Nova Scotia Vacation

In September 1958, Gordon arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from England, having no idea what lay ahead. He left for the US a year later, and never came back, until this summer.

So a once young student with lots of energy returned as a stodgy old professor, and found a once stodgy sea port to be a lively town with lots of energy. The inhabitants are a diverse lot, including some who seem less than animate, but who illustrate the town's obvious interest in the arts.

We explored the Halifax waterfront, and enjoyed boats with names that reflect the spirit of the town. We climbed the hill to the Halifax Citadel, where we found members of a Scottish infantry regiment drilling, an English artillery regiment firing the noon gun, and a piper playing a lament on the battlements - roles all played by students hired for the summer.

We visited Pier 21 where Gordon arrived 46 years ago, to seek information about the ship he arrived on (the "Nova Scotia II"). And we stopped by Dalhousie University, where the Psychology Department once occupied five rooms on the third floor of the Administration building, and now owns a fancy new building of its own. We found what were probably Gordon's former digs on South Street (site of the infamous remark, prior to his learning the language, about having to knock up his landlady).

Before we left Halifax, we discovered 40 kilometers away a lovely, unspoiled beach, and took a long walk, returning by the inlet on the other side of the peninsula.

After Halifax, we drove south along the rugged coast to Peggy's Cove, once a thriving fishing village, now a favorite sight for tourists. An old boat symbolizes the decay of the fishing industry here.

Our destination was Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the only town in North America to be so designated. The inn where we stayed overlooked the beautiful harbor.

The town itself is full of elaborate buildings, many of which feature the "Lunenburg bump", a five-sided extension over the front door. An elegant church that had been demolished by vandals is now under reconstruction. The memorial to fishermen lost at sea suggests that, though profitable, the fishing industry extracted a large cost.

Walking around the harbor, we encountered the schooner Bluenose II, later seen from the sea under sail. The original Bluenose is perhaps Canada's most famous sailing vessel, and the Bluenose II is an exact replica of the schooner, built by the same shipyard.

We took a boat trip to look for whales. We saw a couple, but more visible were the seals lying on the rocks, and puffins.

Near Lunenburg is the small village of Blue Rocks, well worth exploring for its harbor and fishing shacks. Blue Rocks is visible from the other side of Lunenburg Bay, an area known as The Ovens, set beneath cliffs where the tides have cut caves in the rock.

From the mainland we took the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton, an island with a very different character from the the rest of the province. Lush valleys give way to a beautiful coast and rugged mountains.

We stayed at the Duffus House in Badeck. Badeck is located on the shores of a large lake. When not exploring the island, we could enjoy the peace and quiet of the lake, or sit on the dock and watch eagles (look closely - they're in the tallest tree).

The town of Louisbourg is a reconstruction of an 18th century town and military fort. Many of the original buildings have been restored, including this fisherman's cottage. Citizens of the town in period costume demonstrate what life must have been like at the time, including a demonstration of the way miscreants were dealt with.

In Cape Breton National Park we took a hike along Corney Creek, stopping every now and then for a view of the creek, or to enjoy the cool green of the vegetation. Later that day we took a hike along another creek to a waterfall, where JoAnn tried to explain to Gordon what can happen when he gets too adventurous.

On our last full day we hiked along a high ridge through woods and above steep cliffs that overlook the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Here we encountered a female moose with young, then, a little further on, a closer view of another one, intimidating, but apparently not hostile. We did not stick around long to find out though.

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