Our Northern Neighbor, Nova Scotia - February, 2017

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Our Northern Neighbor, Nova Scotia



February 2017



After the heat and stifling humidity of South East Asia last month, it’s time for some snow and ice to counterbalance my traveling lifestyle. I have a beautiful white fur hat I bought in Romania years ago but have never worn….makes me look like a refugee from a Dutch snow scape painted by Rembrandt, but what the hell, it’s cute and very warm. Now where are my gloves, scarves and boots….items I almost never use? Dressed in all this winter garb, just call me Nanooka of the North for the next couple of weeks! LOL



First a red-eye flight to Atlanta, connecting on to Boston and finally landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport just after 7pm. As my readers know, I DON’T LIKE PROP PLANES in any country and certainly not when flying over the freezing north Atlantic in the middle of winter to Nova Scotia, but of course that’s what I had to do on this trip. By the time we touched down, the vibration from the props had loosened all my fillings and I expected half my teeth to fall out before I made it to customs and immigration. My leg bones felt like jelly and I couldn’t wait to be on terra firma once more. Stepping out onto the jetway, streams of white mist from between my lips lead the way into the tiny airport terminal - geez it’s as cold as a witch’s tit, and that’s cold by any stretch of the imagination. A wall display showed -6c, who knew Halifax used a meat locker as an airport arrivals hall? But it got much better fast as I flew thru security, in spite of the custom officer’s disbelief that I would leave the desert for the frozen Artic north in February. Grabbed my bag and headed for the Hertz counter where they promptly handed me keys to a brand new Grand Caravan mini-van – do I look like a den mother with a dozen kids? I think not. But hey it’s equipped with everything but the kitchen sink and for all I know, that could in the back cargo space. Love the leather seats and sitting up high enough to go eyeball to eyeball with the local truckers, but the best part was definitely the heated steering wheel and seats…..talk about hot hands and ass for the rest of this Canadian adventure! And let’s not forget the Sirius Satellite Radio which probably tunes in Papua, New Guinea stations…bring it on..LOL



Thankfully having been here previously (however in full daylight and spring time), I kinda recognized some highway numbers and names, and within 30 minutes I was cruising slowly thru downtown Halifax looking for the Hollis Doubletree Hotel. Snow piled high to the left of me, snow piled even higher to the right but thank all the gods on high, the road was ploughed and I managed not to slide into the nearest lamp post. This is a lovely city with a world-famous



waterfront and historic area, buildings dating back a couple of hundred years. Fingers crossed my hotel is a lot newer than that. At last, the Hollis sign loomed above the snow banks and I steered up to the front entrance.



This is simply a gorgeous Hilton property, located just two city blocks from the waterfront boardwalk, standing 9 floors tall with the executive suites on the top 2. A very modern interior lobby – everything in white, silver and chrome – and subdued purple lighting, talk about surreal. The reception staff had me checked in and upgraded to a suite on the top floor in record time, and the bell boy brought my bags up to the room, after parking the mini-van in a private lot across the street. What a fabulous room I’m in – corner unit with large windows on the two outside walls; glass-enclosed bathroom, a super comfy king-size bed and a fully-equipped mini wet bar kitchenette.



But the best part are the incredible views from the bedroom window, wow, I can see up and down the river with lights twinkling on both banks in the clear frosty night air and reflecting on the water’s surface. Glistening snow covers everything also reflecting the harbor lights – I can’t wait to explore this area in daylight.



A little bit of history:



Nova Scotia is one of 3 Maritime Provinces (New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island being the other 2), and 1 of the 4 provinces which form Atlantic Canada. Halifax is the capital and it’s the 2^nd smallest province including Cape Breton, along with 3,800 coastal islands. As of 2016, the population was 923,598 and is the 2^nd most-densely populated province in Canada. Its past and its present are closely tied to the maritime life of fishing, shipbuilding and transatlantic shipping. It became the site of the first permanent European settlement in North America (north of Florida), when the French established a fur-trading post at Port Royal (near present-day Annapolis Royal) in 1605. Early explorers gave the area the name Acadia, which is probably a corruption of the word used by the native Mi’kmaq peoples. The province’s present name, which means “New Scotland” in Latin, was the result of brief Scottish claims to the region in the 1620’s.



The American Revolution had a significant impact on shaping Nova Scotia. Initially, Nova Scotia – "the 14th American Colony" as some called it – displayed ambivalence over whether the colony should join the more southern colonies in their defiance of Britain, and rebellion flared at the Battle of Fort Cumberland (1776) and at the Siege of Saint John (1777). Throughout the war, American privateers devastated the maritime economy by capturing ships and looting almost every community outside of Halifax. These American raids alienated many sympathetic or neutral Nova Scotians into supporting the British. By the end of the war, Nova Scotia had outfitted a number of privateers to attack American shipping. British military forces based at Halifax, succeeded in preventing American support for rebels and deterred any invasion of Nova Scotia. However, the British navy failed to establish naval supremacy. While the British captured many American privateers in battles, many more continued attacks on shipping and settlements until the final months of the war. The Royal Navy struggled to maintain British supply lines, defending convoys from American and French attacks.



After the Thirteen Colonies and their French allies forced British forces to surrender in 1781, approximately 33,000 Tories or Loyalists settled in Nova Scotia (14,000 of them in what became New Brunswick) on lands granted by the Crown, as compensation for their losses. The Loyalist influx also pushed Nova Scotia's Mi'kmaq People to revolt, as Loyalist land grants encroached on ill-defined native lands. As part of this Loyalist migration, about 3,000 Black Loyalists arrived; they founded the largest free Black settlement in North America near Shelburne. However unfair treatment and harsh conditions caused about one-third of the Black Loyalists to resettle in Sierra Leone in 1792, where they founded Freetown and became known in Africa as the Nova Scotian Settlers.



Having drawn the blackout drapes last night, I didn’t resurface to full wakefulness until almost 9am the next morning after a great night’s sleep, recovering from the previous two days’ travel. Throwing open the curtains, I was greeted with sunlight highlighting the harbor buildings and the barges moving up upriver. It’s so cold here the water is a metallic grey hue, with thin patches of ice floating along with the current. This place rocks. Digging out my breakfast coupon, it was time to discover the culinary delights this hotel has to offer. I met the waitress Margaret who led me to a corner window seat overlooking the main street and mounds of freshly-ploughed snow. Delightful lady who kept my coffee mug filled and cooked the best fried eggs ever. The bacon and pork sausages here are to die for – a local specialty and available from a nearby farmer’s market. She gave me great ideas for driving trips along the southern coast road to Yarmouth about 300 km (186 miles) from here, and that will be my first exploration trip starting tomorrow, assuming the weather gods cooperate. This morning is clear but the forecast is for a second storm this evening with heavy snowfalls (they say up to 8”), and expected to last thru tomorrow….we shall see. If nothing else, I’ll have front row seats for the snow event and I can even see it all from my bed. Much warmer weather is supposed to arrive within 36 hours and is expected to last for 3 or 4 days at least - then the Grand Caravan and I will be off to discover this fascinating maritime peninsula. Should make for fabulous photos.



I just returned from dinner at the Ryan Duffy Steak and Seafood Restaurant which is on the lower lobby level of the hotel. I had considered going down to the waterfront and checking out the plethora of restaurants there, but when the mercury dropped into the mid 20’s as darkness approached, I had a change of heart. What a delightful dining experience I just had – from the décor, the ambience, the wait staff AND most importantly, some of the best fish and chips I’ve had in years. It was early enough when I first arrived to be seated at a window table, which gave me the perfect street view piled high with ploughed snowbanks and the vintage lamp posts. Frozen snow from last week’s blizzard clung to the window frames and as night crept slowly over the waterfront, the soft diffused lamp light reflected in pools along the sidewalks. Black and dark red are the colors for this wonderful restaurant and the subdued wall sconces give just enough illumination to enhance the firelight, definitely a focal point of the dining room. Someone had great taste when it came to decoration. Halifax, being a coastal city, ensures any fish or seafood on the menu is going to be outstanding, and such was the case at Ryan Duffy’s. First my waitress brings a jelly jar filled with carrot sticks, dill spears and olives soaked in pickle brine, addicting snack food while I wait for my soup. And of course, it’s lobster bisque – did you really expect anything less? Incredibly good, thick and hot – just what the doctor ordered. Then the entrée: beer-battered haddock (2 large pieces) and a mound of thinly-sliced, deep fried chips served with vinegar, ketchup and a tangy tartar sauce. All this for just under $28 US dollars including tip….I couldn’t believe it when my check arrived.



This is an upscale, 5-star steak and seafood restaurant on the famous Halifax waterfront and I’m eating like a queen for peanuts. I’ll be back here again a few times before I leave, that’s for sure. Back in my suite it’s full dark outside, but the entire waterfront and far riverbank are ablaze with lights and all reflecting on the water’s surface – it really is beautiful to see. Clouds have rolled in but no flakes have fallen as yet. The mercury is hovering around 22f which no doubt will go lower before sunrise tomorrow (assuming there is a visible sun with the incoming storm). It’s a virtual “white-out” when I open the curtains at 8am….but for the waterfront lights, I wouldn’t be able to determine where land stops and water starts, it’s that wild out there. No way to know how much snow has fallen overnight, but from the look of the streets below, it must be at least 3-4” and still coming down in boatloads. The local television station is reporting the nor’easter storm hit Halifax around midnight and it’s been snowing ever since. Airport, schools and many businesses are either closed or opening closer to noon, so I won’t be making any outdoor plans unless it clears up later in the day. The TV forecasters aren’t that hopeful however, advising anyone who doesn’t need to be out on the roads, not to drive and stay indoors - I second that motion!



A quiet day spent in the hotel watching the storm sweep across the harbor, interesting Canadian TV programs and planning my road trips for the coming days. Ice fingers have formed on the windows, making clear and opaque surreal patterns. When light hits them, all colors of the rainbow refract into the room – it’s like being in magic show. See how easily I’m amused when getting cabin fever in a hotel room? LOL. The storm finally abated close to noon and the sun broke thru a couple of times, but I’m not about to leave the hotel as more snow is forecasted for this afternoon, and I can’t risk getting into road trouble. Halifax is a major port, with cruise ships and tankers docking very close to downtown. No cruise ships this time of year obviously, but I have been watching large container tankers steaming in from the Atlantic – some of them so loaded down with cargo, I’m surprised they don’t capsize.



I opened the drapes just in time to watch and photograph the sunrise over the far eastern horizon – stunning to say the least. Patches of blue sky were everywhere – this bodes well for a road trip today. First another filling breakfast downstairs with my favorite waitress Margaret, and then it was off to claim my minivan in the parking lot and head out of town. I had an early start – 8:30am – which had me bumper-to-bumper with rush hour traffic and in spite of getting lost a couple of times on the downtown streets, I eventually found the 103 highway. This is a major highway to the southernmost point of Nova Scotia in Yarmouth, but I wanted route #3 which winds thru small towns and villages, hugging the Atlantic coastline. Within a few miles, I took the first exit which eventually had me right on the coast road headed south first to Chester. Founded in 1759 by New England planters, the village is noted for sailing, stately homes, magnificent gardens and a relaxed lifestyle. The scenic beauty attracts tourists and residents to island picnics, summer yacht races, garden parties, band concerts, kayaking, the 18-hole golf course and tennis courts, as well as marvelous restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and craft shops. This time of year, of course it is buried in deep snow drifts, but its quaint and extremely picturesque.



Route #3 is also known as the Lighthouse Route which surrounds the entire peninsula. This narrow 2-lane highway makes for a wild driving experience when snow plows are leading the parade half the time, but it does pass thru the most stunning scenery imaginable. Pine trees stand as sentinels with their branches bowing down, heavily laden with snow. Frozen lakes at every turn in the road and houses which could have been plucked right out of a Currier and Ives New England postcard. Each home is a different color with the pitched rooftops to prevent dangerous snow buildups, surrounded with wide covered porches and complete with Adirondack chairs and wooden swings. Most of the homeowners had managed to plow their driveways but those who are probably summer-only residents, have properties now under at least 5’ of snow, covering these porches and halfway up the front doors!



Legalized pirates, also called privateers, once plied these harsh waters and were authorized to attack foreign vessels during wartime. Any coin they earned from captured cargo was theirs to keep – well people had to make a living somehow, right? A coin of a different era, today’s Canadian dime features the Bluenose, a fishing boat that found fame as a racing schooner. The ship’s birthplace is in Lunenburg, and that was my next stop. Old Town Lunenburg’s distinctive waterfront is one of only two urban communities in North America designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. 70% of the original colonial buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries continue to greet visitors with their colorful façades. Here the past mingles with the present and tall ships are still moored in the harbor. The clang of a blacksmith’s hammer in a waterfront warehouse echoed across the water as I walked along the wharves. Guided tours are advertised which tell tales of lives lost on the ocean, and of the spirits that return to haunt the living. This place is like stepping back 200 years – what a hoot. With the mercury hovering around -5c, it was simply too cold with the wind whipping off the ocean to walk too far, so I hoofed it back to the minivan after 30 minutes to restore circulation to my feet.



I was only 140km south of Halifax and about halfway to Yarmouth, but I had spent so much time exploring the many villages along route #3, I hadn’t really been paying attention to the skies or my watch. It was almost 2pm when I noticed that the sun had disappeared and a few lazy snowflakes were gently floating down from some ominous-looking dark clouds. I don’t know exactly what incoming snow clouds look like, but these would probably fit the bill. Rather than risk being caught in bad weather, I decided to head back to Halifax. I also wanted to reach the hotel before rush hour began in that city. Once was enough, after driving in it this morning. And of course I got lost! I did take the downtown exit, but with so many one-way streets in this town, it’s just nuts. I ended up going around in circles for a good 45 minutes before I recognized a couple of street names and eventually found the Hollis Doubletree. The traffic is crazy, the streets are way too narrow for my liking and I’m driving this big-ass minivan….oh joy, NOT. But I made it back in one piece and am ready to hit the road again tomorrow, assuming of course, the weather gods smile down on me again. Dinner was down in Ryan Duffy’s again, this time I feasted on clam chowder thick enough that the spoon could almost stand up unaided. Mounds of clams, mussels, salmon and potatoes in a rich sauce – simply to die for! That with toast and a glass of wine, I was set for the night.



Next morning I’m greeted with the clearest and brightest day so far in Canada – not cloud in the light blue sky, sun rising above the eastern horizon is blinding and it’s as clear as a bell, as far as I can see across the harbor. I doubt this will last all day, but I’m taking whatever I can get ASAP. First coffee and gossip with Margaret over breakfast downstairs, then I trek over to the parking lot and fire up my trusty steed. It’s still very cold and whatever melted yesterday has frozen solid, but much of the snow was cleared by plows and walking is nowhere near as hazardous as it was earlier in the week. Yesterday I had followed the lighthouse route of road #3 on the southern shores; today I head north to the eastern shores on route #7, the marine route. This narrow 2-lane highway parallels the Atlantic coastline for almost 190 miles to Cape Breton, but I don’t expect to make it all the way, with the fascinating small villages grabbing my attention.



I crossed over the MacKay Bridge from Halifax into Dartmouth and found route #7 at Cole Harbor. What an incredible drive! Most of the water close into the land is frozen over, especially when groups of small islands protect these water stretches from the raging Atlantic Ocean. But many of the lakes and inlets are deep enough not to freeze, which makes for interesting and very pretty ice patterns on the surface. I spent 5 hours driving north thru the quaintest tiny villages and town – who could resist stopping in places with names like Salmon River, Oyster Pond and Mushaboom I ask ya? Every curve in the road presents another stunning snow/ice/water vista – so many, it also becomes mundane and a little boring. The eastern shores are every bit as beautiful as the southern shores, but very different in landscape. This is one awesome peninsula – no wonder Canada calls it the Ocean Paradise Province. I’m surprised by how little traffic there is on the roads. Other than the occasional vehicle which is probably a local going to the nearest store, I basically have the highway to myself. This is a 3-day holiday weekend as Monday is Canada’s Heritage Day, and with schools, banks businesses closed, I expected families to be out of doors, but that appears not to be the case.



The eastern shore features 100 coastal islands that have been largely undisturbed by humans for over 10,000 years. Stretching from Clam Harbor to Liscomb, they are easily accessible by a guided sea kayak tours. These islands offer pristine white sand beaches, sheltered coves, dramatic windswept headlands, and unique boreal forests, bogs and barrens, as well as a rich diversity of seabirds, songbirds, and shorebirds. Deemed a “Coastal Wilderness of ecological significance unmatched in North America” by the Nova Scotia Nature Trust.



Made it almost half way up the coast to the town of Sherbrooke, but it was already midafternoon and it would be quite a long drive back. Rather than repeat the #7 highway drive, I cut across the peninsula to the village of Trafalgar and then headed south to Halifax. The weather held clear and bright for most of the day, but clouds were rolling in again and the radio was announcing that while remaining relatively warm for the rest of the day, snow flurries and/or light rain was probably going to make an appearance by dark. Didn’t get lost this time – I’m finally figuring out the layout of down town Halifax – and had the minivan parked by 5:30pm, just as twilight fell. I’m actually getting the hang of driving this tub, not that I like it, but it works for the time I’m here.



Nova Scotia is home to over 160 historic lighthouses and these majestic beacons can be found throughout the province. Some of these are world famous, and Peggy's Point Lighthouse is one of Nova Scotia’s most well-known lighthouses, and maybe the most photographed in Canada. Located in the quaint fishing village of Peggy’s Cove along the South Shore, Peggy’s Point Lighthouse was built in 1915. Peggy’s Cove is famed for its picturesque and typically East-Coast profile, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic. Although this unique environment has been designated a preservation area, it is still an active fishing community. Located less than an hour from downtown Halifax, it is a delightful drive for a Sunday afternoon. I’ve been here on a previous visit, but wanted to see it again this time with snow and ice as a backdrop. This is the 3^rd day of decent weather enabling me to get out and drive around Nova Scotia. Not the brilliance of sunlight and bright skies of yesterday, today is very overcast but at least it’s clear and dry. Still cold enough that the snow isn’t melting anytime soon, but it sure adds to the beauty of the landscape for photographs, as you can see.







I headed back into town, again before dark, just in time to watch two gigantic container tankers moving upriver to the Halifax port. There is way more traffic here than I would have imagined. Didn’t feel like eating a full dinner down in the restaurant, so picked up a sandwich from the deli across from the hotel and got comfortable back in my room to watch PBS for the evening.



It was snowing heavily when I looked out the window this morning. Not exactly a white out, but getting close. It was so warm yesterday that it doesn’t appear to be sticking, except on those areas which didn’t completely thaw out. No idea if this is being classified as yet another storm, but I’m taking no chances and staying in and around Halifax today. I decided to visit the Ethnology Provincial Museum of Nova Scotia which features an incredible display of Mi’kmaq artifacts. Being the national holiday of Heritage Day and the Mi’kmaq being the indigenous tribe of Nova Scotia, it seemed entirely appropriate. There are two distinct periods in Mi’kmaq collections: the Pre-European and the Post. One of the most interesting pre-European period objects is a 4,000-year-old harpoon that was unearthed in an archaeological site in southwest NS. The bone harpoon is so precise and well decorated, it could have been created by a laser instead of completely by a pre-historic hand. Mi’kmaq have a very distinctive motif known as the double-curve motif, which is a tribal indicator much like a Scottish kilt. After the arrival of the French around 1850, natural dyes were used less and less in favor of aniline dyes which produced a much more vibrant color than the earthy tones obtained from roots. While we tend to think of native peoples as being very primitive, they were not. Over the years, the Mi’kmaq mastered techniques which enabled them to manufacture the necessities of life from animal bone, ivory teeth, animal claws, quills, bark, feathers, clay and copper.



The snow had stopped and the sun had come out by the time I left the museum close to noon. Time for coffee and maybe a sandwich for lunch. A highly-recommended restaurant, the Waterfront Warehouse, is just a couple of blocks from the hotel. So after parking the minivan back in the lot, I headed that way. Being a holiday, the place was packed with locals and tourists alike, but I grabbed a seat at the bar and ordered a cappuccino and stuffed lobster roll – fantastic to say the least. It was delicious as I expected it would be, given this location. Leaving the restaurant, it was evident the mercury had dropped below freezing and the clouds had rolled back in - no doubt more snow is on the way, so I returned to the warmth of the hotel. The roads and sidewalks are still pretty good for walking, but as the temperature drops, the thawing snow will re-freeze and become a hazard once more. The first lazy snowflakes were spiraling down and by the time I reached my suite, it was coming down thick and fast…..here we go again.



Another glorious morning greeted me at 7:30am….this weather cycle is like a carousel. Still below freezing but at least 50%!o(MISSING)f the snow has melted and the roads/sidewalks are clear and dry, thankfully. Decided to visit another coastline along the Bay of Fundy, called the Annapolis Valley, which lies on the far side of the peninsula from Halifax. Known as the “Hub of Nova Scotia”, the major city there is Truro. The city’s size, central location and historic downtown makes it a popular location for exploring the province and the world-renowned tidal phenomena of the Bay of Fundy. On the edge of town, you can stand on the banks of the Salmon River to view the tidal bore that occurs twice a day, because of the immense incoming Fundy tide. Nearby on the Shubenacadie River, adventurers can also enjoy the one-of-a-kind thrill of tidal bore river rafting, now that’s something I would consider doing, but not during winter! The tidal bore’s average height is around 9’, but after heavy snowfalls or torrential rain storms, it can easily top out at 12’….pretty impressive at either height.



Situated at the head of the Salmon River, near the entrance to the Cobequid Bay, the area around Truro was originally called "Wagobagitik" by the local Mi’kmaq inhabitants. The name has been interpreted as meaning "end of the water's flow" or “the bay runs far up”, in reference to the world’s highest tides rising up from the Bay of Fundy. Acadian settlers, arriving in the early 1700s, transformed that name into Cobequid. It wasn’t until after the expulsion of the Acadians that settlers of Scots-Irish descent named the town after the city of Truro in Cornwall, England. The city had always been an important junction for travelers in Nova Scotia. However, the town’s importance increased dramatically with the construction of the Nova Scotia Railway between Halifax and Pictou in 1858, the Intercolonial Railway in 1872 and its connection to the Annapolis Valley’s Dominion Atlantic Railway at the turn of the 20th century. It became a hub not just for goods and passengers but for industry as well, such as the Truro Woolen Mills. Today, Truro continues to act as the center of Nova Scotia’s travel network, situated near the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway and the main highway connection to Halifax.



Many of the historic buildings in the downtown area date back to the 18^th and 19^th centuries and are still in use. Lots of boutique stores, restaurants and pubs entice me to walk the main street, window shopping and picking a local bar for coffee and of course another lobster roll. Might as well make the most of being here – it could be years before I enjoy lobster rolls again. In spite of being the major city in the Annapolis Valley, it is still a small town with approximately 13,000 permanent residents. I had covered the entire town in a couple of hours and it was time to start making my way back across the peninsula to Halifax. I was back in the hotel by late afternoon and now that my trip to Nova Scotia is coming to an end, it’s time to start packing. I have managed to explore and sightsee in about 65%!o(MISSING)f Nova Scotia and had a wonderful time doing it, but I have had enough of snow, ice and below freezing temperatures to last me at least a couple of years!



So where to next? Stay tuned to my blog site……..cheers

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Comments

[Camille Zeno]

Spectacular
Some of those photos could be postcards!