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Halifax, Nova Scotia Tuesday, October 3, 2006
The capital of Nova Scotia, Halifax is the largest city in Canada’s Atlantic Provinces. Once a military and naval base used to defend the British colonies, the historic properties in downtown Halifax boast beautifully restored buildings that recall the flourishing maritime history of centuries past. Halifax is also the gateway to some of Nova Scotia’s best sightseeing including famous Peggy’s Cove, where the rugged beauty of the surf-pounded granite cliffs and the solitary lighthouse is unsurpassed. Halifax has one of the world’s finest natural harbors, more than 16 miles long. Edward Cornwallis saw its value as a naval and military depot, and founded a small town in 1749. He named it after the Second Earl of Halifax, who was then president of the Board of Trade in London. In addition to its obvious strategic value, the town was ideally placed for commerce of all kinds.One of the side trips we decided to take while in Halifax was to Peggy's Cove plus a Lobster bake. While on the way we stopped at the fort overlooking the harbor just in time to watch the changing of the guard.
The port city of Halifax is in the distance. We never had the opportunity to enter it as the highway to Peggy's Cove skirts the city.
We then proceeded about 20 miles to Peggy's Cove. Our journey by bus was quite uneventful except that we finally had a day of sunshine. We were surprised at how quickly the landscape changed. One minute it was just a barren landscape and the next moment it was all glacial rock formations. Then we made a turn and entered the most nostalgic fishing villages we have ever seen.
As we turn into Peggy's Cove you can see how desolate the landscape is. These are massive solid granite boulders that had been scrapped by a glaciers eons ago.
This view is taken from the balcony of the tourist trap at the entrance to the lighthouse area. The photo on the left is of the fishing village we drove through to get there.
At first we thought the photo on the left was a tree stumps of sorts. We learned that it is the jaw bone of a whale. In the photo on the right Crystal is standing next to an assortment of lobster traps, a prime industry in the area.
A closer look at the traps. Notice that there is an opening in the side. The lobster crawls through the side opening and enters the trap via another opening. There is a netting over the second door that allows the entrance but blocks the exit.
A rotting boat hull waits for mother nature to reclaim it.
Photos of signs that are supposed to direct tourists where the attractions are.
In the middle of the town is the deGarthe Gallery. deGarthe is supposedly a world known sculpture. The carving in the granite stone is a part of the property.
As we leave the parking lot of the tourist trap we get our first view of Peggy Cove lighthouse.
This is a working lighthouse. When one goes into the entrance they are greeted with a table full of greeting cards for purchase.
The seagull behind Crystal was relatively tame in that it never flew off when we took its picture.
It seemed to consider itself as a guardian of the area.
Seagull wasn't on the menu fortunately when we eventually arrived at the restaurant that served the meal. The lobster wasn't too happy about his predicament either. Sydney, Nova Scotia October 4, 2006
After Halifax we sailed to Sydney on Cape Breton Island that is Nova Scotia's third largest city. Nova Scotia has a population of approximately 941,000 people. Sydney has a population of 26,000 people. We arrived in Sydney around 8:00 am. We didn't plan on taking any side trips while in Sydney. Rather, we took a stroll into town and found very few shops open. Lynn wasn't impressed with the architecture so we returned to the ship and participated in activities aboard ship.
Cape Breton is a region that is renown as a center of distinctive Celtic music. Highland music is mixed with the music of the Acadians already settled, the fiddles and folk of the Scottish immigrants, and the Irish that were soon to follow.
Sydney is known as industrial Cape Breton because it is a steel manufacturing center. Most residents of Sydney are descendants of the miners and steelworkers who arrived over a century ago. Sydney encompasses villages and districts, which sprang up around the coal mines, which fed the steel plant at Sydney. High-volatile bituminous coking coal is still mined in the Sydney area.
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