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Published: September 1st 2019
“If Nova Scotia were a film, its protagonists would be rugged, yet kind-hearted, burnt by the wind and at one with the sea. It would be shot against a backdrop of rolling green fields and high cliffs; its soundtrack would feature fiddles, drums and evocative piano scores; and its plot would be a spirited romp around themes of history, community and family ... Nova Scotia is the real deal. Its wild and wonderfully varied landscape is home to a diverse population of resourceful, hospitable folk, who love to sing and dance but who’d happily break you at dodgeball in a second ... Short-lived summers are a sheer delight, as the locals emerge from the cold to celebrate life ... late spring and peak fall conditions ... afford spectacular scenery ... while long, white winters are harsh but beautiful affairs.” “Driving the Cabot Trail tak you along winding roads, by serene lakes, beneath soaring eagles and on to cliff-top vistas that are sure to make your jaw drop” (Lonely Planet, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, 2017, pp. 40, 89).
All that to say, it was gorgeous. We tried editing the pictures down to a certain point, but it
was just too beautiful.
We had started seeing lighthouses in Maine; Nova Scotia has 150 lighthouses still operating. Peggy’s Cove has one of the most famous lighthouses in Nova Scotia and is “one of the most visited fishing villages in Canada, and for a good reason: the rolling granite cove, highlighted by a perfect red-and-white lighthouse, exudes a dreamy seaside calm, even through the parading tour buses” (LP, p. 58). We were there around 8:00 pm as the sun was going down, and it was still crowded. Beautiful, but crowded.
There is a Swissair Memorial nearby, commemorating the 229 passengers and crew of a plane that crashed into the sea in September, 1998.
Lunenburg is a port town that was “one of the first British attempts to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia intended to displace Mi'kmaqs and Acadians ... The historic town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since UNESCO considers the site the best example of planned British colonial settlement in North America, having retained its original layout and appearance ... The town flourished in the late 1800s, and much of the historic architecture dates from that period” (
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunenburg,_Nova_Scotia).
We also saw that the locals
show their sense of humor. As we drove along, we often had to look twice: is that really a fire hydrant, painted in a fireperson’s uniform? There were also some unusual sculptures in some front yards: sailors, fishing people (complete with sharks), lobsters...
More whale watching. The reason humpbacks breach is they may be trying to get barnacles off their fins, or they may be trying to attract or warn other whales, or maybe they’re just having fun. Whatever the reason, it was quite a sight to see.
While I was whale-watching, Pete took a ferry to the end of the spit to see the “balancing rock,” a column of basalt balancing on its tip.
Miles driven after this blog, from Seattle: 16,680 miles, or 26,900 km.
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Mary Holm
non-member comment
Nova Scotia
How lucky to be there when the lupines were blooming! Beautiful pictures!