Nova Scotia - Digby

 Settled in 1783, Digby currently has a population of just over 2,000. It is famous for its scallop fleet and is the largest community in its county.

 While I am here the town is having Scallop days so there are lots of events happening. Digby was also named by Canada's Mac-Lean's magazine as Canada's most romantic town. Unfortunately I'm here without my wife but i'll just have to bring those feelings back and hope for the best. I did buy some haddock jerky to take home for her so that may help me in that regard...or not.

 My Dad and Step-Mother also live here very close to downtown.

The nice building in the background is the Digby Pines Resort, in the place of the original building built in 1905 which was replaced in 1929. It is currently owned by the province of Nova Scotia.

Wineries of the Maritimes

They also had these wild grapes growing on the petting zoo property from the winery next door. The Annapolis Valley has burgeoning wineries as well as the rest of the Maritimes. The older wine producers have become more established since when I lived here and the only local wine in the stores was Jost's Great White. Blech. Fortunately they have improved in 15 years. Try something in the area you are at when you travel here.

I prefer fruit wines and this region does not disappoint. With locally grown blueberries, peaches, pears, rhubarb, raspberries...the list goes on...these is lots to make wine from.

My absolute favorite non-grape dessert wine is the Jost Maple wine. It is delicious and made completely with maple syrup. How can you go wrong with that! It is available at these locations.

Wolfville - Taking a Rest Stop

 On the other side of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, we stopped at Hennigar's Farmer's Market and petting zoo.

The market had an excellent selection with great prices. But that's only part of the joy of the place.

The joy is the experience of seeing something you didn't expect, all from going off the highway to the unexplored path.

Rest stops don't have that bit of magic that small communities have. The fact you can pick up local fruit, vegetables, treats, knicknacks and cute animals too...well...it makes it longer but you enrich your life that much more.

Plus I got an idea for a scenery piece from this covered bridge going over a brook.

So take an adventure, turn off the highway and experience something new when you want a rest. You'll thank yourself.

Just Us! - Mexican Hot Chocolate

My sister took me to the hub and main location of a Nova Scotian business, Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-Op, on our way to my Dad's in Digby.

Located in Wolfville, just off the highway, they have the cafe, chocolate making kitchen, and fair trade museum. I heard of them when I last came here several years ago and am not a drinker of the bean. I am of the cocoa bean though. My sister told me they made nice chocolate so I asked her to stop off.

I tried their spicy Mexican hot chocolate and found it the best I had ever tasted. I've preferred the Mexican style for some time and am always on the lookout for fair-trade brands I haven't had before.

Mexican hot chocolate generally has spices in it such as nutmeg, cinnamon and hot peppers. Another hot chocolate I enjoy is the Italian cioccolatta densa (If you're ever in Italy, go to Grom's.  Its fair trade as well as delicious and thick.)

I'm now sold on this brand until another comes along. Sold my sister on it too.

Halifax - Citadel Hill (Fort George)

 Having an hour free, I revisited a place I visited often since I was quite small; Citadel Hill or Fort George. It lies smack in the middle of downtown Halifax.

There has been a fort on citadel Hill since 1749 but the Fort as it is wasn't completed until 1856.

 This is the slope going up to the fort.

Here it is a little closer. Does it look like you can get to the fort from here?

Nope. Its quite a drop and this is the reason these style of forts were extremely tough to take and this one was never taken or even attacked.

This is the passageway into the fort and back then was the only way in. There are little cubbyholes for riflemen to get some cover in the sides of the passageway.

This is a view once you go through the passageway to the left. Note the ramp going to the upper ramparts and the magazine to the left of it.

This is the view to the right of the passageway. As you can see its huge inside the fort. The army museum is in the second floor of the wood and stone structure.

Here is a view back out of the fort. The uniforms the rein-actors wear are very good. There are people dressed in all different branches of the military worn during the 1800's.

Here are some learning drill.

This is a model of the smaller fort that was originally built here and were all over North America where the British needed defense networks. I think it would make a good model building for tabletop gaming.

In the army museum they also have lots of uniforms, medals, memorabilia and weapons from the entire period that the British and Canadian army existed in Canada.

This is a Vickers machine gun, used during WW1 and as well WW2. My grandfather, part of the North Shore regiment, was in charge of a unit that used these, the Cameron Highlanders.

Here is a view of the ramp I used to walk into the fort. You can get here from inside the fort. This way, if the enemy managed to use ladders and such to get into this area, soldiers from inside the fort could engage them and get back inside before they were approached, then they would be engaged on the other side. Of course, this would be happening while being fired upon from above.

This is also in the same area pointed the other way. The structure center left is a standalone building that would have their own soldiers and cannon. It would also be self sufficient for a time yet still able to be resupplied from behind it. You can see the stairs to it center right that lead to the main fort on the right.

Now we're back in the main fort looking at the magazine wall. I like the sentry box and think it would make a good little modeling project.

Here is an example of barracks for the men. Simple, effective and promoted unity as a unit would eat, sleep, train and work together.

This is a view of the mouth of Halifax harbour from one of the cannon slots. They had a commanding view to engage enemy ships entering the harbour. You can see a fortified island center left that also aided in defense of the harbour. This fort also had cannon all around which meant it could not be engaged by land easily, like the other fantastic fort in the Maritimes, Fortress Louisburg in Cape Breton. This fort also had a "commons" around it which was an area for animal grazing and celebrations and gatherings. This also aided in the defense of the fort because the enemy could not use the urban terrain to get to the front door of the fort.

If you want to see a google skyview of the Citadel, click here and click satellite view.

Definitely spend a full morning here, not only to avoid the crowds and heat but also to experience the short films that are shown in multiple places around the fort and to speak with the rein-actors.

Flying on Westjet to the Maritimes

 I love the manual focus feature on my camera. It enables me to take cool pictures outside the plane. Myself and my wife have taken wonderful pictures of iceflows and glaciers when traveling to and fro Europe over the years. Didn't get that far North this flight.

 As per their ads, they are no frills and inexpensive with more destinations being added every year.

I've always enjoyed looking at clouds when i need a break from reading.

Travel - Going to Canada's Maritimes

I'm sitting at the Victoria Airport waiting for my flight. I got here almost an hour and a half early so I thought I'd let you readers know of the lack of tabletop model pictures for the next three weeks.

I will, however, be posting about things and places I'll be at while in some of the Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick). There are a few historical sites and buildings I want to revisit (I was born and grew up in the Maritimes) so I'll write about so those if I visit them. If I see any gaming stores or items I'll post about them too.

I still have the rest of the foam terrain to post so expect those in the next few days.