20~'Happy Birthday' from Halifax, Hull and Beyond & A Little in Love with Lunenberg

‘So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.’ 

~Mark Twain

Throwing off my bowlines, exploring, discovering and catching the trade winds is pretty wonderful. But the resolute and constant things: people, your people are equally wonderful. This is a post purely to express gratitude to all the beautiful people in my life; family, friends and even the passer-byes on my journey that I may just exchange a morning hello with. Alone in Novia Scotia on my birthday, in the Little town of Lunenberg, I have never felt less alone. Lydia requests an insert, a small blog post from my Novia Scotian spot so she can know what it is like. I am foregoing my need to story-tell sequentially, throwing caution to the (trade) wind, casting of the bowlines (in the form of heavy prose). I will just have to backtrack to Boston and to my Montreal moments.

Halifax was fleeting. But my Vietnamese taxi driver sung me 'Happy Birthday', a day early- but an appreciated rendition all the same. So Lunenberg, Lyd? A gorgeous earthy feel. Honest. Clean. The ocean. Fishermen. Friendly locals. Restaurants close at 8. Stunning detached houses. Space. Cosiness. Signs to places named Lighthouse Lake, Blue Rocks, Mahone Bay, Bridgewater. Streets named Bluenose Drive, Cove Road, Green Street, Kissing Bridge Road. A real estate agency called 'Tradewinds'. This place is a whole lot of wholesome and I am lapping it up.

I am the the only guest in wonderfully wholesome 'Alicion Bed & Breakfast' for the 14th and 16th.

Guests will arrive for the 15th. It is straight up out of 'The Gilmore Girls'. I am in Laureli's 'Dragonfly Inn'. My room is even called the 'Dragonfly' room and is decorated in a very tasteful way befitting this theme. 

Thank you Mama Wolff for making this my birthday present! Best ever! The touristy season is just starting in Novia Scotia. The owners are not here to let me in but a lovely girl that sometimes works here is sent to meet me. I expect Sookie and Laureli to be there in the morning. (Only 'Gilmore Girls' fans will get this: Mama W, Fee and possibly Adam.) The communal area for guests with plenty of 'National Geographic' to peruse:

After a wander round the town and a lovely dinner at 'The Salt Shaker Deli', I have a soak in the hydrotherapy tub. I have that excited kid feeling of, 'It is my birthday tomorrow!' But travelling has tired me out. I sleep like a princess. Definitely no pistachios or mice under this bed. I leave all the curtains wide open so I can wake up to the glorious view.

I run at 6:30am. I smile as I trot along. I run into a panoramic view of the harbour and town. I praise my feet for taking me this way. I don't run far because there are hills and presents back home. When I return, there are not only the presents sent from my nearest and dearest, but I have been inundated electronically. Heartfelt and thoughtful words from across the globe. The effect of different timezones and I think my Vietnamese style bday song must have set the ball rolling for birthday wishes. Thank you, thank you! A thousand times, thank you. Even Google wishes me a happy one! I thought is was just a coincidence that the design was cakes and candles, until I hovered my mouse.

I head downstairs to the smell of coffee and a sounds of the kitchen. Table for one.

Lorne, the owner, is lovely. Welcoming and caring, evidently primed by Mama Wolff. Wishing me a happy birthday and preparing a breakfast of my choice.

He brings me out a delectable piece of cake. Candles and all:

I can not protest. We sit and have a very lovely chat over coffee. He sorts me out with a bike and helmet, easier to get around town, and serve for the day I have planned:

I go to the Thursday market and buy a a farm freshly baked cookie.

Why not? I eat it as I speed around town, enjoying the mountain bike wheels. I go on a boat ride with some great fishermen and some Japanese tourists who are lovely (they take a shocking amount of selfies). We see puffins and seals.

I Skype with my family, snaffling the lovely treats that have been sent to me. Flowers are delivered! I head out on my bike again for a birthday dinner. I opt to return to the restaurant that won me over last night. My meal was awesome:

It was an inexpensive, beautiful menu. The ingredients tasted so, so fresh. And, as it is my 35th birthday, I feel ready to try my first lobster. I hear it is very good. It is.

A glass of Novia Scotian wine, lobster linguine,  heart and head full of love, topped with the VIEW. Lobster linguine: hello, lover. Wowser.

It is very rich and I don't usually eat pasta, and I have had A LOT of sweet stuff. They wrap half up for me and I have a feta, beet and leafy salad, topped with candied walnuts:

I take half of that too. I may look like a fancy princess in these digs, but it is a birthday indulgence and I am still a traveller- I will have leftovers for lunch (admittedly, gloriously perfect leftovers!). And Lorne has invited me to a BBQ they are having with some friends tomorrow. So food is sorted. 

So I am about to snuggle down and watch 'Roman Holiday'. I will head out as it gets dark to see the stars and the moon; the blue sky broke free from the morning clouds and it was cloudy last night so I missed a gazing session. Oh, and of course I must have a beautiful bath.

But I must say, being bathed in all the birthday love from all of you, is the most special thing of all (almost rivalled by my new lover: lobster).

So throwing off my bowlines, exploring, discovering and catching the trade winds is pretty wonderful. But this is also resolute: 

‘A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.’

~Tim Cahill