Farewell to Nova Scotia

After yesterday's driving marathon, it was nice to be able to spend a little more time in one place and enjoy the morning in Lunenburg.  After a hearty oatmeal breakfast at our B&B, we set off on foot to explore the historic city of Lunenburg.  Lunenburg is saturated in history.  It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. It was recognized for it's preservation of the Old Town, for having the best surviving exampe of British Colonial grid-pattern street layout, and for its authenticity as a working town.  What we learned today is that the British recruited people from the Upper Rhine region, promising land, building materials and provisions.  On June 8, 1753 a collection of German, Swiss and French farmers landed at Rou'Brook near the start of the harbor to begin a new life.
We walked along the waterfront. And the Bluenose was in port today.  We felt lucky to be able to see this beautiful schooner as it is often out traveling up and down the coast.  My camera could not take in the immense size of the boat nor the masts, which were over 100 feet tall. (See Instagram/Facebook for photos)
Mahone Bay is another very lovely seaside town 15 minutes from Luneburg, and according to our guide book, is one of the most charming towns in all of Nova Scotia. I don't know if I would go that far, but it is pretty.  It is also known for it's 3 churches that can be seen standing shoulder to shoulder across the water.  The oldest dating back to 1861.
What we are noticing is how many churches there are in Nova Scotia.  We truly are a country with deep Christian roots.  I can see how important Church was to the early settlers and how the church still plays a very important part in the communities that we go through.
Today is our last day in Nova Scotia.  A much shorter drive than yesterday took us north, across the width of the island to Annapolis Royal in the Annapolis Valley. Annapolis Royal's history spans 4 centuries.  In 1605 Samuel de Champlain and the survivors of the bitter winter in New Brunswick moved across the Bay of Fundy and established the fortified Port Royal.   It was the first permanent European settlement north of St Augustine, Florida.
We first spent time in the Historic Gardens, then strolled around the grounds of Fort Anne National Historic Site.  It was easy to imagine the early settlers on these grounds.
We are spending our last night in Digby, NS.  Home to Maude Lewis and digby scallops.  I couldn't leave Digby without having scallops, which I had for dinner tonight, and tomorrow we hope to visit a replica of Maude's home before we head to the ferry which will take us across to New Brunswick.
Farewell to Nova Scotia and your sea-bound coast
Let your mountains dark and dreary be
When I'm far away on the briny ocean tossed
Will you ever have a sigh or a wish for me