Today started out pretty great even though the weather was not very good.  I’ve always  slept great hearing the patter of rain against my windows.  Then, “Come From Away” served us another fabulous, tasty breakfast; this time a savory quiche with crispy bacon, sausage, fresh strawberries, kiwi, and blueberries.  So, I felt alive and ready for my next stop.  But, I had to walk Chloe in the rain, pack the car in the rain, and that part wasn’t a whole lot of fun.  But, we had to drive very little as the vast majority of the trip was by ferry so we made it through and got to the ferry terminal early.

First off, despite the rain (which had calmed down to a light drizzle), everyone got out of their vehicles, wandered around, chatted, took pictures…very festive atmosphere, kind of like when you’re starting on a cruise.  This ship IS a cruise ship.  There were three restaurants (that I found), loads of seating, a television lounge, two movie lounges, a “trucker’s lounge”, a separate lounge with charging stations and computer desks, a children’s play area, a concierge, a gift shop, and viewing decks.  There were also members from the New Brunswick Museum who talked about the bay, its history and marine life.  This was an experience.

I couldn’t believe how many huge tractor trailers, motor homes, and cars they can fit on the “Fundy Rose”.  This thing was HUGE!  According to its statistics, it can hold 245 cars and holds 1,317 passengers.  The ship is 400 feet long by 62 feet wide,  with a draw of 4.9 meters, and has a cruising speed of 20 knots.  The crossing itself takes 2 hours and 15 minutes.

We drove onto the ship and were directed where to park and you had better not be too big or you’d have trouble getting out of your door.  The only bad thing was this ship required that dogs stay in the car…poor Chloe.  They parked us directly next to the door and, social being that she is, everyone walking by spoke to her so I know that she was completely baffled as to why she couldn’t get out.  But, I opened windows, gave her treats and water and then made my way up to the highest deck we were allowed on.

Luckily, the rain stopped so I pretty much stayed up on the outer deck watching for the whales everyone keeps saying are all over the Bay of Fundy.  Never saw one but it was pretty foggy so I doubt I could have seen one unless it surfaced directly below me.

We got to St. John and my GPS took me directly to my parking garage.  I had made reservations at The Pratt House in the center of the historic section of St. John.  It is a three story, brick, side-gabled, neo-classical residence with an off-centered entrance built in 1850.  It is designated as a local historic place for its architecture and for its survival  in two separate incidents of near loss.  (There was a great fire of 1877 which destroyed most buildings around here and then the urban renewal program where many buildings were destroyed.)

Anyway, my little apartment includes my own downtown parking space across the street in a secured garage.  That picture on the left is the stairway going up to our room.  The bed is almost waist high (see picture below where Chloe looking out the window from the bed), ceilings are at least 15 feet with incredible mouldings and I have my own little kitchenette.  Besides the fact that I love little quaint, old places like this, it is right smack in the middle of town, walkable to the marketplace and the water.  St. John has a lot to see and I’m excited to be here.

But, sadly, this afternoon, it was cold, windy, and raining.  I can deal with cold as I know how to layer but walking around in the rain is just not fun.  We did walk around for a while until the rain became unbearable.  Now it is so foggy outside, you can only see partly up the street but, what I can see, is that I am located directly across from the police station.