The Artist Who Painted Canada

O Canada!

Once upon a time, there was a land of lakes and forests, mountains and oceans, rivers and rocks. There was also an author and her son who couldn’t get enough of such beauty. They have a hankering for everything vintage, can’t understand why the Orient Express is no longer in operation, or why anyone would travel by airplane when trains are an option. As fishing is also high on the son’s list of “favorite things” and the author could sneak in a book while the fish decide (or not) to make an appearance, it made perfect sense to embark on a train ride to Halifax (a province in Eastern Canada known for its ocean views among other natural wonders), in order to go deep sea fishing! 

This is my humble summary of the majestic beauty we encountered, the not-to-be-missed destinations we visited, and ideas for “staycations” you can implement ANYWHERE in case you are already planning next summer’s vacation (and who can blame you when school bells are about to ring and we need something to hold on to). Most importantly, these types of vacations allow parents to leverage natural wonders and the beauty of nature to keep God, the best Artist, top of mind.

Halifax, the majestic!

We travelled by train (on the Via Rail line, called: The Ocean) and loved every second. Well, every second minus the ones that made up the sleeping hours. The mattresses that were unfurled during the night were necessarily soft (how else could they roll them in the morning to make space) which means we had less than ideal sleeping arrangements. However, what those mattresses lacked in comfort, the scenery more than made up for. Imagine hours of rolling amid forests and lakes, and then glimpses of the ocean? No need to imagine. I added a short video to illustrate:

There is something humbling about admiring such beauty with our children and realizing that we are not looking at a masterpiece made by human hands. We are looking at the work of the Artist. As you can see, the Artist who painted Canda created a masterpiece. This beauty we see in Canada continuously points us toward the One who created it. Psalm 19 tells us that “the heavens declare the glory of God.” Halifax is a place that reminds us of the sheer majesty of creation.

Once we arrived at our destination, Halifax continued to surprise and delight. We visited the waterfront, explored the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, went deep-sea fishing, visited original boutiques (like Liquid Gold, a place dedicated to exploring the myriad options of olive oil), iconic sights, a beautiful art gallery (14 bells Fine Arts Gallery, where I fell in love with the work of Sanna Rahola), enjoyed time on the harbour, ate delicious meals, and experienced the beauty of Peggy’s Cove.

Peggy’s Cove in particular is one of those places where it is difficult not to stop and stare.

The enormous rocks.

The ocean stretching toward the horizon.

The lighthouse standing against the landscape.

The wind.

The sound of the water.

It is beautiful in a way that photographs cannot fully capture. But we tried:

As parents, we spend so much time trying to give our children everything they need. We plan. We organize. We schedule. We worry. Then creation reminds us that God has been sustaining the world long before we ever learned how to plan a vacation. This vacation was full of such moments. Like the time we went deep-sea fishing with the wind belting our faces and the waves rocking our fishing boat to the rhythm of hard rock tunes (the things we do for our children, right?).

On our way to meet the fish

This was a “catch and release” fishing trip where pollock, mackerel, and cod appeared briefly on the fishing rod before returning to their loved ones.

Halifax is no stranger to fine dinning if one chooses to splurge. But it also offers unique culinary experiences that do not require a second mortgage. Did you know that you could have ice-cream with cotton candy? Not cotton-candy flavored ice-cream. Read this again: ice-cream with cotton candy!! It was created by the Fog Company, and it made me break my “no sugar” rule in the most extreme manner!! Behold this beauty: an ice-cream cone surrounded by cotton candy.

And once the “no sugar” rule was broken, there was, unfortunately, no stopping me! There was a delightful pastry shop called Creme, that served mango mousse cakes in the shape of mangoes that “explode” to reveal mango chunks hidden in their soft bellies:

To “justify” the bi-jillion calories we (I) were consuming, we took long walks along the highly entertaining and enlightening boardwalk. They erected memorial images of local heroes, summarizing their efforts and contributions during the war. What a brilliant idea! There are also free playgrounds and child-friendly, low-cost activities.

We also visited the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, which has Titanic artifacts among other intriguing finds:

One of the biggest lessons from this trip is that you don’t have to travel far to have a great family adventure.

Canada is enormous, diverse, and extraordinarily beautiful. As evidenced by these following few snapshots:

For families who don’t want the stress and expense of major vacations—there is so much to discover close to home wherever home might be.

Here are some ideas to help you plan a memorable, Christ-centered family staycation:

Pick a city you’ve never properly explored, even if it is only an hour or two away, or your very own city.

Visit a museum.

Find a new park.

Explore a historic neighbourhood.

Take a harbour cruise.

Go to a farmers’ market.

Try a restaurant you’ve never visited.

Visit a botanical garden.

Take your children hiking.

Go somewhere to watch the sunrise or sunset.

You don’t need a complicated itinerary. In fact, children may remember the simple things more than the expensive ones. They may remember the ice cream (I will never forget that cotton candy dream). The boat ride. The restaurant where they tried something new. The park where they ran until they were exhausted. The joke everyone kept repeating.

The sunset everyone stopped to watch. Those are the things that become family stories.

Teaching Our Children to See

Perhaps the greatest lesson isn’t really about travel at all.

It is about learning to see.

We live in a world that constantly tells our children to move faster, consume more, and look at the next thing.

Faith invites us to do something different.

Look.

Be still.

Give thanks.

Notice.

Creation provides endless opportunities to teach this.

When your child sees a breathtaking sunset, don’t rush past it. Say, “Look what God made.”

When you see the ocean, talk about its power.

When you encounter a beautiful flower, notice its details.

When you walk through a forest, listen to the surrounding sounds.

When you stand in an old city, talk about the generations that came before you.

And when you sit around a table eating a meal together, thank God for the food, the people who prepared it, and the privilege of enjoying it together.

These are small acts of discipleship.

We don’t only teach our children about God inside a church building or during family devotions.

We teach them about Him while walking.

While travelling.

While eating.

While exploring.

While watching the waves.

While standing beneath a sky filled with stars.

The world itself becomes a classroom.

In Christ,

Mireille

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