Shediac to Miramichi and to Bathurst

Sorry; I was unable to connect to the internet and post from the B&B in Miramichi where I stayed last night. So I have some catching up to do. Here are a few pictures from Shediac. Something that I think all of my retired federal bureaucrat friends are grateful exists.

The two-pound lobster and Moncton-brewed beer I had for dinner on Canada Day.

And the world`s biggest lobster; at least that's what the sign says.

It was fairly cool, around 15 degrees when I left the very pleasant B&B to ride along the Acadian Trail to Miramichi. The owners of the B&B are a young couple, he an anthropologist, handy man, musician and she a musician and mother of two beautiful little girls. They are joined this summer by two nieces from Calgary, the youngest of which, Lauren 13, is an entrepreneur who set up her company, Robots Are Fun, when she was 8, and has a keen interest in space. Her uncle asked if she could meet a past-president of the CSA and I was pleased to oblige. We were both thrilled and impressed; I more so than she was.

There is a lot of shellfish aquaculture all along the coast with large oyster farms as seen in the next two pictures.

These guys are setting out with floating platforms from which are suspended a series of stacks of platters on which the oysters grow. It's quite an operation.

I stopped for a short visit at the Irving Bouctouche Dunes attraction. There is a 12 kilometre walk onto the Dunes and a really nice interpretation centre where one can learn about the local fauna, flora and marine life, including descriptions of oyster farming.

I made my way to Miramichi and had a club sandwich for dinner at a pub within walking distance of the B&B where I stayed.  Of this dinner, and lunch of deep fried breaded scallops and clam strips
in Rexton, as they say, nothing to write home about.

The neat thing about B&Bs is how, over a nice breakfast you hear a fair bit about the hosts, how they got into the business, what`s going on in the community, and anything else you care to ask about. For example the owners of the B&B I stayed at last night are a couple from Toronto who bought this property as a retirement project expecting that they would be able to operate it about 8 or 9 months a year and travel for the rest of the time. Business is so good, including from cross-country skiers in the winter months, and business people year round that they are open year round.

 And now, signing of from Tim Hortons on the way to Caraquet and Bathurst.