3 August 2013 Hubbard Farmer's Market, Mahone Bay, beaches boats and islands

Today was another relax day. The six of us (Jerry, Marge, Jim, Cynthia, Patrice, and myself) and Carlos left our campground at 8:30 and went to the farmer's market in Hubbards, Nova Scotia. What a fun place! People and babies and dogs; bakeries, produce, meat, eggs; jewelry, sewn goods, coffee, food booths, and wine. We bought some vegetables (sweet corn, radishes, chantrelle mushrooms, onions, and sun flower sprouts), a dozen cage free eggs, some meat (nice big T-Bone, sausages, and bacon), some chutneys, a bottle of wine, some scones, and Lawrence the stuffed lobster. The market was packed; Carlos and I met and talked to Carlos and his two-year old son from Venice, Italy.

After the market we drove on westward to the town of Mahone Bay (prounounced mah-HONE). This upscale fishing village was full of their Pirate Days Festival. People and kids were all dressed as pirates, from sabers and eye patches to sashes and bandanas. Three men in full pirate-type dress had none of that run-of-the mill costuming; they wore tri-corn hats, velvet coats and breeches, and silk stockings (maybe silk-looking).

The harbor was full of sailboats and watercraft of all kinds--this is a resort and vacation area.

The village is full of beautiful old houses (many of them bed and breakfasts), interesting shops and stores and at least five churches, all of them with high steeples. We will probably return here for some shopping before we leave the area.

This church was so lovely, with the open look created by the windows.

There are five churches here, one hidden by trees,

and one steeple peeping from behind the tan church

We drove through town, observing the festivities and visited two yard sales. Lunch was tasty. We had soups: mussel, pea, and carrot/spinach; we had sandwiches: egg salad, grilled cheese, BLT, and sausage-sauerkraut-bacon; and creme brulees for desert. 

 Jerry, Marge, 2 unknowns, Cynthia, Jim, and Patrice at yard sale

After lunch followed the coast line back to our campground, through several small fishing villages in various coves and inlets off  Mahone Bay. Chester was particularly scenic--many boats in the harbor, and families on the beach or in a salt water swimming pool.

 Notice the three distinct islands offshore

Salt water swimming pool

We did a little walking on the beach here before we moved on around the bay.

Jim and Cynthia

 Jerry, Jim, Marge, and Cynthia

As we continued a fog set in, hampering some of our site seeing. Regardless, the shoreline around Mahone Bay was spectacular. The wind generated some Atlantic Ocean waves that crashed onto the beaches and rocks. We stopped for ice cream at a local convenience store before visiting the memorial to those who died in the Swiss Air flight 111 in 1998. This memorial is located on the west side of Mahone Bay in Bayswater and is the burial site for many unclaimed bodies. The memorial stone on this side lists the crash victims. There were flowers and a couple stuffed animals at the base of the wall, and small stones placed on the top. It is sobering to see names listed all from the same family, and couples. The other memorial on the other side of the bay, near Peggy's Cove at Whales Ridge, triangulate perfectly with the crash site offshore.

The significance of this crash, besides memorializing the tragedy, is that many changes in materials and procedures were made in the construction of passenger airplanes to insure the safety of flight journeys.

Tomorrow we return to Lunenberg.