First, let me say that Nova Scotians have got to be the nicest people
ever! Didn't meet an unpleasant person the whole time we were there.

We left right after work on Wednesday, since it's a 6 hour trek to Bar
Harbor where the
ferry leaves from during the week. Stopped at my sister's to say bye
to her and Mom, and
drove as far as Freeport that evening. Ate dinner at Applebee's, a
chain. Stayed at
Best Western just off the highway.

Thursday morning, we ate at the cafe next to the hotel. I had oatmeal,
DH had the
special (eggs, toast, homefries, sausage, coffee) and DD had pancakes.


We didn't eat lunch, which was a good thing, since my daughter and I
were seasick on the
Cat ferry, a high-speed luxury boat with 4 movies and a casino on board
for the 3 hour
trip. We arrived in Yarmouth, NS at around 9 pm, breezed through
customs, and then
started walking to our motel. It was a lot further than it looked on
the map, about 2
miles, since it took us almost 45 minutes at a reasonable pace.

The only place open for dinner was a pizza place, so we bought one and
some drinks and
went back to our motel suite and ate there. That was our first
indication of the
friendliness of the locals. We walked in at 5 of 10, just before she
was closing, but
the lady was cheerful and kind, and made sure we had plates and cutlery
as we left.
Pizza was good, crispy crust, good cheese and toppings, but the sauce
was thin and still
very liquid under all.

The next morning, Friday, DH went to pick up the car, and we went to a
place that the
desk clerk suggested for breakfast. It was right by the ferry landing,
and the special
was not on the menu. For $3.99, two eggs, sausage or bacon, homefries,
toast, coffee and
juice. I had over easy, which was done to perfection, and wheat toast.
DH had scrambled
and sausage, a double portion since I don't eat them.

After we went back to the hotel and woke DD, we headed off up the
eastern coastal
lighthouse trail towards Halifax. On the way, we stopped at a lunch
and ice cream place
for lunch, where I had salad, DH had a burger, and DD had onion rings
and
cola.

DH wanted to do some hiking, so we stopped at the Kejikajik seaside
park, and walked out
to the water. I saw my first wild pitcher plants (sooo cool!), and
even what looked like
spanish moss killing some of the fir trees.

We hiked to the "sandy beaches of Canadia", and walked over sand and
rocks until we
came to a spot were we could see harbor seals sunning themselves. DH
and DD were
thrilled. I took more pictures of plants I didn't know, as well as the
seals and beach.
Oddly, or perhaps not so oddly, we didn't see too many birds. There
were a lot of very
noisy people on the paths as well as us. A chipmunk did stop to say
hello, until I
pulled out the camera, then he got shy<g>.

We spent the night in Lunenburg, where we bought cereal and "milk in a
box" which was my
daughter's favorite comment, along with fruit and some snack foods.
The motel had a
kitchenette with toaster, microwave and fridge, along with paper plates
and plastic
cutlery, tea and coffee for the coffee maker, and pretty mugs for all.

For dinner, we tried our first "Canadian Chinese" food. DD had lo
mein, I had some other
type of noodle dish, and DH had curry chicken. The noodle dishes were
somewhat burnt
tasting (like the pan had burnt, but not the food), and the curry was
bland.

After breakfast in the motel, we set off for Halifax, capitol city of
Nova Scotia, and
host to the Busker's Festival. What's a busker? Street performers of
all sorts. I was
hoping for lots of music, but that was all in the evening, and we were
hoping to see the
Bay of Fundy the next day so didn't stay that late. During the day, it
seemed that the
majority of the performers all included sleight-of-hand, acrobatics,
fire-eating, and
juggling in their acts. One fellow from Australia was so flexible that
he was able to
put an unstrung tennis racquet over his head, and squeeze his whole
body (broad shoulders
and all) through it so that he stepped out of it at the end. DH & DD
liked "Bike Boy,"
whose act included all of the above plus chain saw juggling and a
bicycle on top of a tall pole.

For food, it was largely standard fare, but we did find a creperie,
where the woman made
crepes right before your very eyes. Not the usual fare where I'm from.
I had a "pizza"
crepe, and DH had one with meat. DD had an apple one, and still
hungry, opted for
some onion rings.

We drove cross-country to the mouth of the Salmon River, and stayed in
a Comfort Inn near
Truro. Wandered out and found a Pizza and Donaire restaurant and
decided that would be
interesting, since we'd never heard of Donaires. I had my usual salad,
DH had a donaire,
which is like a gyro, altho the sauce was slightly sweet. DD ordered
onion soup, but
couldn't eat it. I tried a bit, and it tasted like they had used a
sour red wine rather
than a good burgundy in the base. We told the waitress, and ordered a
small pizza for
the kid. The manager was kind, and didn't charge us for the soup.

The next morning, we ate the continental breakfast at the hotel, and
headed out to see
the Tidal Bore on the Salmon River. Apparently the best time to see it
is at full moon
or after a heavy rain. On the day we saw it, it was a very gentle
reversal of the river
current. Tidal bore took on a new meaning.

We drove through farmlands and forests, stopping at a pub for lunch.
Paul had poutine,
aka heart attack on a plate. It's french fries with melted cheese
curds and gravy. I
had salad, and DD had... onion rings.

At an Information stop, we made reservations at a B&B called the
Dolphin's Rest in Hall's
Harbor. Paul was hoping his foot would stop hurting so he could go
hiking at a park on
the tip of that peninsula. The B&B turned out to be right on the Bay
of Fundy! We
arrived in the late afternoon, unpacked, and went out for dinner and a
movie. Ate at our
first chain restaurant, Jungle Jim's. Basically Mexican food. DD had
taquitos, I had a
salad, and DH had quesadillas. This was the first place where I found
seltzer. It
doesn't seem to be available, even in the markets.

We then went to see Snakes on a Plane. I walked out after the first
hour, tired of
watching peek-and-go-boo snakes jump out and bite various things that
project from human
bodies (no, not fingers or toes....). Returned for the last half hour,
when the snakes
had stopped biting most of the people. The other two enjoyed it.

Back at the B&B, we had tea and cookies, saw that the tides were almost
up to the top of
the beach, and heard the boats headed out to catch sharks, the local
haul. Our hostess,
Diane, is an author, nurse, and anthropologist.

We woke the 21st to see the tide coming in again, and went out to see
what it had washed
up overnight. Not too much. Like I mentioned, at waning moon, it's
not as dramatic.
Breakfast was blueberry pancakes, yogurt, juice, and Paul had sausages.
We packed up the
car, and went back to the beach. The cliffs on the other side of the
docks are very tall
basalt, with lots of zeolites and tormaline crystals. By 11, the tides
were at peak, the
beaches were almost entirely gone, and the boats were coming back in.
Also, the rain had
started in earnest.

We drove down to Annapolis Royal, and stopped to see the Tidal power
station,the only one
in North America. No tours of the actual plant, but they do have an
informational tour
on the upper floor, showing how they built the plant, and why the tides
are a good source
of power.

The village was a bit of a disappointment, considering it's the oldest
settlement in
North America of Europeans, but then, I'm not sure what I was
expecting. Plus, the rain
sort of put the kabosh on visiting the gardens which are one of the
main attractions.

Next stop was the Foxhill Cheese shop. They make artisinal cheeses,
and carry a variety
of other cheeses as well. I bought 8 packets of variously flavored
gouda and havarti,
their specialties, tasted fresh curds (salty), and bought a pint of
Quark. We stopped at
another supermarket and bought some ice and a cooler to keep them in.
The latter will
serve us well on other occassions.

We headed down to Digby for dinner. Paul tried the famous Digby
scallops, which were
tender and sweet. I had broiled haddock which was delightful, and DD
had... onion rings.
I picked up some fudge and other gifts for family members, and sent a
couple of post
cards to coworkers and friends. I now appreciate the USPS. Postcard
stamps to the
states cost 89 cents Canadian!

The day ended in Yarmouth again, since we didn't want to have to rush
to get to the ferry
for 1 pm. Same motel (they have a 2 room suite for less than the cost
of some of the
other motels single rooms), same breakfast place.

The ferry ride seemed choppier, but none of us were sick this time. I
tried their cafeteria food (never again!), and we made excellent time
back to Maine, so headed south to home, stopping at a tiny roadside
diner for a dinner of scallops (less expensive but just as good),
First, let me say that Nova Scotians have got to be the nicest people
ever! They rival
this list for the best. That said, with all the websites and
suggestions folks made for
our trip, it was not easy to whittle it down to fit into the 4 days we
had available. DH
says next time, we'll fly<g>.

We left right after work on Wednesday, since it's a 6 hour trek to Bar
Harbor where the
ferry leaves from during the week. Stopped at my sister's to say bye
to her and Mom, and
drove as far as Freeport that evening. Ate dinner at Applebee's, a
chain. Stayed at
Best Western just off the highway.

Thursday morning, we ate at the cafe next to the hotel. I had oatmeal,
hubby had the
special (eggs, toast, homefries, sausage, coffee) and the onion ring
that masquerades as
my child had pancakes. More on that later.

We didn't eat lunch, which was a good thing, since my daughter and I
were seasick on the
Cat ferry, a high-speed luxury boat with 4 movies and a casino on board
for the 3 hour
trip. We arrived in Yarmouth, NS at around 9 pm, breezed through
customs, and then
started walking to our motel. It was a lot further than it looked on
the map, about 2
miles, since it took us almost 45 minutes at a reasonable pace.

The only place open for dinner was a pizza place, so we bought one and
some drinks and
went back to our motel suite and ate there. That was our first
indication of the
friendliness of the locals. We walked in at 5 of 10, just before she
was closing, but
the lady was cheerful and kind, and made sure we had plates and cutlery
as we left.
Pizza was good, crispy crust, good cheese and toppings, but the sauce
was thin and still
very liquid under all.

The next morning, Friday, DH went to pick up the car, and we went to a
place that the
desk clerk suggested for breakfast. It was right by the ferry landing,
and the special
was not on the menu. for $3.99, two eggs, sausage or bacon, homefries,
toast, coffee and
juice. I had over easy, which was done to perfection, and wheat toast.
DH had scrambled
and sausage, a double portion since I don't eat them.

After we went back to the hotel and woke Onion Ring, we headed off up
the eastern coastal
lighthouse trail towards Halifax. On the way, we stopped at a lunch
and ice cream place
for lunch, where I had salad, DH had a burger, and our favorite teen
had onion rings and
cola.

DH wanted to do some hiking, so we stopped at the Kejikajik seaside
park, and walked out
to the water. I saw my first wild pitcher plants (sooo cool!), and
even what looked like
spanish moss killing some of the fir trees.

We made it to the "sandy beaches of Canadia", and walked over sand and
rocks until we
came to a spot were we could see harbor seals sunning themselves. DH
and OR were
thrilled. I took more pictures of plants I didn't know, as well as the
seals and beach.
Oddly, or perhaps not so oddly, we didn't see too many birds. There
were a lot of very
noisy people on the paths as well as us. A chipmunk did stop to say
hello, until I
pulled out the camera, then he got shy<G>.

We spent the night in Lunenburg, where we bought cereal and "milk in a
box" which was my
daughter's favorite comment, along with fruit and some snack foods.
The motel had a
kitchenette with toaster, microwave and fridge, along with paper plates
and plastic
cutlery, tea and coffee for the coffee maker, and pretty mugs for all.

For dinner, we tried our first "Canadian Chinese" food. DD had lo
mein, I had some other
type of noodle dish, and DH hand curry chicken. The noodle dishes were
somewhat burnt
tasting (like the pan had burnt, but not the food), and the curry was
bland.

After breakfast in the motel, we set off for Halifax, capitol city of
Nova Scotia, and
host to the Busker's Festival. What's a busker? Street performers of
all sorts. I was
hoping for lots of music, but that was all in the evening, and we were
hoping to see the
Bay of Fundy the next day so didn't stay that late. During the day, it
seemed that the
majority of the performers all included sleight-of-hand, acrobatics,
fire-eating, and
juggling in their acts. One fellow from Australia was so flexible that
he was able to
put an unstrung tennis racquet over his head, and squeeze his whole
body (broad shoulders
and all) through it so that he stepped out of it at the end. DH & OR
liked "Bike Boy,"
whose act included all of the above plus a chain saw and a bicycle on
top of a tall pole.

For food, it was largely standard fare, but we did find a creperie,
where the woman made
crepes right before your very eyes. Not the usual fare where I'm from.
I had a "pizza"
crepe, and DH had one with meat. DD had an apple one, and still
hungry, opted for
some... onion rings.

We drove cross-country to the mouth of the Salmon River, and stayed in
a Comfort Inn near
Truro. Wandered out and found a Pizza and Donaire restaurant and
decided that would be
interesting, since we'd never heard of Donaires. I had my usual salad,
DH had a donaire,
which is like a gyro, altho the sauce was slightly sweet. DD ordered
onion soup, but
couldn't eat it. I tried a bit, and it tasted like they had used a
sour red wine rather
than a good burgundy in the base. We told the waitress, and ordered a
small pizza for
the kid. The manager was kind, and didn't charge us for the soup.

The next morning, we ate the continental breakfast at the hotel, and
headed out to see
the Tidal Bore on the Salmon River. Apparently the best time to see it
is at full moon
or after a heavy rain. On the day we saw it, it was a very gentle
reversal of the river
current. Tidal bore took on a new meaning.

We drove through farmlands and forests, stopping at a pub for lunch.
Paul had poutine,
aka heart attack on a plate. It's french fries with melted cheese
curds and gravy. I
had salad, and DD had... onion rings.

At an Information stop, we made reservations at a B&B called the
Dolphin's Rest in Hall's
Harbor. Paul was hoping his foot would stop hurting so he could go
hiking at a park on
the tip of that peninsula. The B&B turned out to be right on the Bay
of Fundy! We
arrived in the late afternoon, unpacked, and went out for dinner and a
movie. Ate at our
first chain restaurant, Jungle Jim's. Basically Mexican food. DD had
taquitos, I had a
salad, and DH had quesadillas. This was the first place where I found
seltzer. It
doesn't seem to be available, even in the markets.

We then went to see Snakes on a Plane. I walked out after the first
hour, tired of
watching peek-and-go-boo snakes jump out and bite various things that
project from human
bodies (no, not fingers or ties....). Returned for the last half hour,
when the snakes
had stopped biting most of the people. The other two enjoyed it.

Back at the B&B, we had tea and cookies, saw that the tides were almost
up to the top of
the beach, and heard the boats headed out to catch sharks, the local
haul. Our hostess,
Diane, is an author, nurse, and anthropologist.

We woke the 21st to see the tide coming in again, and went out to see
what it had washed
up overnight. Not too much. Like I mentioned, at waning moon, it's
not as dramatic.
Breakfast was blueberry pancakes, yogurt, juice, and Paul had sausages.
We packed up the
car, and went back to the beach. The cliffs on the other side of the
docks are very tall
basalt, with lots of zeolites and tormaline crystals. By 11, the tides
were at peak, the
beaches were almost entirely gone, and the boats were coming back in.
Also, the rain had
started in earnest.

We drove down to Annapolis Royal, and stopped to see the Tidal power
station,the only one
in North America. No tours of the actual plant, but they do have an
informational tour
on the upper floor, showing how they built the plant, and why the tides
are a good source
of power.

The village was a bit of a disappointment, considering it's the oldest
settlement in
North America of Europeans, but then, I'm not sure what I was
expecting. Plus, the rain
sort of put the kabosh on visiting the gardens which are one of the
main attractions.

Next stop was the Foxhill Cheese shop. They make artisinal cheeses,
and carry a variety
of other cheeses as well. I bought 8 packets of variously flavored
gouda and havarti,
their specialties, tasted fresh curds (salty), and bought a pint of
Quark. We stopped at
another supermarket and bought some ice and a cooler to keep them in.
The latter will
serve us well on other occassions.

We headed down to Digby for dinner. Paul tried the famous Digby
scallops, which were
tender and sweet. I had stuffed sole which was delightful, and DD
had....
I picked up some fudge and other gifts for family members, and sent a
couple of post
cards to coworkers and friends. I now appreciate the USPS. Postcard
stamps to the
states cost 89 cents Canadian!

The day ended in Yarmouth again, since we didn't want to have to rush
to get to the ferry
for 1 pm. Same motel (they have a 2 room suite for less than the cost
of some of the
other motels single rooms), same breakfast place.

The ferry ride this time seemed choppier, but none of us were sick this
time. I tried
their cafeteria food (never again!), and we made excellent time back to
Maine, so headed
south to home, stopping at a tiny roadside diner for a dinner of
scallops (less expensive
but just as good), stuffed sole, and onion rings (guess who had
what<g>).

Of course, we arrived home to find that our chimney liner had lost a
tile, which caused
smoke to back up into the basement from the water heater, so we haven't
had hot water
(and probably won't until Tuesday) since we arrived home.

After a week of restaurant food, I was so happy to be back in my
kitchen, that I bought a
nice slab of tuna, marinated it with ginger, garlic, ponzu sauce, and
sesame oil, coated
it with sesame seeds, and broiled it for dinner with rice and cooked
veggies.

Our cat, however, is now on a diet. She spent the week with my sister
and Mom, after
whom she is named. While I told my sister what to feed the cat, the
aide who cares for
Mom during the day was totally conned by that stomach on 4 legs, and
fed her every time
MCat went to her foodbowl!

Ah, well. It's good to be home, eh?

maxine in ri