It had been a while since our last update. I returned to New Zealand to assist my father who was ill and Wendy stayed behind. This is her story of that time.
While David was away in New Zealand, we found a lovely secluded campsite right on the coast, 30 miles from Halifax, the capital city of Nova Scotia. This area is characterised by granite rocks dotting the coast, little coves with fishing boats at anchor, lobster pot buoys bobbing in the calm waters, and fishing villages with their brightly coloured houses that have hardly changed in 300 years.
My friend Sharon came to spend a week me, arriving after a long flight at midnight from California. She enjoyed home cooked meals on her first holiday in a 5th wheel.
We explored the area together, going on walks through the nearby forests and along the coast past typical Nova Scotian houses.
We took a drive over to the other side of Nova Scotia to show Sharon one of the tidal bores that occur in the Bay of Fundy. Unfortunately that day it was a mere ripple, but the waters rose very fast after the ripple and the immense power of the tide was very obvious as high tide followed low tide in a matter of minutes.
On another day we took a drive along the pretty Aspotogan Peninsula, which had fishing villages in coves with jetties with attractively coloured Adirondack chairs and black and white churches dotting the coast interspersed with lighthouses.
We went into Halifax city on a glorious Canada Day to take part in the festivities. We visited the Immigration Museum at Pier 21 where over 1 million people entered Canada and we walked along the busy dockside boardwalk where buskers and performers entertained the crowd. Then it was on to watch the Nova Scotia International Tattoo which is, with over 2,000 performers, the largest indoor show. For 2 and a half hours we were mesmerized by the drum majorettes, Scottish pipe bands,Scottish dancers, Canadian Mounties display and international teams of gymnasts, skaters and other world class performers.
I returned to Nova Scotia after a gruelling trip and the next day we upped anchor and began the long drive from Nova Scotia into the US. We were searched at the border and lemon and limes confiscated and we were grilled about the pickup truck and fifth wheel but they must have believed our story and were let back in and we continued south to Arcadia National Park in Maine where we stopped for three days. The Arcadia National Park is mainly based on a large island connected by a bridge called Mont Desert Island. It is very pretty and its rugged coast and superb views made it a delight to explore.
We visited a lovely fishing harbour called Bar Harbor and wandered around the port admiring the boats and summer sunshine, for by now the weather had changed and the cooler, wetter weather of Nova Scotia was a thing of the past.
Afterwards we drove up Cadillac Mountain (linked to the car through the French explorer of the same name). It is the highest coastal point North of Rio de Janeiro at 500m. The view of the estuaries and island was magnificent.
The Central and Northern part of Maine is a wonderful place. Sheltered estuaries everywhere, islands dotting the coast, lobster pots everywhere, and sailing boats tacking in and out around the rocks and buoys. An indolent summer air covered everything and we felt very relaxed after the stressful few weeks I had had.
On Sunday it was Wendy’s birthday and we went or a drive around the Southern part of Mont Desert Island and had lunch at Bass Harbour overlooking the moored boats and lobster pots stacked high on the jetties.
In the evening we we went to the Union River Lobster Pot where we ate – well you can guess. Maine Lobster is very cheap and is everywhere. Lobster Pounds dot the harbours where live lobsters are kept in a tank (pound) and cooked freshly to order for about $10 a lobster and trimmings. You sit outside on trestle tables and crack the shell and dip the flesh in drawn butter. Delicious.
But all good things must come to an end, and in a day or to we move into New Hampshire the State next door where we explore the White Mountains.
