Fundy , Fundy

So off to tackle another maritime province! Nova Scotia here we come,again we cross the Confederation Bridge today with wind ,so I am a wee bit anxious, but all was well. Where we did hit the wind was crossing the isthmus from New Brunswick to Nova Scotia. The wind funnels up the Bay of Fundy so by the time it hits this narrow area it was blowing with strong gusts of upwards to 45 Kms , Lawrence was geared down to third gear to have control of the bike and we still felt like we were going to get blown over, we had heard stories of semi’s and trailers getting flipped over so we were both glad when we got to the other side. We called it an early day and stayed over night in Amherst, great choice as there was a bike rally on, lots of bikes and riders to share stories to, shopping available for any kind of bike paraphernalia that you could want , so a good night, also great to get some new tips for NS.

We try and stay off the main highway so off to the coastal road we go, let you know they are not great roads, lots of holes and cracks and bumps, then you get a treat of new road , then next corner your back at it , so we don’t travel fast , at least I get to look at the scenery which by the way is beautiful. Our trip seems to involve seeing old  ship disasters, and one that was very interesting is Spencer Island/harbour which is where the famous ghost ship the Mary Celeste ship was built, I will attach a photo of the plaque rather than writing about it. The day was a bit foggy ,and it apparently has been sighted but then disappears into the fog , so you got the feeling she was there just floating in the Bay. Nova Scotia is known for its ship building and many a boat has been built and launched along its coast lines.

We continued along the coast line , investigating the small communities and beaches and you could loose yourselves at any of them, just to sit and watch the tides of the Bay Of Fundy go in and out, some exchanges as high as 42 feet, you are walking slowly and the water is matching you as it goes out or coming in, you need to be careful that you aren’t exploring rocky areas or sandspits as it is very easy to get into trouble. The waters of the bay are muddy and red in Color as the sediment is always moving, not really a great place to swim.

We end our day in Pictou a lovely villag, great B&B even if we had to do 4 flights of stairs!!! After dinner we found a small pub with the best music we have ever heard a gentleman on a guitar , great voice, and a young gal on the fiddle well your feet and hands couldn’t keep up with clapping and stomping, great time. We are hoping for more of this on our travels, music is every where ,unfortunately the last while it’s been the day before or the day after we are there.

Our  travels took us thru the valley of the island and then back to the coast, Halls Harbour , picturesque fishing harbour ,strange to see the boats resting on the harbour floor ,waiting for the next tide to bring the waters in , the fisherman are totally governed by the tides so no 9-5 jobs with them.

Onwards to Yarmouth, most of the villages are named the same as England’s villages so Lawrence is feeling right at home, Bridgetown , Digby ,Smugglers cove, all have a story ,musuem, harbour to see. One of the many interesting stops was a tour thru a tidal generator, great tour(free even). The long and short of it not the most economical way to go for producing power , though a great idea!

The coast line is spotted with light houses , you could  plan your trip on finding all the light houses , all with a great history , some no longer functioning, but made into musuems , the others all automated with again great stories of the past. One village we stayed at was Lunenberg, the home of the famous Bluenose sailing ship, unfortunately she was not there , she was in Sydney and travelling back when we are heading there,so that was a bit disappointing, but we had a fantastic , seafood dinner and enjoyed the picturesque scenery of the multi coloured buildings, boats in the  harbour bobbing up and down and the feel of history surrounding you. I think we have fallen in love with Nova Scotia, don’tworry we won’t be moving, couldn’t do the winters, but it is very picturesque in the summer, would be spectacular in the fall as most of the trees are deciduous so the change in colours would be great to see.

As we travelled the coastline, we would find beautiful sandy beaches ,great lunch stops!!! One famous as it was photographed and was on the back of the $50 bill, “Lockeport”. Others famous for the disaster of the Swiss flight that crashed into the cold waters and all passengers and crew died, the communities  Peggy’s Cove, Baywater helping in recovery, a somber time standing at the memorial sites.