My Road to Independence

My Road to Independence

The city was closing in on me. I had just lived through two years of incredible stress, a demanding and structured time. I had not had a day to myself; not even an hour, it seemed. That’s the way it is when your spouse is living with cancer. When he was gone, there was a lot of stress tucked away in my body in places I did not even know existed. I had to get away. I needed peace, quiet, a touch of luxury, I wanted to be by the ocean and I wanted all this on an economy ticket. I wanted to go to The Fairmont Algonquin in St. Andrews-by-the Sea, New Brunswick. This had been my constant dream for the last two years. There was however, one small problem. It was Christmas time; the traditional time of family, good will and low bank accounts.

I told my family that they would be on their own for the Holiday season, packed the car and drove east. My family were all adults so although they were somewhat surprised, they understood. I did not call ahead for reservations; my last two years had been filled with appointments and constrictions. I wanted to be free of all that.

The round trip from Ottawa would be about three thousand kilometres. I had never driven that far on my own and I never stayed in a motel alone before so my road to independence was going to be an adventure.

The road conditions and the weather could have been a problem at that time of year but proved not to be. I encountered about four hours of rain on the way east. The rest of the trip was clear sailing, so to speak. New Brunswick experienced a green Christmas that year, their first in eight years. The weather and road conditions seemed made to order just for me and I appreciated it.

I had been to the East Coast many times so the route was familiar. A trip through the north eastern states would not be complete without a stopover in Montpelier, located in central Vermont in the picturesque Winooski River valley; and the heart of the Green Mountains ski country. With a population of approximately 8,000, this beautiful city offers a welcome rest stop for lunch and a walk to see the beautiful historic legislative building with its golden dome.

This is America’s smallest capital city and a visit here would not be complete without visiting Rivendell Books. Here one can get lost in rooms full of both new and used books. The shelves are so high a step stool is required to reach the uppermost shelf. Every shelf holds a treasure and a bargain. There are benches provided where customers can sit and peruse the books of their choice in a relaxed and quiet atmosphere.

From Montpelier, I took Highway 2 east and my next stop was St. Johnsbury, Vermont for dinner and a motel for the night. This too was a familiar spot. The motel situated on the highway is easy to find and there is an excellent restaurant just one block away. After a satisfying night’s sleep and an early breakfast, I was on my way to the Atlantic Ocean.

My first stop in St. Andrews was the Fairmont Algonquin. I might as well go first class, I thought. I was greeted with courtesy and surprise at the front desk because I was their only guest. The Staff was reduced for the season but they were extremely helpful and generous when I told them of my mission. Indeed, it seemed they were more than willing to accommodate me. I asked for a luxury room at their lowest price.

I was shown a suite they call their queen luxury, a room with adjoining parlour. There was a king sized bed, two bathrooms, one with a whirlpool tub, a central fireplace in the parlour, and elegance in every detail I was offered all this for the unbelievable price of $65. a night. I had never stayed in such luxurious accommodation so I was overwhelmed.

Since I was their only guest, they offered to serve my breakfast in the parlour in front of the fireplace when I called the desk the next morning. Beautiful. There was just one small problem; although breakfast was included with the price of the room, the dining room was closed on Christmas day.

St. Andrews is a summer resort town with a population of 1,700 permanent residents. There is an abundance of activity in the summer but not so in the winter. Some shops and restaurants closed for the winter but there were a few that remained open. One in particular, The Chef’s Café on Water Street was open and this became my favourite place of all time to eat. The owners, Jim and Gayle, were soon like family. Jim had been head chef at Lake Louise hotel in Banff before he opened his own café here in St. Andrews. Anything I wanted, they were more than willing to provide. They even picked up some diskettes for me on their shopping trip to St. John as I had brought my laptop with the intention of keeping a journal, but had forgotten the diskettes.

The Chef’s Café was serving Christmas turkey specials with all the trimmings during the week but they were also closed for the twenty-fifth. Maritime hospitality became evident when Jim and Gayle invited me to spend Christmas Day with them in their home and share their Christmas dinner. I was completely overwhelmed for the second time in two days. I reluctantly declined their generous offer but I did ask them to prepare a take-out dinner for me, which I would pick up on the twenty-fourth. I had two refrigerators and a microwave oven in my suite so preservation and preparation was not a problem. The dinner was excellent; I enjoyed every morsel. There was even pumpkin pie with whipped cream and enough turkey leftover for a sandwich the next day.

I spent four glorious days at the Algonquin – the castle by the sea. I enjoyed absolute peace, tranquility and luxury and I was quite sad when it was time to leave. My stay was an experience I will treasure for a lifetime. The staff adopted me as their special project and I accepted their gracious hospitality eagerly. It was just what I needed.

The Algonquin is in its second century of serving visitors to the Maritimes and they do it well. In the summer, they offer a wealth of activities including golf on a beautiful seaside course. Other delights offered are lobster cookouts on the beach, tennis, and whale watching in season. In winter and summer there is excellent cuisine available in their elegant dinning room, and luxurious relaxation at the Spa. They offer impeccable hospitality and an experience second to none.

I left there early in the morning of my birthday and already I was planning another visit that I know will be just as enjoyable as this one.