Tales on the tails of Nova Scotia. 2/2

Part 2/2 ( said I had 12.5k words. 2500 too many for one blog!)

Her folks arrived and went for a walk with us after 15 long hours in that leg of their trip, and we as mentioned went to the pub and danced our asses off after a nice meal, with local beer, provided by Propeller. I had the delightfully hoppy, Bitter, a classic English style beer.

After a good nights rest we drove a considerable distance to Fort Louisburg, on the North East corner of Cape Breton. The road there was scenic as we took the coastal route, filled with forests and water ways spattered with fishing villages and boats.

The homes were very simple, looking only to be a two story bungalo style, with a small floor plan. The were in good keep, and really looked like the size of home I could imagine living in, if I decide to grace a bank with a mortgage in my life.

The Fort was more costly than expected, so we toured the museum, which was interupted by a fire drill, so we drove down to the old grave yard on the road and then down to the fort for some pictures.

Across the water was the 3rd version of Canada's first light house and we decided that was in budget for us.

The rocks on this huge cliff very nice stepped down to the Atlantic's edge via the large rocks breaking off cleanly, who know how many eons ago. The gentlemen of the trip dipped they arms into Neptune's deep blue, while the ladies sayed up to, allowing themselves to become a beautiful silhouette, for picture taking, in the late afternoon sun.

After a grocery stop in Sydney we made our way down to the North end of Bras d'Or Lake to a property with the owner's home, as well as 9-10 ridiculously simple looking cabins with a lavish interior.

In the evening after dinner we walked to the waters edge and watch a beaver for some time working away on the water front, and at dark we began to see the stars shine.

Now this day Monday the 21st, one day before my wife's 32nd and 3 days after our 5th married year, we stood and gazed at the stars as they became more pronounced and bagan to twinkle vividly as there was no city lights. The Dipper was a large as the Northern sky and shoot stars kept whizzing past as we looked on. Low and behold the Milky Way began to appear and I began to tell my wife that the last time I saw the beauty of this miraculous being was only 2 weeks after we were married and I was canoeing deep in the Adirondacks, when I was sure I was drunk because there were so many stars I could not focus.

This was the best gift I could have given her. This was our 'paper' anniversary, but instead we got the cosmic dust drifting in our galaxy.

I told her how I felt about the stars and how they allowed to feel the smallness of ourselves in this wide universe, and how deeply fortunate we were together experiencing this life together, for I don't know if we've had many, or will have another together for a long time. I talked for a long time and became very verklempt professing my love for her and our great fortune.

For a long time we gazed. I looked at the ground and said,"It's really cool how well you can see the ground" just as the owners cat walked up she looked down and her gasp scared the living shit out of me . She appologized and I said it was okay, that she was very brave to come out in the total dark.

Tuesday morning we made our way to Halifax via Sherbrooke, which WAS NOT the one Stan Rogers sang about to our dismay, and we made ito town for a nice meal with good beer, although, none of us got what we originally wanted on either account. The band played over played covers mostly of Elton John, Tom Petty and other 70's hits from Cat Stevens....bah! Where are the sea songs you fools?!

The next morning her parents left a day early for whatever reason as they usually do, and we took a bus to Halifax after boarding another nite in our hotel. Atleast they left us with plenty of Heiniken, hazah!

The rest of the day we spent walking around the wharfs, eating street veggie meat for lunch and then taking a tour of Alexander Keith's original brewery. The tour guides played there 1800's role and gave us a history of the man and his ales, of which his India Pale Ale is best known. Is it coincidence that two things as English beer, where my genes came from, and India, where my heart resides, are also in a Province where my ancestors immigrated? Probably !

We got two mug samples on the tour, of which we both had Stout, only brewed and sold is NS, as I don't think 'his' IPA is really is really to my taste, much too drinkable for the masses and not distinctive at all.

I was chosen to grind the grains in a pestle, which seemed to delite the 'brewer' as I was doing it 'passionatly'.

A cool thing to see was a corner stone where the old wagons, which came for the casks, turned the corner and wore away a stone in the archway.

After the tour we went to 'his' pub and got a nachos and jug deal, which meant the huge plater was almost free. And there was music........One freaking ironic guess what they played....same stuff, different guitar....less gusto

In the morning we came back to the hostel where I stayed till Friday Morning.

Thursday was a quick trip to the Citadel for a tour and a few pints of Ale across the street.

She went to register for her conference and I hit some used book stores to no avail. After which I looked around some old graveyards as we had before earlier that week and also returned to the public gardens for a stroll.

We ate dinner that nite at a different micro brewery, which has good ales.

And then back to our room to share love once more as we did many times on this trip.

In the morning I departed for BC and the B&B I'll be running for 3 weeks and She rode with me to my stop on the bus.

Northern Nova Scotia I liked alot, and the beers all over were pretty good, micros, however they were pricey. I heard the herbials in the north were those to rival the best and the people were great. Halifax wasn't my instant soul mate, but neither was Vancouver when we moved there. This was part vacation/business/prospecting for moving to Eastern Canada at some point , which I all though seemed well and good, should we go that route.

I woudn't recommend the hostel as my wife had some food stolen there, and the people were hard to deal with. However alot of other people seemed to love it and it was clean and convenient to downtown. People didn't clean up after themselves that much either which is unusual even for scummy hostels, but the price is always right, and I guess that means they have you over a barrel so to speak.

Now begins my time in the North Central part of my favourite place on Earth so far. And a whole new series of things to write about.

I won't be able to smoke till the 9th of Oct, and I'm also considering not drinking till then as well. I will have some coffee, but would like to cut back with that as well and use this time to purify my mind soberly. There is alot of wood to chop and fetch inside, trails to walk, and teaching to listen to and read.

Thanks for reading and all the best.