Not quite Marco Polo: Lobster Capital of the World

Here we are in Shediac, self styled "Lobster Capital of the World". The villages all along this Eastern coast of New Brunswick fish for lobster - each having a 2 or 3 month open season. At the moment it is Shediac's turn and so of course I had lobster for dinner tonight and it was pretty O.K.

We are staying near Parlee Beach - the warmest saltwater North of Virginia. Although it is described as the ultimate beach experience, I don't think it anything to write home about, but it does at least have sand!

Yesterday we struck an incredibly unhelpful tourist 'info' officer - a civil engineering student more interested in doing his assignment. I could not believe anyone working in such a position could be so lacking in curiousity. We did eventually manage to drag out of him the tide tables and tonight we went to see the tidal bore in the Petitcodiac River at Moncton. Trouble was the tide tables were wrong and the mosquitoes were vicious! However the bore eventually came an hour late and it is a very curious phenomena.

The tides hereabouts in the Bay of Fundy are thirty feet or more and it makes an interesting coastline. This afternoon we went to the Flowerpot Rocks at Hopewell Cape. The wind and tide sculpt the red sandstone into crazy shapes which you can walk around at low tide, but they become miniature islands at high tide.

We are still among predominately French speakers, and it is fascinating how easily they switch between the two languages. Coffee is the preferred drink. It is brewed, but not Cappuccino or Expresso. It is good coffee, but I have to remember white coffee is 'with cream' or people look at me blankly.