Here is a link to the Google map of the beach and the Islands.

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=200026895431815569914.0004b6fbf01d28134dc2f&msa=0

The sand bar connects some of LaHave Islands to the mainland.

A large post fence was build in the 1930′s to protect the sand dunes, but after damage to the road in 2007, huge rocks were placed behind the fence.

Looking over to Green Bay.

The beach slopes gently and is a safe place to swim.

This bright footwear  made me smile.

This boat house sits on bush Island. You can see the bridge behind it which takes you onto Jenkins and Bell Islands.

We watched this lobster boat picking up its traps as we sat and had our picnic. The sail seemed to be to keep it steady while the lobsterman lifted the creels.

Looking through to another cove.

I always think this looks like a Scottish castle sitting on the rocks, but I think it is just a group of trees on the Thrum Caps.

It must be pretty idylic to spend the summer in one of these cottages on Bell Island. I’m not sure about the winter though.

The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking over
harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

Carl sandburg

We had a quiet foggy walk around Lunenburg yesterday.

The Picton Castle sat swathed in a white cloak.

and the Caledonia peered out to sea.

The scallop boats dreamt about their next trip.

Whilst the lobster boats dosed at the side of the wharf.

But this  little boat was going nowhere,  hiding in its smoke-screen.

I can’t believe I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award!
Thank you so much    sartenada !  I feel very honoured to receive this award nomination from you!

There are rules I must follow after being nominated.

I Must

1. Thank the award-giver and link back to them in my post.
2. Share 7 things about myself.
3. Pass this award on to 15 recently discovered blogs I enjoy reading.
4. Contact the bloggers to let them know about the award.

7 Things about Myself

I have always loved everything about the mountains,  but as I am now living in Nova Scotia, I am replacing the mountains with the sea, and hill walking with kayaking.

I enjoy classical music and love to attend the concerts at St John’s Church here in Lunenburg. What a venue!

Reading is one of my pleasures. I am in the middle of ‘The Stranger’s Child’ by Alan Hollingworth, which reminded me at the beginning  of ‘Brideshead Revisited’. But nothing will replace ‘BR’ by Evelyn Waugh as my favourite book of all time.

I enjoy good food, and so enjoy cooking. We have wonderful sea food here in Nova Scotia, with fantastic fresh lobster, scallops, mussels, haddock, halibut….

I dream about building a new house by a lake or the sea. Perhaps one day it will happen.

Jeff and I travelled across Europe in a VW caravanette in the 70′s, heading for Australia. The Iranian Revolution prevented us from getting there, but it  did instill a love of travelling and discovering different cultures.

I believe you have to do what you really want to do in life and admire people who do exactly that.

My Nominees

Many of the Blogs I follow are written by people who are on travelling adventures or have chosen a ‘different’ way of life for themselves and their children. I can travel all over the world from my computer. Some, like me, write about their local area, others are amazing photographers, and a few are both!

A Human-powered Journey

The Big Africa Cycle

My Sardinian Life

Great Family Escape

 Our Bear River Adventure

 Eastern Passage Passage

 Five Good things

 Travel Photography

Scottish Photography

 Maggie’s Photography

 My Small Country

 A Lighter Shade of Grey

Good Morning Gloucester

Living on the road

 On the Road of Life

I hope you enjoy some of these Blogs as much as I do.

It seems that even here in Nova Scotia, people suffer from the North American ‘tacky light syndrome’.

Lunenburg has more tasteful lights, with the little sponsored trees at the bandstand.

And the decorated  fishing boats at the harbour.

They make for a very pleasant walk along the front.

It has snowed here this morning and this is the view from our window into the garden.

We should have a white Christmas.

Jeff took this photo!!! It’s a bit out of focus! – but might make a nice painting.

Have a wonderful Christmas, and I’ll see what I have to report in the New Year.

This was what Winston Churchill said after the House of Commons was demolished in one of the last raids of the London blitz.

In March 2011, I wrote a Post about the Lunenburg Academy and mentioned that a new school was to be built in Lunenburg.

https://queensincanada.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/lunenburg-academy/

The new Bluenose Academy will take the pupils from Lunenburg Academy, Lunenburg High School, Centre Consolidated School and Riverport Elementary School.

Last Fall work began on the demolition of Lunenburg High School to clear the new site for the Academy.

Everything was taken away from the site by truck, apart from heaps of rubble which were used in the new foundations.

During the winter work began on the new steel structure.

The Architects of the new building are WHW from Halifax. You can see their plans for the school at their website.

http://www.whwarchitects.com/projects/current/bluenose/main.html

The building began to take shape.

Here the old Academy watches the progress.

It wasn’t too long before the insulation and cladding were  being added to the exterior.

and new windows filled the gaping holes.

A large part of the exterior shell is metal sheeting.

Black, white and red are used, just as in the old Academy.

There are solar panels to generate heat for hot water

And a wood-pellet boiler.

This building will have its critics. There will be those who attended the Academy, who feel that no new building can replace it. There will be those who were pupils at the High School, Centre School and Riverport School, who feel that these should have been kept.

I hope that this new building with a price tag of $18,000,000 will prove itself a worthy new establishment for the 21st Century and will shape the lives of its pupils.

Please leave your comments and opinions.

At the back of the buildings is a lovely orchard with various types of apples.

These russets were large and blemish free.

This huge red apple had pure white flesh.

The Grand Pre Historic Site tells the story of the expulsion of the French-speaking, Acadian people of Nova Scotia during a conflict between France and England called The Seven Years War.
Acadian families, who had been living in Canada for almost 100 years, were forced onto transport ships to be dumped up and down the eastern seaboard.

More than 6,000 Acadians were deported, from all of mainland Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and their villages burned to the ground.

The Acadian expulsion was concentrated in the rich Annapolis Valley region and Grand Pre is the central remembrance centre.

The Memorial Church tells its story.

The  stained-glass window shows the burning farms and misery of the Acadian farmers – not very visible from the outside.

A story board tells the story of the deportations.

Bronze statues remember the families banished from their new homeland.

Henry Wadworth Longfellow in his 1847 poem Evangeline, wrote.

Where is the thatch-roofed village, the home of Acadian farmers,—
Men whose lives glided on like rivers that water the woodlands,
Darkened by shadows of earth, but reflecting an image of heaven ?
Waste are those pleasant farms, and the farmers forever departed !
Scattered like dust and leaves, when the mighty blasts of October
Seize them, and whirl them aloft, and sprinkle them far o’er the ocean.
Naught but tradition remains of the beautiful village of Grand-Pré.

This was the sad story of a young, engaged Acadian couple who were forced apart before their wedding and only got together as old people when the groom was on his death bed.

The Dominion Atlantic Railway line which was built in 1894 and which connected the Annapolis Valley to Halifax, lies silent now.

But these massive willow trees  are seemingly offshoots of the original trees the French planted here in Grand Pre in the 1700′s.

It is a sad story of how  a race of people were removed from the land they loved, because of war, religion, race …..

It reminded me of how the Scots were evicted from their homes in the Highlands to make room for sheep, during the Highland Clearances.

History has a strange habit of repeating itself. Man just cannot learn to live with his fellow human beings.

On Sunday we headed to Wolfville, having been given a wonderful gift of a tour of the Grand Pre Vineyard, a meal at Le Caveau Restaurant and a night’s stay at The Lantern Inn.

We were very fortunate indeed to be able to still see the grapes on the vines, next week-end would probably be too late.

The bunches of grapes were hanging at the bottom of the vines; the foliage around them had been removed to allow the sun to ripen them. The grapes which form in the upper parts of the vine are also cut off to allow the lower grapes to get all the nutrients from the soil.

Netting is hung on each side of the grapes to protect them from the birds.

This is another bird deterrent – tape recordings of hawks and birds of prey.

Our tour guide explained about Ice Wine and how the grapes must be picked from the frozen vines to make this sweet dessert wine. If the grapes are picked before they are frozen then it cannot be called an Ice Wine.

At Grand Pre Vineyard, locals actually volunteer to go out in the dark in December, to pick the grapes!

The wine tasting was a lot of fun, learning how look at the wine, smell it, taste it and listen to it – well, she was only kidding about listening to it. Seemingly some people hear the sea, or the wind in the vines ….!

The Castel is a rich ruby red wine, with aromas of caraway and black pepper.

The tasting concluded with a sample of the Pomme D’Or, the best apple juice I have ever tasted.  At 10%  perhaps a bit more than apple juice.

We had a difficult decision, choosing our favourites, but we have something very special for Christmas Day.

Le Caveau Restaurant is beside the Winery.

In the evening, we walked through the Vineyard from The Old Lantern Inn,

and enjoyed one of the best meals we’ve ever had. (Sorry, the waitress took our photo after the meal).

We headed back through the vines to the lights you see in the distance.

On Saturday we had a walk along Louis Head Beach, and decided to drive to Lockeport for another look. As we headed for the town, we saw that there was a walk to the town over the old railway bridge and decided to go that way rather than driving over the causeway.

Huge sandstone blocks have been placed along the sea side as protection, perhaps after the problems they had with the storm surge of Hurricane Bill. Many of them are eroded by the weather and look as if they have been ornately carved for a Cathedral.

I was confused as to why the railway tracks are still in place, when the cost of steel is so high! Would this not be a good income for the town of Lockeport?

Many buildings in the town have large photographs of Lockeport when it was a thriving fishing and trading town.

This photo shows the bridge we had just walked over.

The photo is on the side of the Freight Shed at the harbour.

It was a really hot day and we decided to look for a cold drink.

The Town Market definitely wins our award for the best kept non-chain grocery store. It was spotless, well laid out, and had everything you would need. The price of meat was even cheaper than our local Supermarket. It even had a little coffee shop attached with a large selection of coffees.

This chap, sitting outside the store, was pretty wet – maybe he’d been duck hunting?

This  painting on the side wall of the Market Store tells its own story.

We weren’t too sure why this place was called the  Parrot’s Pins Candlepin Cafe. Does it have a bowling alley inside, is it a play on words? We had just had a picnic at Louis Head, so were not ready for lunch.

The outside of the building is bright and well kept and its photo shows boats overloaded with cod in the days of plenty.

The Menu was exciting and we will return here soon.

Looking across from the harbour, was this green Victorian home, built by Captain Henry Locke in 1876. The Second Empire architecture is seen in the mansard roof and projecting tower.

The other house, with the 3 dormers, was built around 1836 and is the oldest remaining building in Lockeport.

Sign at Town of Lockeport Office.

Few boats are  seen in the harbour today, not like the early years.I found this description of the 1700′s fascinating.

‘Locke’s Island, and its surroundings entered a period of booming industry, with hotels, trade warehouses, and multiple fish plants being constructed. Large trade ships plied the sea lanes from Locke’s Island to the West Indies to trade lumber and salt cod, returning to the town laden with Molasses and Salt. The fishing schooners were constantly returning from the Bank’s loaded with cod. However, this golden age of the Ragged Islands would eventually come to an end, with the first of many catastrophes coming in the form of a fish market collapse in the 1890s. Subsequent fires plagued the town, and the once great community was brought to its knees.

Carter Island Lighthouse marks one of the many rocky islands in the bays.

This dory beside the old pier, is my last shot of Lockeport.

I left the town with very different feelings from my first visit. Lockeport is trying to change and make it an inviting place for tourists and visitors. By telling the story of its past, people can realise what a prosperous place it was and the reasons for the changes.

I wish the town well with their transformation and am delighted that I found another ‘special place’ in Nova Scotia.

This bronze statue of the Duke of Wellington stands outside Register House at the end of Princes Street.

Right across the road is the Balmoral Hotel. In my day this was the North British Hotel, a traditional railway hotel, adjacent to Waverley Station. The  clock tower is an Edinburgh landmark, always set two minutes fast to ensure people don’t miss their trains.

The Scott Monument, commemorating Sir Walter Scott, is the largest monument to a writer in the world. The exterior is decorated with carvings of characters from his novels; inside you can see an exhibition on Scott’s life, and climb the 287 steps to the top for a superb view of the city.

Of course the most famous building is Edinburgh Castle perched on an extinct volcano.  The castle rock has been inhabited from around 900 BC, but it wasn’t until about 1140 that the first stone Castle was build by Malcolm III.

It was strange seeing these ancient buildings again. For almost 60 years I saw them during visits to Edinburgh, appreciating them, but never really considering how old they were.

Canadian history is very young. It wasn’t until the early 1600′s that the first French colonists set up a settlement at Port Royal, now Annapolis Royal here in Nova Scotia and 1749, before Halifax was founded.

One of the first places Jeff ever took me to for a meal was the Cafe Royal. This building has been here since 1862 and has stained glass, murals, mirrors and wood panelling.

Imagine our disappointment to find that it was closed for 3 days!

There is no dearth of eating establishments on Rose Street, so we set of to find one.

The Kenilworth looked popular, but it wasn’t until I looked at this photo that I saw how young the clientele were.

I didn’t think I could eat in a pub with this name.

We eventually chose the Abbotsford Bar and Restaurant and enjoyed a wonderful meal of venison. It might be a long time until wget a chance to taste it again.

This is a library picture, as I didn’t take a photo myself.

I was surprised to see this Tardis in Rose Street. These were a common sight in cities in my childhood, but I couldn’t really remember what they were for.

Jeff enlightened me. Seemingly, they were a telephone box for use by officers and the public, giving a direct telephone link to the local police station. The box was also used as a temporary police station and was even used to detain prisoners until a vehicle came to take them to the cells.

With the advent of telephone boxes in the 50′s and 60′s these police boxes became obsolete.

It was getting dark as we headed back along Princes Street to our hotel. It had been a fleeting trip to Edinburgh, but quite long enough for us, now that we are used to the Nova Scotian pace of life.

The countryside in this area is farm land and at this time of the year the golden colour of the stubble fields brightens the landscape.

We had a trip to Arbroath and I just had to take a photograph of the old harbour with the new marina. Living now in Lunenburg, I couldn’t help but compare and contrast this sight. Like Lunenburg, the houses are brightly painted around the harbour, but the harbour itself is stone instead of the wooden piers of Nova Scotia.

This is Johnshaven harbour just up the coast a bit.

A visit to the village of Edzell, at the foot of Glen Esk, was a must, mainly to visit the award winning butcher, Bel’s. We miss venison in Canada, so it was great to be able to buy it here.

http://www.lovebritishfood.co.uk/british-food/british-food-producers-of-the-month/bel-forbes,-butcher,-edzell,-angus/

This arch into the village, was built in 1887 to commemorate the 13th Earl of Dalhousie and his wife who died within a few hours of each other.

Just along the road at Fettercairn is another arch. Fettercairn Arch was built to commemorate the visit of Victoria and Albert in September 1861.

The House of Dun, near Montrose, is another old favourite. This house was designed by William Adam in the early 18th Century. This clock, like many of the clocks inside the house, is French.

There are lovely woodland walks and a walled garden. My Mum enjoyed the bright colours of the flowers.

Would you call this an arch pergola?

The south facing wall of the garden is perfect for these espalier pears.

Just along the road from Forfar is Glamis Castle, the ancestral home of the Earl of Strathmore.The parents of Elizabeth,the Queen Mother, were Lord and Lady Glamis.

We visited Glamis often when we lived in Scotland. We walked the grounds, cycled to the village of Glamis and up the long drive to the castle, and enjoyed hot bowls of soup in the huge kitchen, now a tea room. We even had a puncture in our old Standard 10 at the back of the castle in the snow – about 40 years ago!

We have had many swims at Kinshaldy beach, but the weather wasn’t too good for that this time.

After our week at Brechin, we visited our friends at St Andrews. While Jeff played golf, I played the tourist and took some photos of St Andrews Castle.

And the ruins of St andrews Cathedral.

We left Scotland again from Edinburgh Airport, but not before we had a last walk down memory lane there.

That will be the next Blog.