Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Month: October 2019

Snapshots from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

October 23, 2019 / / 59 Comments

Quebec City is the most beautiful city in Canada. We heard – and read – it left and right. We believed it. We wanted to visit, but it didn’t fit in the schedule when the three of us made our way east from Utah, the beginning of summer. We’d already made a serious detour to add Canada’s runners-up Eastern cities (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal), as well as Niagara Falls, to our route into Massachusetts.

Mark, Maya, and I would be back in the country in August and September, to explore Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, before meeting my parents. What better place for them to fly into than Quebec City? Coming from Belgium, it would be a gradual change towards New England’s attractions. When in Old Town Quebec, one could easily feel transported to a historic town in Europe. It is the only walled city north of Mexico and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(Hover over the photos to see captions or click to enlarge.)

Part of the Citadel
View towards Old Quebec
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Wordless Wednesday: An Axe, a Brewery, and a Bridge

October 16, 2019 / / 51 Comments

The World’s Largest Axe

There it is… it’s big.
Zesty and the axe
Maya and the axe

The Nicest Brewery on Our Journey

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Monthly Expenses – September 2019

October 9, 2019 / / 45 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for the two of us. Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. Since June 2019 - we adopted Maya on June 4th - we have a dog section as well. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor's visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups, we both return to the East Coast.

For the month of September, Mark, Maya, and I lived and traveled in our camper van, Zesty. This was interspersed with multiple-day visits to destinations in Quebec and Maine and nights at an Airbnb, a friend's house, a motel, and a hotel, courtesy of my parents, who joined us on September 19th. The generosity of ma and pa kept our expenses lower than they would have been, as they chipped in for groceries, fuel, and a national park pass and treated us to restaurant meals.

Our battery problem started in Halifax and continued on Cape Breton

Our friends Alex and Dave jump started us for the last time in Cavendish, PEI.

They had our size battery in Summerside, PEI.

Swapping our old, defunct car battery for a new one

Despite that, September was still an "average" month, due to camper projects, an expensive bridge toll, and personal splurges. We purchased a new car battery on Prince Edward Island, several parts and tools to fix the van this month, and a few drinks and meals out.

Splurge with food and drinks at the Evermoore Brewery in summerside

Lobster roll! Our first and only one this year.

Confederation Bridge ranks as the most expensive bridge we ever crossed.

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IWSG Writing Update October 2019 – Sightseeing Instead of Submitting

October 2, 2019 / / 52 Comments

Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional.

This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Mary Aalgaard, Madeline Mora-Summonte, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor. Feel free to swing by their sites and see what they’re up to.

The question for this month’s blog hop is long: “It’s been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don’t enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?

My answer

I believe that reading benefits people, whether they are writers or not. The advantage of being a writer who reads is that you always learn, consciously or not, and this improves your craft. The disadvantage of reading for me is that, 1) I compare myself to other writers, leading to two trains of thought, either “I’ll never be able to write this well and become successful” or “I can and do write like that, so why am I not becoming successful?” And, 2) I get annoyed by typos, feel like I have to proofread and correct the copy, and try to retain wisdom. As a result, reading often feels like work instead of enjoyment. In general, reading does make me a better writer.

However, I don’t agree that not reading means that you don’t enjoy reading, as suggested in this question. I rarely read because of time constraints, not because I don’t enjoy it. Also, writers might purposefully NOT read much (in certain genres) to develop original ideas and unique voices. Nothing wrong with that.

The world’s largest axe in New Brunswick
The world’s longest covered bridge in New Brunswick
Definitely the most impressive covered bridge we’ve seen and walked/drove through
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Snapshots from Prince Edward Island – Lighthouses & Lovely Scenery

October 1, 2019 / / 38 Comments

Before Mark, Maya, and I drove north to “explore the Canadian Maritimes a bit”, we didn’t plan anything, as always. The only thing my husband and I discussed was visiting our friend Woody in the Halifax area – he received three days’ notice – and our friends Alex and Dave “somewhere on Prince Edward Island” (PEI). We didn’t inquire where on the island they were located, until a couple of days before we headed that way. We let them know about our arrival, which happened the following day, as things sped up thanks to Hurricane Dorian. There’s a fine line between a “surprise” visit and a “planned” visit when it comes to hosting us. You are warned!

In a car or camper, PEI can be reached by bridge or ferry. The exorbitant toll of the bridge is paid on the return journey; when you leave the island. A little-known fact is that the ferry to the island is free as well, even if you return via the bridge. The prices online are for the return trip on the boat. But what if you want to take the ferry there and the bridge back, because that makes more sense logistically? You could reserve a one-way spot and pay $79 for that privilege. Or, you could just show up early enough, get in line, and pay zero dollars. Guess what we did?

Wood Islands

Wood Islands Provincial Park was the perfect introduction to the cuteness, cleanliness, and charm of PEI. From the moment we drove off the ferry, we turned into this relaxing and beautiful park.

Leaving Pictou and Nova Scotia on the ferry – from one lighthouse to the next
Arriving at the ferry terminal of Wood Islands
Maya already likes PEI
From this park, we saw our ferry leave
Wood Islands Lighthouse – a more picturesque introduction to Prince Edward Island is hard to imagine!

(Hover over the photos or click on them to read the captions and enlarge.)

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