591
14 October 2012
R. Linda
Our inn for the night was the Blomidon Inn which is a Victorian English Manor house built by a sea captain in the 19th century.
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| Blomidon Inn |
When we pulled up we were instantly wowed. This had to be of all the places we stayed in Nova Scotia, the prettiest on the outside. Our first experience out of the car wasn't a good one though. As we pulled up there were people on mobile phones (about six of them) clustered on the front steps. As we walked up with our suitcases, no one moved. They were all speaking German except one Frenchman. My Da often said, "I don't know what it is about the French that brings out the worst in the Germans," and I thought of that immediately and they proved him right. The Frenchman was first on the steps and wasn't moving. I had to say EXCUSE US three times before he moved, giving me a look like I had a nerve. Now the Germans on the steps above moved over (staying on the steps) as I got up to them, not before, so we had to squeeze by. Usually, people are polite, but this time, no they weren't.
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| Here is (after we battled our way in), a couple of the impolite persons still congregated on the steps where moving aside was not an option in their opinion. |
Now there is a side entrance all the way on the other side of the house which we did not know about. We were in the check-in lot and the only way in were those stairs. These very same people could have spoken up and told us about the easier side entrance, but that didn't happen. I have had more run-ins with French persons than any nationality and I don't for the life of me understand why they give attitude.
The treatment we get is usually good, but there are times it is not. And, it's the same nationalities who seem to think rudeness is the norm, the French being foremost followed by the Italians. Of course, they will come back with the Irish are this and that. So in the end we are all pretty much equal. But you would think that when I am supporting their economy with my visits, they'd be just a wee bit happy. In general, all the natives of Nova Scotia we met on our travels were the best, friendliest, and most welcoming people we have ever encountered . . . Quebec not so much! I know, but I had to get that zinger in there.
So back to the inn tour.
I think the house is the colour it is because the agate in that area (the same that makes the highways pink) is predominant and mined on the Blomidon Cape. The inside was done in Victorian style, but with a touch of something else I wasn't sure of. The staff seemed ultra busy and more impersonal than anywhere else we had stayed, but they were courteous. Here are some pictures of the inside:
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| Downstairs sitting room (they must have had some outdoor paint left over) |
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| The front window view from the sitting room |
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| Same room fireplace side |
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| Music room, we rather liked this room |
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| Other end of the room not sure what the white cloth-covered table was for |
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| The stairs to the second floor I had to pull baggage up twice |
Our room was the Canard and it was on the second floor (no lifts as we found there were none in any of the places we stayed). So it was chugging up the stairs with two suitcases though we did have a desk person ask if we needed help. I decided to do it meself. Our room wasn't bad, it certainly wasn't General Wolf's nor Vanderbilt's room. It was smaller and felt slightly cramped. The one big complaint was the pillows had flats. Yup, neither had any fluff so it was like not having a pillow and we are both two pillow-a-piece people. I figured if I called down for more pillows I'd get more of the same. We estimate that we'd have to call for at least 45 pillows to make one fluffy pillow.
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| The upstairs hallway had a sitting room at the other end, which I thought was pretty neat, our room was just down the hall |
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| The sitting room on the opposite side of the landing |
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| The Canard Room - what you don't see is the air conditioning unit with the huge gap at the bottom. We were glad it wasn't bug season or cold outside. |
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| We had a wee bit of a sitting area but with the baggage, it seemed a bit close |
We laid on the bed sort of shell-shocked from the morning which still hadn't worn off, nor had Tonya had her fill of reminding me of it. I turned the telly on thinking to stifle the ranting and maybe get a catnap, but no, no, SHE was nudging me and making me promise all over again I would NOT drive down another gravel or dirt road EVER. By that time it was time to dress for dinner and get a much-needed drink!
Now the Germans were having a bit of a party in the large dining room, so I believe that room was reserved, all fine and good. BUT the board with the specials was located in that room, and we as well as another couple after us, were paraded into Party Central to read the specials. It made one feel like Oliver had the nerve to ask for MORE! In the room, all looked up at us and then went back to their conversation as we were led out to another smaller dining room, which I much preferred.
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| The grand dining room |
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| Smaller dining room |
While we awaited our drinks we could hear live music in the adult dining room, yes, that's what it felt like after being paraded in. It was like saying hi to all your aunties and uncles and then being taken to the children's table. Yes, it was. Why we couldn't be told of the specials in our own room, I've notta clue. Was just odd.
Tonya ordered pate, and I ordered the mussels. Both were delicious so there was a savings grace to all this.
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| Tonya's Pate |
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| My mussels |
What was disturbing was the presentation of Tonya's lamb shank entree.
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| Does this look obscene? |
When her plate came she sat there giggling. From where I was sitting to her right I wasn't getting the full effect.
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| Spicy Jambalaya Stew |
Dinner was delicious, but not nearly as wonderful as the dinner we had at the DesBarres Manor. The ingredients are all fresh from the nearby Annapolis Valley and that was something we found special at both DesBarres and Blomidon, you could taste the freshness and it made dining a highlight.
The next morning we had breakfast in the big people room. Yes, we did. And there at the window end was a table full of the Germans who were rather loud and boisterous, and to the right was the French couple, he of mobile phone haughtiness, who exhibited the same haughtiness with his wife by hardly speaking to her. A loud laugh from the table by the window made everyone turn around to look at the source of the explosive laughter. Someone said loud enough for Tonya to overhear, something that made her smile. I asked her what it was and she leaned over to me and giggled, "No matter what you do, don't talk about the war." I had to laugh, it was shades of John Cleese's character Basil from Fawlty Towers lurking I think in everyone in the dining room.
It was raining and ugly out, with downpours coming throughout the day. We were on our way north to the Annapolis Valley then on to the west coast (Yarmouth) with a visit to Shelburne. We had tried to book reservations in Shelburne at Cooper's Inn but there was a wedding so they were fully booked. That meant we had to drive an additional hour to Liverpool for our next inn.
Gabe
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