Driving to Digby

Off and on inclement weather made for interesting cloud formations as we left Halifax and headed west to Digby and the fabled Bay of Fundy.

Along Harvest Highway.

We drove the Harvest Highway 101 which took us through the Valley of Farmers, Nova Scotia's bread, orchard and vineyard basket. Red clay soil reminded me of Georgia as we drove past gently rolling rises of fields and farms.

We passed Berwick, the Apple Capital. The sun played peek-a-boo, brightening the brilliant stands of yellow, white and purple wildflowers carpeting the roadside and pastures. As usual, the Good Girls wanted to stop and explore half a dozen times, but we had places to go and timetables to keep.

Hills grew taller as we neared the sea again and spreads of purple, white and pink lupines interrupted the more mundane wildflowers.

Nothing untidy allowed in Annapolis Royal.

We were ready for lunch when we rolled into Annapolis Royal, a charming, beautifully kept town, where peeling paint, weeds and errant grassy patches seemed to have been disciplined out of existence.

Bistro East was our destination and we continued our quest to deplete the lobster population.

The seafood chowder was one of the best and the lobster roll was everything one could hope for.

 Everything else served is tempting so it gets our A+ , spoons and forks up vote of approval.
















The Historic Gardens gave us an opportunity to walk some of it off. Annapolis Royal claims the title of oldest permanent European settlement in North America - 1605 vs. Jamestown's 1607 although much later than     than St. Augustine's 1565 - and this was designed to celebrate that long heritage.
As the land slopes down to a tidal river valley all varieties of garden design can be seen,

ponds,















woodland,

  a Governor's garden of the 18th century,

a Victorian garden of the 19th





















and the recreation of a pre-deportation Acadian settler's homestead.

 Rhododendrums  were still in their glory,














                              peonies were just coming into theirs

Photos by Debi Lander.

and yellow laburnum draped the pergola.












Not a bad way to while and wander.