June 25, 2023
We drove to the north-western shore of NS, to where the Minas Basin flows into the Bay of Fundy. We stopped at the Grand-Pre National Historic Site to learn about the fate of the Acadians, made famous by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem "Evangeline". Acadians are primarily descendants of early French settlers to the region, from late 1600's to mid-1700s. By mid 1700s they had transformed the area into a fertile agricultural land, and Grand-Pre became the most populous and prosperous settlement in Acadie. They worked closely with the Mi'kmaq First Nation people. However, from 1755 to 1762, thousands of Acadians were forcibly removed from Grand-Pre (by the English) to other areas. A very sad tale indeed. This museum and walking trails gives tribute to them.
Lunch was at a the Church Brewing Company. I don't usually talk much about the meals and restaurants we visited, but this one was quite special. It was in an old church, so the setting was quite impressive. Food was good too.
Next was a guided tour of Port Royal Museum, in Granville Ferry, NS, along the western coast, along the Annapolis Basin. This is the site of the Habitation at Port-Royal, which was established by France in 1605, and was the nation's first permanent settlement in North America. This reconstruction provides a living history experience, from kitchen and forge to Artisan's quarters and trading room. A guide showed us around. The inhabitants traded regularly with the Mi'kmaq peoples.
Finally, we boarded the ferry to cross over to St. John's, NB. This was a 2 hour ferry crossing, with dinner on board. Concession food from a ferry - yuck. The crossing was smooth, but very foggy.
We checked into our hotel, which actually had a washer and dryer next to the swimming pool. So I did a load of wash - 2 weeks is a lot of clothes to pack into one suitcase. Also, had my monthly sibling/cousin call, which was great.
Photos:
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| Grand-Pre Historic Site-Acadian history |
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| Grand-Pre gardens |
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| Grand-Pre |
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| Church Brewing Company restaurant |
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| Port Royal Museum |
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| Ferry from NS to St. Johns, NB |
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