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Canada.The Eastern bit.Canada.The Eastern bit.
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Canada.The Eastern bit.

June - July 2019
A 30-day adventure by Stephen Read more
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  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 14

    Nova Scotia or bust.

    July 2, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    The rain was coming down like stair rods as we left the motel at Cavendish on PEI to catch the ferry at Wood islands an hour and twenty minutes away. It was full and as I had booked in advance, we got on. Unlike the two rows of cars that were left on the quayside and had to wait for the next boat. On arrival at Caribou, we drove through the forests and the occasional gathering of houses to the South Coast of the Nova Scotia peninsular where Scott and Denise’s ‘granny flat’ is above their garage. Very nice and private with views over the Petpeswick lake and surrounding Forrests near the community of Gaetz brook.

    Halifax is half an hours drive away and it has a beautiful harbour. We parked at Dartmouth on the Eastern side and then hopped on the ferry for the ten minute ride over to the city. Can’t say it’s that interesting. Blocks of 1970s high rise business’s line the waterfront with a bit of heritage squeezed in between. The land sharply raises to the fort, we know as we climbed it. This leaves the tourist trying to find something photogenic to snap and there was a few of them around as the cruise ship ‘Queen Mary 2’ was tied up further along the quay. For me a saving grace is that there are number of small breweries dotted around the city. We visited one called 2 crows, no history just shiny stainless still vats. Beers ok just the one as I was driving. May come back as we missed the immigration museum and the three other breweries.    Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 15

    Roots, roots oh! and a snake.

    July 3, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    The forecast was 18 degrees and sunny intervals, ideal for a walk. An old railway line has been turned over to a trail the ‘Musquodoboit Trailway’ which is ten minutes from where we are staying. We elected to walk a side ‘wilderness’ trail the Admiral loop, 5.5 km long. Just under 2 km from the start of the trailway. However we couldn’t understand why the proposed time to complete was 4-5 hours. We know now! It was difficult clambering over tree roots and boulders all the time as well as up and down hill. It all required effort, no easy stroll. Bugs buzzed and bit us even with liberal applications of deet based insect killer. Even though the temperature was now in the mid twenty’s which added to our discomfort. We were rewarded with some beautiful views from the lookouts. It was slow going and I thought the reason Heather wanted me to go ahead was that she wanted to walk at her pace. Not so, she didn’t want to see any snake action. I nearly trod on four of them, a couple between three and four foot long the first and last ones really surprised me. Defiantly knackered by the end. Took us just over 5 hours then a slow walk back down the trailway but we did it.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 16

    Surprising Scotia

    July 4, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    This part of Nova Scotia is pretty as a picture. The forested countryside undulates and then open’s out to clearing’s where colourful houses have spectacular views over lakes. These lakes lead towards inlets and the sea. It’s difficult to stop your eyes straying when driving down the roads that follow the coastline towards the Atlantic. We pass fishing boats tied up to stone jetty’s that are full of traps. Lobster is the main catch. All this within ten minutes of where we are staying. The weather can be fickle. As I took some photos we watched the fog roll in at speed. Two minutes up the road we were back in blazing sunshine and sunglasses.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 17

    Victim of its own prittiness.

    July 5, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    A little further afield from where we are staying is Peggy’s cove. A magnet for us tourists. Such a little place overwhelmed by motorcycles, RV’s, cars and coaches. All looking for places to park. Then we take a photo, have an ice cream or a lobster roll and move on to the next picturesque spot. Large rock platforms are cut into by the creek where fisherman’s huts cling to the waters edge. Judging by the lack of development and a scene out of the nineteenth century this area must be subject to some serious planning regulations and house buying caveats. The coaches went one way and we moved on to Mahone bay. One of a number of communities further along the coast with wooden houses some over a hundred and fifty years old embellished with ornate verandas that lead down to the shoreline. The UK doesn’t have a monopoly on twee, rustic and watery settings.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 18

    Looks like we're walking on water

    July 6, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Plucked up courage and went for another walk. As it was my birthday, we added a bit of geocaching as well. The Salt Marsh trail is another disused railway converted to a trail, in fact it’s part of the same one that the Musquodoboit trailway uses. The trail is different, it rests on a stone causeway that splits the sea in two. We walked the nine kilometres across Cole harbour and back picking up caches as we went. Interesting to see water both sides of the trail. When this was constructed a hundred years ago there was no thought about the environmental impact a stretch of trackbed would have on tidal flow and the funnelling of the water through a couple of bridges. We stood on one and watched the speed of the incoming tide also the difference in height of the water from one side to the other is quite visible. However the cormorants are happy judging by the fish they were catching nearby. After walking back to the car we drove to our seventh brewery. ‘Upstreet’ and had beer and BBQ.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 19

    Some people!

    July 7, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Last full day in Nova Scotia and we were at a loose end though the day was shaping up to be a peach weather wise. Following a bit of googling we were on our way to a kite festival in the grounds that surround Halifax fort. After parking the car, we walked by government house, the home of the queens representative in Nova Scotia. Just as the Union flag was being raised. Seeing the sign for free tours in we went! While waiting for it to start this numpty walked in protesting about stolen land and the riches the monarchy had gained by exploiting Canada. The man in his early twenties was either stoned or required some psychiatric help. He was ejected by the lady security officer who incidentally had seen service in the UK with the police at Redditch near Birmingham. The tour was short but did give a little peek into the opulence of the governors mansion as well as some lovely displays of 200 years of history. At 1 o’clock we stepped outside to watch the changing of the guard. Guess what? up jumped that numpty again. Not the best idea to mouth off in front of a couple of guards with bayonets drawn. After being ignored and the small ceremony over he disappeared into the streets of Halifax trying to find someone else to preach to. The locals on our tour apologised and said he wasn’t representative of their nation. I think that was obvious.

    Off we went to see the kites. We had a pleasant stroll amongst the people trying to and some succeeding in getting their colourful objects into the air. That event wasn’t a grand affair so on we trudged and found ourselves at the Garrison brewery. I had a flight of four tasters of different beers. It should have been five but Heather wanted to try one called ‘pucker up’ which was flavoured with pomegranate and cranberry! Close by is Halifax railway station, couldn’t afford to let that one go by. Marvellous concourse and booking hall which serves the three trains a week that leave the station and take twenty two hours to get to Montreal. Obviously the station staff have a lot of down time. That was our nothing day.    Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 21

    Back to school!

    July 9, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    This is the school house and our apartment is on the first floor, furthest four windows. Built in 1907, only us here at night. During the day a charity that deals with sustainable forestry management is resident on the ground floor. Certainly a character building with original features and a slap of paint on top. The wooden floors catch your eye and the smell definitely reminds you of school days. Sackville is small town Canada. The centre has plenty of closed down shops and there’s just not enough money to make the place pretty though it could be. We turned a corner and heard singing. In a small park on a bandstand were escapees from the local high security care home giving a concert. I don’t know what there combined ages are but it would be a lot. Two Guitars, a fiddle and keyboards. Playing country and Western songs with a singer. Shouldn’t mock it was live, just.

    Ten minutes out of town is Fort Beausejour. Strategically placed on the border between the French Acadians and the English settlers of Nova Scotia. Couple of quid for a pleasant walk around. It has a Commanding position near the bay of Fundy and laid out in a star shape. The French built it and we the English gave them a whopping and took it over. What more do you want to know?    Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 22

    Mud and rocks.

    July 10, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    An hour or so away from the school house are Hopewell rocks on The bay of Fundy which has the highest tidal range in the world. It beats the Bristol Channel into second place. Due to erosion, rocks some with trees on them have been detached from the reddish cliffs and stand alone like pillars. These pillars are referred to as ‘flowerpots’. Interesting in two ways. Looking at the geological formations for about five minutes and the second trying to get a photo without anyone else in. If I want to look at mud at low tide I can go to Erith. That’s $20 I won’t see again. Last interesting fact the Mary Celeste was built just across the bay.Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 23

    Sights, sounds and scent.

    July 11, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    In the morning we set off for a walk and to pick up some caches on the old railway line that passes next to the school. Heather smothered herself with deet and I said when they start biting I’ll do the same. Got to the first cache in the undergrowth and set off all the mozzies. i was absolutely bitten to pieces by these carnivorous insects. I couldn't apply the deet fast enough. Heather was ok.
    It was another lovely sunny day, the track is very straight and could be thought of as uninteresting. However we loved brushing past the colourful wild flowers that grow beside the track and there’s a shrub with white flowers that has the charming scent. Small yellow birds fly from perch to perch in front of us as if to lead the way. They don’t stay in one place long enough for me to take a picture. The trackbed clings to the edge of the marsh and in places there are no hills or high trees. We look up into a big sky with small fluffy clouds. Smashing to be here and so quiet.    Read more

  • TravelerCanada.The Eastern bit.
    Day 24

    The largest lobster in the world!

    July 12, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    It seems to us the only claim to fame the small seaside town of Shediac has is the worlds largest lobster so we had to take a picture or two. But we’ve been somewhere with a bigger crab claw!
    The dominant language around Shediac half an hour away from where we are staying in Sackville is Arcadian French, Sackville is almost exclusively English. It is strange! On the way, outside homes there is an increase in the number of Arcadian flags being flown. A French tricolour with a yellow star on the blue third. We don’t seem to see an English equivalent.Read more

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