Weekend Adventures

This past weekend, Andrew and I escaped the city and headed out around the bay to the quaint little town of Winterton. I wrote about our vacation out there last summer (see HERE) - that was quite a different experience because we had three children with us at that time. This weekend, however, was just for the two of us.

We stayed in Winterton for two nights but spent most of our time exploring the nearby communities. Andrew and I have so much fun taking pictures of our beautiful surroundings, and every now and then we will set the camera up on a rock or other flat(ish) surface in hopes of capturing us both in the same shot. It doesn't always work out, but sometimes we luck out with a beauty like this one! Nailed it on the first try!

The lighthouse at Bloody Point in New Perlican wasn't anything spectacular, but it offered an incredible view of New Perlican Harbour and the waters of Trinity Bay. Colourful fishing stages can be found in the harbours of many communities in this area. I never get tired of them!

The lighthouse at Heart's Content was more impressive, with its almost 30 foot cast-iron tower that has withstood the rigours of the Newfoundland coast for over one hundred years. We were completely enraptured with the town's history - being one of Newfoundland's oldest enduring fishing settlements, and having a unique role in international communications, with the first successful landing of a transatlantic submarine telegraph cable. There is lots to learn and discover out this way!

While we didn't intend for this trip to be a tour of lighthouses, we did find ourselves stopping to check out any that we passed along the way. 

The Hant's Harbour lighthouse on the western side of the Bay de Verde Peninsula was another beauty that we couldn't help but explore. 

I think the highlight of our weekend was hiking the Sugarloaf Trail near Winterton up to the lookout over Trinity Bay. The hike was quite steep, and I was nearly dead by the time we got to the top, but the views were amazing, and it was well worth the effort!

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!"

On our way home, we drove through Heart's Delight, Cavendish, Green's Harbour, and Dildo, where we stopped for lunch at the Dildo Dory Grill (highly recommended!) These are the iconic fishing stages in Cavendish that have become famous from provincial tourism ads. They are sweet, but the harbours of Winterton and New Perlican are much more colourful and impressive, in my opinion.

We had a wonderful weekend of adventures and have now returned to our cozy home in Logy Bay. We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful province, where just an hour from home can feel like a resort destination. Andrew actually said this little trip ranked up there with our vacation in Mexico a few years ago.. and I have to agree! There is nothing better than waking up in the morning on the edge of the ocean and breathing in the salt sea air. We spent the evenings strolling the side roads of Winterton, going off the beaten path and living life the way it is meant to be lived - slow and unplugged. We drank tea with our feet up by the wood stove, talked a lot, and made sweet memories that we will treasure for years to come.

A Quick Trip to Montréal

This week, the 71st Annual Meeting of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) is taking place at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in Montréal, Quebec. The purpose of this conference is to bring clinicians, allied health professionals and researchers from around the world to present on innovations that are improving the lives of individuals with cerebral palsy and other childhood onset disabilities.

While I wasn't able to attend the full conference, (I just could not fathom leaving Andrew with three children, countless appointments, and a million other responsibilities for a full week), I did make a quick trip to Montréal to attend a couple of the meetings and seminars that I was specifically invited to.

I spent some time at McGill University, meeting with Dr. Keiko Shikako-Thomas, Canada Research Chair and Assistant Professor at the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy of McGill. Keiko is head of the Jooay team, which has created an app that aims to connect children and youth to leisure activities. I was invited to a brainstorming event on the best ways to promote leisure participation of children with disabilities and to engage families in the community. I will have lots more to say about this in another post!

McGill is such a vibrant campus, full of history, with its beautiful old Victorian mansions interspersed among modern architecture. Chartered in 1821, McGill is among the oldest and most distinguished of North American Universities, and is among the most prestigious universities in the world. McGill is a world leader is research excellence and has four affiliated teaching hospitals, and with 40,000 students from 150 countries, it has the most international student body in Canada.

The University campus is located in downtown Montréal, at the foot of Mount Royal, Montréal's grand mountain park. I took some time in between meetings to climb the 400 stairs to the top of the mountain. I was completely overdressed for the 26 degree heat, and not wearing appropriate footwear for such a climb, but the views were spectacular, and it was totally worth it!

I also had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Peter Rosenbaum, whom I have been working with on the F-Words in Childhood Disability. Dr. Rosenbaum is a Professor of Paediatrics at McMaster University, Canada Research Chair in Childhood Disability, and Co-Founder of the CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research. 

It was great to chat with Peter about the F-Words research project, the work that has been done so far, and where we hope to take it from here. Peter is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to childhood disability, and he was very interested to know about Brennen and how he's been doing since his spinal surgery. Peter will be presenting on the F-Words in Childhood Disability in Montréal on Saturday at the Community Forum. If you are in the area, you should check it out! 

Also, it was just announced that Peter will be the recipient of the 2017 Award for Individual Leadership from the Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Centres!

"Formerly known as the CAPHC Contribution to Child Health Award, the CAPHC Award for Individual Leadership annual award was created to recognize outstanding leadership by an individual who has dedicated their career to making a difference in the health and well-being of children, youth and families in Canada. The award specifically recognizes creativity and initiative to promote positive change and long-term improvement."

Well deserved! Congratulations, Dr. Rosenbaum!!!

I spent some 'free time' exploring the city. I enjoyed walking around Old Montréal, and the Old Port, and I discovered some wonderful art galleries. I ate ALL the smoked meat poutine, did some window shopping, and really made the most of my short time in the city.

I had a wonderful time in Montréal, but even after a few short days, I was anxious to get home to my family. I have said it before, and I will say it every time - the best part of being away is always, always coming home.

-Julie xo

Harbour Grace

So, we are in the thick of September and we are back into our routines of work, school, appointments, meetings and just the general stresses of life that can pile up if you let them. Things get hurried, and crazy, and we are busy doing things, and doing more things, and getting busier and crazier, and all we want is to just stop and breathe and be happy. We've got a lot going on right now, and there have been some changes recently that have made things a little bit busier and crazier, and we are trying to find that balance, that sweet spot, where everything is smooth and manageable.

So, this past weekend, Andrew and I hit the reset button! We packed our bags and went on a little excursion around the bay! We headed out to Harbour Grace, and stayed at the beautiful Rose Manor Inn - a historical home built in 1878 on an acre of oceanfront property. The rooms are beautiful and the views exquisite, and it was exactly the getaway we were craving.

Rose Manor is located on Water Street in Harbour Grace, as close as you can get to the ocean. It was so nice to sit out here and listen to the waves crash up onto the shore. We got our fill of the freshest salt sea air, and the sun shining down with just a hint of Fall creeping in.

If you know me, you know I live for a good cup of tea, and Rose Manor actually hosts a Victorian High Tea on some Sunday afternoons (voted one of the best Victorian High Teas in Canada by Canadian Living Magazine)! It's like taking a step back in time and experiencing life as it once was - simpler, slower paced, but with tremendous attention to fine details. Owners Erika and Aaron are the perfect hosts. They are friendly and engaging, and super knowledgeable about the area.

Rose Manor has a beautiful parlour and fine dining room that offers a superb four course dinner menu, with meals prepared using locally sourced food from local growers and producers. For breakfast, Andrew and I had fresh made scones, bacon, and eggs benedict served on a touton! You read that right, and it was to die for!

We spent some time exploring Harbour Grace, which was once the second largest town in Newfoundland. Situated on one of the largest harbours on the Avalon Peninsula, it was once a thriving fishing community, and has a history rich with pirate tales - the best known being Peter Easton, who is still regarded as one of history's most successful pirates.

There is so much history here, and we just loved all of the old stone buildings and churches. I'd be lying if I said we didn't check out some of the real estate that's available. There are so many beautiful properties on the market right now, and I can totally see us having a little cottage or Summer home here someday!

St. Paul's Anglican Church was erected in 1835, and is the oldest stone church in Newfoundland.

Harbour Grace also has an important role in the history of aviation, as it was the departure point for many early attempts to fly the Atlantic Ocean. In 1932, Amelia Earhart left Harbour Grace to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, landing successfully in Northern Ireland.

While in the area, we explored a bunch of other little towns along the Baccalieu Trail. 

We drove through Freshwater, and found ourselves in Flatrocks - an abandoned outport that boasts a population of 7 people!

In the town of Victoria, we discovered a Heritage Village that included replicas of old saltbox houses, a general store, a church, a forge, and also a barn that has Newfoundland goats and ponies. Honestly, you guys.. show me a goat and I'm good for the day. I just love goats!

I bought a beautiful granny square blanket at a craft shop in Carbonear (read about my obsession HERE!)
And of course we couldn't come home without a visit to Brigus - probably our favourite little community in Conception Bay. 

We had such a great time checking out some beautiful little communities that we had never fully explored before. We walked, we ate, we chatted with the locals. We are always so thankful for the adventures that we share, and we seem to find a little more magic every time we visit somewhere new. We returned home with new memories, feeling grateful, refreshed, and full of love for our beautiful island, and for each other.