Our tour began with a weekend at the beautiful Elim Lodge campground, just north of Peterborough, ON. We sang a full concert Saturday, and 2 worship services on Sunday.
The lyric for A Divine Heart Imagined You, taken during sound check. This empty chapel was filled to capacity for the morning service!
Our product table with our 2 new CDs!!!! How awesome to finally be able to share these songs with people!!!
Allison's prayer houses! She painted these little birdhouses, and then tied on prayer request cards. You can simply use them as a pretty decoration, or you can write your prayer on a slip of paper and tuck it in the house.
Another view of Allison's prayer houses. She used all her favourite colours, which of course means lots of pink!
Gorgeous display of flowers in front of the camp office.
Gerald had to remove his hat for dinner! It was official!
How Allison spent Sunday afternoon... painting outside our cabin by the water...
Many people spend every summer at Elim, and this man has a beautiful garden. He had these gorgeous Turk's cap lilies growing by the fence.
We couldn't get in the chapel to run our songs before the evening service, so we were rehearsing outside. A gentleman came by and offered to take our photo - another said we should open our guitar case and busk outside the church :)
Yes, we found Hallelujah Corner!
We give out these colouring sheets at our product table. Six-year-old Petra coloured this and gave it back as her gift to us. This is going on our fridge when we get back home!
They put us in a little cottage by the water, and this was our view! The perfect weather certainly didn't hurt...
We're in Montreal! As we indulged in pizza on a patio, a group of student protestors came down the street, singing, playing instruments, waving flags, & wearing masks.
Our Nespresso maker in our hotel room! Doesn't it look like it belongs there? All hotel rooms should have one!
A French-speaking, English-singing 50's tribute band on St. Catherine.
Corn on the cob growing in the flower beds. We have no idea why, but it looked cool.
Guitar dreaming at Steve's Music.
The entrance to Montreal's China Town.
A mic stand that looks like a grenade. You squeeze the handle to raise & lower it. Probably not the best stand for a worship leader?
The butterfly piano!!!
Gerald in Archambault - a fantastic 4-floor music store!
Allison falling in love with a little mahogany Gibson...
There are bands and buskers all over Montreal!
Pretty pink lights drape up and down this section of St. Catherine.
Montreal is full of stunning church architecture.
"When I find myself in times of trouble,
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be"
Montreal is also full of amazing murals, graffiti, and public art. This music mural was in a back alley full of amazing images.
Brunch on the patio!
Allison's juice is called Pink Perfection, of course :)
While Allison shopped at The Linen Chest, Gerald enjoyed a free espresso & a lounge in the massage chairs. We're pretty sure they put those there just for the husbands....
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. All the main collections are free admission - gotta love an arts-based culture.
The bottom painting is called The Holy Kinship (circa 1500), and shows Jesus's family tree based on Mary's family. Fascinating picture!
An amazing Italian wood inlay from the 1400's.
Abraham Sacrificing Isaac, by Valentin, 1630. This large canvas is stunning with its deep colours and emotional content.
The Raising of Jairus's Daughter, by Gabriel Max, 1878. The light coming off the daughter and the darkness surrounding Jesus created a moving & intimate portrait of a supernatural moment.
Monet! The Main Pathway at Giverney, 1900. The photo really doesn't capture the rich, shimmery colours of this delectable painting.
Yes, that's a pink bunny walking down the street...
A cross and disco ball hanging from our cabbie's mirror. Don't know what it means, but interesting dichotomy.
Brisket Montreal - if you like meat, this is your restaurant. Gerald ordered the King Size smoked meat sandwich & Brie poutine.
19 kinds of poutine & 17 different burgers, including elk, rabbit, and kangaroo!
Yes, that sandwich is practically the size of your head!
Late night dessert at the wonderful Juliet & Chocolate!
Allison's super-indulgent hot chocolate from Peru - like sipping a bowl of rich, dark, melted chocolate. Heavenly :)
St. James' Church in Kentville, NS. We sang here in support of their 2013 mission trip to the Dominican Republic.
Sound check at St. James', Kentville.
At every church, we stay with a host family. This family also had a host puppy!
Yes, this is where we stayed for the weekend. And yes, we'll definitely be returning :)
We were invited to sing for morning worship the day after the concert. Allison with our host, Joyce, after the service.
Post-church brunch with the crowd from St. James', Kentville. Great food, and even better company!
Gorgeous trompe l'oeil outside our hotel in Halifax.
No bags at this grocery store! Now that's green!
Cheeky church sign in Halifax - especially poignant on a grey day...
Gerald playing a lovely nylon-stringed Taylor at Halifax's Long & McQuade.
Love their sign! Surprisingly few guitars, though.
Allison enjoying our complimentary smoothie at the funky, bohemian Good Food Emporium.
Just Us! Cafe in Halifax - the home of the free trade coffee movement in Canada.
Ah, free trade goodness... check out that latte art!
We ditched our pub plans & enjoyed a decadent night of fish & chips by Halifax Harbour.
Local root beer for the connoisseur...
The harbour by night - you can see our shadows on the side of the boat!
Tall ship in Halifax Harbour - what a gorgeous place to spend an evening!
Taking the ferry from NS to NL!
We got a window seat for the ride!
The bizarre hotdog maker on the ferry. Medieval torture hotdogs anyone?
Sunset from the ferry....
Welcome to Newfoundland! We landed in Port aux Basques.
Driving through Newfoundland's west coast is striking! Mountains everywhere...
We spent a night in Rocky Harbour in the heart of Gros Morne National Park. The view of Gros Morne from our cabin.
Early evening stroll in Rocky Harbour. The tide had gone out, so the beach was a great place for exploring.
Sea urchins, kelp, mussels, barnacles, and lots of treasures filled the tide pools.
Shale jutting out of the beach in Rocky Harbour. You can see how the rock formed layer upon layer.
Random basketball net on the side of the road in Rocky Harbour. Just in case you had some kind of emergency hoops craving, I guess!
Sound check at St. Michael's and All Angels, Corner Brook, NL.
Captain Cook's Lookout, Corner Brook, NL.
View of Corner Brook from the lookout. Allison lived here in her preschool days.
We sang at Trinity United Church in Botwood.
Striking stained glass at Trinity United Church, Botwood, NL.
Million year old iceberg ice! Nothing better in your iced tea :)
Fresh mussels - awesome!
Perfect spot for a flower garden!
Allison just can't resist anything this pink!
We sang 2 worship services at the Salvation Army Church in Peterview, NL. This statue was erected on their 100th anniversary.
We sang for their 101st anniversary! Cutting the cake after the evening service with Captains Doreen & Duane & guest speaker Major Violet.
Afternoon walk on Killick Island, Botwood.
It's blueberry season! Perfect afternoon walk snack :)
The cranberry fields in Botwood. This is one of several beds planted right in the bog.
After our concert at the Salvation Army Church in Peterview, NL. With Captains Doreen & Duane Colbourne.
Cousins! Taken at the Salvation Army Church in Peterview, NL.
The sky over Eastport, NL.
Beautiful Holy Cross Church in Eastport, NL.
Helena Thoms sang a solo in our Eastport concert. Here she is during soundcheck.
Packing up after a great night in Eastport!
St. Mary's Church in Hodge's Cove, NL. This was our first visit to the area, and we'll definitely be back!
The beautiful nativity window above the altar at St. Mary's, Hodge's Cove, NL.
With Rev. Jessie Broaders, St. Mary's, Hodge's Cove, NL.
In St. Johns, NL, we sang at St. Thomas' - the church were Allison grew up! This church is filled with incredible stained glass, including this rich window of the baptism of Jesus.
Another of Allison's favourite windows at St. Thomas'. We have a song inspired by this same verse - "Let the children come unto me..."
St. Thomas' has numbers on each pew, reminding us of the days when families would rent their pew for the year. The pews are various sizes to accommodate all kinds of families.
Gerald falling in love with our rented Bose sound system...
Sound check at the wonderful Parish of the Good Shepherd in Mount Pearl, NL.
Gorgeous musical stained glass, located behind the choir stalls in Parish of the Good Shepherd, Mount Pearl, NL.
One of our favourite places! Quidi Vidi is a little fishing village located within St. John's, NL. To the left is the city, and to the right is the ocean. This spot is called the Gut.
We don't know who owns this house in the Gut, but we'd definitely like to retire here. What a view!
Allison bought 2 new Irish penny whistles at O'Brien's Music Store - the oldest store on the oldest street in the oldest city in North America!
Our cabin on the ferry, crossing from Argentia, Newfoundland, to North Sydney, Nova Scotia. After 25 days on the road, we're starting to head west!
We had lunch on this stunning patio, right on the gorgeous Bay of Fundy. There's no way we could capture the beauty of this moment in a photograph. One of the most peaceful moments of the whole tour...
The Bay of Fundy from our lunchtime patio. As we say in Newfoundland - a "large day"!
In St. Andrew's, NB, in our host family's "backyard".
Our final concert of the tour was at All Saints Church in beautiful St. Andrew's-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick!
After chatting, we discovered that these 2 men taught psychology with Allison's Dad, Hollis Hiscock, very early in his career!! Small world :)
After our concert at All Saints Church, with The Rev'd Canon John Matheson.
Sunrise on the Bay of Fundy, at our host's home. The tide is out...
Tide's in! The same spot, just 2 hours later!
Beautiful Old Quebec City! The original city, built within stone walls, has winding narrow streets filled with cafes, stores, & restaurants.
Loving Quebec's cafe culture! Allison savouring cappuccino & traditional French macaroons.
Gerald indulging in fresh bread stuffed with olives & feta.
Living planters!
Stunning Notre Dame Cathedral! One of the original cathedrals on the continent, it'll celebrate its 350th anniversary in 2014.
Notre Dame's beautiful Casavant organ, in the sanctuary's rear balcony.
The striking main altar at Notre Dame. All the gold pieces are hand-carved and covered in gold leaf.
The Pieta and the gift shop...
The moon over the gate entering Old Quebec ... fabulous date night!
Attending worship at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Old Quebec.
The Cathedral sponsors missions to Burundi, so the speaker & guest musicians were from there. The music wasn't in English, but you can always understand the sounds of praise!
The striking altar at Holy Trinity Cathedral. The panels around the altar are carved with the Lord's Prayer, the Apostle's Creed, & the 10 Commandments.
Visiting the artisans in Old Quebec...
Sitting on a patio, listening to Allison's favourite song, "La Vie en Rose" - bliss!
By the glorious Chateau Frontenac, strolling the boardwalk overlooking the Saint Lawrence river.