The pandemic still lingers. Land borders are closed and international travels are not recommended. It's better to travel local in these conditions! This summer, the Quebec's region of Gaspesie was flooded with tourists and all accommodations, (hotels, motels. campings), were full. This is a beautiful region, but too many people for my own taste. I decided to visit the province of New Brunswick, doing a great loop around the province, while mainly concentrating my stays at two locations, central acadian coast and Fundy bay. It was my first time taking vacations in September, just before fall. Weather was overall good: chilly in the morning, but comfortable in the afternoons. First stop in Quebec, at the tourist town of Cabano, on the shores of long narrow Temiscouata's lake. Region has a micro climate warmer than its immediate ... read more

We are deep into 2nd wave of covid-19 pandemic in Quebec. :-( Everything will close during end of year holidays. The authorities just started to vaccine the population. At least 6 months will be required to vaccine everybody. No trip outside the country before next fall! But next trip will be to Africa!! In the last months, I took opportunities to visit, and revisit, places around my home. When you take time to observe more carefully, you discover beauty in smaller things! In blog, can see things I photograph during the last month. As the title suggests, one evening, I saw the pinkest skies I have ever seen. It was strange, like being on an other planet. but it was also very beautiful!! See you next time.... read more

This was my last stop in Nicaragua, before heading back to Managua. Because of COVID-19 pandemic, I cut 3 days from the vacation. ..... Leon is a colonial city and ancient rival to Granada. The city is far less touristy than Granada, but still have many accommodations and things to do around. Old downtown center is compact and easy to navigate. We stayed in hotel Flor de Sarta, about 4 blocks North of central park. This si close enough to get to center in 10 minutes, but quiet enough to sleep well. The staff is super friendly ans breakfast is very good and varied. A small pool and patio allows to relax in the afternoon. ... In Leon, the highlight is of course the big white cathedral, which is white in and out. The building is ... read more

It's time to go to the sea!! We left early from Ometepe and with reservation we took the ferry in no time with our car. We headed North on the inter Americana. During the dry season, the landscape is more open with many beige colors grasses in contrast with a few evergreen trees. The terrain is in general flat but things change after Diriamba. We climbed in altitude for many kilometers, changing the landscape completely. It's now more green, and from above, we can see the ocean in the far distance. We left highway at El Crucero, and descend steadily for a few kilometers. The views are splendid here! It seems that this resort is in the middle of nowhere, because we took a shortcut, but that's part of the adventure!! A couple of dirts roads, ... read more

Ometepe island was one of my top 2 places to visit in Nicaragua, and I wasn't deceived!! First thing is to get there. Although there are a few flights a week to get there from Managua, it's more fun and exotic to take the boat to reach it. :-) One important thing about the ferry. If you don't have a car or other transportation, you can take the ferry or smaller boat at any time without any preparation. But if you have a car or a truck, it would be very wise to reserve in advance!!! Reason is that not only tourists go to the island, but also many delivery trucks, and ferries are not that big. To give you an idea, on one ferry you can put: one long 53 feet truck, another truck less ... read more