We made it back to New Glasgow by mid-April. Christian resumed monthly bone-strengthening treatments to prolong remission, as well as monthly tests. We worked on the house in April and May (insulated the walls, stained the front steps, porch and side deck, took down the chimney, planted shrubs and deer-resistant plants), attended our first setting day (opening of lobster season on the north shore) and entertained visiting friends and family from mid-May until August (Michael and Nobuyo from Ontario, Richard from London, UK, Elia and Margot from Guelph, Deb from Toronto, Rusty from Toronto).
Before Folksblogen, our guest rooms were often occupied when we lived on Pearson Avenue in Toronto. This led our friends Nobuyo and Michael to call our home Hotel Pearson. Well, this summer, our home in New Glasgow felt like a return to those days, and thus, it became known as Hotel Maple, the name of the avenue we call home.
Appropriate that our first guests this past spring were Nobuyo and Michael. The focus of our dear friends Nobuyo and Michael’s visit included trips to Lismore Wharf for lobster fresh from the fisher’s boats, picnicking, rock and periwinkle collecting at our favourite beaches, an afternoon cookout with friends at Waterside Beach where we grilled fresh haddock, asparagus, sausages, steak accompanied by salads and lobster canapes. Our friend Jan quipped that she had never seen anyone bring more than a bag of chips to this beach. Their last day included a hike at Taylor Head, a favourite spot on the Eastern Shore that reminded them of BC’s Gulf Islands. Our mutual friend Erin from PEI also joined us for a 24-hour eating extravaganza. The morning we dropped them off at the airport, we picked up our friend Richard, who was visiting from London.
Richard‘s visit focused on Indigenous people and climate change as related to his recent feature film, Psychosomatic. He also wanted to see the Bay of Fundy, so we took him to Paarsboro to walk on the ocean floor and eat seafood at a local restaurant. Between excursions, he cut our grass and helped build a shed. He was determined to take us out for coffee after Saturday Farmer’s Marketing, only to learn that New Glasgow’s two independent cafes are closed on weekends. New Glasgow became known as No Glasgow after that. We had a day to rest after Richard departed, and we picked up our son, Elia and his partner, Margot, at the airport.
Upon arrival, we drove to Dartmouth hotspot, Dear Friend, for a tower of seafood and mocktails, the perfect Welcome to Nova Scotia. Lobster fresh from the fishers was their top priority. A trip to Malagash Oysters and Quahogs, the oldest oyster farm in Canada, followed that. That day, we ate lobster rolls, shucked oysters on Blue Sea Beach, and washed it down with local Tatamagouche near beer. The rest of their visit included beaching, brunch at Sugar Moon (a sugar camp complete with log cabin restaurant) followed by stops at Earltown Market and Balmoral Grist Mill, both straight out of the last century, digging up wild lupins, rockhounding, attending a Morgan Toney concert and a final stop at touristy Peggy’s Cove.
In July, we picked our friend Deb up at the airport and drove to the Shubenacadie River for a picnic, which reminded us of a scene from the movie Stand by Me as we watched a group of young boys fishing along the river as we picnicked. From there, we headed to the antique shops at Great Village, attempting to beat a massive rainstorm. The remainder of her stay included rock collecting at Arisaig, swimming at all the local beaches, and visiting Cape George Lighthouse and Fish and Ships at Ballantyne Cove for fish and chips. We even fit in a prix fixe dinner at Fossil Farms in Merigomish cooked entirely over the fire.
Julie’s brother Rusty arrived at the end of July. We had enough time to visit two of our favourite beaches, enjoy fish and chips, meet some friends, and show him around town before the camping trip, which never happened. You may recall the details of why from our previous post titled Summer Interrupted.
In between house guests, we made trips to Cape Breton, the south shore of Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy, attended annual local events such as the lobster carnival parade in Pictou and the dragon boat races in New Glasgow, our friend’s wedding, celebrated birthdays, our anniversary and swam nearly every day in July.
We booked the ‘million dollar campsite’ at MacLeod’s Beach in mid-June. It’s not often such a description does justice to what is now our all-time favourite campsite. The site is on a cliff jutting into the Northumberland Strait with an eagle’s eye view of Sea Wolf Island and the sandy crescent known as MacLeod’s Beach. We enjoyed both sunset and sunrise from our perch high above the world. We met Cape Breton’s most well-known living folk artist, William Roache, at Freja and Thor in Cheticamp. We explored nooks and crannies and places new to us along the north coast of Cape Breton. We even met fellow Hymer travellers on their way to Newfoundland and Labrador.
At the beginning of July, we travelled to the province’s south shore to camp at the Ovens Natural Park. Gold was discovered here in 1861. There are five caves, AKA the ovens: Thunder Cave, so called because it sounds like thunder as the ocean rushes in and out; Cannon Cave, not unsurprisingly like a canon; Young’s Cave; Tucker’s Tunnel; and Indian Cave. The latter’s name comes from a story of a Mi’kmaq brave who paddled into the cave, not knowing where it led and emerged in the Annapolis Valley. We enjoyed the incredible view of the Atlantic and the ensuing sunrises and sunsets from our campsite. We explored the shore at high and low tide and cooked over an open fire as the sun set.
When we left the Ovens, we stopped at BernArt Maze, just outside Lunenburg. It is said to be Canada’s first art maze. It’s part outsider and part folk art, focusing on ecological, social, and spiritual aspects.
We also visited the Hooked Rug Museum of North America in Hubbards. Rug hooking plays a significant role in the fabric of the Maritimes, and we have an interest in becoming hookers ourselves.
We extended our stay on the south shore, camping at one of our favourite provincial parks, Graves Island, just outside Chester town limits. We were last here in 2021 with our pal Duff, and as we walked the trails, there were memories around every turn. Of course, we made a few new ones, too. We stopped at Labour Day Picnic Cafe in a community hall once known for hosting annual Labour Day picnics. In addition to making excellent coffee, they make delicious caramels, toasties, and hand pies and sell locally produced goods and crafts. It is a perfect stop coming or going from Chester or Peggy’s Cove. We love exploring this province, which we have called home for fifteen months. The final installment of Remembering 2024, Part 3, is coming soon!
