Thursday, September 29: We checked out of our Airbnb in Halifax this morning which required quite a bit of packing and cleaning up.
We did a quick drive through Truro, known as “The Hub of Nova Scotia” because travelers go through it on the Trans-Canada Highway. It might have been an okay town to explore, but it wasn’t all that fetching from what we could tell.
Sackville, New Brunswick
Sackville was of interest to us because of the waitress from The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse in Halifax. Our waitress had gone to college in Sackville, an idyllic university town with stately homes and ivy-clad university buildings. Mount Allison University, founded in 1839, specializes in liberal arts education at the undergraduate level. It’s small, with a student population of about 2,400.
One of the things we learned in this small town is that when people cross crosswalks, they don’t bother to look to see if any cars are approaching. They just step boldly out into the crosswalk, deep in conversation with their friends, bringing cars driven by clueless Americans to a screeching halt. In the U.S. people generally try to catch a driver’s eye to make sure they’re seen before stepping out into a crosswalk.
We made it through the town without running over anyone and went directly for the Sackville Waterfowl Park.
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
What could be better than all these things at once: a sprinkling of fall colors, a boardwalk over marshland, a breeze tickling the marsh grasses, and gleaming birch trees? We found all of these at the Sackville Waterfowl Park about halfway between Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick.
The Sackville Waterfowl Park has more than 3km (2 mi) of boardwalk and trails through 55 acres of wetlands that are home to some 180 species of birds and 200 species of plants. Throughout the park, viewing areas and interpretive signs reveal the rare waterfowl species that rest here.
At the interpretive center we learned that this area, once part of a vast salt marsh, was dyked and drained by Acadian settlers in the late 1600s to secure land for agriculture. A century later, immigrants from Yorkshire, England expanded drainage to access more farmland.
The park stands at the edge of the upper Bay of Fundy marshes, the largest wetland in Atlantic Canada. Natural wetlands are important water reservoirs, natural purification systems and wildlife habitats. The park was impounded and flooded in 1988.
The trails had some cute names such as Quack Trail, The Birches, Loosestrife Lane, Redwing Way and Minnow Overpass.
marsh grasses at Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
quirky trail names
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
me at Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Mike at Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
birches at Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Mike
me at Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
a covered bridge at Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
winding boardwalks
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Sackville Waterfowl Park
It was such a lovely day, it was hard to force ourselves to get in the car to drive another couple of hours to Saint John.
On our way out of town, we stopped at a cute bakery where we bought a few sweets and savories.
Saint John, New Brunswick
We arrived at our Airbnb in Saint John around 4:00. It was an airy and roomy place, the top floor of a large house within a short walk of the downtown. The host’s father rented the bottom floor.
The apartment was actually lived in part-time by the hosts and they efficiently put their stuff away into locked cupboards when guests came to stay.
We enjoyed drinks on the back porch. Then we drove around to look for a grocery store. At Sobey’s we bought some goods to hold us during our four night stay: eggs, grape tomatoes, Fold-it bread, and creamer.
We ate in tonight but I don’t remember what we had. After dinner, we settled in and watched a couple of episodes of Virgin River on their huge flat screen TV.
Mike on the porch of our Saint John Airbnb
kitchen in our Saint John Airbnb
dining area
one bedroom (of two)
stairs leading to the first floor
living room
living room with exercise bikes
It was time for us to begin our explorations of the Bay of Fundy.
Monday, September 26: Since our power was finally restored Sunday night and since it was raining Monday morning, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and morning in our Airbnb.
We finally went at noon into downtown Halifax, where we went straight to Dharma Sushi for lunch. We enjoyed our delicious sushi and miso soup. Mike got the Monday Special: 6 pieces of spicy salmon roll, chicken teriyaki and 3 pieces of gyoza. I got Shrimp Tempura rolls.
Dharma Sushi
Dharma Sushi
Dharma Sushi
Dharma Sushi
We wandered over to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, which was closed despite the website saying they were open. We have encountered so many annoyances due to the hurricane. At least people should update their websites. Other people were also at the door, equally disappointed.
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
We spent a couple of hours at the Martime Museum of the Atlantic, which was luckily open and packed, since it was the only open place in town. The first thing we encountered was a large map of the 2022 Hurricane Season, with Fiona front and center. At that point, Ian hadn’t yet hit Florida.
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Atlantic Hurricanes This Year
Remembering Hurricane Juan
We saw a display of Theodore Tugboat and his friends in Halifax Harbour. Theodore Tugboat began in 1989 as a children’s TV series inspired by the Halifax waterfront. All the boats had their own personalities and roles in the harbor community.
Theodore Tugboat
Theodore Tugboat
Halifax Harbor is very deep and never freezes. The world’s largest ships can visit even in winter.
We saw a model of a British 74 gunship made by a French sailor captured during the Napoleonic Wars in the 1790s and held at the prison on Melville Island on Halifax’s Northwest Arm. It is made of carved and polished beef and pork bones, likely saved from the prisoner’s own dinner plate.
model of a British 74 gunship
A lifeboat or rescue boat was virtually unsinkable. It was self-bailing; the space beneath the deck was filled with cork in case the boat got holed or flooded. It was double ended to withstand rough surf. We saw small boats used around the coast and displays describing Nova Scotia’s proud sailing heritage.
boats in The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
boats in The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
boats in The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
“Graveyard of the Atlantic”
East Southeast of Nova Scotia, far out to sea, a small golden arc called Sable Island breaks the blue Atlantic. It is shaped by storms. The same winds that threaten mariners create currents that build this island of sand. The shifting sands lie close to major sea routes in the North Atlantic. Fierce storms, treacherous currents, and obscuring fog have caused many ships to stray too close to its deadly shoals. For many sailors, this sandy island meant death and destruction. Since 1583, there have been over 250 recorded shipwrecks on Sable Island. The map shows locations of known wrecks.
Nova Scotia’s coastline has some of the highest concentrations of shipwrecks in North America. There are over 10,000 shipwrecks in Nova Scotian waters; some think the total may be as high as 25,000.
Sable Island
Graveyard of the Atlantic
The Halifax Explosion
On the morning of December 6, 1917, the French steamship Mont-Blanc, inbound from the Atlantic with a cargo of explosives, entered the Halifax Harbour Narrows. The Norwegian Imo steamed into the same confined channel. It was bound for New York to load food and clothing for relief of occupied Belgium.
In homes, schools and factories lining the Narrows’ steep shores, residents started a new day in a busy wartime port, lighting kitchen fires and making breakfast.
At 8:45 a.m., Imo‘s bow struck Mont-Blanc, tearing open the French ship’s hull and raising a shower of sparks. Fire broke out and spread quickly. Mont-Blanc‘s crew rowed hard in lifeboats for the Dartmouth Shore. A column of black smoke, with flames bursting through, attracted a crowd of spectators. The burning ship drifted towards Halifax, coming to rest at Pier 6.
Shortly before 9:05 a.m., Mont-Blanc exploded. In an instant, Mont-Blanc was transformed from a ship to a 3-kiloton bomb in a busy modern harbor. Adjacent areas of Halifax and Dartmouth were devastated. The shock front went through the town at great velocity. In the blast’s wake, fragments of Mont-Blanc from the size of a pebble to the size of a car mixed with rubble of wrecked ships, railways, houses, and personal belongings in the devastated zone. Windows shattered 100km (62 mi) away. People of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and social classes were affected in various degrees.
On December 7, the mortuary opened and thousands flocked to identify bodies. A blizzard dropped 40cm (16″) of snow. Over 6,000 people lost homes in the blast. Many people were blinded and survivors wore prosthetic eyes throughout their lives.
This was the greatest man-made explosion before Hiroshima, leveling 2 square miles of the city and claiming nearly 2,000 lives. At the museum, newspaper accounts and quotes from survivors are paired with everyday objects recovered from the rubble.
The Halifax Explosion
The Halifax Explosion
prosthetic eyes needed by many after The Halifax Explosion
The Halifax Explosion
“The Age of Steam” led to an era of reliable transportation of cargo and revolutionized transatlantic travel. One Nova Scotian, Samuel Cunard, used his initial experiences in steam as a launching pad for greater success on the world stage.
The Age of Steam
The Age of Steam
The Age of Steam
The Age of Steam
The Age of Steam
The Age of Steam
Titanic
The most memorable exhibit was on the Titanic. When the “unsinkable” ship sank in 1912, Halifax was the closest major port and became the base for the rescue and recovery operations. One hundred fifty victims were ultimately buried in city cemeteries. Displays include the ship’s only surviving deck chair, a section of wall paneling, a balustrade molding and part of a Newell from the dual starving staircase. Finally a handwritten log kept by the wireless operator in Newfoundland on the night the ship sank was on display.
When Titanic departed Southampton on April 10, 1912, her registered size and tonnage made her, for a short time, the largest ship in the world, in fact, the largest moving object yet created.
The victims were mostly men of all classes and the crew, women and children in third class.
Titanic‘s engineers, none of whom survived, kept her lights working almost to the end. She sank at 2:20 a.m. on 15 April, 1912. There were over 2,200 people aboard and only 705 survived.
Carpathia, a small cargo and passenger liner owned by the Cunard line, came to the rescue. She was 58 miles away. She was too far away to save those in the water, but her rescue of Titanic’s 705 survivors from lifeboats and their delivery to New York won world-wide acclaim. Carpathia took survivors to New York, while the dead would come to Halifax.
The Titanic
The Titanic
The Titanic
The Titanic
The Titanic
The Titanic
The Titanic
log from Newfoundland
The Titanic
The Old Triangle
Since it was still raining when we left the Maritime Museum, and no other museums were open, we headed straight for The Old Triangle, an Irish Alehouse. There I had a beer and Mike a whiskey and we nibbled on a plate of poutine (French fries, beef gravy, and cheese curds). We sat for a long time, chatting with the friendly waitress. I bought an Old Triangle T-shirt.
The Old Triangle
The Old Triangle
me having a beer at The Old Triangle
Mike at The Old Triangle
Poutine at The Old Triangle
After strolling a bit more, we drove all over Halifax, looking at the downed trees and the damage done by Fiona. Things were slowly getting cleaned up but we passed through many places with trees still downed and without power.
We finally ate the chicken/mashed potato/stuffing meal I had bought on Friday at Sobey’s. It was a late meal because we were still stuffed from the poutine earlier.
We watched two hilarious comedians on Dry Bar Comedy. One was Karen Morgan, a 50+ year-old with 3 kids. The other was Bengt Washburn, who was born in Salt Lake City but grew up in a “large” Utah town of 1,200 people. He was the 5th child in a “small” Mormon family of 7 children. He was in his late 50s with brown hair at the top and gray hair at the back and sides. He said, “Walking away I look like a grandfather and coming at you I look like a youngster.” We also watched Episode 6 of Season 1 of Bitter Daisies, a crime series set in Galicia, Spain.
Wednesday, September 28: Our waitress at The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse gave us a list of things we should do since we extended our stay in Halifax, being forced to cancel our Cape Breton plans by Fiona. Besides Wolfville and the Annapolis Valley, she recommended the Pennant Point Trail at Crystal Crescent Beach. It was just a little south of where we were staying in Spryfield. The provincial park is situated in Sambro Creek. It has three white-sand crescent beaches to enjoy with boardwalks to the first two beaches. The furthest of the three beaches on the trail, around a point, is a “naturist,” or nudist beach. Today was way too windy, foggy and gray for any naked folks, but the coastline was beautiful, from the natural debris like kelp and seaweed ribbons washed up on the shore to the ferns and vegetation to the waves crashing on the rocks. It was quite foggy when we started but by the time we returned the fog had lifted somewhat and the views became clearer. We loved this hike.
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
Crystal Crescent Beach
On the way back during the hike, I was getting warm so I took off my jacket in which I had kept my phone. I kept trying to put the phone in the side pocket of my leggings but I couldn’t find the pocket. I was baffled because I’d worn these pants many times and I knew they had pockets. Finally, I realized I had put my leggings on inside out!
me with my inside-out leggings
We drove back from Crystal Crescent Beach and saw some nice little coves with colorful boats.
little coves near Halifax
little coves near Halifax
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
Maude Lewis
At our Airbnb, we showered and went into Halifax to see the museums that had been closed every day since Fiona. We went to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia where there was a special exhibit about Maude Lewis (1901-1970), a local Nova Scotian who painted local scenes she knew of her life in Nova Scotia. She is one of Canada’s most beloved folk artists. She spent her entire life in areas of Digby and Yarmouth and she captured the spirit of maritime life.
Born with congenital disorders, Maude was physically small and frail. Medical experts now think, based on photographs and descriptions of how her condition worsened, she was born with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. At the turn of the 20th century, few understood the degenerative and extremely painful nature of this condition.
Maude used her own tiny home as a canvas for her art. The actual house she lived in, renovated extensively, was on display in the museum and showcased Maude’s talents. She painted the doors and windows and nearly every interior surface. There was no electricity or running water. The large wood stove was used for cooking and was the only source of heat for the house.
The door to Maude’s house was always open, inviting travelers to stop to buy a painting, visit with Maude and her husband Everett, or snap a photo.
After her death in 1970 and Everett’s in 1979, the Maude Lewis Painted House Society of Digby took the initial steps to protect the Lewis home, but it quickly deteriorated. The Province of Nova Scotia purchased the badly decayed structure for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in 1984, and removed it from Marshalltown to save what remained of the structure and household items.
In the fall of 1996, the house was dismantled into 10 large sections and removed to a treatment site where initial conservation was completed. It was reassembled in the gallery and has been on exhibition since June 1998.
Maude Lewis developed a very particular vision of Nova Scotia, one that was nostalgic and optimistic. In a distinctive style, she consistently depicted her region. The harbours reflect the Annapolis Basin, St. Mary’s Bay, and the Bay of Fundy, with the distinctive high wharves needed to deal with the extreme height differences between high and low tides. She painted her countryside with the trees, flowers and animals found in Digby County. We see farmers and loggers in the familiar red woolen coats of rural Nova Scotia, and oxen with their distinctive Nova Scotian yokes.
She didn’t show parts of the province she didn’t intimately know herself. There are no scenes of Halifax, Cape Breton, or the villages and churches of the South Shores. She painted only the country she knew.
After Maude died, her husband Everett continued to paint his own scenes of Nova Scotia.
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
Maude Lewis home
Maude Lewis
Maude Lewis home
Maude Lewis home
photo of Maude Lewis home before it was renovated
painting by Maude Lewis
painting by Maude Lewis
Hooked rugs of Deanne Fitzpatrick
Deanne Fitzpatrick is a fabric artist, rug hooker and writer based in Amherst, Nova Scotia. She is widely recognized as one of the world’s prominent modern rug hookers. Born in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, she began making hooked rugs in 1990.
The 22 hooked rugs displayed were designed and created by the artist in 2016. Each of the images features saltbox houses that sit between crashing waves and windy skies, and illustrate Fitzpatrick’s relationship with, and ideas about, the notion of home. They often depict maritime geography and architecture.
Rug hooking has remained one of Nova Scotia’s most prominent and widely practiced art forms for generations. Hooked rugs often kept out drafts and brought comfort to a bare wood floor. In the past, local women would use old clothing scraps to create the rugs, which they sold to tourists.
Deanne Fitzpatrick’s hooked rugs
Deanne Fitzpatrick’s hooked rugs
Deanne Fitzpatrick’s hooked rugs
Deanne Fitzpatrick’s hooked rugs
Deanne Fitzpatrick’s hooked rugs
Deanne Fitzpatrick’s hooked rugs
Deanne Fitzpatrick’s hooked rugs
Miss Chef’s Wet Dream by Kent Monkman (b. 1965)
The two boats depicted in the painting Miss Chef’s Wet Dream represent the point of collision between European settlers and Indigenous Nations; the contrast between worlds is stark.
On the failing raft, Jesus Christ, Queen Victoria, and Marie Antoinette stand beside dreary men of the church and pilgrims. The pale characters sit alongside rats, showing the great divide between social classes of their time.
In the canoe, the figures are at the peak of health and vitality.
Monkman is from Fish River Cree Nation in Manitoba and currently lives and works in Toronto, Ontario. His work explores themes of colonization, sexuality, loss and resilience across a variety of mediums.
Miss Chef’s Wet Dream by Kent Monkman
Miss Chef’s Wet Dream by Kent Monkman
Miss Chef’s Wet Dream by Kent Monkman
Halifax Harbourfront
We intended to visit the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, but we finished at the art gallery too late. Instead we strolled along the harbourfront boardwalk as the sun finally started to peek out of the clouds.
We saw the HMCS Sackville, Canada’s Naval Memorial, “The Last Corvette.”
A sailing ship floated by filled with passengers.
I enjoyed a Tidal Pool Wine at the Beer Garden, but it was pretty deserted, unlike on Sunday when it was packed and lively. Mike had a beer.
The sky was beautiful with blue skies punctuated by ponderous clouds.
Walking back up to the food street, we saw the Sailor Statue representing valiant young Canadians who served in both war and peace. It is symbolic of the thousands of sailors who were instrumental in the victory at sea and fitting acknowledgement to those who continue to maintain the peace.
Halifax Harbourfront
HMCS Sackville
Halifax Harbourfront
Beer Garden
me at the Beer Garden
Sailor Statue
pretty mural
We enjoyed a fabulous dinner on the patio at Antojo Tacos & Tequila. I had Chiles Relleno, cornmeal tempura batter poblano pepper stuffed with roasted corn, black beans, jalapeños, jack and cream cheese, smoked salsa, cotija and cilantro. Mike had Pork Carnitas Tacos: pork confit, pickled onion, roasted jalapeño sauce, cilantro. We shared a Sopa de Lima: Yucatan-style lime soup, shredded chicken, avocado, red onion, crispy tortilla. I was a bit disappointed in my chiles relleno so I insisted on ordering something else: Baja Fish Taco: Haddock in a crispy charcoal batter, crunch slaw, roasted red pepper sauce, citrus crema, and green onions. Delicious!
To top off our feast, we ordered a chocolate brownie dessert with dulce leche ice cream. 🙂
For my drink I had a Jon Like: jose curevo tradicional silver / hendrick’s gin lillet / cucumber / grapefruit / tonic. Yum! I have a real fondness for drinks with cucumber in them these days. Mike had a flight of 3 different tequilas.
It was an excellent ending to our time in Halifax.
Mike at Antojo Tacos & Tequila
Antojo Tacos & Tequila
Antojo Tacos & Tequila
Antojo Tacos & Tequila
my drink at Antojo Tacos & Tequila
Antojo Tacos & Tequila
Chile Rellenos
Pork Carnitas Tacos
Baja Fish Tacos
Chocolate brownie dessert
Me with Mike at Antojo Tacos & Tequila
We headed back to the apartment where we watched Virgin River and prepared to move on the next morning to New Brunswick.
Here’s a video of some live action from the sea and Halifax.
We are going to Nicaragua and Costa Rica after the Christmas holidays. This will be our first time to Central America, and I feel good that this year we’re giving some love to the Americas outside of the U.S. Our primary reason for going to Nicaragua is to visit our youngest son who has been staying on Ometepe Island in that country almost since the start of the pandemic. We’ve seen him on FaceTime and Zoom, and talked with him frequently, but we haven’t seen him in person since early 2020.
Mike was the driving force behind going to Costa Rica, which adjoins the southern border of Nicaragua; to be honest I wasn’t originally all that thrilled about it. Heat and humidity are not things I enjoy; neither are bugs, poisonous snakes, bullet ants, and other unpredictable wildlife. Plus, Costa Rica is a different ballgame altogether with all of its adventure sports and active volcanoes. However, after reading a lot about it, I’m now fully onboard and have even opted to try numerous adventure sports such as ziplining, tubing, rafting and superman ziplining, as well as walks over hanging bridges and guided wildlife walks.
Spanish studies
I’ve continued my Spanish studies with The Great Courses and with Duolingo; so far I have a 212 day streak and I’m determined to meet daily goals and to keep practicing.
Duolingo stats 2022
Duolingo stats 2022
Duolingo stats 2022
Duolingo stats 2022
Duolingo stats 2022
Duolingo stats 2022
Books
Of course, I always love to read books set in my destination, so I read some of the books below (indicated with stars and ratings). I own the books in green and will read them sometime during the year.
Costa Rica: A Traveler’s Literary Companion, Ed. by Barbara Ras
The Ticos: Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica by Mavis Hiltunen Biesanz & Richard Biesanz
Monkeys are Made of Chocolate: Exotic and Unseen Costa Rica by Jack Ewing
Happier Than a Billionaire: Quitting My Job, Moving to Costa Rica, & Living the Zero Hour Work Week by Nadine Hays Pisani (currently reading)
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
The Lost World by Michael Crichton
The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond (& San Francisco, CA) ****
The Best Short Stories of Quince Duncan by Quince Duncan
A Beach House to Die For by K.C. Ames
See Before You Die: Costa Rica by J.E. Leigh
The Scent of Jade by Dee DeTarsio
It’s Every Monkey for Themselves: A True Story of Sex, Love and Lies in the Jungle by Vanessa Woods
Movies
I found movies set in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, but sadly I haven’t seen any of them. Hopefully, I can find some of these in the coming months.
Nicaragua
Alsino and the Condor (1982)
Under Fire (1983)
Latino (1985)
Walker (1987)
Clinton and Nadine (1988)
Sandino (1990)
Carla’s Song (1997)
La Yuma (2010)
Now & Later (2011)
Kill the Messenger (2014)
The Naked Screen (La Pantalla Desnuda) (2014)
Drunk Wedding (2015)
Costa Rica
Caribe (1987)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Park & The Lost World (1997)
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
The Blue Butterfly (2004)
The Red Sky (El Cielo Rojo) (2008)
The Path (El camino) (2008)
Cold Water of the Sea (Agua fría de mar) (2010)
Costa Rican Summer (2010)
Runner Runner (2013)
After Earth (2013) – in La Fortuna
The Happiest Place in the World (El lugar más feliz del mundo) (2015)
Journey (Viaje) (2015)
After Words (2015)
Imprisoned (Presos) (2015)
About Us (Entonces nosotros) (2016)
The Heat After the Rain (El calor después de la lluvia) (2016)
Paths of Love (Los caminos del amor) (2019)
Land of Ashes (Ceniza negra) (2019)
The Last Thing He Wanted (2020)
One Step from Me (A un paso de mí) (2021)
Our Itinerary
It seems our time in Nicaragua will be more laid back than our time in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a real tourist destination with so many activities to choose from that it boggles the mind. Below is our itinerary. The Costa Rica part includes numerous options, some of which we haven’t yet narrowed down. I hope to wait until we’re in country and can get recommendations from our hotels or tour guides.
Nicaragua
Our entire trip encompasses 22 days, including the travel to Nicaragua and from Costa Rica.
1) Tuesday: Fly into Managua, Nicaragua. Pick up rental car and drive to Matagalpa. (2 hr 12 min):
Hotel San Jose, Matagalpa
2) Wednesday: Overnight in Matagalpa
Hiking opportunities abound. Boulder, fields and red rock faces of El Ocote
Cafetín Girasol: Sells detailed leaflets for self-guided walks
Esteli: (1 hr 34 min): Reserva Natural Miraflor (???) (too far and too much time?)
Stunning cloud forest with rivers and waterfalls
One-day trek 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. and cost around $20/person (inc. 2 meals and mandatory guide). All money goes to supporting community and farmers.
3) Thursday: Overnight in Matagalpa
Reserva Natural Cerro Apante: Cloud Forest Reserve and shade-grown coffee plantations, pleasant cool climate (2 hour round trip hike to mirador)
Selva Negra – hike any of 20 km of trails
4) Friday: Matagalpa to León(2 hr 36 min)
Hotel La Posada del Doctor
Leon City Walk, p. 145 guidebook (Revolutionary and Cultural Leon)
Museo de Arte Fundación Ortiz-Gurdián (contemporary art, $2, way to escape the heat)
Iglesia de la Recolección – most beautiful church in city
Museo Histórico de la Revolución (Museum of the Revolution – $2)
Catedral de León 8 a.m. to 12 OR 2-4 pm Monday-Saturday (Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Largest in Central America, Tomb of Rubén Darío (poet)
Climb to top for views ($2)
Street Art of the Revolution
Dine at Al Mirador for views and sunset
Explore local markets: Mercado Central most popular and renovated, across street from Cathedral
5) Saturday: Overnight in León
La Peñitas – white sand paradise
Poneloya
Mas Adventures – hiking trips to Telica, El Hoyo, Cosigüina * Asosasca Volcanoes
Reserva Natural Isla Juan Venado (not sure)
6) Sunday: León to Granada (2 hr 25 min)
Granada Airbnb
Motorbiking is a good way to get around in Granada; NO UBER. Get around by Tuk-tuk, taxi or foot.
Drive by Masaya volcano (stop at Mirador Catarina) – if you go at night from Granada you can see the magma lit up
Fortaleza La Polvora – best views in town to Lago Nicaragua
La Capilla María Auxiliadora – beautiful interior
Cemeterioide Granada – outskirts of town
7) Monday: Overnight in Granada
City Walk: p. 88 guidebook
Explore main plaza: Parque Central, Catedral de Granada
Go to Iglesia La Merced (near Cathedral) and climb bell tower ($1): stunning views of Cathedral and the city in general (great sunset location as well)
Convento y Museo San Francisco
Iglesia de Merced – Sunset Views from bell tower
8) Tuesday: Overnight in Granada
Volcan Mombacho – hikes. Open with regular hours (Fri, Sat, Sun only??)
Reserva Natural Laguna de Apoyo – Crater Lake
Go to Paradiso hostel; message them on Facebook and book direct for free access to tubes, sun loungers and kayaks, small fee for paddle boards ($10/person if book with them directly)
Isletas de Oranada
9) Wednesday: Granada > Rivas (1 hr 13 min) > to Santa Cruz, Ometepe (2 hr 12 min – cross ferry)
El Encanto Garden Hotel, Santa Cruz
Punta Jesus Maria
Ojo de Agua (The Eye of Water) Ometepe – natural spring. (Carol & Carlos recommended)
10) Thursday: Overnight in Santa Cruz, Ometepe
Motorbikes? Or bicycles?
Hike to Cascada San Ramón
Horseback ride to Volcán Maderas
More of our son’s life
11) Friday: Santa Cruz, Ometepe (cross ferry) > San Juan del Sur (2 hr 40 min)
HC Liri Hotel
Explore San Juan del Sur: Clapboard Victorian houses, pretty beach for sunset stroll, statue of Christ: Cristo de la Misericordia (1 hr hike up and 1 hr down)
Eat dinner at El Timon San Juan del Sur – Nicaraguan beach restaurant with thatched roof – Latin live music J (Recommended by Carol & Carlos)
Costa Rica
12) Saturday: LEAVE NICARAGUA. San Juan del Sur > Peñas Blancas > Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica(2 hr 26 min)
(Trade in rental car and get new one at the border in Peñas Blancas)
Our son returns to Ometepe and we travel onward.
Hotel El Velero
Laid back vibe, Relax on the beach, stroll 4-block boardwalk
13) Sunday: Overnight in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica
Diamante Eco Adventure Park
Zip line and Aerial Adventure + 30 foot free fall Quick jump. Scheduled for 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Take Alex to Guanacaste Airport near Liberia by 10:00 AM. (32 minutes)
Liberia:
Iglesia La Agonía
Giant El Toro Statue
Parque Mario Cañas Ruiz & Central Church of Liberia
Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, Rincon de la Vieja National Park
(Massages??)
15) Tuesday: Overnight at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin
2x 1 day Adventure Pass 8:30 a.m.
Canopy (zipline tour), rapelling through the Rio Blanco Canyon, a tubing adventure on the Rio Negro River with class III rapids, horseback riding expedition to nearby waterfalls, relax with volcano heated thermal waters, steam and mud bath.
16) Wednesday: Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin > Catarata Llanos del Cortes (47 min) > Bijagua, Costa Rica(55 min)
(TOTAL drive 1 hr 33 min)
Catarata Llanos del Cortes (quick stop at waterfall)
Celeste Mountain Lodge
Volcán Tenorio: Rio Celeste: hiking: Sendero Principal 3km 1 way 1.5-2 hours last entry 2 pm.
Rio Celeste: $2 to park by trailhead and $12/person to hike the trail (8 am – 4 pm)
Along bright blue river
Enter park through El Pilón Ranger Station
Catarata Rio Celeste (waterfall)
Mountain Mirador
Laguna Azul
Borbollones & Los Teñideros
Also: Frog Paradise and Wildlife Sanctuary nearby (night tour?)
17) Thursday: Bijagua > Tilaran (1 hr 7 min) > Monteverde(1 hour 41 min) Take route 145 and 606.
Hotel Claro de Luna
Monteverde Rain Forest Night Walk $34 (@ 2 hours) (5:30 or 8 pm)
Meeting point: Wildlife Refuge Monteverde: C. Los Camachos, Provincia de Puntarenas, Monteverde, Costa Rica Drive to Cañitas in the 606 nort 1K out of the town to Refugio de vida silvestre in calle Camachos or add in your GPS 85HC+FV Monterverde de Puntarenas when you are there please ask for Johnny Villegas in the front desk of Refugio de Vida Silvestre
RSVP to the biggest party in Monteverde with this nocturnal tour of the area’s famed wildlife by moonlight, when nearly 80 percent of Monteverde’s mammalian residents come out to play. Join a guide who will help you spot animals such as gray foxes, reptiles, and more as they come out after dark. Guided night walk of Monteverde’s wildlife Spot the animals that only come out at night, including gray foxes and more Nocturnal tour lets you see more of Monteverde’s famed animal life, as nearly 80 percent of its mammals are nocturnal. Read more about Monteverde Rain Forest Night Walk – https://www.viator.com/tours/Puntarenas/Monteverde-Night-Walk/d4506-23968P2?mcid=56757
18) Friday: Overnight in Monteverde. OPTIONS:
Monteverde Sky Adventures Park:
Sky Walk &Tram @ Monteverde 9:35 pick up at hotel. Adventure from 10:15 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Monteverde Orchid Garden (9 am – 5 pm daily, $14/adult)
Complimentary guided tour (departs every 15 minutes 9am-4:15pm, 35-45 min) is optional but wows everyone.
Shopping in Santa Elena:
Woods Art Gallery – Costa Rican souvenirs
Foresta Arte Local – jewelry, clothing and items made with batik fabrics
Luna Azul – handcrafted jewelry and clothing designed by Costa Ricans
19) Saturday: Overnight in Monteverde. OPTIONS:
Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso de Santa Elena – cloud forest immersion (7am-4pm daily, last entry 2:30pm, $16/adult). Significantly smaller, slightly higher in elevation, and noticeably less busy than the Monteverde cloud forest reserve (see below). More intimate and peaceful experience. 12km of well-maintained hiking trails.
Tour guide in visitor center: natural history walk (7:30am, 9:15am, 11:30am, 1pm daily, 2.5 hours, $33/adult) All guided bookings require 2 days notice. By phone or website.
Guided Sunrise Tour: (4:50 am daily, 1.5-2 hours, $25pp, includes reserve entrance fee). Tour provides access to park before reserve opens; when sunrise tour wraps up, can spend the rest of the day exploring the network of on-site trails at your own pace, at no extra cost.
Sendero del Bajjo (2.5km loop, 1.5 hours, moderate) (don’t have to work too hard on either of the above trails)
Sendero Caño Negro: (5km one-way, 3-4 hours, moderate-difficult) – roughest, most adventurous trek of reserve’s five trails.
OR Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso de Monteverde (12 min drive from Santa Elena. 4×4 recommended but not required) – Park fee $25/person. Most popular cloud forest. Over 4,000 hectares. 11 trails of varying length. Well maintained and easy to follow.
7am-4pm daily, last entry 2pm, $25/adult
Region’s most visited cloud forest reserve
Guided tours:
Early morning bird-watching tour (6am, 3 hours, $65pp.)
Resplendent quetzal
Three wattled bellbird
Daytime natural history walk (7:30am, 11:30am, 1:30 pm – 2 hours, $23/pp)
Can arrange tours through the reserve or through tour operators in town – advance reservation for tours are required
Park’s trails can also be explored without a guide. Advance reservations recommended but not required, esp. in morning when park is busiest.
Hiking: 13km trail system beyond the main visitors center.
Sendero Bosque Nuboso, 2km one way, 45 min, moderate)
“cloud forest” – dense forest where air is moist and cluttered with clouds. Prettiest trail in park
Sendero Camino, 2km one way, 30-45 min, easy-moderate) – less rugged terrain, a wider track and an easier hike, but a less scenic experience.
Both of above most frequented, end near La Ventana (The Window) a lookout point over the Continental Divide
Treetop Walkways hanging bridges tour (8:30 am, 11am, 1pm, 2:30pm. 2-2.5 hours guided tour – $33/person) A moderate hike through 90% virgin forest. 1.9km of trails over 8 bridges ranging from 170 feet to an amazing 560ft. in length.
Monteverde Adventure Company
Whitewater rafting
Safari float excursion on Río Tenorio
Horsebackriding tour
Mountain biking tour
Kayaking tour
Stand-up paddleboarding tour on or around Lago Arenal
Find the ficus tree bridge hidden in the jungle of Santa Elena
Located in downtown Santa Elena, should only take about 30 minutes. Walk from the start of the trail takes only 5 minutes. Try climbing down to the river and get an angle from below.
Finca Don Juan (8am-5pm daily)
Coffee, Chocolate and Sugarcane Tour (8am, 10am, 1pm, 3pm daily. $37/adult)
20) Sunday: Monteverde > Juan Santamaría International Airport (2 hr 46 min) – drop off rental car) > San Jose (45 min)
Birdwatching Morning Tour 6am-8am. See up to 480 bird species – pickup included. $65.76/person
Read more about Bird Watching Tour in Monteverde – https://www.viator.com/tours/Monteverde/Birdwatching-Tour-in-Monteverde-Cloud-Forest/d24783-9102P1?mcid=56757 Immerse yourself in the bird lover’s paradise of Monteverde cloud forest on this 2.5-hour early-morning bird-watching tour. With up to 450 species of birds, including the rare Resplendent Quetzal, Monteverde is a natural playground for wildlife enthusiasts and your expert guide will ensure you tick off as many as possible. Don’t just train your binoculars on the treetops either – white-throated capuchin monkeys, coatis, agoutis and deer are also common sightings. 2.5-hour bird-watching tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Maximise your chances of spotting birds with an early-morning walking tour Be in with a chance of seeing 450 different bird species, including the Resplendent Quetzal Spot wildlife like coatis, capuchin monkeys and deer No experience necessary: suitable for all abilities Free hotel pickup and drop-off included Small-group tour ensures a personalized experience.
Hotel Santo Tomas/Historical Property
21) Monday: Overnight in San Jose
Can take a San José Free Walking Tour 9 am and 1 pm daily, 3 hours, donations accepted). Covers downtown core. Just meet in front of Aurora Holiday Inn on north side of Parque Morazán.
Sights:
Cathedral Metropolitana (6am-7:30pm Mon-Sat; 6am-9pm Sun) 4 masses throughout day Mon-Sat.; 7 services on Sunday.
Plaza de la Cultura (park)
Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica (can visit for free to see inside) – can see theater on guided tour 9am-4pm daily, 45 min, $11/person)
Museo del Jade (pre-Columbian history) (See the Night exhibit & the colorful Day exhibit) (9am-5pm daily, $16/person)
Museo del Oro Precolombino: Gold Museum (9:15am-5pm daily) $14/person)
22) Tuesday: Fly home to U.S.
Travel Journal
Finally, here are some bits of my journal that I’ll be taking along.
a slothy journal
cover page and maps
some cool wildlife to look forward to
Nicaragua (from Lonely Planet)
Costa Rica (from Lonely Planet)
See you again in January. Happy New Year, everyone!
Tuesday, September 27: We woke to a foggy and rainy Tuesday in Halifax, so we headed west to Wolfville, the Minas Basin and the Annapolis Valley. The Annapolis Valley is on the Bay of Fundy side of the narrow Nova Scotia peninsula. It’s notable for fertile farmlands, vineyards and orchards. The valley runs northeast, sheltered on both sides by the North and South Mountains.
We drove through Port Williams where we saw the tide was very low. Since everything about the Bay of Fundy is about the extreme tides, we stopped to take a picture at low tide. We vowed to stop on our way back to take another picture at high tide, which we did. Between the two pictures, taken at 10:00 a.m. and again at 2:00 p.m., the tide had risen dramatically. According to the Port Williams tide table, the difference between high and low tide is 27 feet.
Port Williams low tide 10:00 a.m.
Port Williams low tide 10:00 a.m.
Port Williams lies in Kings County, Nova Scotia between and to the north of the towns of Wolfville and Kentville. An agricultural community, its daily rhythms are determined by the Minas Basin tides. Its history is rich with the legacy of the Mi’kmaq, Acadians and Planters and it is defined by its dike lands.
Port Williams high tide 2:00 p.m.
Port Williams high tide 2:00 p.m.
The Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy known for its extremely high tides.
We went to Blomidon Provincial Park, which the waitress at the Old Triangle Irish Alehouse in Halifax had recommended to us. Rising dramatically from the shores of the Minas Basin, Blomidon is famous for its expansive views. Blomidon includes 180m (600ft) high cliffs, a variety of habitats, striking natural features, and abundant wildlife. Besides that, the world’s highest tides wash its shores. We had to consult with the tide charts to avoid getting stranded until high tide receded. We arrived as the tide started coming in, but we managed to walk on the mud flats in plenty of time to climb back up from the beach. Luckily a stream flowed down from one of the cliffs enabling us to rinse off our muddy shoes. The difference between high and low tides in the Minas Basin is 40 feet.
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Mike at Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
sand crab trails
Mike at Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
rinsing our muddy shoes in the stream
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
Blomidon Provincial Park
We saw a cute pumpkin display on our way to Hall’s Harbour, one of the best natural harbors on the Upper Bay of Fundy.
Pumpkin display in the Annapolis Valley
Pumpkin display in the Annapolis Valley
Hall’s Harbour was named after Samuel Hall, who acted as a pilot and guide to a privateer band raiding Nova Scotia in 1779. The band consisted of 17 men aboard the Mary Jane, led by Captain Gour. A 40-man militia from Saint John, New Brunswick repelled this group.
It is said that Captain Hall’s treasure is buried somewhere in or about the banks of the upper creek area to the south. Hall’s Harbour is known for its hand lining for cod, pollock, haddock and halibut.
As for lobster, in the early days the average number of traps per fisherman ranged between 30-35 traps. These traps were all set and retrieved by hand. Nowadays, the average number is 250-300 traps.
Fishing was from small boats known as dories, usually painted dark yellow with green gunwales, often without sails or motors. There were also fishing schooners which frequented the harbor.
We ate chicken salad sandwiches we had packed at a picnic table on the dock and then browsed a couple of gift shops without buying anything.
Hall’s Harbour
Hall’s Harbour
Hall’s Harbour
Hall’s Harbour
We drove through the town of Kentville where Mike spotted a bike store, Valley Store & Cycle. Mike bought a biking shirt and I bought a buff and two pairs of wool hiking socks for the walk I hope to do next summer, the Via Francigena through Tuscany, Italy.
Kentville
We then drove to the fetching town of Wolfville, stopping to take our high tide pictures at Port Williams (see above).
Wolfville is a charming college town with ornate Victorian homes, a lively arts scene, and some fine restaurants. It was settled in the 1760s by New Englanders. The fields around the town support a thriving wine industry. This is partly due to a mild microclimate and partly due to an elaborate system of dikes built by the Acadians in the early 1700s to reclaim arable land from the unusually high tides. The dikes can still be viewed along many of the area’s back roads.
We had found a pub in every town, and Wolfville was no exception with its Paddy’s Brew Pub. We found the Just Us! Coffee House and the cool Acadia Theatre. A mural on a town wall says: “The tide flows seaward as the day expands.” ~ John Frederic Herbin, Herbin Jewelers (since 1885).
I perused a gift shop but when we went to leave it was pouring rain. Mike ran to the parking lot to retrieve the car so both of us didn’t get drenched. That Mike is a real gentleman! 🙂
Wolfville
Wolfville
Wolfville
We visited Domaine de Grand Pré, a restaurant and winery known for its award-winning vintages. I imbibed in a glass of white wine and Mike enjoyed a wine flight as we nibbled on cheese and crackers. I mentioned walking the Camino de Santiago and another woman working there ran over, “You went to Santiago, Chile?” Sadly, I explained that I’d never been to Chile but I walked the 790km Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. She had been to Chile and loved it, but she was also excited to learn about the Camino.
Domaine de Grand Pré
Domaine de Grand Pré
Domaine de Grand Pré
Domaine de Grand Pré
After the winery, we stopped at Hennigar’s Farm Market where we bought lunchmeats, cheese, jams and fruits. It was a cool place with many enticements.
Finally, we drove back to Halifax where we went to dinner downtown at McKelvie’s. I had the McKelvie’s Lobster Roll with seafood chowder. Mike enjoyed a crunchy haddock with creamy BBQ sauce and an “artisan salad.” I love how restaurateurs name something “artisan” to give it a classy edge.
McKelvie’s
McKelvie’s
McKelvie’s
McKelvie’s
Crunchy haddock with creamy BBQ sauce
McKelvie’s Lobster Roll with seafood chowder
After dinner we drove around a bit to see the damage from fallen trees and to determine how much progress work crews were making in cleaning up the area. Many neighborhoods especially near downtown Halifax were still a big mess.
downed trees in Halifax neighborhoods
downed trees in Halifax neighborhoods
We got cozy in our Airbnb and watched Virgin River and some episodes of Seinfeld, did our Duolingo and generally just enjoyed relaxing in our Airbnb.
Sunday, September 25: We were sorely disappointed to find we still had no power in our Airbnb when we woke up. Surprisingly, there was still a bit of hot water, so we were both able to take short showers. The next-door neighbors said that Nova Scotia Power showed on their website about what time they estimated power to be restored, and it showed an estimate of 11 p.m. tonight for our neighborhood. It was frustrating because so many places around us already had power. The worst thing was not being able to have phone access; we had to keep turning off the phone to conserve power. It made me nervous in case Alex or someone in the family had to reach us. Also, we were going to Peggy’s Cove and Polly’s Cove today, and I had so little charge in my phone I might not be able to take pictures. I wished I had brought an extra camera along.
We stopped at Tim Horton’s and found a table with plugs so we ordered hot coffees and sat for about an hour, waiting for our phones to charge.
It was a gorgeous and sunny day, and the forecast was for warmer temps than yesterday. Sadly, it was supposed to rain all day Monday.
Peggy’s Cove
After charging our phones sufficiently, we drove to the beautiful Peggy’s Cove, the home of Canada’s most photographed lighthouse. It sits on Margaret’s Bay on rugged outcroppings deposited by the last glaciers that crawled through. One one side, massive granite boulders stand semi-erect in scrubby fields, on the other, they lie prone, creating the granite shelf on which Peggy’s Cove lighthouse is perched.
Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse
The lighthouse sits on what geologists call “perched boulders” or “erratics.” They are boulders left behind by melting continental glaciers that crept their way across the area some 20,000 years ago. As the glaciers thawed, water filled existing fractures in the granite bedrock. When the water froze, the glaciers plucked up and carried away chunks of rock. The more the glaciers moved, the more rock they gathered. When they melted, they left behind these perched boulders.
Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse
Mike at Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
me at Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
The hamlet is a fishing village in miniature, sitting on a harbor with a tiny wooden church, a cluster of shingled homes and salt-bleached jetties. The solitary lighthouse towers over a slab of wave-blasted rock.
Tourism began to overtake fishing in economic importance in Peggy’s Cove following the Second World War. Today, Peggy’s Cove is a major tourist attraction, though its inhabitants still fish for lobster and the community retains a rustic undeveloped appearance. It has been declared a preservation area to protect its rugged beauty.
We enjoyed wandering through the village with its colorful lobster pots, old weathered boats, and piles of rusted anchors. We found a yellow fishing boat called “Hunger & Thirst” and a shop selling weathered buoys which people around these parts use as home and yard decor.
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Mike at Peggy’s Cove
anchors at Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
buoys for sale at Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove got increasingly crowded by the minute. By the time we left, they were swarming all over the place. The sea was quite lively, leaping up as it hit the rocky shoreline. Though it was beautiful, I get impatient and annoyed at crowded places. I was ready to move on.
Polly’s Cove
I had read about this hike in an article: “12 Top-Rated Hiking Trails in Nova Scotia.” We went to the unmarked trailhead about 2km from Peggy’s Cove. Polly’s Cove is full of expansive coastal views. From June to October, the landscape is colored with a carpet of red and green shrubs and wildflowers. From various points we could catch glimpses of the Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. The landscape is dotted with huge glacial erratics, boulders deposited thousands of years ago by retreating glaciers.
This place is truly a hidden gem, not at all crowded with tourists. It is a coastal barrens landscape full of monolithic granite. All the trails are unmarked, narrow and naturally rugged. Wades through brush are not uncommon.
We stopped at the foundation ruins of a former radar station to scope out the area.
Walking on this trail was one of my favorite experiences in Nova Scotia. The whole scene was breathtaking with expansive views of the sea as well as the rocky coastline and the rocks intermingled with green and red vegetation.
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Polly’s Cove
Swissair Flight 111 Memorial
We stopped near Peggy’s Cove to see the Swissair Flight 111 Memorial. This was a scheduled international passenger flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Cointrin Airport in Geneva, Switzerland. On September 2, 1998, the McDonnell Douglas MD-ll performing this flight crashed into the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Halifax Stanfield International Airport at the entrance to St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia. The crash site was 8km (5 mi) from shore, roughly equidistant from the small fishing and tourist communities of Peggy’s Cove and Bayswater. All 229 passengers and crew onboard were killed, making the crash the deadliest McDonnell Douglas MD-11 accident in history.
The memorial commemorates the 229 casualties and honors the courageous local fisherfolk involved in recovery efforts and in comforting the grieving families.
Swissair Flight 111 Memorial
Swissair Flight 111 Memorial
Swissair Flight 111 Memorial
Swissair Flight 111 Memorial
Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk
After our hikes and visits to the memorial, we returned to our house but the power still wasn’t on. I was so depressed that we could still be days without power. But, after a short while at the house, we were suddenly surprised when the lights popped on. We had seen so many houses and businesses and stoplights all around us, yet our neighborhood had still been dark. I was ready to insist we move to a hotel, but suddenly, there was no need for that. (Yes, I’m spoiled rotten.)
Suddenly the world was brighter. I was able to take a quick shower and then we went to the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk.
We ate dinner at Bluenose II. I enjoyed mussels and clam chowder and Mike had Digby scallops. As a seafood lover, I was in heaven here. We had an Indian waitress who was very friendly and talkative. She was attending Dalhousie University (she called it “Dal”), which has a 25% international student population. It’s a large public research university in Nova Scotia.
mussels at Bluenose II
Bluenose II
Then we strolled along the lively boardwalk in the blue light. I felt happy that our discomforts were over. I’m really such a wimp for hardships. The 3km (2mi) boardwalk runs from the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 to Casino Nova Scotia. The path offers backdoor access the the Marine Museum of the Atlantic and other historic properties.
We walked up a tiered wharf with a rectangular glass and metal sculpture. We admired the Cable Wharf and a wire sailboat sculpture that glowed golden in the blue light like an apparition. We saw the backsides of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic with its anchors, skiffs and motors lying scattered about.
We came across the festive and crowded BG Beer Garden that was inviting, but we didn’t really want another drink.
We met a statue that said: “This monument is a universal symbol of a proud, strong and globally united Lebanese community. The statue honors the early Lebanese settlers who, 130 years ago, established a presence in this country, sewing the bonds of loyalty, faith and perseverance. We are thankful to our Nova Scotia community and for the enduring friendships built in our new home, Canada.”
We also might have been tempted by the poutine shop, Smoke’s Poutinerie, if we hadn’t already eaten. “You’ll think you’ve died and gone to Canada!” and “How Do You Like Your Poutine?”
Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk
Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk
Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk
Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk
Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk
BG Beer Garden
BG Beer Garden
Smoke’s Poutinerie
Lebanese statue
We heard on the news that it was quite a mess up in Cape Breton so we wrote to both our Airbnb hosts to find out the situation. They both said we shouldn’t come up to Cape Breton and offered to refund us fully. We were very disappointed but they were without power and would be for some time; there were long lines at gas stations and there was no food on the shelves.
Luckily, we now had power and could finally enjoy our time in Nova Scotia. We settled into the cozy living room and watched an episode of Bitter Daisies (O Sabor das margaridas). Because we’d cancelled our two days in Cape Breton, and our Airbnb had availability for the next two nights after our rental period ended, the 27th and 28th, we opted to extend our stay in Halifax. Also, Lisa, who we planned to visit in Prince Edward Island on September 29, told us she needed more time to get up to her house in PEI from Pennsylvania. PEI had suffered intense damage from the hurricane so we weren’t keen to go up there so soon and possibly encounter shutdowns and lack of power. Thus we rearranged everything, cancelling our Saint John’s Airbnb and booking another one from September 19-October 3. We’d now go to Alma on October 3 and to PEI on October 4.
Here’s a petite video of our time in Peggy’s Cove, Polly’s Cove and the Halifax Waterfront.
Wednesday, September 21, 2022: As I got in the car for my 400 mile drive to Sturbridge, Massachusetts on my way to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Mike came out to the driveway to wish me safe travels. “Things don’t look good,” he said. “It looks like Hurricane Fiona may be headed straight for Halifax.”
This was the first I’d heard we might encounter problems. We had packed up the car and I was on the way out. All of our Airbnbs were booked and it was by no means certain that the hurricane wouldn’t veer off in another direction. It would take me 2 1/2 days to drive and I hoped the forecast would change as I drove. But there was no way to know and no way I was going to cancel our trip based on what-ifs.
I drove through Maryland, Delaware (“Endless Discoveries”), New Jersey via the New Jersey Turnpike, New York, Connecticut and, finally, Massachusetts.
The drive wasn’t horrible until I got to New York, where my GPS routed me to various four-lane parkways that were slow and crowded. In Connecticut, the worst part of the drive, I crept along on the Merritt Parkway and the Hutchinson Parkway until I rerouted myself to Norwalk, where I got on I-95N. That was surprisingly even slower. What was supposed to be a 7 hour drive turned into 9 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Fiona was looming as a Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. It had made landfall in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, passed near Turks & Caicos Islands and was at that time threatening Bermuda and Atlantic Canada. The 6th named storm, 3rd hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, Fiona developed from a tropical wave that emerged from West Africa, before developing into a tropical depression east of the Leeward Islands on September 14.
When I arrived in Sturbridge to Scottish Inns, Sturbridge, I was exhausted. I went out to grab a McDonald’s cheeseburger and ate it as I hunkered down in my room. I watched The Weather Channel, listening carefully to the news about Fiona and learning about all kinds of weather disasters on “Weather Gone Viral.”
Steps: 4,321; Miles: 1.83. Miles driven: 410.9.
All packed up and ready to go
My drive from Virginia to Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Massachusetts to Saint John, New Brunswick
Thursday, September 22: I left Sturbridge by 8:15 a.m., after meeting a family from Denmark in the breakfast room at the hotel. They had just arrived the day before in Boston and were heading to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, then to Niagara Falls, both the American and the Canadian sides. They didn’t need to concern themselves with the hurricane because they’d be inland. I told them I was in love with Danish TV shows: especially Borgen, Rita, and The Bridge. I always mispronounce Borgen and meet puzzled looks when I mention it.
It was dark and pouring rain for the entire drive today. Visibility was almost nonexistent and I was stressed out to the max, driving in those conditions and worrying about Fiona. I arrived at the Maine State Visitor Information Center and took a break; I have always loved the feel of Maine with its pine trees, lobster culture and rugged coastal terrain. I had another 4+ hours to Canada.
Maine Visitor Center in Kittery
Mileage signpost in the visitor center
Lobster pot in the Visitor Center
I was especially stressed on Route 9 to Calais, Maine, which was about 75 miles through a mountainous, deserted, wooded area. It reminded me of the night I drove over the Sangro de Cristo mountains after visiting Adam in Crestone, Colorado. I don’t like being alone driving in dark deserted areas.
Luckily, crossing the border to Canada was easy. One strange question: “Are you carrying anything that you plan to leave in Canada?” I couldn’t think of a thing and answered “No” as to whether I was carrying cannabis or firearms.
At the Welcome Center to New Brunswick, I picked up various pamphlets. The guy working there seemed to think the hurricane coming was not all that unusual or threatening. I bought some funky socks for Mike’s Christmas stocking and was on my way.
Once I got into Canada, the road to Saint John was smooth sailing. It was a modern 4-lane divided highway that I had almost to myself. It took me an hour and half to get to Quispamsis, east of Saint John, where I checked into Quality Inn & Suites Quispamsis. I went out for a dinner of Yellow Thai Curry with Shrimp at House of Chan and enjoyed a cup of wine when I got back to the room. My fortune cookie promised “Your hard work will soon pay off.” I guessed we would see about that.
House of Chan
My route today from Sturbridge, MA to Saint John, New Brunswick
the hurricane forecast on Thursday night
I watched the Weather Channel about what things people should get in case of power outages. They were expecting prolonged power outages especially in Cape Breton. Rather than watching about Fiona’s approach toward the Maritimes, I thought I’d cheer myself up by reading Anne of Green Gables.
Steps: 3,535; Miles: 1.48. Miles driven: 477.10.
Saint John, New Brunswick to Halifax, Nova Scotia
Friday: September 23: There was a nice breakfast with scrambled eggs and bacon at the hotel, so I was properly fueled to face the day. It was sunny, surprisingly, when I left. I had expected the area to already be cloud-covered with Fiona’s approach.
It seemed that Hurricane Fiona was now predicted to make landfall in the Maritimes around 2-3 a.m. Saturday morning. We had our Airbnb reserved in Halifax and if Mike was able to fly in, he was due to fly to Stanfield International in Halifax at 5:18 p.m. Friday. It got windier and rainier the closer I got to Halifax.
I was nervous because I didn’t know if I should continue on to Halifax since the predictions were that Halifax would be hit by the outer southwest fringes of the storm. I wondered if I should scrap my plans to stay at the Airbnb and stay further inland at a big hotel in Truro. But if Mike’s flight in fact came in, there would be no one to pick him up. We had no idea if the flight would even come in at 5:18.
It was touch and go and I didn’t like having to make these decisions without being able to communicate with Mike.
I decided I’d go ahead to the Airbnb and see what it was like. I first stopped at Sobey’s in Truro and stocked up on groceries, trying not to buy too many perishables or refrigerated goods, knowing it was likely we’d be without power for some time. I picked up a prepared meal for Mike of chicken, stuffing, and mashed potatoes since I figured he wouldn’t get a meal on his flight. I would eat my leftover Yellow Thai Curry with Shrimp from Thursday night.
Halifax, Nova Scotia
The Airbnb, an entire three-story house (including basement with laundry room) was nice enough and certainly too large for the two of us, but the neighborhood was rather slovenly. The steps up the backdoor were broken and rather precarious. Luckily the house sat on high ground and there weren’t many big trees around. I moved all our stuff into the house and got the food situated. After getting settled, I drove a half hour back to the airport, which I’d passed on the way in, hoping Mike’s flight would arrive. It did arrive, probably the last flight of the day, but it took him forever to find me despite the airport’s small size.
It turned out that the pilot had told the passengers on Mike’s flight that if it was too windy in Halifax, they’d have to turn around and return to Toronto, where Mike had connected from Washington.
We drove to the house and got comfortable for the night. Mike ended up eating my leftover Thai food, and he made us his famous whiskey and ginger ale. We watched the Weather Channel, trying to determine when and where Fiona would land. We also watched an episode of Bitter Daisies (O sabor das margaridas) and did our Duolingo. We rarely watch TV when we’re traveling, but this would be one trip where we watched something nearly every night.
We went to sleep in one room but the wind was howling on that side of the house so we moved to the other side of the house.
We didn’t know how much damage the storm would cause, how long we might be without power, how long it would rain or how long we might be trapped by downed trees. Everything was unknown.
I couldn’t help but think of people all over the world affected by crazy climate events that don’t have any choice but to fight for their survival in the face of devastating storms, fires, flooding, earthquakes, or devastating winds.
Steps: 4,132; Miles 1.75. Miles driven: 316.
our Airbnb in Halifax
Watching the Weather Channel in Halifax
Saturday, September 24: The wind and rain of Hurricane Fiona battered the house all night long, but for the most part we slept through it. Of course we woke up to no power. Luckily there was still hot water in the tank, so I was able to take a hot bath and Mike a shower. Of course we couldn’t brew coffee in the multiple coffee / espresso makers that came with the house, and sadly the stove was electric, so there was no way to cook or heat up anything. We luckily had some yogurt to eat for breakfast. The house, however, was getting cold quickly without heat.
One of the places we planned to go during our stay in Nova Scotia was the cute town of Lunenburg, and since it was further southwest and away from the storm’s center, we hoped the town would have power. Mike called a hotel listed in the guidebook and they told us they were on a different power grid than Halifax, so they had power. We drove 55 miles to get a cup of coffee and to visit that area. As we drove out, it seemed all of Halifax was without power. Not even gas stations or McDonalds were open. There were no lights on anywhere for miles around.
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
In Mahone Bay, we found a cozy coffee shop, The Barn Coffee and Social House. It was warm and bustling with people trying to dry out from the storm. We sat inhaling the coffee beans and the beeswax candles and chatting with other customers who had come in out of the cold on this Saturday morning. Mahone Bay was further removed from the center of the hurricane which was at that moment moving over Cape Breton and Newfoundland, further north. One woman chatted on and on about her property and the horses she used to have.
me staying warm in The Barn Coffee and Social House
Mike in The Barn Coffee and Social House
The Barn Coffee and Social House
The Barn Coffee and Social House
The Barn Coffee and Social House
beeswax candles in The Barn Coffee and Social House
Mahone Bay is a pastoral town with three vintage churches strung out along a grass-fringed curved shoreline. The town was once a thriving shipbuilding center. Back in the day, pirates and privateers thrived here. The town was named for the type of low-lying ship they used: a corruption of the French word “mahonne,” a low-lying barge-like boat. Galleries and studios lined Main Street but sadly none were open on this post-storm day. Its population of 1,100 includes many craftspeople.
After our leisurely time in the coffee shop, we drove around, encountering crews working to remove downed trees from porches, driftwood sculptures resembling dinosaurs, a Humpty Dumpty on a red clapboard house porch, Saltbox Brewing, a marina and sailboats bobbing in the bay. Houses and businesses in orchid and turquoise colors lined the street. Bluestone Magik boasted of fresh fudge and a yellow raincoated sailor steered through a storm. On the window of a cute restaurant was “Oh My Cod!”
Mahone Bay – crews removing downed trees
crazy driftwood sculpture in Mahone Bay
Humpty Dumpty in Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay
“Oh My Cod!” in Mahone Bay
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
We drove to Lunenburg, a town whose colorful buildings and colorful past earned it a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 1995. It has many rainbow hued houses, many with the “Lunenburg Bump,” a detailed dormer over the front door.
The British founded the town in 1753, attempting to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia. The Germans, Swiss and French Protestants recruited to settle here also put their stamp on the town.
UNESCO considers the site the best example of planned British colonial settlement in North America, as it retains its original layout and appearance of the 1800s, including wooden vernacular architecture.
By the 1850s, the town was a world-class fishing and shipbuilding center. The town flourished in the late 1800s and much of the historic architecture dates from that period.
By this time, we were hungry for lunch, but the town was still mostly shuttered. We stopped in the only place open in town, J’s Pizza, and enjoyed pizza with spinach and mushrooms, accompanied by a glass of wine for me and a beer for Mike. We had to celebrate our survival through our first hurricane.
Mike in J’s Pizza
me in front of J’s Pizza
We strolled around the colorful town after lunch, popping into one of the town’s only open shops, Seek Gifts and Home Decor, where “troubles melt like lemon drops.” I bought a Chai Candle that we could use upstairs in our room at the Airbnb if the power remained out. The ladies there were super friendly and said they heard that parts of Halifax had power as did some neighborhoods. We felt temporarily hopeful that we’d return home to find our lights on. They told us the Salt Shaker Deli & Inn was planning to open at 4:00, so we could come back to town for dinner at that time.
We stopped into another shop, Down Home Living Furnishings, where I bought a bar of pear soap and some stickers for my journal. That woman was quite chatty and told us we should take a short drive to Blue Rocks, which is “no Peggy’s Cove but is a cute village on the water that is scenic and charming.” She showed us paintings people did of Blue Rocks. We determined we’d go there and see it and then return to Lunenburg for dinner around 4:00.
We walked up and down the steep hills of the charming and colorful town. We also saw the Lunenburg Academy, a rare survivor from Nova Scotia’s 19th-century academy system of education. It was designed in 1894 by Henry H. Mott in the Second Empire style. It was built of wood, the most popular building material of the Maritimes. Academies were regarded as the most prestigious publicly funded secondary institutions in the each county. We also admired the stately churches, Zion Lutheran Church and St. John’s Anglican Church.
