Saturday, July 3, 2010

Glen Margaret, Nova Scotia

We left PEI in a fog - couldn't see the end of the Confederation Bridge - looked like the bridge to nowhere:

We crossed into Nova Scotia and drove down to the Halifax area, the last hour of which we unintentionally took the scenic coastal route to our destination of the town of Glen Margaret where we were to camp. It was a nice route, but not as nice as it would have been without the trailer in tow, and without being at the end of a longish driving day. They gave us narrow site, which I wasn't happy about, but the campers around us are all very friendly, and it's been a pleasant stay despite the close quarters. Just across the street from camp is a little cove called Long Cove which has a gravel boat launch where we could put our kayaks in the water. It was flat calm that evening, so we went for a nice paddle:

I've been paddling every day now - its so convenient as I can lock the boats to a tree right next to the water, and not have to deal with the hassle of loading them on and off the roof of the truck every time. There are mackerel in the harbor, so I've caught many of them on my fly rod. I've also caught several small pollack. Mackerel won't stay still for a photo, no matter how nicely you ask, so I don't have any digital evidence.
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Nearby is the village of Peggy's Cove, a tiny fishing community perched on a granite point of land - very photogenic, and very heavily visited as a result. But it's a strikingly beautiful landscape, and well worth the visit. Much of the land surrounding the village is protected - land strewn with boulder's left behind when the glaciers receded.








We left when the busloads of asian tourists rolled in. We went nearby to a memorial to those who died when Swiss Air flight 111 crashed in Saint Margaret Bay in 1998:


On Canada Day (July 1) we went to Lunenburg, a beautiful drinking town with a fishing problem. It has apparently remained relatively unchanged over the decades, and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I really liked the wrought iron sea creatures hanging from every lightpole:


The waterfront has a maritime museum, the highlight of which is a replica of the well known fishing schooner Bluenose. It's under renovation now, but several other vessels were sitting at dockside. Also in harbor is a fleet of more modern fishing vessels.


and a dory workshop:


Today we ventured into Halifax, where nearly a third of all Nova-Scotian people live. Much of the city was destroyed during WW1 when a munitions ship collided with another vessel. The resulting explosion killed 2000, injured 9000 more, and leveled 326 acres of the city. Nowadays it's a nice lively city with a thriving waterfront, home to the Canadian Navy, and a cruise ship stop. We walked the boardwalk, taking in the sights.


The Queen Mary was in port. You can see her at dock in the background:


Sunset over Long Cove, as seen from camp:

1 comment:

  1. Hi,

    Wasn't Peggy's Cove nice and quaint? I loved it there, the thing when I was there it was raining quite a lot, but still enjoyed it.

    I am so happy for the two of you to be able to do this wonderful exploration of our beautifuly country of ours.

    Love,
    Mom

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