When looking back at our arrival in Moncton I start smiling at the repressed feeling I had when seeing the small and cozy airport. After getting our luggage and heading to the car rental desk, I have noticed the main waiting room: a little bigger than our own living room. Out of all people that came with us, only 5 or 6 could be seen anymore, and then they all disappeared quickly, like the ants under the ground.

Hmm.. where is everybody, where are the porters, the counters, security..?.. All a big emptiness.. After passing a big door, then we could see 2 counter desks, one of which was our man. Glad to see at least one person, waiting for some lost people like us, we headed towards the desk to make the final arrangements to pick up the car we rented a while ago.

As a trip cannot start with an empty belly, we all agreed that the first stop should be at a restaurant that caught our attention on our way to the Magnetic Hill, which we had it as a first “to see” from our holiday list.

I have heard lots of things about Magnetic Hill before this trip, and all true. This is not a big place, but that’s a “must see” if you are in the area. The perception makes everything. Your eyes might not see what is real, and the feeling you get when you let the car rolling “uphill” is unique. This is not taking a lot of your time, and is not expensive either. But the sensation you get there, is that the gravity no longer exist and Newton has to change his law.

Driving to Parlee Beach doesn’t take too much. Shediac is just around of corner. The entrance in the city is marked with a huge lobster, welcoming all tourists. Passing through the city centre gives you already the feeling of a big resort. OK, then this is our destination, because we are on vacation!

Happy that the check-in at the motel took us only few minutes, and in the possession of the surrounding’s map, we planned already heading to the beach.  Looking forward to see the sea, and ignoring the approaching heady clouds, we took our heels and our excitement towards the beach. After walking almost 30 minutes, we finally got there. Would you think that the beach was deserted due to the heavy and dark clouds approaching from the west? No way! Lots of people all over the place..

So, we took our shoes off and went for a walk on the white sandy beach, through the water. As much as you can see, all shallow. And all over the shallows were water snails and other crustaceans. Thousands and thousands.. When you step in the water they tend to run away, or to recoil under sand, but as soon as you step away, they revive and start playing again. There is so much life, all the shore with these little, innocent inhabitants, ignoring all unwanted visitors and these huge “bipeds” that scare them at times. They have their own life, apart from the noise and agitation, and people and wind, and rain and balls, or kites. Under the water they have their own cycle, habits, and beauties. Outside is the rest.

Including the rain that is fast approaching, so time for us to move on, even though the sea has mesmerized us and let us hardly depart.

As you always make plans for vacation, you add all sort of things to do and to see. But since not much to do or see on a rainy day, you always fail to have a plan B. So, what’s now to be done when the rain is fast approaching, and you have no umbrella, or any poncho?.. As you have guessed, plan B started with some shopping for some items for the rainy days announced to come.

Hungry after such a long day, we stopped at the first restaurant out of so many along the main road in Shediac. The dinner we had was enough to diminish our hunger for food, but not enough for our hunger for vacation, for nice places, hunger to have fun, to forget the daily chores, hunger to enjoy new places, and people and to enjoy and spoil ourselves.

Sleeping like new born babies after such a wonderful day, dreaming already at the remaining of the trip, we just let our fate to take decision on the forecast, ignoring the fact that the sun was a little bit upset with us these days. We simply knew that he will be our friend again soon, high up in the sky and smiling kindly towards us.