PICTOU, NOVA SCOTIA.
Day 21 – It rained a little last night. Last “night” (it hasn’t been getting dark until after 9 p.m.), after we’d already posted yesterday’s Blog entry, the Bald Eagles were in front of the RV again, and Rob got a few pictures. It was 38 degrees at 7:15 this morning and cloudy, but with very little wind, for a change. We left a little after 10 a.m. to drive through Pictou, check out the city, and to find a grocery store that would have fresh produce.
Bald Eagle, Harbour Light Campground, Pictou, NS
Bald Eagle, Harbour Light Campground, Pictou, NS
Pictou is a great, old city and driving along the waterfront, we could really feel the history of the old stone buildings. It has become somewhat tourist-driven, but it still has some of the charm from yesteryear. We discovered there was a Grohmann Knife Store. Their head office & factory is here. There are factory tours in-season, and the factory outlet is located on the waterfront. For over 50 years, their professional knives have been “cherished by chefs the world over”. We saw a sign outside saying that they were having a 50% off sale on seconds, new knives with a scratch or slight flaw. We decided to get our grocery shopping done & come back later to have a look.
We found our fresh produce, drove back to the RV, put up the groceries, and made lunch (eating early so we’d have plenty of room for dinner out tonight). I’d found a good restaurant online after perusing menus last night. We packed up the cameras and left in the Honda, and we drove all over this area for the rest of the day.
Like in Downeast Maine, the coastline here runs along peninsulas. Good-sized rivers separate the peninulas in this area from each other. The rivers run out into the Northumberland Strait. Across the Strait, in the distance, is Prince Edward Island (PEI). There’s a ferry that runs several trips daily to and from Pictou to PEI. At the end of several of the peninsulas there are Islands, separated from the mainland by bridges. We drove all over several peninsulas getting as close to the waterfront as possible. It was very scenic. Amazingly uncrowded without huge housing developments, the area has kept its fishing-village charm for the most part. We visited three Provincial Parks: one was a large Park with a campground (not open for camping until June 9), and the other two were Parks for water access, trails, and picnicking. We drove through all 3, one of which was on an Island, and we walked around two of them. There were boardwalks to give beach access. The sun was breaking through the clouds, finally, and it was lovely.
Click on any picture below to see a slideshow.
We stumbled upon the Loch Broom Log Church, erected in 1787. It was the first church in Pictou County. The first services were conducted in Gaelic. You never know what you’ll find when you drive the little old roads! It was behind a large farm and barn on a dirt road, and it was overlooking the West Pictou River.
There were several LARGE factories (a lumber mill, a power plant with coal being brought in, and a group of very large, industrial buildings – as we drove by we saw a familiar logo – Michelin, and then knew what was being manufactured there). We saw Prince Edward Island across the water. We crossed the causeway onto Caribou Island which was surprisingly uninhabited for a wonderful Island in a wonderful setting. We saw lots of Great Blue Herons. At the end of the Island there was a lighthouse and many, many Gulls were on the rocks there at the breakwater.
The high today was 54 degrees but most of the day it was in the forties. Luckily there wasn’t much wind, so it didn’t feel too cold. It rained lightly on & off. But when the sun did come out, it really lit up the whole scene. We stopped at the Grohmann Knife Store in Pictou on the way back from our drive, and on the way to dinner. Rob found an eight-inch, flexible blade, filleting knife on sale which would make taking the skin off salmon SO much easier with far less waste. A really nice knife. Now we need to buy some Salmon with the skin left on (I’ve been getting it with the skin removed; now I don’t have to).
The restaurant, Piper’s Landing, was located in a lovely setting right by the West Pictou River. It didn’t open until 5 p.m. and we were starving. The River & the restaurant were separated by a grassy knoll with beautiful landscaping. We got a window table. It was a very nice place that offered locally brewed beer and some unique dishes. Instead of the standard fishing-area fare of fried fish, several fresh fish were offered with your choice of sauces and preparation. This suited us just fine. One of the specials, for example, was Fresh Salmon baked in a Lobster Pernod Sauce. We ordered drinks and an appetizer of Lobster & Shrimp Stuffed Mushroom Caps with Garlic Bread. Rob ordered Fresh Haddock cooked Spicy Cajun Style. I ordered the Shrimp, Lobster, Scallop, Haddock, & Salmon Seafood Casserole. Both of our dinners came with bread & butter, choice of potato, maple-glazed roasted root vegetables, and my casserole also had broccoli & mushrooms in it, too. It was all very good, served in a beautiful setting, and such a welcome improvement over the fried fish we’d had lately & expect to have again often while up here.
We got back to the RV a little after 7 p.m., 44 degrees & very cloudy. It’s supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow. That’s okay. We should stay home with the girls tomorrow anyway. And maybe the Bald Eagles will put on a show again while we sit here.