Monday, August 2, 2010

A Day in the Valley

It was a long weekend for us here in Halifax, and we had gorgeous weather for the whole weekend.  How great is that….
I’m supposed to be in PEI today but due to some work disasters late last week I thought it better to stick around. Since PEI was out of the question I thought it would be the perfect time for a day trip to the Valley.  I absolutely love the Valley.  My family had a cottage there from the time I was 5 yrs old up until about 6 years ago.  It was getting harder and harder for us to find the time to do the upkeep so we sold it.  smile_sad  I have regretted it ever since.  I actually haven’t even been to there in 4 years.  
To start the day off right I did 60 mins of yoga to finish Lynn’s Yoga Challenge.  I’m glad I participated, and now have a love for yoga.  Thanks Lynn!!!!
Breakfast was quick and easy… Egg whites and a slice of cinnamon raison Ezekiel bread.
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I picked up my friend Joan, and we were on the road.  The drive to the Valley is much better now than it used to be since they twinned the highway and before we knew it we were at the Grand Pre exit and our first stop was for coffee at  Just Us! Coffee.  The special on the board was “Christmas in July” Chai Late, with Almond and Mint.  Sounded interesting so I gave it a try.  It was so good I stopped for one on the way back.
Then we were off to our next stop The Blomidon Inn.  The gardens and grounds are very well maintained and the food is delicious.  I actually liked it here so much I got married there.  The marriage didn’t last but the Inn is as gorgeous as ever.  We wandered around the property for quite a long time.  Joan is a photographer, so she was taking LOTS of pictures.  Here are a couple of mine.
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This little frog was kind enough to pose for a few pics.             IMG_0988
I spotted these cuties in the gift shop…. Little known fact about me, I have a thing for frogs.
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I was good though and didn’t buy any.
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After a quick tour of the Inn we were off to our next stop, the Wolfville Farmers Market.  Since we spent so long at the Inn we were quite late for the market and had missed most of it.  It’s a great outdoor market with lots of vendors selling local produce, organic meats, baked goods etc.  They also have local musicians playing with an area where you can sit and listen if you like. 
We were a little parched so we stopped into EOS Fine Foods.  What a little treasure this is.  They have a great selection of organic goods and natural health products.  I found some Kombucha in the cooler and thought I would be brave and give it a try.  I have to say I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like the taste but I was pleasantly surprised.  It was quite good, so I went back and bought 3 more cans.  I couldn’t quite put my finger on what the taste reminded me of, Ginger Ale came to mind, but not quite.
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Our next stop was my old cottage.  The new owners weren’t home but we took a quick look around and a couple of pictures.
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My old row boat “The Jackie M”
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I hate having my picture taken but I gave in and let Joan take one.
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View of the lake.
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We were starving after the little trip down memory lane. I thought of a cute cafe I used to go to in Berwick and was hoping it was still there, and it was. 
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The Union Street Cafe opened in 2000 and is a family owned and operated dining establishment. 
We ordered a Greek side salad and  the Mango Tango Veggie Burger
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That burger was AMAZING.  It was the best thing I have had to eat in a long time.  Just a hint of curry with the mango chutney mayo… heaven!!  I asked what was in it so I am going to try to recreate it. 
After lunch we wandered over to Bargain Harleys where I scored some 800 thread count sheets for $29.88.
We were going to attempt to visit the Blomidon Winery on the way back but by the time we got back that way it was too late.  smile_sad
After another stop at Just Us to refuel for the drive home we were on our way back to the city. 
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It was a great day!!!!        Can’t wait to go back again soon.
~~~ Jackie
Sorry for the long post but I wanted to get as much in as I could.

3 comments:

ElleBee said...

That totally looks like my kind of day! I love the valley too, and Blomidon Inn is one of my favorite spots in the entire world! We considered getting married there but they could only accommodate a certain number of people and we needed a bigger space. :( Still stayed there for part of our honeymoon though.

I'll have to check out the Union Street Cafe, that burgers looks delish!

JavaChick said...

Union Street Cafe and Bargain Harley's....You are making me miss home. I actually had no idea Bargain Harley's was still around. :)

Jackie said...

JavaChick - I didn't realize you were from there. You've gotta love Bargain Harley's they actually just moved to their own building a couple of months ago.