Travelin' Road Show: Thur-Sat July 17-19

Thursday July 17th

Camped Near Halifax NS. Woodhaven RV Park

Managed to pack up the condo and get on the road before more rain hit. We are set for a relatively short driving day to Halifax. All was well and the spare tire is performing as it should. Got to the Woodhaven Campground and RV park at about 3pm and set up in the pouring rain. Needed a few groceries so Derek got them while Janice tried to fight the last battle with her cold which she is winning. Brought in supper and we watched a few episodes of “The House of Cards”. What a great series.

Friday July 18th

Had an at home day, cleaned some of the road grime off the rig, and got some research done for Cape Breton. The microwave wasn't working properly and Derek fixed it (fan blades had slipped off). Late afternoon an old friend from Mr Lube days (Gary K) came over. It was really good to see him again and catch up. After a quick trip to his house where we enjoyed a beer on his dock, we picked up his wife Lauren and went for a great dinner at the Bicycle Thief in Halifax before going on to see their daughter Brynn performing in The Taming of The Shrew at Shakespeare by the Sea. A wonderfully entertaining evening of live theatre outside in the park with good friends. The play was excellent... great professional performance. We would recommend anyone who comes to Halifax in the summer to come to see some performances here... well worth the visit. Sorry.. once again no photos... very forgetful. One of the great parts of this traveling lifestyle is to catch up with friends across the country (and round the world). Most are just fleeting visits, but each one is indeed precious and memorable. We are so very lucky.

Saturday July19

Coffee break stop along the way

Peggy's Cove from Swiss 111 Memorial

Swiss 111 Memorial

Fisherman's monument by DeGarthe

Beautiful weather so we packed a picnic and took off to Peggy’s Cove. En route we enjoyed seeing fishing village and some very picturesque bays, stopping at one to gaze at the view and drink some coffee. We paused at the memorial to Swissair 111, that came down into the ocean just 5 miles off the coast from Peggy’s Cove in Sept 1998 with the loss of 229 lives. Very sad.

Peggy's Cove. So rich in heritage

Whale jaw in the buoy shop

In Peggy's cove we joined a walking tour of the village and learned much about the local history, including a quick tour of the house (now museum of William E DeGarthe. He was born in Helsinki, Finland but settled permanently in the beautiful village of Peggy’s Cove in 1955. He was a painter and sculptor. His “Fisherman’s Monument” was sculpted out of a 100 foot granite face of rock below his home. It depicts people who were living in the village at the time (our guide's father and uncle are shown in it.) The monument is now also his gravestone as he was buried in his garden. His art works are quite breathtaking.
Out by the lighthouse we tried for ages to get that perfect picture of the waves crashing over the rocks and got a few good ones. Peggy’s Cove....What a picturesque icon of Nova Scotia.

We sat out on our folding chairs on the rocks to picnic in the sunshine with views of the ocean, rocks and lighthouse, followed by a quick walk into the village for the very best homemade ice cream EVER!!!

Lobster Traps outside a fishing hut

Colourful and relatively unspoiled

Back at he condo we quickly prepared for John and Sue M, who picked us up and we had a great time catching up at Montana's. Actually only called John that morning so we were thrilled to be able to get together on short notice. John and I realized that we have known each other for quite a 'few' years, all the way back to Mother's restaurants in the early 80's. After a wonderful dinner, Sue and John dropped us off and had to take off to pick up their daughter, so Derek and I sat outside with a beer by a fire.

Looking down on the cove from a hill

Great folks here in Halifax and, when the weather is this good, it is just a fabulous place. It is truly a beautiful city on the Atlantic coast... so much to see and do. We must come out here for a longer visit in the future. Love it!! Woodhaven Campground is advertised as the closest to Halifax and we have found it to be a great place to base ourselves during our stay. The sites are a little small, but the one we are in is set in the trees, sheltered and private. The internet is a little erratic and unreliable. Te washrooms and showers are basic but serviceable, and the pool looks great.

What a great day.