St Andrews, New Brunswick

Tweet

Having gotten into the ridiculous habit of taking tea with breakfast (something I only do when I’m not at home) and then taking a walk, I find I need to find frequent rest stops along my route. So I have found numerous available restrooms throughout town including the eco-friendly, if not olfactory-friendly port-o-potties at the back of Centennial Park.

Of course, part of the reason it’s been a necessity to find restrooms around town is due to the friendliness of our inn staff. One always seems to be waiting just inside to open the door as we approach. And then quite congenially, he will ask about our outing and not in a cursory manner. No, multiple questions and further suggestions to enhance our stay will ensue as I slowly back up the stairs while attempting to maintain eye contact. In fact he is a superb host, I simply don’t value his engaging personality when I have consumed a full liter of liquid in less than an hour!

As I’ve walked about St. Andrews I have found this friendliness pervasive. We’ve only been in town 2 days and we’ve had fabulous strawberry blueberry cobbler offered to us twice (we accepted on both occasions), found a coffee shop and later been greeted by the owners while walking through town, and learned the ups and downs of retail in a seasonal tourist town from an artisan shopkeeper. St. Andrews is a compact town with all of the necessities for a relaxing vacation – great places to walk, natural features to explore, a coffee shop with lattes, a fabulous lunch café with a local following and the aforementioned friendly locals. There is even a water spigot and bowl just for four footed friends. I have learned the job and the etymology of wharfinger. I have watched a ship’s hull being painted while beached at low tide and seen the same vessel surrounded by water 6 hours later. There is always an available parking space on the main street, although we have always walked into and around town. Enchanting gardens are found at the top of the hill (I could write an entire blog on the gardens alone). And the daily rise and fall of the tide, 5 1/2 meters at a time, is fascinating in its consistency and grandeur. I highly recommend St. Andrews, New Brunswick for a visit of a day or a week!