I have just returned from a week of much-needed vacation. It seemed slightly indulgent to take a vacation when I have only been working at about half capacity since the pandemic hit. It has been absolutely exhausting for so many of us that a break from all of the everyday challenges associated with it seemed almost essential.
I would encourage you to try it if you haven’t. Please get out, safely. Eat in a restaurant, stay at a bed and breakfast or a hotel, purchase a local product or service. Go to the beach and just sit and look at the ocean and listen to the waves. I guarantee it will be good for the soul.
One thing that I really appreciated, more than ever before, is the true beauty of Nova Scotia in the summer. The air is clear, the ocean is blue, the trees are green. You can catch a glimpse of a seal, a whale or maybe even a shark – yikes! You can see beauty in the Annapolis Valley or along the South Shore, to the West and to the East. You can drink local wine, eat wonderful food and enjoy the company of family and friends. It all felt quite “normal” despite the social distancing and mask-wearing where required.
We stayed in a beautiful suite at The Gingerbread House (https://www.gingerbreadhouse.ca/) in Wolfville. We ordered take out from The Church Brewery (https://churchbrewing.ca/) and Troy Restaurant (https://www.troyrestaurant.ca/) . We drank in the view at Oceanstone (https://www.oceanstoneresort.com/) during an overnight stay with friends. We went out for supper in Halifax at The Armview Restaurant (https://www.thearmview.com/) which is an all-time favourite and Baton Rouge (https://www.batonrouge.ca/en/baton-rouge-halifax/) which is a new favourite.
Everywhere we went we asked business owners how things were going and let them know we were there to support them in our own small way. They are certainly struggling, some more than others. Business is definitely a far cry from what it would have been last year, and they are just trying to survive.
It sounds as though that is not going to change anytime in the next two or three years so I hope we can all adjust to this new normal and still enjoy life here at home. And I hope we can all try in some small way to ensure that we do one thing to support local. Nova Scotia – Stay Strong!
Enjoying Oceanstone
Good for you! We spent a lovely month in the Maritimes a few years ago, and can’t wait until our next visit, but being from Ontario, we’ll be waiting until everything is back to normal. I have to ask: will there be a new season of The Big Downsize this year?
Hi Margaret – we are sad that our Ontario family and friends can’t visit but we do want to keep everyone as safe as possible. I hope you are enjoying some time in your home province this summer. We will be filming Season 3 of The Big Downsize this fall and it will be airing next Spring. If you haven’t already, you might want to like my Facebook Business page https://www.facebook.com/JaneVeldhovenGetOrganized/ to keep up to date on the show.