"When you finally go back to your old home, you find it wasn't the old home you missed but your childhood." Sam Ewing
When I tell people that I was born in Nova Scotia, Cananda, they always act amazed as if to say, "How did you get here?" It was quite easy, really. I got on a boat in Halifax and our little ferry arrived in Boston early on a rainy September day. Of course, since I was just 4 years old, I though it best to bring my older sister, baby brother and mother along, too. We left our white clapboard house nestled between a bay and the Atlantic Ocean to move to "the states" as everyone there calls the US.
My father had already begun his new job in northern New York but he was there waiting for us when the ferry docked. A long, long drive before interstates were developed!
People do ask me questions about life there in southeastern Canada so I thought I would give you a few travel tips in case you ever venture across the northern border of this country.
1. If you order a soft drink or soda in a restaurant, there will be no ice in your glass. You would think there would be a surplus of ice in Canada, wouldn't you? Well, if there is, they are keeping it to themselves.
2. Take the Lighthouse route to see the natural beauty of the south eastern shore. And when you see the signs for Peggy's Cove, turn there. It is not to be missed for quaint beauty.
Peggy's Cove
3. Don't laugh when they ask you if you would take a Loonie when giving you change. They may even offer a Twoney. In our world, that would be a one and two dollar coin with, of course, a loon on the Loonie!
4. Have an ice cream wherever you stop. Their ice cream is delicious, especially at Summerville Beach which I used to frequent on my trips back home.
5. When filling up your tank, you will measure your purchase in imperial gallons, if you please, which are smaller but pricier than the US gallon.
6. When the residents talk about their RCMP you should know they are discussing their Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The uniforms are quite impressive! Much fancier than a trooper!
7. Do not think that all Bed and Breakfast inns have air conditioning. Even some motels don't and Nova Scotia can be humid as Hades in August! Research your accommodations!
8. Their fish, lobster and clams are just as good, if not better than, the nearby state of Maine's offerings. Well, on second thought, the lobster is equal to Maine's. Eat hearty! And they don't have Sweet Tea to wash these feasts down. Better bring your own sugar!
9. Take notice of the Smurf statues and the wondrous homemade cast of characters who decorate the lawns in some areas. I remember seeing a nun on a swing, a husband and wife seated in lawn chairs, and children playing games on the front lawn. None of these characters was alive, just dressed and stuffed to entertain those out for a Sunday drive or to make the tourist wonder about the natives!
10. Whether your destination is the Land of Evangeline, Cape Breton Island or the Titanic museum and graveyard in Halifax, enjoy your conversations with the people that make up this beautiful province.
So go, enjoy and tell them all hello for me, eh?
