Wednesday, July 22 - To Annapolis Royal

Annapolis Royal is a seaside town an hour north of Yarmouth.  It came highly recommended so we are going to stay here three nights.  It's one of Canada's oldest settlements, founded by the French in 1605, then destroyed by the British in 1613, then rebuilt by the French Acadians and back and forth for another hundred years.

We explored the heart of downtown:  Fort Anne, farmers market, the Royal Gardens, peach tart, and the local barber shop where G had a haircut.  Oh yes, we also stopped at the library--a favorite stopping point wherever we go.

All this tired us out so we went back to our lovely room at the Garrison House.  It's an old Victorian house across from Fort Anne.  G can look out our 3rd floor dormer window and check on the cannon in the citadel yard.  Being on the top floor our room has slanted ceilings (where G can bump his head,) lots of nooks and crannies and old creaky floors.  The wallpaper is that blue and white French scene type--I forget the name.  Really charming.  G doesn't do charming but at least he can see the fort.

The restaurant in our B&B is well know in Nova Scotia and lived up to its reputation.  I had poached salmon with yogurt and caper sauce.  So fresh the salmon almost leaped onto my plate.  G had scallops-also very tasty.  But best of all--very fresh veggies of all sorts, even beet tops, which I love.  I had just been talking with someone from Nova Scotia who was complaining about the lack of fresh vegetables being served in NS restaurants.  Usually you get canned peas or, worse, canned beans.  We skipped dessert as we both have gained about 10 pounds on this vacation.

This is Sandy.  She was selling hand-sewn items at the farmers market.  She's holding up an "adult clothing protector" fastened with one Velcro fastener.  She called it a bib. (Tsk, tsk)

The Annapolis Royal Gardens are fantastic!  They have over 2000 rose bushes.  And 40 different types of heather!  This is New Scotland, after all.  Here are roses and heather.