On Sunday we went to Louisbourg. After losing the mainland part of Nova Scotia to England in 1713, the French decided to build a fort to protect their fishing fleets and to guard the entrance to the St Lawrence. They chose a site on Cape Breton Island. Even before the fort was finished, New Englanders attacked it in 1745 and the French surrendered, but in 1748, England agreed to return it to France. However in 1758 it was again besieged, this time by regular British forces - among them James Cook. The Endeavour was also part of the British fleet. To avoid further trouble from the French it was completely destroyed in 1760.
The reconstruction is fascinating. Apart from archeological evidence, there are detailed records of the original construction in the French archives in Paris. Also descendants of the victorious forces have returned various "souvenirs" such as silver, books, paintings and even furniture.
We drove along the coast to Port Hawkesbury where the Harbourview Motel was just that. We could watch the tugs at work from our window. Then onto Halifax - more Fall colours and fishing villages and lighthouses along the way. We have probably taken far too many photos, but around every corner, you think it is better than the last shot.
We trusted the GPS and drove into the centre of Halifax. I find the outskirts where there is fast moving traffic much more unnerving than the centre, where traffic has to move slowly.
Last night the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic was open until 8. It is a fabuluous museum. Halifax has an excellent natural harbour which is why it has been of such strategic importance since the 1700s. The museum even has a live macaw - the pirates parrot. Halifax was a base for privateers or legalised pirates. Another gallery covers the wooden shipbuiding era here and in New Brunswick between about 1850 and 1900. In 1865 they built 660 ships which then sailed the world. We only had time to briefly look at the shipwrecks gallery (~5000 around Nova Scotia) and the Titanic exhibition - cable laying ships from Halifax found many of the bodies and they are buried here. Attitudes were different then, bodies of First class passengers were brought ashore in coffins, those of second and third class passengers in canvas bags and those of the crew uncovered on stretchers.
Today we walked from our motel to the Citadel. In contrast to Louisbourg, it has never been attacked. We took the guided tour with a member of the 78th Highlander regiment and had a long chat to the army schoolmaster who in the early 1800s taught the soldiers to read and write and do maths with an abacus. The schoolmaster also had magic lantern shows, such as the story of the tiger in the barrel, for light entertainment.
Although I have never visited our parliament in session we went to the Nova Scotian assembly today. It is the oldest parliamentary building in Canada dating from 1818 and the chamber is a lovely Palladian style room. It was question time and the Minister for Fisheries was being grilled about selling his lobster fishing licence. Apparently he had encouraged (helped?) the buyer to obtain a government loan (about $0.5m) for the purchase - just the sort of thing we are used to! The whole chamber was pure theatre - much clapping of hands and thumping the desks and clerks scurrying about with pieces of paper!
As you will have gathered by now, I am not a shopaholic when the merchandise is similar to what I can buy at home, although I love any sort of market, but we have not come across any. Also apart from the quality seafood, the food is nice, but mostly what you would expect in North America. The raspberries have finished. The fresh asparagus, both white and green looks good, but I have not seen it on the menu. Bananas are comparitively cheap so I doubt they are Fair Trade.
The reconstruction is fascinating. Apart from archeological evidence, there are detailed records of the original construction in the French archives in Paris. Also descendants of the victorious forces have returned various "souvenirs" such as silver, books, paintings and even furniture.
We drove along the coast to Port Hawkesbury where the Harbourview Motel was just that. We could watch the tugs at work from our window. Then onto Halifax - more Fall colours and fishing villages and lighthouses along the way. We have probably taken far too many photos, but around every corner, you think it is better than the last shot.
We trusted the GPS and drove into the centre of Halifax. I find the outskirts where there is fast moving traffic much more unnerving than the centre, where traffic has to move slowly.
Last night the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic was open until 8. It is a fabuluous museum. Halifax has an excellent natural harbour which is why it has been of such strategic importance since the 1700s. The museum even has a live macaw - the pirates parrot. Halifax was a base for privateers or legalised pirates. Another gallery covers the wooden shipbuiding era here and in New Brunswick between about 1850 and 1900. In 1865 they built 660 ships which then sailed the world. We only had time to briefly look at the shipwrecks gallery (~5000 around Nova Scotia) and the Titanic exhibition - cable laying ships from Halifax found many of the bodies and they are buried here. Attitudes were different then, bodies of First class passengers were brought ashore in coffins, those of second and third class passengers in canvas bags and those of the crew uncovered on stretchers.
Today we walked from our motel to the Citadel. In contrast to Louisbourg, it has never been attacked. We took the guided tour with a member of the 78th Highlander regiment and had a long chat to the army schoolmaster who in the early 1800s taught the soldiers to read and write and do maths with an abacus. The schoolmaster also had magic lantern shows, such as the story of the tiger in the barrel, for light entertainment.
Although I have never visited our parliament in session we went to the Nova Scotian assembly today. It is the oldest parliamentary building in Canada dating from 1818 and the chamber is a lovely Palladian style room. It was question time and the Minister for Fisheries was being grilled about selling his lobster fishing licence. Apparently he had encouraged (helped?) the buyer to obtain a government loan (about $0.5m) for the purchase - just the sort of thing we are used to! The whole chamber was pure theatre - much clapping of hands and thumping the desks and clerks scurrying about with pieces of paper!
As you will have gathered by now, I am not a shopaholic when the merchandise is similar to what I can buy at home, although I love any sort of market, but we have not come across any. Also apart from the quality seafood, the food is nice, but mostly what you would expect in North America. The raspberries have finished. The fresh asparagus, both white and green looks good, but I have not seen it on the menu. Bananas are comparitively cheap so I doubt they are Fair Trade.
Sheep scamper across the grass in front of the King's Bastion, Louisbourg
Explanatory panel, Fortress of Louisbourg
Portrait of King Louis IX behind the altar in the chapel at Louisbourg.
One of the well-to-do in Louisbourg
Fall is not over yet
Our guide from the 75th Highlanders with a mortar at the Halifax Citadel
Changing the guard at Halifax Citadel
Our motley group of tourists. We were lucky - today there were no cruise ships.
Colourful shingle houses, Agricola St., Halifax
St Paul's Anglican Church. It dates from 1750 and the plan copies a London church (St Paul de Vere?). It was built from precut and numbered wooden sections shipped up from Boston.
Aren't we funny as tourists? I've never seen the Australian parliament in session either, but I have seen the US one in action.
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