Thursday, July 29, 2004

A Great Vacation!

Although it was a bit of a whirlwind tour, we had a great vacation in the Maritimes and we discovered where we would like to visit again and where we wouldn't bother with. Prince Edward Island is absolutely gorgeous on the North Shore and is perfect for a week of relaxing on a beach. We only had a couple of days camping, but next time we'd rent a cottage for a week, stay on the beach, and not bother visiting the cities/towns. Cavendish is great, but Charlottetown and Springfield were a little disappointing.

Nova Scotia is great too and Halifax is my favourite city in the world. Gorgeous harbour area, plenty of history, lots happening, friendly people, and a pace of life that is so much more sane than here in Ontario. I don’t even have the right words to explain my affection for Halifax. It goes beyond words to my very soul. When I am there, all is right in the world. When I have to leave, a piece of me stays behind just waiting for my next visit.

Lunenburg is a beautiful little town filled with colourful houses, maritime antiques, and artisan shops. We're not talking your mom's ceramic garden gnomes here; we're talking truly amazing works of carving, glassware, and folk art. We will definitely visit again – hopefully when the sun is out!

Port Royal used to be the capital of the province back in the days before the British forced the Acadians to leave. Although I didn’t take many photos, it’s a picturesque little town that was a perfect spot to spend our last night before heading home. A number of the B&B’s and shops are owned by people who fled the rest of the country for a more sensible life. As one person put it, “I was sitting on the 401 in rush hour traffic and just thought, is this really worth it. I visited Nova Scotia and didn’t ever want to leave.” She and her husband moved permanently a year later. They now officially qualify as "CFA's - come from away."

But now we are home and it feels good too. No matter how great it is to visit other places, there is always something wonderful about being in your own bed in your own home. It makes me think of the longing in every human heart for heaven. Whether it is recognized as such, we all have a desire for "home", that place where we will find our ultimate comfort, peace, and rest.

Thanks for enjoying this little trip with us. I hope someday you’ll be able to visit this part of our country too and discover just how amazing it is!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joan says...great little web page you've got going. Great snaps of the vacation. I too have gone digital and there's no going back. Your shots are wonderful.
Have just gotten back from a week at FairHavens with the family -- remember the summers we spent there? So many good memories. Read an excellent little book, "84 Charing Cross Road" -- if you haven't read it, you must. It's a brief correspondence between an American writer (Helene Hanff) and a London used bookseller. I embarrassed myself on the beach laughing so hard. I'm planning to see the video next.

Anonymous said...

Stumbled across your blog searching for a picture of the harbour in Halifax. Your description of the city is bang on. It's where I was born and raised but I'm living away right now in Calgary. Miss the place dearly. No place else will ever be home. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to Canada's real East (the Albertans think Ontario is East).

Cheers,
Sam