Small Changes

St Andrews by-the-Sea was initially on my itinerary as a stopover to Grand Manan Island, but once it was on my radar, I had to visit.  This historic town has been a favorite of mine for 6 years now, and while there are some changes, I was so pleased to see that they're minor.

Prior to arrival, I knew that my usual old Victorian home, Salty Towers, had been sold. Yes, after 29 years, Jamie & Deb are caring for their private homestead and were off sailing in British Columbia, so I didn't get to visit with them. This had me anticipating change, but thankfully, the Water Street commercial blocks have not gone by the wayside. There are a few more boutiquish shops and one too many brew pubs, but nothing disturbing at all. 

​Let me begin by admitting how happy I was to arrive at a former British settlement. At this point, I was in the last 90 pages of the last English language novel from a bag of books I'd brought with me. I'm pleased to report that the library has a lovely book sale nook and the town has numerous Little Library boxes! Let me also admit that while I have been working very hard on my French for nearly two months, it was an absolute pleasure to have a 45-minute conversation along the Van Horne Trail. Since this was my third visit, I'd toured all the historic homes and museums, so I spent time simply enjoying the ambience, people watching, chatting as much as possible, biking and walking, and peacefully sitting by the bay.  It's a special place. 

My next stop takes me on the ferry across the Bay of Fundy into Digby, Nova Scotia with a couple of weeks in the tiny town of Bear River.