Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island

Once landed in Halifax we had time to burn as we couldn’t pick up our “Canadream" RV (recreational vehicle) until late in the afternoon. It was good to get aboard and overnight at a lovely National park (Laurie) and after an early night were ready to get on our way. First stop – the famous Peggy Cove where a seafood chowder for lunch was an obvious choice.

Outside there was a fiddler playing a range of songs to ensure we also dallied in the nearby shop.

It is a typical fishing village where lobsters (and pots) abound.

The main drawcard was the lighthouse, which was teeming with visitors, so this distant view is hopefully more calming. In the centre (zoom in) was a series of large chairs to better contemplate the view. They are a great idea which we saw repeated throughout our trip. Also note the neat gardens. Many have significantly more grass than these, but all were well kempt. Shares in ride on mowers may be worth considering. 

Glacial movement has ensured the rocks are smooth with some scoring due to large boulders scraping along the underside of the glacier. This unexpected entertainer presumably has roots in Switzerland.

On our way out was a sculpture in this natural rock face. It is a Fisherman’s Monument (William E DeGarthe 1984) dedicated to all those hardy souls who set to sea for lobster and the like.

We then had a delightful slow trip down the coast. Spectacular views were everywhere. It was just hard to stop a large RV to take snaps. We did stop at Lunenberg as Helen had a hankering for some Hodge Podge (a German dish of fresh vegetables cooked together with cream and butter) but unfortunately the restaurant of the same name had closed. We had to settle for some grilled salmon – which was delicious – all while watching Bluenose II set sail. The original Bluenose was built here in 1921. Apart from being a fishing vessel she won an International Fisherman’s Trophy 40-mile race and then successfully defended her title for 17 years earning the nickname "Queen of the North Atlantic.

The park sites are something to behold. Each has a trestle table and fire pit. Hidden amongst the trees you are only vaguely aware of neighbours, at least until they all light up their campfires which was a ritual on almost every site.

Some of the woodlands are downright scary. The feet of this giant bird had been standing still for a while judging by the moss that had gathered.

However, the paths were generally very attractive and inviting.

Until you come across invaders from outer space.

The end of this walk was a wonderful floating pedestrian timber bridge leading to a canoe rental station.

Some of the fishing sheds need a bit of TLC but are worth maintaining when you consider the work involved in the original construction. Imagine nailing all those wall shingles.

Harbours here are for fishing vessels with recreational boats a rarity. The scallop ships are unusually wide to enable large draggers to be used. I suspect you would need particularly good sea legs to work on them!

Of course, lobster abound. In one restaurant they showcased these massive claws. The estimate (based on weight gained between moults) is that this one was over 160 years old as it weighed in at a massive 40 lbs (18kg). It was caught via fishing nets as it was too large for any pot.

We then headed over to the West coast to Digby a colourful fishing town. Renowned Acadian artist Maud Lewis lived nearby. Although born with birth defects which resulted in the early onset of rheumatoid arthritis, her paintings were joyful colour and included the inside and outside of her house. There is a replica of her tiny house which included stairs presumably to a small attic crawl space.

Acadians (originally French Loire valley immigrants) were hard working and skilled agriculturist who used dykes and Aboideaux’s (one-way wooden sluice gates) to drain flood areas and then use the rich soil for growing crops. They were dispelled by the British as they would not sign allegiance to Britain.

Their plight was given publicity through an epic poem (about 90 pages) by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, published in 1847. "A Tale of Arcadia" follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel during their expulsion. There is a statue of her in Grand Pre. 

The site overlooks some of the dykes system which are still in use today.

We then tripped over to Prince Edward Island (PEI). That entailed crossing the Confederation Bridge which at 12.9 kms is the longest bridge over ice waters. It opened in 1997. The curve of the bridge and pier bases are specially shaped to reduce the impact of frozen winters. I am glad we traversed on a relatively calm day.

We also wanted to understand a little about Lucy Maud Montgomery the author of "Anne of Green Gables" who spent much of her life in Cavendish. Apart from family challenges Montgomery faced a very unscrupulous publisher (Louis Page) whom she eventually had to take to court over copyright issues. After 15 years, justice finally prevailed not only with a financial award but also saw the demise of the publisher as no author wanted to deal with a such a dishonest and vindictive person.

The book was inspired by an attractive local farmhouse.  

Which had a particularly interesting stove. The bulge part way up the chimney was for smoking meat and fish.

We continued to be lucky with the weather which gave rise to wonderful and calm sunsets.

The second way to PEI is via a ferry. We just missed one as it zig-zagged its way out of Wood Islands harbour.

We thought our ‘van (at the front) was quite large until we compared it with others. At least we had a solar panel!

Our jump off point for Cape Breton was Whycocomagh. We decided that it was time to get some exercise and there was a steep track at the back of the site up the Salt Mountain trail.

It certainly got the heart rate up. Hard work but a great view so worth the effort.

 

A home from home - Perth Ontario

As it has been a few years (2022) since we stayed with Pam and caught up with family and Canadian friends we decided it was time for a visit. It is rather like a home from home and timely as all the family were on the lake to remember the 5^th anniversary of Robin’s passing. The garden and weather were spectacular.

And local fauna were feasting. The car may not be a natural background but it does help contrast with this fast moving humming bird.

We really hit lucky with our week as there was virtually no rain. This was in stark contrast to our pre-arrival weather which was so wet the lake was at a record high with the dock close to being submerged.

The plus side was a trip around the lake could take us to parts never visited before. (The exception to this may have been one of Robin’s groundings!)

Of course, a trip around the lake enables more bird sightings. Here a bald eagle is scouting for dinner.

And this golden eagle seems to have arrived from outer space.

The arrival of everyone meant that some sort of dinner party occurred each evening. Here, for those interested in a family update, is Lily (her parents were in the kitchen preparing dinner), Pamela, HH, Nikol, her Dad George and one month old husband Stefano (although he does look older) and Mum Julia.

With the brilliant weather, taking the Seadoo out was mandatory. All is well when someone is controlling Dad (Neil)…

But when he is on his own there can be moments when the inevitable is an unavoidable split second away.

A quieter time was to be had with the older generation when we visited the nearby Newboro lock on the Rideau canal.

There was still some excitement particularly when asked to help operate the locks by closing one of the gates.

We rounded out our week with an invite to Nikol and Stefano’s new house in Ottawa. Pride of place was a table that Pam bought as a wedding present when we were in Egypt last year. (We have one from the same artist on our front porch.)

And with that very quick week Pam took us for a far too early start to catch a flight to Halifax and then headed back to Lake Otty to entertain even more relatives. 

Scousers and the Isle of Man

As part of our-near-UK-tour-of-islands, the Ise of Man has been on the bucket list for many years. In many ways it seems we left the best to last.

We overnighted in Liverpool and our hotel window overlooked a queue of people. Further investigation drew us to the Beatles museum and that was too good to pass up. It all started as a group called the quarry men based in Halewood. Quite a coincidence as I started my career at Halewood – living on site in a caravan extending the sewage works!

Next came the famous cavern which had been carefully reproduced. It would have been quite a hot bed of activity…

One thing can be said about the fab four – they were so self-assured – even before they became household names….

They’re statue sits near to Cunard House. I wonder what personal details are hidden in their vaults. I suspect Edward V11 records might outweigh Halling.

And after that short overnight stop we headed just up the road to the local “Tassie Cat” to zoom us over to Douglas in a mere 2¾ hours.

We stayed at a B&B in Glen Mona some ten minutes south of Ramsey. The garden was something to behold. Fortunately, a robo lawn mower kept the grass under control.

The views were spectacular. The sea ensures a temperate climate and although rain had been in short supply there was sufficient to keep fields green - in stark comparison to the mainland.

After dumping our bags, we visited the local beach and then traversed a ford,

en route to a small group of standing stones. “Cashtal yn Ard” is a Neolithic chambered tomb and dates back to around 1800 BC. (That is close to Stonehenge times.) There are five burial chambers – a dramatic site in the middle of nowhere.

The Isle of Man is not too large and a little over an hours drive North to South. We headed for the West coast and the stunning port of Peel. The harbour’s entrance is protected by Patrick’s Isle which initially had a small wooden fort (built by the Viking king Magnus Barefoot around 1100 so well before Nike). The stone castle was built during the 14^th century.

This view was from the hill that leads up to a stone tower known as Corrin's Folly built around 1806.  Next to the tower is a small graveyard where Thomas Corrin's his wife and children are buried. The walk to the tower included a few ups and downs before the 150 metre summit was achieved. 

It is understandable why Thomas spent so much time up here with views like this.

After well earned and unusual brie and cranberry sandwich we headed south to the Calf of Man which apparently gets its name from an Old Norse word kalfr - a small island located near a larger one. 

There was quite a tidal race which whisked through a small boat (that can be seen left above) but was of no challenge to a small herd of seals safely ensconced on the other side away from human sightseers. They do blend in well with their surroundings. (Look closely – you should see 11 of them.)

The usual blue, green landscape colours were enhanced by the grey rock interspersed with contrasting white quartz veins. This appears to be a small harbour given the hewn steps that can be seen towards the middle left.

The next day our exploration was focussed on the East coast and the capital Douglas. After several hours walking the 2.5 kms promenade and a meandering tour of the town there was real appeal in returning via the horse drawn tram. 

The horses seem to enjoy their work and are changed after each “there and back” so are far from overworked.

At the North end was a shed of trams of a slightly later vintage given they are electically powered.

We decided that the return trip to Ramsey would be a fun but not onerous adventure and were rewarded by spectacular views. It is hard to imagine a tram ride anywhere in the world with a similarly stunning vista.

About halfway is the town of Laxey where a second tram can take you all the way up to Snaefell the highest point on the island (unlike the road which leaves you with a reasonable walk).

Laxey has a large wheel (built in 1854) which was used to pump out water from the deep shafts of the lead, zinc and copper mines.

And finally there was Ramsey where the focus is inevitably drawn to the Queen's Pier. Completed in 1886 it is almost 700 metres long and was built to serve as a low-water landing stage so that larger steam packet ships could pick up and discharge passengers and cargo without getting stuck at shallow low tides. Unfortunately, it has been closed for some three decades but is now slowly being repaired as a local community project.

After some quick swapping around the tram with its second car we were off for the return journey back to Douglas.

The Douglas front brims with colour. Here the Bee Gees have a similar statue to their Liverpudlean counterparts. Many of the sea front hotels also overview a series of sunken gardens.

A few of the buildings were particularly attractive. The Villa Marina concert hall

and the Gaiety Theatre and opera house were clear standouts.

All of which were enanced by a variety of flower arrangements. This one has Conistor Rock in the background. Unusually the structure is not a castle but a refuge for distressed sailors (most of whom were in trouble because of hitting the submerged reef that it is built on).

It is hard to go to the Isle of Man and not be aware of the famous 37 mile long motorbike race. As we toured, preparations were underway. Although padding and hay bales were in evidence their placement seemed a bit piecemeal with many hard surfaces (stone walls, trees) left alone. The more Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix are separate races (and months) to the Isle of Man TT (tourist trophy) (held this year in June) where cutting edge superbikes are wridden by professionals at extreme speeds. With average speeds nearing 140 mph on normal narrow roads it is ridiculously dangerous and since 1907 has claimed 271 lives.

This is the high point adjacent Snaefell where we filled up on a huge (bike rider sized!) and flavourful shepards pie together with an Aussie Bundaberg Ginger beer....

And with that we returned to Douglas and awaited our Tassie ferry “Mannan”.

A fantastic few days. I recommend the Isle of Man being added to everyone's bucket list.