johnandlucie

Discovering Tobermory

We first heard of the Bruce Peninsula, the Bruce Trail, the Niagara Escarpment, and Tobermory when we lived in Toronto back in the 1990s. We could see the Escarpment on day trips to the west of the city and it looked very imposing. We learned that the Bruce Trail, which courses along the top of the Escarpment is the oldest and longest hiking trail in Canada, extending (with side trails) approximately 900 kms from Queenston in the Niagara Peninsula to Tobermory, at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula.

One busy bee

Ottawa is perhaps unique among capital cities for having a full working farm within its boundaries. The Central Experimental Farm is also a great place for cycling, walking, or simply taking time to stop and smell the roses. There is no better place to indulge in this latter activity than at the Ornamental Gardens, one of five public areas on the Farm.

Ards – a place of refuge

We first visited the Ards Forest Park, in County Donegal, in the summer of 1985 during a trip around the northwestern corner of the island. We had fond memories of that first visit and the mental images of its rocky beaches had remained etched in our minds ever since. We did not have actual pictures of the scenery there but remembered the sea cliffs of round and jagged boulders and, more importantly, how we felt there. For years, we yearned to revisit “the rocks” as the place came to be known affectionately in our house.

Our haven of peace

Is there a special place you love to visit when you want to feel centred and peaceful? A place that you never tire of? We found such a place one summer recently, and the glorious thing about it is that it is right on our doorstep.