SIGNS OF THE TIME

We've seen some very interesting signs along the way.  For instance, here's a great selling feature for a cemetery. It's called Lake View.  Who enjoys the view?  And then there are the restaurant names:  The Old Fish Factory.  Is it the fish that are old or the factory?  How about Good Luck Chinese Take Out. Or the best one yet, a Maritime franchise called Lick a Chick.  Ugh!

Yesterday we visited Mahone Bay and would have loved to stop and browse through the shops.  Unfortunately, we were out and on pretty early and nothing but Tim Horton's was open at 7:30 am.  It is such a pretty place - quaint in the very best sense and maybe we'll have a chance to pass through that way again as we leave the Annapolis Valley.  We've certainly travelled through church country the last couple of days.  At every turn and sometimes even side by side there are little white churches - most with black trim - and a historical plaque by the front door.

We also went to Peggy's Cove where Ann got drenched by climbing down the rocks to the water.  The waves can sneak up on you when you're not looking.  It is a stark and beautiful place.  Just after this photo was taken, a lady came along and sat right by the lighthouse door and began to sing and play her accordion.  I'll never think of Red River Valley in the same light again.

We visited the spot where the Swissair Flight 111 memorial stands - remembering the more than 300 people who went down very near by.  Later, by coincidence, we listened to a radio documentary about the same accident, suggesting it was a deliberate act, not an aircraft failure that caused the crash.

Today we're in Annapolis Royal, right on the shores of the Bay of Fundy and spent a great day touring Port Royal.  It is a recreation of the original Champlain settlement from 1605 and has been accurately copied from books and drawings of the time.  It was inhabited until 1613, when it was burned to the ground by the British from Jamestown.  Each room is complete with furnishings, tools, clothing and utensils and each tells a very vivid story of life 400 years ago.

We spent much of the afternoon exploring the town of Annapolis Royal.  It, too has a very old feel to it, with a touch of the hippy and I can imagine that 40 years ago, every would be potter, artist and artisan set up shop here looking for the simple life.

Tomorrow, we head up the coast to Digby where, come hell or high water, we're going whale watching.

To be continued.....