As many of my readers are now aware, my partner Steph and I recently moved from Toronto to historic Saint John, New Brunswick as we had a dream of operating a Bed and Breakfast, in conjunction with my stamp business. We bought a lovely 140 year old house located in the west side of the city, which used to be a Bed and Breakfast. We decided that it would be a fabulous idea to operate it as a Bed and Breakfast with a twist: it will be the first Bed and Breakfast that I know of, which is aimed at providing a quiet and cozy, stamp filled getaway for those of you philatelists looking to immerse yourself in your stamps, while having all your needs catered to.
We offer two guest bedrooms, each with their own self-contained bathroom, so that you can be assured of complete privacy in your room. Our room rates range from a low $95 per night for our Rose Gold Room, to $105 per night for our large Grandma Green Room. You can bring your stamps with you and sit in our comfy office, at a large table, with excellent lighting, and access to all the equipment you could want or need to aid you in your study: watermark trays and fluid; a signoscope; micrometers, ultra-violet lamps, instanta gauges, colour keys and so on. You will have access to our bar and coffee and tea station at all times, so that you can sip a cup of tea, coffee or a glass of spirits while you work. We provide a tasty range of fresh baked goods throughout the day as well, so you never have to go hungry while you are here. We will also provide you with most any philatelic literature that you request to have available during your stay.
If you do not wish to bring stamps with you during your stay, then you can always browse our extensive, specialized stock of Canada and British West Africa material from the comfort of our office. Our Nigeria stock is one of the most extensive in the world, and contains many rare items.
During your stay you will have access to me and we can discuss any philatelic topic that you wish to discuss. Our basic package for $100 includes all the accouterments described, plus a 10% discount on any of our stock items, plus a scrumptious breakfast. We can recommend a variety of restaurants for lunch and dinner. For those wanting the ultimate, pampered experience, we offer an unlisted deluxe package, which includes lunch and a gourmet dinner with your choice of drinks for each day of your stay.
We are situated on a large corner property, with a large yard, where you can relax with a book and a drink, while you are not working on your stamps. New Brunswick, and Saint John itself offer a wide range of physical attractions that you can visit during the day, that are all within driving distance. Some of the attractions that are well worth the day trip to visit are pictured below:
Here we have Hopewell Rocks Park where there are some of the highest and most rapidly rising tides in the world. It is located just 2 hours away from Saint John to the east of the city. When the tide is out, you can venture well past the rocks, and when it is fully in, the water level will be well above the heads of the people that you see on the beach in the above picture.
Then there is the Hartland Bridge, which is the oldest and longest covered bridge in the world at 1282 feet long. It is also located 2 hours away from Saint John, but to the north.
For those who like to golf, there is the Royal Oaks Golf Club in Moncton, which is an hour and a half to the north-east of the City.
About 10 minutes away from us, by car, there is a large covered market in downtown Saint John, where there is a large selection of organic produce and artisan goods.
Carlton Martello Tower, is located about 400 metres away from our property, and offers a beautiful view of the city. It dates from the War of 1812, and was built as a fortification to defend the city against outside hostilities.
The main street downtown offers a lovely array of shops and restaurants that lead down to a picturesque waterfront.
The reversing falls, located in the city, are a series of rapids where the Saint John River empties into the Bay of Fundy. The tides of the bay force the water to flow in the opposite direction to the current when the tide is high, which is a unique phenomenon, and well worth a look.
These three pictures all show the Irving Nature Park, which is the second largest park in the province. It is located approximately 10 km from our property, and is easily accessible by car in about 5 minutes.
We believe that New Brunswick is one of Canada's best kept secrets, and we are confident that once you experience it for yourself, you will agree. The temperatures here during the summer months are always between about 20 and 25 degrees Celsius, which is ideal.
If you want to check out our website, and learn more, you can get there by clicking the following link:
We are accepting our first bookings in mid-May 2017.