Retired Nomads - Part 2 : Lunenburg and South Shore – Halifax

July 19

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia is a former rum running and ship building port town, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Talk about postcard-perfect! There were colorful wooden homes built in the 1750’s and buildings great 19th century churches with tall ships docked along the waterfront.

We had a great guide today. Andrew was such an interesting guy that was born and raised in Halifax but left to travel the world at a young age. He has lived and worked all over the world with many interesting jobs. Once he found out we were serious travelers we just talked non-stop about our respective travels. Of course, he did his job and explained all the history and the sites, but it made for an interesting tour.

He’s a naturally chatty guy I can see how he did so well when he lived in Vietnam for several years and many other countries. He reminded me of our friend Clyde that we met when we lived in Panama and now lives in Portugal as he had a gift of being able to talk to anyone. He also did a lot of bodyguard jobs for a few famous people and traveled with them. He tends to look for jobs he can do in countries he wishes to visit.

He had returned from Asia due to his dad’s illness and passing. He has been living in Vancouver, but came back again to Halifax as one of his brothers had had a stroke and then a heart attack and came back to help out and visit family. He says he’ll stay for the summer and then go back to Vancouver. He explained that he had a lot of free time between taking the brother to his doctor appts and such and someone recommended he take on some shifts with the tour company.

He was aware of our tour the next day to Peggy’s Cove, so he altered a few things, so we didn’t repeat things.

It wasn't a sunny day, and it was drizzling a bit in town, but as we drove out of Halifax we didn't encounter any rain.

We drove down the Aspotogan Peninsula in the eastern part of Lunenburg County. It separates St. Margarets Bay in the east from Mahone Bay in the west.

We stopped at Mahone Bay the site of The Three Churches of Mahone Bay - St James Anglican Church on the left, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran in the middle and, Trinity United Church on the right.

Chester Yacht Club

The Three Churches of Mahone Bay St James on the left, St John's, Trinity on the right

St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran

St James Anglican Church

We arrived in Lunenburg and were delighted to see the Bluenose in port. The most famous ship in Canadian history, the Bluenose was both a fishing and racing vessel in the 1920s and 1930s. The Nova Scotia schooner achieved immortality when its image was engraved onto the Canadian dime. Around twenty years after the original Bluenose sank, people in her home port of Lunenburg decided to build a replica of the great schooner. The Oland Brewery paid for the project and used the ship to advertise its beer.

The original Bluenose was a fishing and racing gaff rig schooner built in 1921 under the command of Angus Walters. It became a provincial icon for Nova Scotia and an important Canadian symbol in the 1930s, serving as a working vessel until she was wrecked in 1946.

Memorial to those who have lost their lives at sea

Andrew told us that scallops were the freshest thing on the menu and recommended a place for us to go. He took us in and got us seated and chatted with us a while before going to make some phone calls. After our terrific lunch we went for some ice cream.

SUBWAY has a lobster roll here (no we didn't try one)

The Dockside Restaurant & Inn

we both had the scallops and chips

after lunch we took photos of the bay from the patio

I tried to get a shot of the guy in the kilt going up the hill

When we came out of the ice cream shop Andrew was close by and we started our walking tour of the area.

these ornaments were on many of the signs

cute crab door knocker

Andrew on the left

you don't see many black houses

St. John's Anglican Church

military memorial park

It was time to return to Halifax and we passed another bay on the way.

Lunenburg was a great day, and we spent some time just wandering around the waterfront and Old Town. Andrew said we would have a different guide tomorrow.

After a brief stop at the hotel, we walked up to the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, before walking the short way to the harbor.

Halifax Citadel National Historic Site

views from the Citidel

small park on the way to the harbor

It's a Cow's, but it's a store of their merchandise, they had 2 other ice cream shops

Nova Scotia Crystal mural

we walked one part of the walkway before dinner

We had dinner at Saltys. (Andrew’s suggestion) I had the lobster roll and Greg had the Maritime seafood casserole which had scallops, salmon, haddock & shrimp in a basil cream sauce with a potato & parmesan crust. Both were delicious, but the yummy croissant roll detracted from the lobster taste.