Nova Scotia, Part II

 

We made the ferry ride!  Our cabin had a window, 2 twin beds, toilet and showers and a tv! We got settled, went to dinner, then had a happy hour and settled in watching a movie.  We didn’t sleep all that well. About 3 a.m. our air conditioning shut off and then the ferry’s fog horn started up and continued for about the next 3 plus hours. We went to the breakfast buffet, packed our gear and waited for our docking at 9 a.m.  It was less than 5 miles to our campground, Arm of Gold at Little Bras D’or, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.  And we said good-bye to that 30 minute time zone from Newfoundland, Labrador.

That's us on the left side!

Our ride

Ron excited to see the TV inside our cabin with a window!

 

It was a long day. After not much sleep, we boarded a tour bus at noon. Had a really good lunch at the Fortress, then we had a tour of the Fortress of Louisburg.  It was a super cool place!

 

He could play a good ole jig!

You should have heard him play the harpsicord!

Tea Time!

A sign for the illiterate:  hang the mattress out the window!

Properly set table!  Meal served family style. Was good!

The next day we had a 250 mile drive to Woodhaven RV Park in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  And we’re back in the land where our satellite is working again!  

 

Campground portapotty with chandelier

Campground picture frame

One of the cool things about Halifax is the Fairview Cemetery, which includes a Titanic burial site for over 100 victims.  Three cemeteries were used. Fairview has 121 graves, Mount Olivet has 19 graves and Baron de Hirsch has 10 graves.  It’s not a tourist attraction, but a place to pay solemn respect to all who perished.  The layout of the tombstones here is interesting.  They are arranged in the shape of a ship’s hull.  Most markers are the same.  These are the ones that were paid for by the owner of the Titanic.  Some graves remained without any names for a long time, but with modern technology, they are slowly being identified.

Unidentified. Everyone's date of death is the same.

Looks like a ship's hull.

The “Unknown Child” maker is heartbreaking.  When no one came forward for the little boy, the crew of the Mackay-Bennett took care of the funeral arrangements. This is the crew that found him.  However, 95 years after this disaster, DNA testing was able to identify the child as Sidney Goodwin from Britain.  His parents and siblings also perished but his body was the only one found.

 

We also made a stop at the Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica.  The Cathedral of 1820 was built of local ironstone with a sandstone façade.  It resembled cathedrals in Ireland with arched windows and Gothic style doorways and pillars.  The roof was constructed like the hull of a ship because shipwrights were hired for the work.  In 1874 the Cross was erected 189 feet above the sidewalk atop the spire.  It is said to be the highest granite spire in North America.  The steeple houses 11 bells.  The Halifax explosion of 1917 destroyed the original stained glass windows.  The upper portion of each window reflects New Testament scenes from the life of Christ and His Mother Mary.  The lower portion reflects corresponding events from the Old Testament.  Just beautiful!  While we were there, there was an organist practicing for a recital.  There are 2,847 pipes. 

 

Top represents Old Testament, New Testament on bottom

We also had a tour of the Citadel National Historic Site.  At noon, the canon is shot and there is a changing of the guard. 

 

Changing of the guard

At the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, we learned about the Halifax Explosion of 1917, when 2 ships collided. Due to the ammunitions ship, the  SS Mont-Blanc, not flying a red flag because of the war, it collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo in the Narrows, a strait connecting the upper Halifax Harbour to Bedford Basin.  There were 1,782 confirmed deaths.  Over 9,000 were injured.  This blast was the greatest man-made explosion until the invention of the first atomic bombs. The blast was felt up to 129 miles away.  25,000 were left without adequate shelter when a blizzard blew in that afternoon. Worst thing was, it was avoidable.

 

If I remember right, our guide said this marked where the boats collided. 

Pier 21, Canadian Museum of Integration

Best to just read about the horrible explosion.

Shows how far the debris from the explosion traveled.

They also had a section devoted to the Titanic, but in my opinion, the Titanic Museum we went to in Branson offered more. 

 Our next stop was Lunenburg Board of Trade Campground.  These were some pretty horrible sites to get level in. Many had water and septic on one side and the electric on the other.  Oh well.  We backtracked that afternoon to Peggy’s Cove, one of the most scenic Lighthouses in Nova Scotia.  Lots of tourists here!

We stopped at this memorial on the way.

Cool idea on this foreign motorhome!

What do you do with an outcrop of granite?

The most photographed lighthouse in Canada.

My friend snapped this photo of Peggy's Lighthouse, which has a lot less folks. And I know those folks that are in it!  Oliver's parents!

 We were able to walk from the campground into town, which is good as there is very little parking, especially for a big truck!  We sampled a flight of beers from the Old Fish Factory Brewery and had a few appetizers to go with it. 

 

The town and harbor are very quaint! 

 

Do you have to row backwards?

We took a drive out to the Ovens Park.  The trail allows you to visit the cliffs of these famous sea caves or “ovens”.  The colors of the rocks and the water is beautiful. 

Tuckers Tunnel is the first cave you can enter. This natural cave was extended with the gold rush of 1861. 

 

This balcony allows you to view across the opening to Indian Cave, named for an ancient legend wherein a member of the Mi’kmaq nation paddled his canoe into this cave and emerged near Blomidon on the other side of the province.

 

The concrete staircase descends the cliff face and leads to a balcony inside Cannon Cave, where you can hear and feel the resounding boom from the waves entering the large cavern.

 

We’re nearing the end of our trip!  Our next segment is all about the Bay of Fundy!

We have had bad internet/wifi/cell service for a while. Can't wait to get back to good service.  In the meantime, here's Ron enjoying one of our friend's bottle of Rebecca Creek Whiskey, one of our favorite bourbons from Texas!  Thanks Becky and Dave!  We have bought a lot of propane for campfires that we have shared with our friends along this trip. It's been fun!