(NOTE: I belong to a private e-mail list server group for seniors called, Senior World. My wife and I attended a gathering in Halifax, Nova Scotia in July 2002. There were nine people from the e-mail group and we were hosted by one of the members who is from Nova Scotia. This is an account of our trip which I wrote up afterwards and sent to the group.)
Hi, Everyone:
The trip, for our part, had a very inauspicious beginning. We were scheduled to depart the Indianapolis airport at 9:30 AM for a connecting flight to Toronto on Air Canada. We checked in at the main desk and had our bags checked thru. We then went to the boarding area and sat down to read. After about 10 minutes we were paged to report to the boarding area attendant. We did so and were informed that our flight had been cancelled and we were instructed to report back to the main desk for further reassignment. No reason was ever given for the cancellation.
The lady at the main desk had our bags retrieved and told us that the earliest flight that we could get on was at 5:45 PM (a nine hour delay!). Because it was July 3rd and passenger volume was heavy, we were told that we should consider ourselves lucky to get a place on the later flight. To say that I was upset would be an understatement. The prospect of having to kill nine hours in Indianapolis plus not arriving at Halifax until 2:00 AM the following morning (we were originally scheduled to be in Halifax at 4:15 PM) seemed interminable. I actually asked the lady for a toll free number to Air Canada as I considered calling them, canceling the entire trip and demanding a full refund of our air fare. Some inner voice, however, interceded and I relented - we took our bags, left the airport (which cost me an extra day's charge for long term parking!) and went to a restaurant for breakfast. We then went to the Art Museum grounds and spent some time at the Lilly Gardens and Horticulture Center.
It then occurred to me that "Men In Black II" was just starting in the movie theatres and I suggested that we go see it if we could find a theatre. Lil agreed and a half hour later found us seated in a nice air conditioned movie house watching the flick. MIB II proved to be a good diversion and we would recommend it for anyone who is into spoofs and light hearted movie fare.
We then went back to the airport and, this time, all was well and we made the first leg of our trip to Toronto. Since Toronto is in Canada, we had to go through customs when we got there. After standing in a lengthy queue, we finally got our passports stamped and then we had to retrieve our bags and hand carry them (past sniffing sentry dogs!) to another conveyor where they presumably went on to our final flight to Halifax. At this point I want to pass along a tip.
Some time ago, I fashioned some swatches of "hot pink" colored cloth and sewed them around the handles of our luggage. My thinking at the time was that most travel bags tend to look the same these days and I wanted ours to "stick out like a sore thumb" for quick identification. Well, believe me, this paid off big time at Toronto! We had a rather tight connection (time wise) and there were several carousels that incoming bags were being dumped on. Each had an electronic display showing the incoming flight numbers to show which one was supposed to contain your luggage. Well, I waited and waited - lots of bags - but not ours (we had two). Time was moving on and we only had about 15 more minutes until our next flight. I told Lil to find an attendant and try to see if we had any alternatives. In the meantime, I got to thinking - what if they dumped our bags on the wrong carousel? With that in mind I quickly glanced around at some of the adjacent carousels - and, BINGO! - there was one of our bags - the "hot pink" swatch on the handle fairly screamed. I ran over and picked it up - and, lo, just two bags away was the other one. So, I grabbed both bags, found Lil and we got to our Halifax flight with two minutes to spare! However, had it not been for the "hot pink" swatches, I know we would have missed our connection. So the tip is: mark your baggage in some way to make it very conspicuous.
We arrived in Halifax at about 2:15 AM and, after picking up our rental car, it was nearly 3:00 AM. We were scheduled to stay in a B&B at Musquodoboit (the locals pronounce this, Mus-ka-DAH'-bit) Harbor and even though we had instructions on how to get there, the fact that we were about 50 miles away and were tired made that trip seem very daunting. We decided to try to find a local hotel instead. That in itself turned out to be a challenge and we ended up staying at a B&B near the airport. So considering that we were guaranteed for late arrival at the original B&B, that means that we actually paid for two nights accommodations that first night. (Seasoned travelers will, no doubt, point out that I should have complained to Air Canada and insisted that they give us a voucher for the night's accommodations. I didn't think of that, then. I have since corresponded and made such a request - it is pending review.)
We stayed that night at a B&B called By The Way. The place is run by Sherry Stewart who was most gracious to accommodate us after I roused her from a sound sleep in the middle of the night. Sherry is a most affable innkeeper and Lil and I both found her little place in Elmsdale to be very nice and accessible from the Halifax airport. We met a nice couple the following morning at breakfast. Tim and Anne (thought I had their last name but seem to have lost it) were vacationing and they were quite fascinated upon hearing about our seniors e-mail group. Tim, a retired medical doctor, took one of my cards and promised that he would e-mail me later. I think he may be a prospect for S-W membership. If he does contact me, I'll give him the S-W URL.
We then drove on to our scheduled B&B, The Elephant's Nest, in Musquodoboit Harbor (technically, the B&B is in Gaetz Brook which is just down the road a bit). I had called the Elephant's Nest from Indianapolis when we learned that we were going to be delayed - I simply said we would get there late that night. That turned out NOT to be the case however as we didn't arrive until the following day. June Meehan was walking their Scotty dogs, Mac & Tosh, as we drove up to the parking area. I say, "Scotty" dogs for lack of anything better - I obviously don't know a lot about dog breeds. Dave Valentine can supply the correct breed name if anyone really wants to know (go pedants!).
John and June Meehan bought the B&B back in the mid 90s. It was called something else at the time and they originally wanted to call it, "Loon Lake." However, they were informed that that name was already taken and a royalty fee would have to be paid if they used it. So they then chose the name, "Frog Hollow," only to find out that that name was also already in use. By now, they were getting frustrated trying to come up with a unique name. So, then, they remembered the name of a pub in England (which is where John is from - June is from Scotland) - and that's where the "Elephant's Nest" name came from.
The Elephant's Nest is a beautiful place and is located on Lake Petpeswick. Dave and Carole Valentine were scheduled to stay at the Elephant's Nest also but they hadn't arrived as yet. We needed to have lunch and wanted to look around the area - so June suggested that we go to East Petpeswick Drive and stop at a place called Willey's Bakery & Café for lunch. Willey's place turned out to be quite a conversation piece. It really seemed to be a small cottage which Willey had simply turned into a bakery and café by virtue of saying, "this is now a bakery and café!" The bakery consisted of a room off his kitchen and a sign directed you thru to what surely had originally been his living room. It now contained two dining tables. A pleasant cinnamon smelled permeated the place and we had a seat at the one empty table. The other was occupied by two couples from the Denver, Colorado area. Willey's literally was a "one man show" and Willey, himself, waited on us. We each had a sandwich which I'm sure Willey prepared in the kitchen, himself. The sandwich was okay but it was a bit difficult to disregard the fact that we really seemed to simply be at Willey's house instead of a commercial restaurant as such. On the way out, we had Willey put a couple of cinnamon rolls in a bag to go. They were very tasty, indeed.
We then drove on down to Martinique Beach which is supposedly the longest public beach in Nova Scotia (I think it's about three miles long). It really was a nice beach with fairly light colored sand. This is right on the Atlantic, of course, and we were glad to have taken wind breakers along. Whereas it had been about 70° F back at the Elephant's Nest, it was a good 10 degrees cooler here along the coast with a good stiff breeze coming in off the ocean.
We went back to the B&B and called Jutta, who lives a short distance from the Elephant's nest. After exchanging pleasantries we agreed to later pick up Jutta and go out to dinner. Jutta also suggested that, if the Valentines had arrived by then, we bring them along.
As it turned out, Dave and Carole Valentine did arrive shortly thereafter. They had driven exactly 2000 kilometers from their home in Ontario and they had with them their little dog, Pixie (again, Dave can fill in the breed details for the pedants and dog aficionados!). Pixie is a cute little dog and literally goes with them just about everywhere. I jokingly kidded Dave about how having Pixie along probably limits how far they can drive between "rest" stops. Dave, however, assured me that Pixie is fine in that regard and holds her own very well - it turns out that Dave and Carol themselves are the limiting factor between rest stops.
We and the Valentines then went to Jutta's place. Lily Leung had also arrived and she and Jutta both came out to greet us as we got our of the car. After some quick introductions, Jutta showed us all around her place. Verbeck has already described the place in his summary so I won't repeat. I do want to say, however, that the entire property has been reworked over a long period of time - and I really think Jutta might have been an architect in a former life! Though not at all conspicuous from the road, Jutta has maximized the looks and utility of a rather long and narrow lakefront property. The place is not only appealing to the eye but also very comfortable and accommodating. Lil and I felt very much "at home" while there.
We all then drove to Toddy's for dinner. Toddy's was sort of a neighborhood pub but it was nice and clean and the food tasty and very moderately priced. We were there a couple of hours and got to know each other very well. That's the neat thing about S-W get togethers - there is not a lot of ice that has to be broken - we all pretty much already know each other. About all that is left is to attach a face to name - and, now, thanks to Jacob and his "Rogues Gallery", even that is pretty much taken care of!
On Friday, we all met in Halifax at a place called Smitty's for breakfast. Again, I think Verbeck already described Smitty's. Esther Immer , Verbeck, and Carol Salgot joined us at that time. Verbeck gave Lil and me two containers of fresh Rainier cherries from Washington State - such a thoughtful person, that Verbeck! We then had a nice leisurely breakfast and some stimulating conversation. After that, we then got into a touring van along with a guide who called himself, Winton. It's hard to know what Winton probably was in a former life. He might have been anything from a jester in King Arthur's court to a budding young scientist on one of Darwin's expeditions to the Galápagos Islands. Such was the breadth of this young man. When he wasn't dazzling us with facts about the geology of Nova Scotia or some tidbit about its early settlers he was keeping us in stitches with bawdy (but tasteful) humor.
We first drove to Peggy's Cove which is a coastal village at the entrance to St. Margaret's Bay. This bay figures prominently in local history in that it is a shallow water harbor that accommodated smaller fishing boats that brought in fishing catches that were intended for selling within 24 hours or so. Peggy's Cove is notorious for big and unpredictable waves that can well up suddenly and break against the shore. Visitors are warned to stay well back at certain jetties and rocky points. Still, people have actually disappeared on occasion. Peggy's Cove also has the dubious distinction as being the closest port to the recent ill fated Swiss Air flight 111. The recovery mission was centered at Peggy's Cove.
We then drove to the little fishing village of Mahone Bay where we had
lunch. As we resumed the tour Winton called our attention to a small island known as
Oak Island (which was pointed out to us in the distance). This island is
famous for its "Money Pit," which was first discovered way back in the
late 1700s. The complete history of this place is actually very long and
complicated. Suffice it to say for now that many people became convinced
(and some still are!) that there is a hoard of buried pirate treasure
at the bottom of a very deep pit. However, getting to the bottom
has proven to be a very illusive and daunting task. Here are some URLs for
those who may wish further information on this:
http://members.tripod.com/~Zomb/OAKISLAN.HTM
http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Nova_Scotia/oakisland.htm
http://www.unmuseum.org/oakisl.htm
Continuing on, we drove to Lunenburg which is on Mahone Bay and, because of its deep harbor which accommodates deep draft vessels, was the center of the offshore fishing industry in years past. The Georges Bank lies about 180 miles south west of here and this has always been one of the fabled fishing grounds of the world. Many personal fortunes were made in connection with the lucrative fishing industry that thrived here from the late 18th century on through the 19th. Winton told us that the first settlers who came over from England and Scotland actually had trouble rowing their small dories in from the mother ships as the waters were literally alive with fish.
Winton pointed out many building peculiarities that are unique to this area. Many of the houses feature a large dormer that projected out from the center of the roof and often dropped all the way to ground level. This became known as the "Lunenburg Bump," and was something of a status symbol. Another prominent feature on many homes of the era were small pagodas at various places on the roofs. These pagodas all featured a curved roof line (instead of simple straight lines) that required more time (and money) of the carpenter doing the building. This, too, was a great status symbol as it showed that the owner had much wealth to spare.
Wearing his paleontology and geology hat, Winton told us about the original land mass called Pangea that existed millions and millions of years ago. It was from this mass that all of today's continents drifted. Nova Scotia was actually right next to the land form from which Africa evolved. Winton then showed us a site where some of the same "African" rock is today in Nova Scotia. We had lots of fun kidding each other about being to Nova Scotia and Africa all in one day.
As we were returning to Halifax, Winton came up with yet another tidbit and history lesson. I'm sure we're all familiar with the expression, "mad as a hatter," which of course was popularized and made famous by Lewis Carroll in his children's book "Alice in Wonderland." However, how many of us ever stopped to wonder if there was any other meaning or basis for the expression? Winton then proceeded to clue us in about how felt hats were once very popular in North America and Europe; an example is the top hat. The best sorts were made from beaver fur, but cheaper ones used furs such as rabbit instead. And Nova Scotia was home to dozens of these processing places.
(I didn't take detailed notes at the time. However, I have since found a
web site
http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-mad2.htm
which I'll now quote from to accurately finish this account:)
"A complicated set of processes was needed to turn the fur into a finished hat. With the cheaper sorts of fur, an early step was to brush a solution of a mercury compound - usually mercurous nitrate - on to the fur to roughen the fibres and make them mat more easily, a process called carroting because it made the fur turn orange. Beaver fur had natural serrated edges that made this unnecessary, one reason why it was preferred, but the cost and scarcity of beaver meant that other furs had to be used.
Whatever the source of the fur, the fibres were then shaved off the skin and turned into felt; this was later immersed in a boiling acid solution to thicken and harden it. Finishing processes included steaming the hat to shape and ironing it. In all these steps, hatters working in poorly ventilated workshops would breathe in the mercury compounds and accumulate the metal in their bodies.
We now know that mercury is a cumulative poison that causes kidney and brain damage. Physical symptoms include trembling (known at the time as hatter's shakes), loosening of teeth, loss of co-ordination, and slurred speech; mental ones include irritability, loss of memory, depression, anxiety, and other personality changes. This was called mad hatter syndrome. It's been a very long time since mercury was used in making hats, and now all that remains is a relic phrase that links to a nasty period in manufacturing history. But mad hatter syndrome remains common as a description of the symptoms of mercury poisoning."
For dinner that evening, several of us gathered at the Split Crow Pub which featured outside tables and was right across the street from the Clock Tower at the Citadel. I know George Katzer will be pleased to hear about that. And, yes, George, I DID get a picture that I'll be sending later.
On Saturday, we met at the wharf in Halifax and went on a "Harbor Hopper" tour. I think Verbeck touched on this too. We were on a patrol boat that was actually designed for use in Viet Nam. It went around the city on wheels and then went into the water for a quick trip around Halifax harbor. The tour guide was a crisp young fellow named Dave who reminded me of a young Tom Cruise (eat your hearts out, ladies!). I was wearing my Purdue hat and Dave immediately started quizzing me about Purdue's basketball team. He had seen the great team they had a few years ago which featured Glenn Robinson. I had just passed out some little token gifts to our party and I had a little Boilermaker Pete lapel pin left over - so I gave it to Dave. He immediately pinned it on the pant leg of his shorts and swore his future allegiance to Purdue.
Dave was very well informed and had a very pleasant and chatty delivery. He pointed out fact after fact as we went around the city. The Citadel sits atop the highest point in the center of Halifax and was a fortress from which all the surrounding approaches could be watched. So formidable was it that it was never actually tested by any would be enemies. Many of the buildings are made of stone which is quarried nearby. This granite contains lots of iron oxide and, over time, rainwater leaches the stones and converts it to iron like hardness. Some of the old buildings in Halifax are so solid that wrecking balls will not even bring them down.
Dave also told us about the Halifax Explosion of 1917. This was a monumental event - but, somehow, Lil and I had never heard about it. It was during WWI and the harbor at Halifax was often used as a staging area from which ships going overseas started out. On the morning of December 6, 1917, the munitions ship, Mount Blanc, was coming into the harbor. It was laden with tons of nitroglycerine and trinitrotuol. There were hundreds of barrels of benzine stored on the open decks. No publicity was given ahead of time about the contents on the ship so as to not draw any unwanted attention. At the same time the relief ship, Imo, was preparing to leave Halifax harbor. There was some other shipping activity going on and the captain of the Imo had to move over to avoid some of it. The morning sun was right in his eyes and completely masked the approaching Mount Blanc from his view. Little did the Imo captain realize but he was on a collision course with the Mount Blanc. At the last minute, the Imo saw the impending danger but it was too late. The Mount Blanc captain tried in vain to steer away but only succeeded in giving the Imo a direct broadside hit. The Imo plowed into the Mount Blanc and then the Imo captain reversed his engines. As the Imo backed out the Mount Blanc was showered with hot sparks from all the grinding metal. Some of the benzine barrels caught fire and started burning and popping, not unlike a fire works display.
All of this was of course being watched by people on shore and around the docks. Word spread quickly of great goings on in the harbor and thousands of people gathered by the dockside to watch. All across town, people stood at their windows straining to see. At a few minutes after 9:00 AM the Mount Blanc exploded with a blast that has been likened to the blast that leveled Hiroshima in WWII. A great tidal wave went out and engulfed ships and people alike - hundreds drowned. The wind force of the explosion caused the most damage. Buildings were leveled for miles around. Other buildings were severely damaged. All in all there were 2,000 killed, 9,000 injured, and 25,000 people were left homeless. And if all that weren't enough, that night, there was a severe snow storm which dumped several inches of snow on the area.
Appeals immediately went out to the world for help which of course was given from many nations and quarters. One unexpected source of help came from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and especially the people of Boston. This led to some strong bonds which carry on to present times. Each year at Christmas, a big Christmas tree is delivered to the people of Boston as a tribute from the people of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
After the tour we all had lunch together at McKelvie's Restaurant and Bar. Afterwards we split up and then went our separate ways. Lil and I along with Jutta, Esther, and Carol Salgot went to the Atlantic Jazz Festival. This was a three or four day event so we only were able to see a very small segment. Carl "Sleepy" Thomas was the featured artist during the short time we were there.
When we got back to the Elephant's Nest the Valentines surprised us with a copy of "1917 Halifax Explosion and American Response." This book was written by Blair Beed and the copy we were given was autographed by the author! Also, on the inside cover, Dave had penned in in an old sort of gothic style lettering (very neat and dramatic!), "Tom and Lil - A souvenir of The Halifax Gathering" from Dave and Carole Valentine. What a gift - we will treasure it forever.
That evening, most of us gathered at the Civic Center in Halifax to watch the 2002 International Tattoo. We were seated in what I'm sure was normally a big hockey arena - only there was no ice on the floor in the center. And, thanks to Jutta, we had exact center line seats! The best analogy I can coin to describe this evening of fine entertainment would be to liken it to the old Ed Sullivan Variety Show - only this had a decided military flavor. The opening featured bands, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Royal Canadian Regiment, the pipes and drums of Black Watch of Canada, the Nova Scotia Highlanders and various other units. I don't think there were many dry eyes - and this was just the beginning.
The Berlin Police Force motorcycle demonstration team put on a magnificent segment as did a team of German gym wheel performers. There was a Japanese "Sho-Zui Daiko" drum unit that was especially dazzling. From Estonia there was a troupe of gymnastic girls who put on a mind numbing routine which involved dance and ballet. From Norway was a drill team and band that was one of the more precision units I have ever seen. The Canadian Gun Run team put on a display of teamwork that was awesome. And there was even a moving tribute in recognition of the events of 9/11 in the U.S. Finally, each evening of the Tattoo recognized two countries and the bands all played their national anthems in unison. This particular night the national anthems of Germany and Japan were played - and of course the Canadian national anthem. For the finale, all the performers paraded around the arena. It reminded me of the closing ceremony that we always see at the Olympic Games. This entire evening imparted a definite air of international solidarity for me. This one would be hard to top.
As Esther was leaving the next morning for home and Lily was leaving for PEI (Prince Edward Island), we met for a last round of drinks at the Victory Arms Pub in the Lord Nelson Hotel.
Sunday morning found us doing laundry at a Laundromat in nearby Porters Lake. Those of us who were left (all but Esther and Lily) then met at Jutta's for a picnic. Verbeck has already summarized this so I won't repeat. Suffice it to say the Jutta really knocked herself out to put out the red carpet for us. The food was magnificent and the company first class. As Verbeck pointed out, two neighbor ladies (Doris and Betty) joined us and I found them to be very interesting. They were sisters from one of the old founding lines in the area and I picked up some neat little tidbits from each. And the real highlight from the sisters was their singing "Oh Canada" for us! The Valentines chose this occasion to pass out gifts which consisted of a jar of Canadian honey and a jar of maple butter from their native Province of Ontario. This was the last event of "The Halifax Gathering" so, alas, we had to end up saying goodbye to each other.
Monday found us checking out of the Elephant's Nest and saying goodbye to the Valentines (and Pixie) and the Meehans. I would be remiss if I didn't put in a plug for the Elephant's Nest. The place is first class and the amenities are superb. June is not only an excellent chef but she is also very imaginative - no two of our breakfasts were ever the same - and her muffins are to die for! If any of you are ever in this area, be sure to stay here. Oh, yeah - the rates are very reasonable, too!
Lil and I headed out for the Bay of Fundy via the back roads. We had a hotel reservation for later that night near the airport so that we could get up early for our flight home. So we left Musquodoboit Harbor and headed for Elderbank and then on to Shubenacadie (say Shu-ben-ACK'-a-dee). From there we went to Maitland and stopped at an antique shop where we bought an 1880 carpenter's bevel for Lil's brother. It was made of brass and rosewood and came from a shop in Scotland.
We then drove on to Burntcoat which is on the Bay of Fundy and is the site where the highest tides ever measured were recorded (54 + feet!). From there we drove on to the little village of Kennetcook and stopped for lunch. After that, we headed on back toward Halifax and checked into our hotel room. Our room had a TV set - something we had been without for a week. It was kind of a mixed bag for me as I watched the evening news with Peter Jennings. Seeing the news was kind of nice - but the news was really the same old thing - stock market woes and international tensions. On the other hand, I was appreciating the week just passed and all the time spent reminiscing with good solid friends. Now, the TV didn't seem so important.
We got up early on Tuesday and headed home. No cancelled flights this time. We got home just in time to see a much needed rain storm and I found that my humming bird feeder was just about empty. The Halifax Gathering of 2002 was a great event and I really think a fine time was had by all. Just as did the Seattle Gathering of 2000, this one will provide us with memories that will be with us forever.
Tom Fisher
work e-mail: fishertrin@gmail.com
home e-mail: fishers@nlci.com
Copyright © 2002 - Thomas R. Fisher, All Rights Reserved.