Blogs from Nova Scotia, Canada, North America - page 8

Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, 30 juin J'étais venu à Halifax il y a plus d'un quart de siècle et je dois avouer que la capitale néo-écossaise ne m'avait pas laissé une forte impression. Outre quelques bâtiments anciens dans le port, la ville n'a pas de signature particulière (si ce n'est le pont Macdonald qui enjambe le bras de mer) et c'est véritablement le site naturel qui est ici la grande vedette. Deuxième plus grand port naturel de la planète, le havre d'Halifax offre une large baie (Bedford basin) bien protégée des assauts de l'océan Atlantique. Fondée en 1749 par les Britanniques, tout juste après la prise de la forteresse française de Louisbourg au Cap-Breton, Halifax est rapidement devenue un lieu stratégique et la présence de la marine canadienne en témoigne encore aujourd'hui. Au milieu du dix-neuvième ... read more

Halifax, Nova-Scotia, 28 juin Tout au long de ces côtes déchiquetées, parsemées ça et là de quelques plages de sable blanc, l'histoire mouvementée de l'implantation des européens dans ces contrées maritimes nous interpelle. Il y eut bien sûr les premiers habitants, notamment les Micmacs, mais le paysage actuel laisse davantage paraître la présence coloniale britannique. Il faut toutefois rappeler l'âpre bataille de survivance des Acadiens installés dans le sud de la Nouvelle-Écosse depuis l'époque de Port-Royal, car de petites communautés persistent et signent toujours avec cet accent si charmant et j'ai retrouvé les traces de ces Cayens jusqu'au Cap Sable, tout au bout de la pointe sud de la province. Ces premiers arrivants européens furent suivis au milieu du dix-huitième siècle par des colons recrutés en Suisse et en Allemagne qui fondèrent la pittoresque Lunenburg en ... read more

I had always wanted to visit Canada so when, on Thursday 22 June, we arrived in Nova Scotia and we were greeted by pleasant, friendly, smiling and very helpful folk, I knew I had made the right decision. What a contrast this place is after New York! On the flight, I got to sit all by myself. That is, I was in a single seat near a window – I don’t recall that every happening to me before. For a good while before we landed in Halifax, I could see a swathe of endless green below me. A forest covered the land which seemed to go on forever. Where the green ended, there was water – lakes and sea, Mother Nature in all her glory! The city of Halifax is not exactly beautiful, in my opinion, ... read more

The first lecture this morning was given by our now friend, Peter Sabor, on Jane Austen's reputation in the US during the fifty years after her death. I was surprised to learn that her novels were popular and appeared in several editions. The second lecture was about Fanny Palmer Austen, who married Jane’s brother Charles, in Bermuda, and who lived in Halifax during the years he was stationed here. She wrote often to her own sister and was also accepted by Jane as a sister, which meant that her portrayal of Halifax was known to all the family. My objective for our free time was to check-out the salt cod supply at Superstore. Yesterday on the way out of town, I saw a Superstore, not particularly far from our hotel. When Ann and I were in ... read more

We were on the bus promptly at 8:30 to go to a wine tasting in the Annapolis Valley. Fog covered the trees in the distance, helping us appreciate our escape into the countryside. After a slight detour to the wrong place, we stepped out into a warm breeze wafting over the vineyard of Pete Luckett. Deservedly, he is a local celebrity. His funny, spirited greeting had us all quickly smiling. Pete Luckett started as a “barrow boy” in Nottingham, England, i.e., he sold fruits and vegetables from a cart. He moved up to a shop and eventually sold that to work his way around the world. Settling in New Brunswick, he started a fruit and vegetable shop and ended with a chain of high-end grocery stores, named Pete’s. (We have sho... read more