Canada - the east

We preferred Ottawa to Montreal, cleaner and a bit more character with capital city buildings, a cross between french chateau and scottish castle! An impressive position at the narrowing of the river where the explorers had to portage around the falls and rapids. 


Chris enjoyed the conference while Judy did the tourist bit although we both made the superb Museum of History, half devoted to the native Americans (First Nations) and the other half a life-size walk-through of Canadian history.

 Picked up our hire car (brand new) and headed to Quebec city pausing to eat our picnic at Trois Rivieres where parking meters seemed to be the main thing growing in the streets.

We really like Quebec, loads of character, clean, very French. Shame about the cold and drizzle. Stayed in the old town which is big and very interesting with a mix of small and huge historic buildings.

Headed east then south across New Brunswick stopping to eat lunch by a still-frozen lake then stopping overnight at Grand Falls, which they were!

 
Headed south through New Brunswick past the town claiming the world's biggest axe (there are lots of trees, a mix of firs and birches) then the Potato World Museum (apparently NB produces huge amounts of spuds, with McCains potato processing plants). Lunched in Frederickton then on to a hostel in Moncton for the night.

Crossed the border into Nova Scotia and turned right along small roads to Parrsboro and then Five Islands where we walked a bit then picnicked in the sun while watching a Bay of Fundy tide flood in. 

 On to Halifax where it was raining.

Cold and wet next day but nice and warm in the excellent Maritime Museum. Halifax doesn't seem very interesting, so time to move on.

A couple of things about Canada: it's not really open until mid-May; accommodation is expensive; food and petrol cheap.

Headed south from Halifax stopping at Peggy's Cove, a tiny harbour in a bare rock landscape. 

Coffee at Mahone Bay where there were more churches than people and picnic at Lunenburg, an 18-19th century town with well-preserved buildings. Got told about a coast walk between Green Bay and Broad Cove which was very pleasant then off to Caledonia for the night.

May 7th seemed like the first day if spring! Spent it at Kejimkujik National Park which is lakes and forests and the Mersey River. 

 Saw deer, porcupine, snakes (3) which we were told were rare, a solitary squirrel and watched a woodpecker hard at work. Ended at Digby, the scallop fishing capital.

Drove up the Annapolis Valley stopping at Annapolis Royal, founded by the French in 1604 and the most fought over bit of land in Canada. The Annapolis valley is very fertile and we drove through orchards but still no blossom!

Really like Nova Scotia (minus Halifax). Now two days driving back to Ottawa, then flight to Calgary and the Rockies.