager advertisement tells me that one person can make a difference towards a cleaner planet, but it isn’t in the hands of one person to ensure our earth is sustained, it’s in the hands of corporations and developers, politicians and scientists. It doesn’t matter how much recycling I do or whether I buy a reusable mug, trees will be continuously chopped down and oceans and rivers polluted by people with more power than I.

What can I possibly do for the world when I can’t even part from the comfort of my own house? When I feel overwhelmed by the unpredictability of the outside world and its future? I think back to when I was caressing the soft wool of a lamb in New Zealand; when I saw its powerful waterfalls, volcanic rock and eerie glow-worms. When I lost my breath on top a snow-capped mountain or felt the sting of wind splash onto my face from the Wellington harbour. I feel comfort. I feel optimistic. But it’s easy to feel this way when I’m living in yesterday, safely tucked under a blanket, removed and distant.

The legacy of great romantic writers couldn’t have reason to doubt my fondness for the outside world, however frightening it may be. For all I lack is appreciation; appreciation of the moment, of the world that allows for so many possibilities. This epiphany comes to me on a cloudy day, when I’ve already committed myself to an unproductive afternoon. It comes easy when I’m removed and unfeeling staring at photographs that don’t dare capture New Zealand’s rustic beauty. It comes too late.

*Previously published in Blueprint Magazine here

Soundtrack to your Soul-Searching Solo Travels

This past summer was the first time I’d traveled on my own. To say it was life-changing is both cliché and incredibly accurate. I wasn’t quite prepared for the extraordinary range of emotions I’d experience travelling through Europe, from obnoxiously crying in the middle of Gare du Nord to smelling the fresh grass of the English countryside and feeling completely at peace. Here are just a few songs to capture some of those feelings you’ll experience and set the stage for all the incredible adventures to come.

 

Getting ready to board your flight

Metric “Waves”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0udJc_iMlAU

A Fine Frenzy “Now is the start”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwqeEhs5v-o

Gazing out the window on the train/plane to your next destination

SZA “Country”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygTEp3QXNwA

Radio Dept “Pulling our weight”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1aT8fNBts8

MisterWives “Imagination Infatuation”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKPds7tx2J0

Asobi Seksku “Thursday”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8paDhfGQH4E

 

Dealing with a relationship on the rocks back home/ saying goodbye to new friends and places

Stars “Changes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiDE_Pyca28 *(Also check out “How Much More”)

Langhorn Slim & The Law “Salvation” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6689Ih37WuE

Feeling like a boss ass bitch in a foreign country

Jacques Dutronic “La Responsible”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdmr5KOm58U

Roadtrippin’ Jams

Hedley “Dreaming’s for sleeping”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3-w4J2VsRg

Plus “Heaven in our Headlights” and basically everything by Hedley

Getting lost and melancholy in the winding streets of an ancient city

Camera Obscura “Country Mile”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQLyoKEitXw

Bahamas “Lost in the light”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPJNt1eTVNY

Reflecting on your adventures and feeling both incredibly insignificant but connected to the world around you

Mint Royale “World”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSC9qGxoS8M

*This article was previously published on Thought Catalog 

Afternoon Elegance

Long before the Downton Abbey craze, I’ve loved elegant luncheons and tea. There is something so beautifully civil about a Victorian drawing-room, silver trays, scones and rosy fine china teacups. It can make even the most average, downtrodden individual feel pampered and special. I’ve been lucky enough to have had Afternoon Tea at The Ritz in London, England but yesterday I got to indulge in tea at The Prince of Wales in Niagara-on-the-Lake with my family for a little post-Christmas celebration.