Nova Scotia - a Taste of History and Geography!

Nova Scotia - a Taste of History and Geography!

Having arrived in Digby, Nova Scotia, for our latest house/pet sit, we decided to take advantage of the windy, but dry day, here on the Southwestern part of the province. 

Just at the end of the road where we are situated, there is the Point Prim Lighthouse - the fourth of such built there since 1804. It services the mouth of the Digby Gut, which connects the Bay of Fundy with the Annapolis Basin. The wind was whipping up the water so that the surf and white-capped waves really stood out when the sun showed itself. 

Prim Point Lighthouse, Digby

The Bay Ferry crosses from Digby to Saint John, N.B.

No holly on the bush, but Holly by the bush - like an early Christmas scene!

Just as we got there, we observed the arrival of the Bay Ferry, which connects Digby with Saint John, in New Brunswick, the crossing taking just 2 hours 45 minutes, cutting 3 hours off the journey by road. 

Passing through Digby, we stopped to take in the numerous fishing boats that were moored in the harbour. Just like so many of the houses in the area, the boats show themselves off in splendid, vivid colours. Digby is known for its world-famous scallops.

Digby Harbour

Digby Fish Market - Mark was able to get his first taste of fresh scallops from here!

The movie theatre in Annapolis Royal - also home to live performances

Our hosts had taken us into Annapolis Royal for breakfast, the morning before. We had used the highway to get there, but they recommended that we take the more scenic route which follows the Annapolis Basin. 

Our first destination, this morning, was Fort Anne, named for Queen Anne after the British replaced the French settlement of Port Royal, in 1710 (see below). The banks and ditches surrounding the moat provided great walkways and a couple of picnic areas. There were also a couple of buildings that emerged out of the earth mounds - the 'black hole', built in 1702, and the powder magazines of 1708. It was easy to see why the location was a perfect defence for the area, protecting an approach from the water. 

Fort Anne

View of the bay from the fort

Before leaving the town, we noticed a rainbow crosswalk, which made us feel right at home!

Several towns in Canada have painted these crosswalks to celebrate LGBGT communities

The next destination enabled me to check off a long-held bucket list item of mine. Back in 1992/1993, I had the honour of being a part of the original staff of a new school in Scarborough, Ontario. As the founding staff, we had input in the naming of the school. We chose the name, Port Royal Public School, after what was one of the first European settlements in Canada. 

Our Public School - with its emblem (a representation of the Habitation)

The French established the fort in 1605 (briefly named Charlesfort) and it remained in French hands until 1710, when it was renamed Annapolis Royal, after the Seige of Port Royal by the British. It was a personal thrill for me to visit the site and, although it was closed for the season and was undergoing renovations, it still allowed us to feel a sense of the past. 

Bust of Samuel de Champlain - one of the French founders of Canada

After spending some time there, we moved on towards Victoria Beach, from where we could see another perspective of Digby, just across the bay. 

Across the bay, the Bay Ferry may still be seen

Heading north east towards Port George and Margaretsville, we happened upon a quaint little area called Hampton Beach. 

We decided to take a break from the wheel, and hike along the rocky, stony shoreline. The scenery was breathtaking, and it was great to smell the redolence of the salty seaweed as the waves broke thunderously upon the shoreline. There's nothing quite like a good fresh ocean breeze to clear the head! 

We noticed how low the boats were sitting when the tide was out

Holly, the wonderful border collie we are looking after for the next three weeks, just loved it, and thoroughly enjoyed climbing some of the boulders, and sampling the taste of the foam from the spent waves - even though she got her front paws wet! 

"Uncle Mark and Uncle Alan... can I come, too, please?"

Lastly, we made our way to Middleton, where we stopped for a bite to eat before heading home along the highway. 

We had visited New Glasgow and Cape Breton, on the north-east coast of Nova Scotia, on our honeymoon, back in 2006. We had always wanted to visit the other parts of the province, and we're so grateful for this opportunity to explore the area.