Peggy's Cove
Trip Start
Jul 22, 2007
1
6
9
Trip End
Jul 30, 2007
Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
Friday, July 27, 2007
After checking out of St. Mary's University Residence, Mike and I decided to get out of the city, and head to someplace that is slower pace and cooler in temperature. The temperature was already scorchingly hot when we left Halifax at 9:30 a.m. for Peggy's Cove. The trip was supposed to take 45 mins to 1 hour; however, we made a wrong exit which added an extra hour. This was further exacerbated by construction/road closure and faulty directions given by gas station attendants.
The drive to Peggy's Cove was beautiful. We encountered small quaint fishing villages, and water front cottages communities along the way.
Interesting Facts about Peggy's Cove...
Located 43 km southwest of downtown Halifax, Peggy's Cove is one of the many small fishing villages located around the perimeter of the Chebucto Peninsula. In 1811, the Province of Nova Scotia issued a land grant of more than 800 acres to six families of German descent. The settlers relied on fishing as the mainstay of their economy but also farmed where the soil was fertile and used surrounding lands to raise cattle. In the early 1900s, the population peaked at about 300. Today, this number is a far fewer. Most of the residents only live here during the summer, but escape to town during the winter months. However, there are a few brave souls who stick it out here all year round. Apparently, Murray who owns Murray's Lobster Pound and lives in the brown house above the restaurant, lives here all year round. His son (our server) lives with his mother in town during the rest of the year.
From the beginning, the economy of Peggy's Cove was based primarily on fishery. After WW II, tourism became a secondary source of income for its inhabitants. Today, Peggy's Cove is primarily a tourist community, although its few surviving residents still fish for lobster, and maintain a rustic life style. It is one of the busiest tourist attractions in Nova Scotia and its prime attraction is the Peggys Point Lighthouse that is situated on an extensive granite outcrop.
The unusual rugged beauty of Peggy's Cove landscape is the result of a geological phenomenon that happened over a period of 400 million years. According to Wikipedia...
"In the Devonian Period, the plate tectonics movement of the earth's crust allowed molten material to bubble up from the earth's interior. This formed the rocks we see today and are part of the Great Nova Scotia batholith. The unique landscape of Peggys Cove and surrounding areas was subsequently carved by the migration of glaciers and the ocean tides. About 20,000 years ago, an ice ridge moved south from Canada's Arctic region covering much of North America. Along with the ebb and flow of the glaciers, the ice ridge eventually melted and shifted and in the process scooped away and scoured large sections of rock, vegetation, and topsoil. As melted land glaciers flowed back to the oceans the changing tidal flows and rising sea levels filled the scarred areas with water, forming coves and inlets. Large boulders composed of 415-million-year-old Devonian granite, called glacial erratics, were lifted by the ice and carried for long distances before being deposited upon the landscape as the ice receded, leaving rugged barrens. The movement of the glacial ice and rocks left scouring marks in the bedrock that can still be seen today."
(Okay kiddies, enough of the Geology lesson for today! I will re-assume my travel blog...)
The entrance of Peggy's Cove was framed by these interesting looking granite boulders that were carried by ice for a long distance and deposited here as the ice receded. Of course, this is the geological explanation; however, I have a theory that these boulders were left here by giants whose specie was killed off when they invented a game called rock throwing (yes, it is possible).
When you are in Peggy's Cove, you cannot help but go a little camera crazy. I must have taken over 100 pictures when I was there! After having taken my first 100 pictures of the Cove, Mike and I went to Murray's Lobster Pound for lunch. This restaurant is owned by Murray who has his whole family working for him. His wife at the cash, and his son (who is no more than 13 years old) serving customers. Items on the menu include lobster chowder, fresh lobsters ($20 for a 1 lb lobster), oysters, and lobster burgers. Mike and I had the lobster chowder, which was simply delicious! We had the best table overlooking the sea (the temperature was 31 degree Celsius, but it felt more like a comfortable 20 degree with the breeze and wind). This was where I sat for at least 2.5 hours drinking coffee/tea, enjoying the view, and reading. The book I am currently reading is Don DeLillo's Underworld. One of my favourite passages in the book is told by a character (a school high school teacher) who seems to find pleasure and comfort in simple things (such as the taste, texture, and smell of a tangerine he had earlier in the day, and its association to Tangier/Morocco) amidst a troubled marriage and a dying mother in the next room. The 2.5 hours spent at Murray's was about taking the time to enjoy the moment and the simple things in life (the sunshine, the beautiful view, the smell of the ocean, the breeze blowing through my hair, and the snippets of conversation overhead from other travelers).
Reluctantly I relinquished my favourite desk chair at Murray's, and ventured up to see the Peggy's Point Lighthouse. The barren landscape surrounding the Lighthouse was indeed rugged and beautiful, and some people would even say that it is sublime. Mike seems to really enjoyed climbing and exploring the rocks.
We left Peggy's Cove around 3:30, but not before we checked out the compost washroom facilities on the premise. We can sense the rising of the temperature the closer we approach Halifax!
Halifax (Jul 27): Evening
We checked into the Dalhousie Summer Residence around 5:00. It is certainly not as posh as the PEI accommodation; however, it has Internet access, parking close by, bigger rooms, and an accessible toilet and shower stall on each floor. The best part is the location, which is very central (1 block from Spring Garden and 3 blocks from the Harbour). After checking into the Dalhousie Residence, we ventured out for Chinese food as Mike was homesick for Mom's cooking. We accidentally stumbled upon (not climbed) the Great Wall Restaurant located on Bedford Street. The Great Wall was voted the best Chinese restaurant in Halifax by the city's entertainment weekly newspaper. The restaurant is owned by a Cantonese-speaking family whose members all work in the restaurant. This helps to make Mike felt "at home". Mike seems to like the food, but I didn't think it deserves the honour of having the best Chinese food in town.
