Today will be our final stop before reaching Boston in a few days. We are docked at Halifax, Nova Scotia. There are lots of different tour opportunities but Peggy’ Cove came up as #1 more times than not on all the reviews I read so that is the plan. If we can do the hop-on/hop-off bus in the afternoon that would complete our day. We were lucky to get in and out of Halifax and Peggy’s Cove before post-tropical cyclone Lee hit the area and knocked out power for two days.

We actually had a sea day in between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia even though they are very close to one another. We were able to do a backstage tour of the Celebrity Theater aboard the Summit as a Elite Status perk. Three of the performers led the tours. We had one of the male dancers. The stage perspective was interesting as was the backstage equipment. The tour ended with a walk through of the dressing rooms, one for the girls, one for the guys. Petty tight quarters.

We docked in Halifax early. We had to meet for our tour at 7:30 am so we had an early breakfast. Luckily we got our half hour of time back after leading Newfoundland. On the way out to Peggy’s Cove we saw a little bit of the city of Halifax. Halifax is the largest city in and the capital city of Nova Scotia (New Scotland) and has a rich military and maritime history.

We saw lots of tent cities as we drove through Halifax. The city designates specific area where the homeless population is allowed to camp. We also drove by the home of the Halifax Lancers. Started in 1936, the Lancers are Canada’s only urban non-profit riding school With 27 horses, they serve a diverse community of almost 200 riders of varying abilities.

We passed some lovely waterside communities, some with spectacular houses on the way to St. Margaret’s Bay and Peggy’s Cove. The cove sits at the eastern edge of St. Margaret’s Bay. “Peggy’s Cove is famed for its picturesque and typically East-Coast profile, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic. Although this unique environment has been designated a preservation area, it is still an active fishing community.” –novascotia.com

Peggy’s Cove is about an hour from Halifax. But even with our early departure, the cove was already swarming with people. We drove through the village winding our way to the lighthouse and parking areas. It was like a preview of all the things you could do from visiting artisan workshops, stores, churches, cafes and restaurants, and wonderful vantage points for pictures. There are more than 160 historic lighthouses in Canada and the one at Peggy’s Cove is arguably the most famous. It sits at the point among artistic boulders that can become very dangerous when wet. I spotted a bagpiper standing among the rocks. That is pretty appropriate for a province named New Scotland.

After a bathroom stop, I went to see our guide who was showing us the in and outs of lobsters. They are a mainstay here. They share the waters with those from Maine that our famous among Americans. I even got to hold one of them. Then I took a few more pictures of the lighthouse before wandering off into the village.

Today was all about the scenic beauty of this wonderful place. However I did go into a few shops, my favorite of which was the Crooks family shop that they have had in Peggy’s Cove since 1948. I did wonder about the origin of the family name. 🙂

As I walked through town, I came to the granite carving depicting the fisherman and families of Peggy’s Cove. The sculptor who did the carving is William E. deGarthe who lived locally. We saw lots of evidence that fishing continues in the area as a thriving business.

There were lots of lobster traps around, both the older traditional wood ones and the newer coated metal ones. The concept is the same. The lobster goes in through the opening, eats, and then is no longer able to get out.

After I saw the carving, I turned around and went back to the lighthouse area where we were meeting the bus. There had been so much talk about these lobsters that I decided to get a lobster roll. The restaurant right at the parking lot had a togo window, so I picked one up there and ate it on the bus. Fabulous. I loved Peggy’s Cove. If you like beautiful scenery or to take pictures it is a must-see.

As we left Peggy’s Cove, our guide told us about the Swissair Flight that crashed into St. Margaret’s Bay in September of 1998. The crash site was only 5 miles southwest of Peggy’s Cove. All 229 aboard lost their lives. “The cove became one of the staging areas for first responders that were involved in the search-and-rescue response, crash recovery operation, and investigation of the crash. Many of the CCGA volunteers that were first to approach the crash site were privately owned fishing boats that were operating out of Peggy’s Cove and surrounding harbours.” Wikipedia A memorial has been placed along the shoreline of St. Margaret’s Bay.

It had become quite warm and the midday sun allowed for some wonderful pictures. Lots of beautiful things to see along the ride back into Halifax.

When we reached Halifax, we drove by two of the cemeteries where victims of the Titanic disaster are buried. We also saw several naval vessels in port and passed the dockyard for Canada’s Atlantic fleet.

We saw some pretty cool historic buildings in the port area. There also have a very nice passenger terminal. I was ready to to walk back to to one of the interesting seafood restaurants we had seen, but Boris was tired. The line for hop-on/hop-off bus was crazy long so we decided to get back on board relax and have a late lunch. I definitely need to return so I can see more of Halifax.

The ship was pretty quiet and we enjoyed the calm and the nice view from the ship.

Boris was tired and wanted to nap and I thought about going out in the area near the passenger terminal but he wasn’t too happy with me doing that so I just went out by the pool on this warm, sunny day. I actually had a great time resting, reading, and listening to music. It turned out to be just the right move. The next day, our final sea, was cold and cloudy and it was like that all the way into Boston. We had our best seat of the cruise in the dining room for breakfast, just by the back facing window. My picture of Boris is facing into the ship however. The fog was so thick you couldn’t see anything out that window. Disappointing. Needless to say, it wasn’t pool weather so I am so glad I went out the day before. Good nap and packing weather though.

We had a fabulous on our North Atlantic crossing and I would love to visit all these countries and provinces again.

Already ready for the next adventure

–Natasha