This and that Day 7-8

We are catching our collective breath. We did enjoy a wonderful fireworks display Canada Day evening, from a cliff in the park overlooking the harbor in Alma. The next morning we left the Bay of Fundy National Park in spitting rain and a cloud of black flies. Jessie drove the whole way from Alma NB to our destination in rural Nova Scotia. The day was mostly pleasant, just incredibly long. My RV GPS translates the local speed limit from kmp to mph AND tells you how fast you are actually going--a huge help. Unfortunately, rural addresses challenge its location services. Our trip took all day, thanks to a misdirection and nearly running out of gas. Distances in Canada are long and often scantily populated. We turned to Google Maps to correct our misdirection and search for gas only to be taken 22 km to a home heating fuel store before finally finding gas pumps at a small town Ford dealer. Frankly, we were lucky to have data access to use Google Maps and really lucky the local Ford dealer took on an Irving Gas franchise.

Welcome Center on Canada 2

Our campground is very isolated (by our standards). Jessie is taking an online class and the nearest public library with regular hours was forty minutes away in Truro. So yesterday was spent locating our campground then locating Truro to be sure we could find the library and then finding a local grocery store. Today has been spent doing laundry and working in the library. We plan to visit Halifax this evening then we are cutting our Nova Scotia visit short and heading west to Saint John NB early as they graciously extended our stay at Rockwell Park.

Nova Scotia Windfarm

Truro Library

I originally planned four days in Nova Scotia at the Peaceful River Campground because they were having a Vintage and Fiberglass RV rally. Apparently they expect over 75 rigs. Jessie and I were stopped by a man at a rest stop who saw LibraryAnn and made a point of inviting us and was delighted when I said we already had plans to be there. I am not sure why this campground was chosen, except perhaps for its central location in the maritime provinces. And it is large enough to host such an event and the owners are lovely folks. But it really is not near anything. Really. I will be sad not to see the many vintage rigs, but we both will be happy to be closer in to gas, food and wifi. And frankly, We are both a little road weary. We originally planned to spend these days driving the coast and visiting neighboring provinces but that thought is not so inviting now that we've logged 1800 miles and one forest or rocky coastline is starting to look like another.

Truro home

That said, Canada is still gorgeous, clean and friendly. It is full of wonderful old buildings, like the Truro Public Library and this charming old home. And folks have been very helpful and courteous. The miles of forest seem to roll like ocean swells. We hit a vista and see for miles to the next ridge, then follow winding, gently hilly roads to the next view.

So here are a few odds and ends of fun things about this trip that have not made it into previous posts.

Grocery store yarn

Because of the long, cold winters, folks are real into knitting around here. This Saint Andrews grocery sells yarn in and amongst the canned goods. And at a great price. So does the local Dollar Store.

Alma Boathouse Restaurant

SMALL fish & chips!

And I did have a wonderful birthday dinner of authentic fish and chips at the Alma Boathouse Restaurant (thank you, Cindy!) and a good, cold beer with it. Oh, and the meal shown is the SMALL portion!

Perhaps the thing that amazes us most of all are the flavors of products not available to us in the states. I wasn't kidding about the rumor that Canadian Kit Kat bars are better than those back home. There is a noticeable difference in the quality of the chocolate. They actually note on the package they are using sustainably farmed chocolate and it just has a better, more chocolaty taste. And you can get white chocolate Kit Kats all year long here (instead of just halloween), and on top of that, you can even get Green Tea Kit Kats.  I was not sold on the Green Tea flavor but I have reveled in the others.

Who knew?!?

Still, even Green Tea Kit Kats did not startle us as much as the ketsup flavored Doritos. I have never been a fan of Doritos and the idea of ketsup flavored chips just seemed beyond redneck (and pretty awful) but Jessie scarfed the bag and I suspect the ones she bought for Ben and Sydney just might not make it home.

More news as wifi happens...