The Food of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia

I saved the tastiest post about our vacation to the Canadian Maritimes for last: the food of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

As we do on every trip, Paul and I tried to make a special effort to sample the local cuisine. On this vacation, that meant lots of seafood, although I ate a fair number of hamburgers and french fries, as well. But even that wasn't totally out of line: in addition to its mussels and lobster, Prince Edward Island is known for its potato crops and beef.

One of the most memorable meals was at a lobster supper in Prince Edward Island. Lobster suppers seem to be fairly common -- I saw plenty of brochures for them, even though their roots seem humble. They're often fundraisers for a church, and the one we went to was in a church basement.

Paul ordered the traditional lobster supper, which included a salad, seafood chowder, mussels, a lobster with a side of vegetables and a dessert. I got all of the above minus the lobster and vegetables, opting to pick at Paul's instead. There was so much food, he didn't even mind.

Even though I live above a restaurant specializing in mussels, this is the first time I can ever remember trying them. Now I understand why the aforementioned restaurant is so popular.

Paul's first whole lobster

My first mussels

I have to admit, some of the best meals we had were the breakfasts served at our Prince Edward Island bed and breakfast, The Graham Inn. Breakfast started with either coffee or tea and some kind of baked good. I'm still dreaming about the cinnamon rolls.

It was followed by a fruit and yogurt parfait topped with granola, and then the main dish -- it was different each morning. One morning, for example, we had stuffed french toast, while the next morning a delectable breakfast BLT with Canadian bacon and melted cheddar cheese, with potatoes and fruit on the side. We always left for our day's outings pleasantly full.

Cows Ice Cream is based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. We each got a cone when we were there, but I'm guessing it's popular all over the Maritimes -- there were long lines at the shop we passed in Halifax, too.

Back in Nova Scotia, we had one of our simplest and most satisfying meals in Peggy's Cove: cornish pasties, a puff pastry filled with different ingredients. Paul opted for the traditional, with steak, carrots and turnips. I was happier with my bacon and cheddar. They were hot, flaky, delicious and filling.

Besides plenty of ice cream, I didn't try too many desserts. One exception was in a cafe in Chester, Nova Scotia, during our road trip along the South Shore. I tried a Breton -- a round, shortbread-type cookie with a thumbprint of raspberry jam. We were already seemingly surrounded by the French language; we not try a French dessert?

And, of course, we couldn't go to Canada without ordering some poutine, so in Halifax we ate one lunch at a chain poutinerie. Paul's eyes were big, so he got a large Montreal-style (fries topped with corned beef, mustard, gravy and cheese curds, with a pickle), and I got a small traditional order with gravy and curds. I'm normally a fan, but not this time. Luckily, the restaurant was right around the corner from our hotel, so mine went into our fridge, and Paul downed it as a midnight snack.

Last but not least: Prince Edward Island's version of the Buckeye. I almost wish I would have tried one.

A Day Trip to Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg

One of my favorite days of our entire vacation to Halifax and Prince Edward Island was the one we spent driving the Lighthouse Route of Nova Scotia, along the South Shore from Halifax to Lunenburg.

This drive takes about 3 or 4 hours following the scenic coastline, and maybe twice as long if you want to stop at a few of the little villages or viewpoints. The drive via highway from Lunenburg back to Halifax was about an hour. All in all, it was a full-day trip: we were gone about 9 hours.

The first (and in my view, the best) stop was 40 minutes from Halifax, at Peggy's Cove. It's a popular destination for buses and tourists, but there were only a few dozen people on the rocks around the lighthouse when we got there. By the time we left, however, the parking lot was full.

The lighthouse with the waves crashing white against the rocky shore made for lovely views, accentuated by the blue sky and even bluer water.

Peggy's Cove from a scenic viewpoint -- the lighthouse is directly above the rock sculpture.

Besides the stop at Peggy's Cove, most of the day was spent in the car. But we did stop at:

• a small beach so Paul could get his feet wet
• the village of Chester for a short walk and snack
• the tiny town of Mahone Bay to sit in a gazebo and take in the waterfront views
• Lunenburg, where we ended the trip with ice cream cones, a walk along the water and a quick visit into a quaint store or two

Paul jokes that all fishing villages are interchangeable -- brightly colored buildings against a shore. That was true here too, but it didn't make the views any less picturesque.

It was a long day, but pleasant. Especially since Paul was the one driving and maneuvering through the up-and-down roadway curves instead of me.

Lunenburg

Lunenburg

Halifax Odds & Ends

One of the most well-known sites in Halifax -- and the one that may be hardest to miss -- is the Citadel. It sits high above the city, and it's a steep trip down from the Citadel to the waterfront. That, of course, makes for some pretty good city views.

But it's also just an interesting place to visit. The Citadel is a star-shaped fortress that was constructed from 1828 to 1856. We meandered along the upper ramparts and opted for a free 45-minute tour that took us into some of the nooks and crannies -- all of which visitors are able to explore by themselves, but which would be pretty easy to miss without someone who knows where they're going.

Another site you'll find in the Halifax tour books is the City Hall. We didn't go in, but the clocks are what to look for anyway. One of them is set for the exact time of the 1917 Halifax Explosion in the harbour that injured some 9,000 people and ravaged much of the city.

One of the prettiest parts of the city is the Halifax Public Gardens. It's fairly small -- you could easily see the entire park in an hour or so -- but there are beautiful flowers, a lovely pond and lots of well-placed benches. Plus there's a summer Sunday concert series in the gazebo, which we were able to enjoy.

Halifax doesn't have an Eiffel Tower or Brandenburg Gate -- no must-see, world-renowned attraction that's on every to-see list. Instead, it has a handful of excellent ways to wile away an afternoon, and that's just what we wanted on this vacation.

On the Halifax Waterfront

Downtown Halifax sits on the Halifax Harbour, and the waterfront seems to be where most of the shops, views and people are. That was especially true since we were there for the Halifax Tall Ships Festival.

We never did see the ships drift into or out of the harbour (when in Canada, spell as the Canadians do!), but we walked along the boardwalk with thousands of other visitors, peering at the ships, close enough to touch. You could board the ships with a special pass, but we never got one. We were content just slowly walking along, taking in the sights.

When it was time to eat, Paul chose a restaurant with outdoor seating just steps away from one of the ships. A few minutes after we were done, the festival fireworks were launched. It was the first evening of vacation, so we were surprised by how cold it was. The weather, however, was a nice change from the heat and humidity we left behind in New York.

The main section of the boardwalk isn't too long or too short, but you can spend a good two or three hours by taking it easy and popping into the stores and souvenir shops, or by sitting on a bench watching the pleasure boats drift by.

And the boardwalk is practically anchored by two things you'll want to visit anyway -- the Historic Properties (I hesitate to use the word "mall" to describe the indoor/outdoor space, since it's all unique shops and restaurants) at one end and the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market at the other. Unfortunately we visited the market just after breakfast. One of the few things I'd do differently on this trip was go to the market during lunchtime.

We were lucky to be in Halifax during a festival. However, meandering along the harbour even minus the ships would be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

A Week in the Canadian Maritimes

View of Halifax and the harbor from the Citadel

Leave it to me to get my first tan in years not in Florida or Italy, but in Canada.

Of course, I use "tan" comparatively. I'm still pretty ghostly. But compared to my usual Caspar-like pallor, I look pretty brown. Or red, if you look at my ankles -- the one place I obviously forgot to use sunblock.

Tan or no tan, burn or no burn, we're back from our week in Canada: 3 nights in Halifax, Nova Scotia, followed by 4 nights near Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. It was the most relaxing vacation I've ever taken, and the first one I can remember in a long time in which I came home and my feet didn't hurt.

I wasn't up for planning an intricate two-week jaunt, and I wasn't sure my 5-month pregnant body could take the hustle and bustle of our normal vacation anyway. So instead we chose a destination I'd long wanted to see ever since reading "Anne of Green Gables" as a child: Prince Edward Island. Paul had a hankering to see Halifax, and since it's only a 4-hour drive away, we tacked that on to the trip, too.

Since the Maritime provinces of Canada (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick) are only a two-hour nonstop flight away, these passport stamps were the easiest I've ever acquired. (In fact, I was very excited to get them -- we've never gotten stamps any time we've driven across the Canadian border.)

The weather was beautiful: temperatures in the 70s and perhaps low to mid-80s for a day or two, with no humidity. A few nights it was even cold enough to need pants and long sleeves -- a far cry from the weather we left in New York. It rained exactly one day, and that was the one we drove from Halifax to Prince Edward Island and had no outdoor plans. Perfect.

Over the next few weeks you'll see several blog posts regarding the vacation, perhaps interspersed with posts about whatever else is happening here at home in the meantime.

Halifax Town Clock