Nova Scotia

Photos: Irish Cove, Cape Breton, Rose Blanche Lighthouse, south coast Newfoundland, Halifax Public Garden

July 18 Back at Arm of Gold Campground. Ferry left about 45 minutes late and trip was 6 ½ hours. Most of it was clear of fog and pretty smooth. A beautiful ful moon rose as we approached Nova Scotia. I was on the road by 10:15 p.m and of course it was dark. I had programmed the campground into Greta but it took her awhile, but we arrived directly along with at least 6 other tired, weary travelers and it took a while to get us all into sites. They had another load at midnight. This morning I’ve begun the wash and prepared to reinstall the bike. Hopefully I’ll leave by 10:30. The competition for dryers is the problem.

Later in the afternoon. I am now at Battery Provincial Park in St. Peters Nova Scotia. It’s at the southern end of the Cape Breton Island and has a small lock that adjusts for Atlantic Tides and currents and the lake level of the Bra D’Or Lakes. We came through this lock in 1994 about this same time of year. The park over looks the channel headed out to the Atlantic. I have a beautiful view. Hardly anyone is camped here. Hopefully it will be a nice quiet night. I want to get an early start in the morning for Halifax. I’ll be visiting Roadtrek friends Terry and Pat Rowell who live in nearby Dartmouth. They were the first to give me encouragement to visit Newfoundland.

I left the North Syndney campground around 11 a.m. and headed into town. I felt so smart to know where I was going. First stop Scotia Bank to pump up the cash a bit and then on to Sobeys, my favorite Canadian Grocer. I needed fresh fruit and vegetables. In fact I was desperate for some fresh vegetables. This canned stuff gets pretty tiresome and I think is what turned me off of veggies for a long time as a child. Anyway I scoffed down some fresh broccoli, carrots, peppers and added tomato to my Sobeys made sandwich and picniced while overlooking the lake near Irish Cove. Delightful. Even gave sister Margaret a belated birthday call and caught up on a bit of family news. Emily and I text messaged this morning so communications are resuming.
July 20 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia My night at Battery Park was quiet and I awoke quite rested at 6:15 to the sound of falling rain. My plan had been to go for a shower, but I decided to dress, have a banana, and hit the road for Halifax. The visibility was limited by rain and fog so my view of the water was not there to enjoy. Traffic was fairly light and I drove until 10 and stopped at Truro about an hour from my destination and had a cup of coffee and muffin in a really nice MacDonalds. It even had a fireplace and granite table tops. I arrived at Terry and Pat’s by 11:30 in my grubbiness and shortly thereafter was showered and ready for Halifax. They had a wedding anniversary party to attend in the Citadel area and there were shops and a lovely public garden for me to visit while they attended the party.
We had a delightful dinner followed by active conversation into the night. I’ll spend today here before heading for the Digby area on the Fundy coast tomorrow and the ferry to New Brunswick on Tuesday. Wednesday I’ll be at the Bass Harbor Campground in Maine. So my time in Canada is coming to an end. As always it has been a very positive experience.