Saint John and St. Andrews

These two communities live and breathe the Fundy tides. The Harbour in Saint John had the tang of the ocean on the wind and as we strolled the Harbour Passage along the waterfront. The mist rolled in off the bay giving the boats an eerie presence at the wharf. The Old City Market just up the hill from the waterfront is also connected to Fundy: this is the place to buy (and smell and see and sample) the seafood from the cold waters – salmon, shellfish and of course, fresh lobster. I love the place: it’s colourful, friendly and impossible not to succumb to the edible temptations on every side. www.tourismsaintjohn.com and www.sjcitymarket.ca

Another 90 minutes south of Saint John, the resort town of St. Andrews has long been a part of the Fundy scene. This is where families come to stay and explore the Fundy Isles and go whale watching in the Bay of Fundy. There were two places here which had long been on my ‘to-do’ list and which I now have a chance to see: Kingsbrae Garden and Ministers Island.

Kingsbrae Garden is a riot of colour in July. Its 27 acres encompass gardens of all kinds of course - but also mazes, streams, woodland trails, children’s areas, a Dutch windmill, alpacas and an excellent restaurant and art gallery. Don’t miss “Pericles”, Kingsbrae’s Wollemi – this is a living fossil, a very rare pine tree species from Australia that was thought to be extinct for millions of years. There’s something for everyone here, even for someone with poison-green fingers like me.

And last stop on our trip: Ministers Island is truly a child of Fundy. Just a few minutes outside of St. Andrews, this is only an island at high tide. When the massive tidal flow is sucked out of this part of the bay, Ministers Island is connected by a drivable causeway to the mainland. In fact it’s the largest tidal island in North America.

Here is where the great Canadian Pacific Railway magnate Sir William Van Horne built his stately retreat and country estate called Covenhaven. Wandering around the house and the island acres, it’s easy to see why he fell in love with the place. Lovingly guided by Susan Goertzen, we fell into a wistful reverie of times past and views present. We ended up in The Tower on the southern tip of the island; here the views over the Bay of Fundy are boundless and as the sun shimmered on the waters of this magnificent Wonder of Nature, it was a fitting end to our Fundy journey. www.kingsbraegarden.com and www.ministersisland.com

Kingston – The Limestone City

What a weekend in the Limestone City! On the hottest Ontario weekend of the year, the sun is lighting up the white limestone of the many historic downtown buildings, the restaurant patios are ablaze with flowers and full of visitors, and the annual Buskers Rendezvous is in full swing. This is a city truly connected to the water. It sits astride the eastern end of Lake Ontario, where the St Lawrence begins its journey through the Thousand Islands and where the UNESCO World Heritage Rideau Canal starts its northwards course towards Ottawa. And as part of that unique UNESCO site, Fort Henry hugs the contours of the hill across the bay. www.visitkingston.ca

Buskers Rendezvous

Music and entertainment are everywhere during this four day festival. We are enjoying everything from comedy to music to acrobats and jugglers. I love the micro Musical Ride Mounties and the drummer using only buckets (and the occasional head of an audience member!) was spectacularly entertaining. There are no admission fees – just reward each act as you wish and move on to the next surprising act. www.kingstonbuskers.com

Culinary Kingston

There’s cuisine from around the world here in Kingston. In the summer, the patios are everywhere and dining becomes a European style experience. On our short visit here, I have enjoyed the delights of Le Chien Noir (exquisite rear patio), Olivea Restaurant (patio overlooking the Market Square), Tango (great local beer), and Chez Piggy (another lovely patio shaded by vines).

Show and Tell

We broadcast the Travel Shows this morning from a spectacular location at the Radisson Hotel which sits astride the harbor overlooking Town Hall, Confederation Park, Lake Ontario and Fort Henry. My grateful thanks to Murray Matheson, Executive Director of Kingston Accommodation Partners, for facilitating our trip and for being such a convivial city guide; to Bryan Mercer of Fort Henry and St Lawrence Parks Commission, who guested on the shows and is now Travel Show Family; and to Kaitlin Byrick of Kingston BIA who was a first time guest on the show and is a mover and shaker in the festival and cuisine scene in Kingston. Thanks, too, to the team at Four Points by Sheraton for hosting my stay; this hotel is perhaps the only one in the world where guests can see three Martello Towers from their room.