International Tattoo in Halifax
Halifax hosts the Nova Scotia International Tattoo every year with performances spanning a period of about 10 days. The bands, bagpipes, and circus acts rival the Tattoo at the castle in Edinburgh. It was a spectacular event. We had seats about 20 feet from the dignitaries box so we had an excellent view of all the entertainment. This year the Tattoo honored the 907 killed and 2000 prisoners from the invasion of France at Dieppe (Operation Jubilee), August 19, 1942. It also honored the victims of 9/11 at New York City and the Pentagon.
International Tattoo in Halifax
"Canamerican" Flag and Tribute to 9/11
On July 4, 2002, we flew from Reagan Washington National Airport to Halifax and rented a new Camry from Hertz. The Camry had British Columbia plates which started some conversations—"so, you drove all the way from B.C. did you?" We stayed in a Howard Johnson's in Truro on the 4th, 5th and 6th of July in order to participate in the MacLellan Clan Reunion. There are quite a few MacLellan's in Nova Scotia, especially Cape Breton Island.
While in Truro we walked to the visitor center where we used the free computer access to check our e-mail. Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island have free computer access in all tourist offices and libraries. They call the system "CAP." The one in Truro had a DSL line which was lightning fast. However, a couple of others we tried were slow.
On the last night of our trip we stayed in the Delta Halifax Hotel just a couple of blocks from the waterfront. Although we picked up our rental car at the airport, we were able to leave it downtown just a few blocks from the hotel. It is a commodious hotel, having been one of the Canadian Pacific chain of hotels. The three pictures below are the Halifax harbor. Apparently the oil rig on the other side of the harbor was in for repair: it is a huge structure which can't be appreciated from so far away.
View from Delta Halifax Hotel
Oil Rig Platform and "Duck" with Tourists
The tidal bore, a big tourist attraction in Truro, proved to be a colossal bore, not a colossal tide. It is supposed to be an impressive sight when a big tide is coming in from the Bay of Fundy. However, it certainly wasn't a flood tide when we were there--there was no surge at all. However, we did see the water level rise about six feet in about 20 minutes where a stream enters Cobequid Bay.
When we were on the beach at Bass Creek in Nova Scotia we noticed a couple of sport fishermen, one of whom pulled in a beautiful stripped bass. I asked him if he would allow Pam to hold it while I took her picture. She did it, but complained that it was still MOVING.
Pam with Stripped Bass
The picture below is the queue waiting for the bridge to close on the causeway to Cape Breton Island. We drove to Baddeck on Cape Breton in about two hours where we stayed in a beautiful lake-side resort called Inverary.
Causeway to Cape Breton Island
The Bell home is still in the hands of the Bell family so it is not open to the public. A 90-year old aunt of Alexander still spends the summers in another house on the property. However, after Alexander and his wife died, they endowed the city of Baddeck with a considerable sum to build a museum to show Bell's accomplishments. They then moved all of his experiment lab and papers to the Museum. Everything is beautifully displayed, not unlike what you would see at a Smithsonian museum. Of particular interest was a replica of Bell's hydra foil boat, one of several he built and experimented with on Lake Bras d'Or. He was about to build one for the U.S. Navy when the First World War ended, after which the Navy was no longer interested.
Alexander Graham Bell Home and Old Bell Yacht, Elsie
During our tour on Bras d'Or the captain on the Loch Bhreagh pointed out some nesting birds on an island that used to be about four times larger. The little island in the picture is all that is left of it. Apparently the droppings from the birds is so acid it slowly dissolves the soft rock of the island. Bras d'Or is a very large saline lake with only two narrow openings to the ocean.
Eroded Islands in Bras d'Or
A couple of blocks from the Inverary Inn and Resort was the Baddeck Lobster Suppers restaurant where Pam had planked salmon and Ed had a chewy lobster. We were within walking distance from the downtown area which is a busy little community during tourist season. Also close by were the Canadian Legion and the Yacht Club which are both open to the public for food and drink.
Planked Salmon
Some Puffins among the crowd
Puffin Tour Boat with Owners Wife; and their Lobster Boat
Ferry to Prince Edward Island
While in PEI we stayed in the Barachois Inn, a B & B run by Judy and Gary MacDonald with the help of their two lovely daughters. It is a beautiful old building with period furnishings. Our hostess and her family treated us like part of the family. Our favorite place to eat in Charlottetown is The Gahan House, 126 Sydney Street, a brew pub that has been in business for about a year. They brew their own beers and ales in the basement of an historic old building that was restored, owned by the Murphy family. It has a very comfortable pub atmosphere with great brews and food. Three days in a row when we were tired and hungry around 4:00pm we ended up there. The fish and chips are great.
The Province House is the birthplace of Canadian Confederation and the seat of Prince Edward Island's provincial legislature since 1847. Province House stands as a national historic landmark in Charlottetown.
Province House in Charlottetown
Painting of Ball during First Confederation Meeting
View of Charlottetown from Province Building. Morris Building on right.
Fishing is still a big industry in PEI, thought not nearly as big as it used to be due to the depletion of the cod. (On our previous trip to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland we read a wonderful book about the cod fisheries: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, by Mark Kurlansky.) There is a lot of aqua-culture now in PEI—both in the many bays and inlets around the island, but also in tanks where they can grow oysters, mussels and eel. On our last day in PEI we heard a news report about a toxin that contaminated one of the estuaries. The authorities were vigorously looking for the cause and the culprit.
Ship Ahoy Crab and Lobster Boat Unloading Crabs at St. Peters
Although we didn't stay at Dalvay By The Sea, we ate there. Check their web page for a virtual tour. It is a beautiful old building with a five-star restaurant. It is located in a national park where they wanted to charge us to enter the park at 5:30pm. However, when we explained that we had a 6:00pm dinner reservation at Dalvay the toll-keeper let us through without paying—there is no charge to enter the park after 6:00pm.
Dalvay By The Sea
Ed and Pam on Driftwood Logs
We drove to a point on the Confederation Trail which is a beautifully maintained old railroad bed and from there walked about four miles and four miles back to the visitor center where we left the car. The trail runs the whole length of the island, 280 miles from point to point with many side trails. PEI is all beautiful farmland like you see in the pictures. They supply about one-third of Canada's potatoes. The breeze makes the wheat fields look like waves in the ocean.
Potato and Wheat Fields along Confederation Trail
We spent considerable time at Great Northern Knitters in Charlottetown. The employees who do the knitting also staff the store. The name of the individual knitter is on the label of each product. The company bought up some old looms and erected them in the second floor of the building over the shop so all the knitting and weaving is done on the premises. We bought some sweaters and another wool blanket of natural, undyed wool. The wool in the blanket is from Black Welsh Mountain sheep which is the only completely black breed of sheep to be found in the U.K. The wool is often combined with white wool to produce natural greys in blankets and sweaters or checked tweeds. Read more about Great Northern Knitters.
Pam finds a friend at Great Northern Knitters
In Summerside we ate in The Loyalist Country Inn restaurant. They have a nice waterfront area which is still a working port, primarily fishing, in addition to the tourist trade. We took a self guided tour of the town to see some of the old residences. When we were admiring one old home a young man cutting the grass asked us if we would like to see the inside. We said "sure," whereupon he went to the front door and yelled "hey, mom, some people here would like to see the house." "Mom" very graciously showed us the entire house which she and her husband are slowly restoring. There are not many places where something like this would happen.
Loyalist Country Inn, Summerside
While in Summerside we went to the Celtic Festival at the College of Piping. It was quite interesting with dancing and a very young lad who was an excellent bag-piper.
Celtic Festival at College of Piping, Summerside
Lighthouse leaving Wood Islands harbor, PEI
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28 Feb 2011