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Aug. 19th. -Last nights camp spot became very popular at night.There must have been 10 to 15 cars and ATV's ( 4 wheel motorbikes ) that came down the dirt road to the huts.Luckily for us they were a quiet crowd.Before going to the ferry, a visit to the library was made to update this blog and check for emails.It was a shame that at journeys end at Port aux Basques, a persistent sea mist crept in so that the final sightseeing along the south coast was not practical.Even so, some photographs were taken of plants!Before boarding, an "environmental check" of Marigold was done.They asked if we had any potatoes as Nfld ones have a disease that needs to be kept from the rest of Canada.So now we are spudless, but Marigold was treated to a free car wash!The ferry wasn't full and left on time.Pat was again frustrated trying to buy draught beer.Both taps were out of order!Arriving at N. Sydney in the dark, we were lucky to find a suitable place near the dock for the night.
Aug 20th. - Off the floating rock and back on terra firma.The plan now is to head south of Halifax.Passed through Baddeck, a charming little town on the shores of Bras d'Or Lake, which is a huge salt water inland lake, with a small channel to the ocean at one end.It is a sailor's paradise with yachts everywhere.After passing through lush farmland we are again following the coast southwest.There are mussel beds being harvested in the bay where tonight's camp spot is.For those that are interested, Home Hardware, Canadian Tire, Scotia Bank, and Credit Union are well represented across the Atlantic provinces.Petro-can and TD Bank are virtually non existent.
Aug 21st. - After great help from the tourist office about how to navigate through Halifax city, paying a .75c bridge toll, and a wing and a prayer, we made it to the other side.You cannot visit Nova Scotia without visiting Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg where the Bluenose II is kept ( google it ).Peggy's Cove was overrun with tourists, but we managed to wander around and take photo's.While Jenny went into a shop to browse, Pat stayed outside to listen to a group of taxi drivers arguing over a parking area.Lunenburg had many older buildings, some of them very colourful.A free tour of the Bluenose was had and a walk around town.But the favourite place was Mahone Bay just before Lunenburg.It's situated on a small bay and there is a variety of boats bobbing up and down at anchor.Older architecture prevails with narrow winding streets.Again here, the buildings are painted in different soft colours, and there is a marvelous selection of fine quality shops ( where Pat loves to prop up the outside walls ).He at last found his long sought after pint of draught.Fish and chips for supper and a fine camp spot outside the liquor store after it closed at 9pm completed the day.
Aug.22nd - After breakfast it was off to the local market where some 'fundy' potatoes were bought, along with some artisan French bread and pastries. Boy were they ever good, more inches to the waist line. Mahone Bay had to be explored for just a little longer before leaving and heading inland. After visiting so much coastline it was good to venture into the countryside again.Jenny describes traveling the coastline as being like the fingers of a hand.It was a nice hot day so nothing like a dip in the lake on the way to freshen up.
Driving along and seeing garbage out for pickup reminded us of the octagonal wooden slatted boxes that were at driveway ends, here in the Atlantic provinces. They were quite large and always empty and as we passed literally thousands of them we wondered their use. Could they be for the postman to put parcels in, but they were not waterproof. Or were they for vegetable pick up or delivery. Some were painted to match the house colour, others had different designs on them - flowers etc. Eventually we figured out they were for putting garbage bags into, so that 'varmints' couldn't make a mess of it. I guess the garbage was put into them just on garbage day. An alternative to fishing nets!
Prince Edward Island is the next destination and sandy beaches beckon. We haven't seen many of those yet as most have been pebbles or rocks. There is a slight change in the leaf colour as autumn approaches. Masses and masses of Golden Rod flowers are
lining the roads now and many wild flowers are going to seed.
Aug.23rd - Maybe this will be the last day in Nova Scotia, but there is no plan.Nigel says you always need a plan!Today the wind blew us into Pictou where the ferry goes out to Prince Edward Island.Another very "Scottish" town, yet no sign of broom, heather, or gorse.Saw the full size replica of "Hector", the ship that brought 200 Scots to settle the area in 1773.The ferry was a small operation and only took just over an hour to reach PEI., where we immediately settled for the evening.It's ridiculous the size of some peoples' motor-homes.There were three in front of us the size of tour buses towing cars behind them.One came from Fort St. John, B.C.One cyclist said he thought it was time to trade up, but Pat said NO.He agreed.Looking out to sea from the new camp spot, we saw several black shapes frolicking in the water.They looked about the size of sharks with dorsal fins on the back, but that is unlikely - further investigation is required.
Aug.24th - Jenny had great difficulty getting to sleep, she had visions of Marigold and everything in her falling down from the cliff top to the sea, way below. We were far closer to the edge than Pat thinks, he should know as he had already almost lost one foot down a hole close to the cliff edge!!!!!!!!!.
Again it was great weather as we continued up the Starfish Drive, the scenic road hugging the eastern coast of P.E.I. This is such a small province but I think it's going to take us a long time if today is anything to go by. The soil is incredibly red as most of the beaches have been so far, and one had a lovely fine gold sand. The shell variety however is lacking.
P.E.I. is famous for its potatoes, and as ours had been confiscated, when a roadside sign was spotted advertising homegrown spuds an emergency stop was made. 'Irish Cobblers' were purchased, but were not as good as the 'fundys'.This gardener was into growing large squash and pumpkins and proudly liftedthe sack covering to show us a couple. He said the squash was putting on 22lbs a day and it already weighed 460 lbs. At lunch today a great big frog bounded from the long grass right in front of us. The last time I saw one leap like this was in a cartoon.
Ta Ta from the taters.
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