There was still no let up in the weather, a wet and miserable morning yet again. During the night we had placed a tarpaulin over the roof bag of Kevin, in order to keep him drier and help keep everything inside from becoming even more soaked.
The plan for today was to drive to Halifax, a little over an hour North. We stopped on the way in the tiny seaside town of Peggy’s Cove, permanent population of 33. Peggy’s Cove is tiny, right on the edge of the land and, today, was being battered with torrential rain and wind. This resulted in rough seas and added a rugged yet beautiful feel for the area, something all lovers of the sea will appreciate. A lighthouse warns ships passing by of the rocks surrounding the cove, high tide or low.
For a break from the cold and wet we headed into the only restaurant, no take away because there are far too many tourists to risk a littering problem. The lack of takeaway was disappointing as I had hope to get some chips to eat whilst outside, but I can appreciate the desire to keep litter at bay – especially in a wonderful seaside town. Instead of the chips, we sat inside and had a great tasting portion of fresh mussels.
Now it was back driving towards Halifax, once again with it raining inside the car from the straps leaking. Shell and myself are pretty disappointed at this stage, Nova Scotia is the main focus of our road trip and the weather has been extremely disappointing.
Arriving in Halifax we opted for another hostel, rather than camping, which had underground parking to help dry out Kevin. We were unable to check in upon arrival because the entire HI Hostel staff had decided to go on lunch at the same time, so we headed for the pub nearby which offered English style ales. It was a great place, even if they served their ales cold, because the interior was styled almost exactly like ones back home in England.
After sorting out the hostel we went for a walk around the farmers market, a short walk away. It was great to see local producers of fruit, vegetables, wines and fish all ready to talk about their business. There is also plenty of freshly cooked food on offer; from Chinese to lobster you can have pretty much anything. Being inside, it was also great to get out from the rain that was still persisting.
A first for me, was visiting a working brewery – Alexander Keith’s. For $16 per person you can visit the building and have a guided tour, with free samples. The tour was brilliant; the guides all try to give you a feel that you are back in the 1800’s as they explain about the building, cask building and the brewing process. The tour leads to the local tavern where you are presented with four options to choose from for your free beer, with two choices available each. After you have your first helping, the guides sing and dance while you sit and watch – slightly amusing to watch but all in good fun. If you head to Halifax, go on the tour.
The weather was still miserable after we had finished, so we decided to have a drink before heading back to the hostel to prepare our evening meals. Fingers keeping crossed for tomorrows long drive to Cape Breton.
Trip Statistics:
Tim Horton’s stops – 9
Kilometres driven – 145km
Total distance driven – 7739km
Car faults – Found out Speedometer is inaccurate by 10kph
– Speakers starting to refuse to operate
– Tail Light Casing Broken
ttwv 
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