Purple heather in the marsh

I seem to have a bit of a Scottish theme running in my blog this month: first the wild thistle post then the Cullen Skink recipe, and now, purple heather!

On my beach walk this evening I noticed that our purple heather is starting to bloom. Heather also grows wild in Scotland (if you don't believe me check out famous Scot, Rod Stewart's version of the traditional tune, Purple Heather, on YouTube). Here around the Bay of Fundy it only blooms in the fall, whereas I think in Scotland it blooms both spring and fall.

Our wild heather doesn't grow as much on hills but rather around Fundy salt marshes and it's 99.8% purple, with rare glimpses of bright pink. White heather is rare both here and in Scotland, where a sprig of it is said to bring good luck. Keep your eyes peeled!

Fundy take on a traditional stag

Friends of ours hosted a uniquely Bay of Fundy-themed stag party last week: mud sliding and river rafting the tidal bore on the Shubenacadie River. I've known lots of people who've done this adventure for no reason but it's more profound as the framework for a ritualistic event such as a stag. Something kinda testosteroneish about fellas pushin' each other around in the mud and throwin' each other overboard. Typical of many stags, the event was captured on camera, so I'm pleased to share these rare glimpses of this Fundy-style, pre-nuptial male bonding ritual. Dude: the flying mud slidin' man is awesome - Thanks guys!!

P.S. that's not chocolate milk they're in - it's the silty, warm Shubenacadie River!

Those little blue berries are back!

Visitors to the Bay of Fundy often think it's rather quaint that we grow and harvest wild blueberries. Indeed, at this time of year, it is delightful to look out across the woodland-edged, blue-tinted fields. ( Perhaps not so fun if you are one of the scoopers who hand rakes berries on hilly post-glacial drumlins such as these in my photo!).

Blueberries are also a huge industry here around the Bay of Fundy. The complete global harvest of wild blueberries occurs in our region (as well as the neighbouring Canadian province of Quebec and the U.S. state of Maine). When you eat wild blueberries anywhere in the world (tonnes of them even go to Asia), you're likely enjoying berries from our region.
For previous postings of blueberry recipes on my blog, take a look at the recipe section or search "blueberries" in the google search window on the left.

Recipe for Cullen Skink

In case my last post ignited your interest in trying Cullen Skink, here's the recipe:

Cullen Skink
A large smoked haddock (weighing around 2 lb - you can get many varieties of smoked fish at markets in the Bay of Fundy region)
1 medium onion, finely chopped.
2 cups (900ml) milk
2 tablespoons butter
8 oz mashed or small chunked potato
Salt and fresh pepper
1 bay leaf
Chopped parsley
Water
Triangles of toast

Cover the smoked haddock with water, in a shallow pan, skin side down. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes, turning once. Take the haddock from the pan and remove the skin and bones. Break up the fish into flakes, return to the stock and add the chopped onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15 minutes. Strain, remove the bay leaf but retain the stock and fish. Add the milk to the fish stock and bring back to the boil. Add enough mashed or soft potato chunks to create the consistency you prefer (don't be afraid to make it rich and thick!). Add the fish and reheat. Check for seasoning. Just before serving, add the butter in small pieces so that it runs through the soup. Adorn with parsley, serve with toast triangles. Auch, yah!

Seaside deck dining at Gables

I've several favourite eateries in St Andrews, New Brunswick. In summer, especially, The Gables Restaurant on the waterfront tops the list. The menu is varied and fun, the beverages are plenty, the harbourside a-tree-grows-through-it deck fabulous, the atmosphere light and the staff always jovial.

I think the owner (or chef) is Scottish which means some peculiar items occasionally turn up on the menu, such as Tuesday night's special this week: Cullen Skink. This is a traditional Scottish soup often made with beef (em, not so thrilling for me, the pescetarian....) but there's also a version with smoked fish. As a Scottish descendant myself (well, it's 6 generations ago, but hey...), I do consider myself predisposed to admire foods from the 'old country'. We ordered it, of course.... an it was great! Apparently, this item only appears on the menu a few times a year.

P.S. this is also the perfect spot for a fresh lobster feed!

New adventure to Minister's Island

I've previously mentioned access to Minister's Island in St Andrews, New Brunswick, as one of the best places to appreciate several aspects of the tide. At low tide, visitors can walk or drive across the exposed beach from the mainland to the island; at high tide, that same stretch of beach is under a huge amount of water.

Until this year you had to scoot out to the island (less than 1 mile from the mainland) and back within the low tide time window (about 6 hrs). However, this summer you've got another option: a small (11 psgr) pontoon ferry has been added to enable you to motor over to the island at high tide then walk back at low tide (or vice versa). I tried this yesterday - lotsa fun!

The island is home to several walking trails (including one through a long, historic cedar hedge) as well as the former Van Horne Estate - now open to the public.

A boy's life on the Bay

I'm in St Andrews, New Brunswick, for a few days this week and had the chance to go out on the water tonight in search of whales. Sometimes Fundy sends you what you weren't expecting though...sure, we found whales, but I was as much intrigued by a few other classic Bay of Fundy coastal images.

Take this one: a small boy perched on the prow of his family's small fishing boat as it motored across the sunset. Doing nothing by some boys' definition but everything by others'. Just an ordinary night on the water among the islands of Passamaquoddy Bay ... and it made me smile.

Lennie Gallant sings about Bay of Fundy

I've been thinking that our plight to have the Bay of Fundy in the Top 7 in the New7Wonders of Nature international contest would benefit from a theme song. Fortunately, well known singer/songwriter Lennie Gallant has just the song: "Pull of The Fundy Tide" and he's delighted to have us use it during the 7Wonders campaign. Thanks Lennie!!

I'm blushing because I've been a fan of Lennie's music for ages and I think it's sweet of him to lend a hand to our very worthwhile cause.

Lennie has released seven albums (six in English and one in French) which have won him a host of awards and nominations from the JUNO Awards, East Coast Music Awards and Gala des Prix Éloizes. Over 30 artists have recorded his songs, including Jimmy Buffett, who recently invited Gallant to perform it onstage with him. His songs have also appeared in feature films, television series, and in numerous theatrical productions. Gallant has toured all over North America and in Europe with his band, in acoustic settings, and/or with symphony orchestras. I've seen him in concert several times.

And, this is cool: Lennie is a Member of the Order of Canada, our highest honour for a civilian!

"Pull of the Tides" (order it from iTunes) is from Lennie's Live album. Check out some sample tunes and videos on his website.

Beluga whale takes a vacation in Bay of Fundy

It seems we have an unexpected visitor to the Bay of Fundy: a 2-year old Beluga whale! Bay of Fundy is home to many species of whales including Right whales, finbacks, humpbacks, minkes, seis, but not Belugas. It's believed that this beluga somehow separated from its family pod, perhaps living in the St Lawrence seaway (well north of the Bay of Fundy) or even the Arctic. Belugas are occasionally spotted at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, down by Brier Island, Grand Manan Island, etc. where the rest of our whales congregate, but never off the coast of Cape Chignecto Provincial Park where this little fellow has been hanging out.

The locals have named him "Q" (Jian Ghomeshi at CBC's radio program "Q" would be proud!) and have been enjoying his antics. Still, whale researchers caution that too much human contact would not be good and that there's a reason that Belugas don't normally visit the Bay of Fundy: conditions here, though perfect for our other whales, are not ideal for Belugas. Whale researchers are assessing the situation with hopes that Q will tire of his summer vacation and head back home to his family.

McLobster anyone?

It's not only Bay of Fundy fish n' chip joints and modern bistros that get in the mood for developing local culinary delights each season; here you'll also witness such stalwarts as McDonald's shaking up its menu. Many of our fast food restaurants offer a limited-time-offer rendition of a Fundy favourite: the somewhat ordinary, but really quite tasty, "lobster roll".

The recipe is quite simple:

• mix fresh lobster bits with mayo, salt & pepper
• edge with lettuce
• then fill a toasted or grilled hot dog bun.
  

In true McDonald's fashion the lobster roll is titled: "McLobster". Seasonal availability (usually just summer) is announced on the classic outdoor slotted billboard as evidenced by the photo I took this week.

Wild thistles & the Scotland connection

The hollyhocks and delphiniums in my garden have bloomed and waned, as have many roadside blossoms like lupines, but there are still several wild flowers in full bloom. I captured this cliffside photo of the wild Canadian thistle yesterday while hiking.

I suppose many folks would label this common Bay of Fundy prickly plant as a noxious weed but I rather enjoy it as a visible reminder of my Scottish ancestry. Thistle is the national flower of Scotland, symbolizing nobility of character.

Thistle has been credited with helping Scotland fend off Viking invasions in the 1200s. As the Vikings moved into Scotland for a sneak attack, they yelled out in pain when they stumbled through thistle plants. Their cries alerted the Scots and allowed them to push out the Vikings. Since then, thistle has been the national emblem of Scotland. Thistle was probably introduced to our region as an ornamental plant by Scottish settlers in the 1800s.

Seafood cambozola linguine at Kellock's

When I wake up in a next life, I think I'd like to be a chef or a restaurateur. In the meantime, I'm content to wander the Bay of Fundy in search of indigenous foods and funky bistros.

While in the Annapolis Valley region of the Bay of Fundy recently, I visited a favourite eatery: Kellock's in Berwick, Nova Scotia. This restaurant is located in a smartly restored heritage house (love that tin ceiling) on the main street. My two top choice menu items are Thai Curried Chicken and the Cambozola Linguine with Mussels, Scallops, Shrimp (pictured here). The Friday night special is always great and they really know how to cook local fish properly. That's always a relief!

Cool new outdoor exhibits at Fundy National Park

I think we’re very lucky to have a system of national parks, national historic sites and marine conservation areas in Canada that is recognized one of the finest and most extensive in the world. The Bay of Fundy's Fundy National Park (Alma, New Brunswick) is one of Canada’s oldest and most popular; it was established in 1948 and attracts about a quarter million visitors annually!

Fundy National Park just launched a multi-year “EcoIntegrity” project to educate visitors through new interpretative experiences. Part of this new program is new insight into park ecosystems, natural beauty and cultural contexts through more engaging exhibits. One of the first new sets of interpretive panels were unveiled last week in the park at Hueston Brook. What’s behind the New Brunswick tartan curtain being unveiled at the ribbon cutting ? Well, why not go to Fundy National Park to find out!

NIfty tidal power video

It's probably no surprise that our massive tides are not only of interest to tourists but also to alternative energy folks. After an international tidal power study identified Bay of Fundy as the top worldwide site for tidal power, there's been a flurry of interest in such development here in my 'backyard'. I just came across a nifty 8 minute video from one of the companies (SeaGen) who has already installed tidal turbines in the U.K. It's a short documentary with some animations showing how generators (like the one in this photo) work.

In the Bay of Fundy, early assessments of our tidal power potential include proposals to develop an interpretation centre to better share the project with the public. Now that 'green is keen', I think folks would be really interested in learning more about tidal power while on vacation, don't you?

This beach will make you laugh

Now here's an instance of the Bay of Fundy mud looking so red that it might confuse a few of our visitors. Some could even think it looks rather like the surface of Mars where, say, someone like Marvin the Martian would vacation....I just happened to be in the area when I snapped this lucky shot of our little Looney Tunes friend relaxing at the beach.

On a completely unrelated note, scientists recently found water on Mars. Coincidence? I think not!

This beach will make you cry

Perhaps I should have a category on my blog for "Bay of Fundy beaches so beautiful they make you cry" but I suppose this topic permeates this blog anyway. Still...one of the lesser known aspects of Fundy is the variety and extraordinary beauty of the beaches. Unlike regular coasts, our 5x-higher-than-anywhere-else tides create some exquisite beachscapes.

You can see that Fundy provided an unusual perch from which I viewed its vast expanse of low tide beach at Medford, NS. I recommend walking our sandstone beaches in bare feet...a natural pedicure, true, but also a way of exploring the beach with your full senses, which will get you closer to the crying part. (P.S. white pants not generally recommended!)

Moonscapes of Medford Beach

I'm taking advantage of a few vacation days this week and where better to spend my holidays than the Bay of Fundy! I thought I'd explore a few new sections of the Fundy coast on the Nova Scotia side this month, then the same in New Brunswick next month.

This week's adventure involving walking the extreme low tide beach of Medford (near Wolfville, NS). Low tide at Medford exposes a vast walk-the-ocean-floor red beach. It's a great walking beach- sandy more than muddy - and nice n' flat. Also, there are clear vantage points of low tide (several miles off-coast) so less chance of getting caught as the tide comes in. Fundy beach walking rule #1: do your exploring for about 2 hours before the scheduled low tide time; then get off the beach (the low tide time is the time that the tide turns and starts to come back in - even locals occasionally get trapped by the incoming tide).

Medford beach low tide reveals these awesome moonscape-style sandstone rock fjords & formations; think of them as Bay of Fundy sculptures in situ. I love 'em!

A recipe for Hodge Podge

Here's a classic maritime recipe - nothing fancy but oh, so tasty! Around this time of year the Bay of Fundy harvest is wildly abundant. It's tradition to drop a pile of fresh veggies into a stew pot and cook 'em. This is aptly named, hodge podge and, surprisingly, there is actually a recipe for it:

Hodge Podge

• 1 c fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped
• 1 c fresh yellow beans, trimmed and snapped
• 1 c diced carrot
• 1 c diced turnip
• 2 c cubed new potatoes
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 c heavy cream or milk
  
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water

1. Place the green beans, wax beans, carrots and turnip into a saucepan and add enough water to cover the vegetables. Lightly salt the water, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 1/2 hour, then add the potatoes and cook for another 1/2 hour. Stir in butter and if desired, cream.
2. Mix together the flour and 1/2 cup water, and pour into the soup. Cook for a few more minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Photo credit: Jonathan Riley www.liquidquilt.ca

Fundy alpaca celebrates birthday

People may be more inclined to think of South America, not North America, when they think "ideal alpaca habitat" so you may be surprised to know that there are several alpaca farms around the Bay of Fundy. There are even alpacas in residence at Kingbrae Garden in St Andrews, New Brunswick. In fact, yesterday, their smallest alpaca, Angelina, celebrated her 1st birthday with a crowd of well-wishing kids and families. Angelina munched on specially prepared 'grass cakes' and the kids enjoyed real birthday cake.

Some of the kids even came early for the Garden's daily Live Ladybug Release (10:30) and some stayed for lunch in the Café and the free daily activity in the Children's Fantasy Garden afterwards at 1:30. Sounds like fun! Thanks to Maureen at Kingsbrae for sending along these photos of Angelina at her party.

Mud Creek Days

Bay of Fundy folk may be more fond of mud than your average coastal dwellers. You see, when the tide is low, we get to see all kinds of interesting textures on the ocean floor: rock reefs, pebbles, cobbles, sandstone boulders, sand dunes, and, in some areas, gooey mud!

The folks in the Fundy town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, are so fond of mud that they have an annual festival named after it: Mud Creek Days. It's a week's worth of good, old-fashioned hometown fun: concerts, readings, teas, art shows, and fireworks, but it's highlighted by two really neat mud-themed events: the Chocolate Mud Dessert contest (today at 7 pm) and the annual Mud Creek Sports Challenge (tomorrow) - for which they have a national corporate sponsor!!

Teams do all kinds of fun sporting events in the mud for a few hours to raise funds for a local youth sports organization. Here's a photo of low tide in the chocolatey muddy Wolfville harbour!

Nice big CAT!

I've certainly done several posts that include my Fundy dog, Belle, but I've yet to mention even one Bay of Fundy cat, not even our huge catamaran fast ferry: The Cat. This gorgeous 6-year old vessel travels between Portland, Maine or Bar Harbor, Maine and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. This is a fun trip - I've done it many times - but now is even more alluring because of higher gas prices in both Canada & the U.S.

The ship can hold up to 900 passengers and 250 cars but it scoots along smoothly at about 36 knots. The Cat runs seasonally from May 30 to mid-October. The trip from Portland to Yarmouth is 3 hrs; the trip from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth is 5.5 hours.

It makes a nice trip to come up from Maine on the ferry, loop around Bay of Fundy through Nova Scotia & New Brunswick, then pop back over the land border at St Stephen, NB - Calais, Maine.

How's the weather 'up' here?

View Larger MapWhile I'm on the topic of interesting questions asked by visitors, I'd like to answer two common visitor questions: where is Bay of Fundy? and, what's the weather like up here? This may be especially helpful to our American friends who may be a bit less familiar with our geography.

LOCATION: As the crow flies, the Bay of Fundy is located about 200 miles (650 km) east of Portland, Maine, or about 400 miles (750 km) from Boston, Massachusetts. In fact, we're actually closer to Boston than we are to Canada's capital city, Ottawa, in the province of Ontario - 600 miles (950 km) away - see map.

The Bay of Fundy is actually situated at 45 degrees latitude: 4 degrees further south than the Canada-U.S. border, commonly referred to as the "49th parellel". The Bay lies between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick & Nova Scotia (see coloured sections on the map)

WEATHER: Since we are on the eastern seaboard of North America, we get basically the same weather as Boston, just a few hours later as the Gulf Stream moves further along the coast. Just like Maine, we do love our fog in the summers which often 'burns off' by mid-morning.

Our temperature is reported in degrees Celsius (C). Yesterday's daytime temperature of 26 degrees Celsius is 80 degrees Fahrenheit; our 32 degrees C is 90 degrees F to Americans. Typical daytime summer and autumn temperatures are in the high 20s and sometimes 30s C. Summer evenings can stay in the 20s or high teens (70s in F) - better for sleeping!

We do get snow but only in the winter - starting in December (by Christmas if we're lucky) and ending in March. Just like Boston, we don't have snow in the spring, summer or fall, nor can you see the Northern lights from our Bay - you'd need to be much further north. We are as far away from the north pole as we are from the equator!

To check the weather forecast prior to your arrival, visit the Environment Canada website for New Brunswick or Nova Scotia or check out the weather maps links on the Fundy tourism website.

Fisherman lands massive lobster

I've previously shared some interesting lobster catches from the Bay of Fundy, such as last December's blue lobster and last January's half n' half lobster, but this week it wasn't a lobster's colour that made the news but rather its size. A lobsterman in our bay landed his biggest ever catch in a long career of lobster fishing: a 10 kg (approx. 22 lb), 100-year old lobster.

This fine specimin, dubbed "Big Dee Dee" was caught near Deer Island, New Brunswick but in temporary residence at a seafood shop in the region.

After Big Dee Dee made the national news this week, a country-wide bidding war ensued:
an Ontario woman slapped down $3,500 yesterday, eyeing a family feast. (Sorry lady but everyone knows that the bigger the lobster, the tougher....)

A Vancouver woman with the support of some humane society friends bid higher and she intends to fly down to release the lobster back into the Bay.

The Big Fish Seafood shop has been welcoming about 100 visitors a day since Big Dee Dee arrived but, alas, she can't live forever in captivity. As much as I like a good feed of lobster, I say let the old fella enjoy his retirement years where he belongs: in the Bay, not on the table!

Will the real TIdal Bore please stand up!

I thought it only fair to show you the 'real' tidal bore. Several rivers around the Bay of Fundy have this phenomenon but best known is the Shubenacadie River about 1 hr from Halifax, Nova Scotia. There's a nice little observation deck and interpretive centre in South Maitland from which to view the bore.

If you go, here's a tip.....stay for about 45 minutes after the initial wave passes by the lookoff. Watch the sides of the river and you'll see it fill up like a bathtub. Very cool!

If you'd rather be in the water than on it: try the tidal bore rafting. The water is warm (bathwater temp) and the ride is raucous!

This bore photo from one of the rafting companies: Shubenacadie Tidal Bore Rafting Park. Also rafting available with Shubenacadie River Runners. I've gone rafting with both - great guides, great fun!

Can you eat the Tidal Boar?

Just like any other tourist destination, we're prone to hearing the odd hilarious question from visitors from time to time. Top among Fundy's funny queries is: where can you go to eat (or better yet, hunt) the tidal boar...? The fact of the matter is that our tidal bore is a bore not a boar. No porky culinary delights to be had on these shores!

A tidal bore is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) of water that travel up a river or narrow bay against the direction of the current. As such, it is a true tidal wave (not to be confused with a tsunami).

Here in Fundy, the incoming tides are funneled into shallow, narrowing rivers via the outer bay. The funnel-like shape not only increases the height of the tide, but it can also decrease the duration of the flood tide down to a point where the flood appears as a sudden overall increase in the water level.

Although the overall vertical tidal range here in Fundy measures about 50 feet, the common height of the bore is around 12 feet. And the taste to the palate? well, briny, of course!

New use for old Bay of Fundy buoys

For the past year, I've been looking for an appropriate civic address sign for my new house but couldn't find anything that quite matched its cottage style.

Then it occurred to me: why not recycle a washed up Bay of Fundy buoy! It just took a couple trips to the beach to locate a used buoy then a bit of craft paint to finish the job.

I'm very pleased with the result...and passersby seem to be as amused as I am by the idea.

World's best chowder!

Just like many other coastal regions in North America, the Bay of Fundy has its share of restaurants claiming (but rightfully, in our case, of course!) to have the World's best seafood chowder!

From personal experience, I have to say that The Caves Restaurant in St Martins, New Brunswick, is a top contender for this honour....

Not only is the chowder great in this family style restaurant but diners have a panoramic view of the sculpted sandstone sea caves, the horizontal tidal effect, and a vast section of exposed ocean floor (at low tide). What a perfect combination of activities to complement the world's best chowder!

Eating marsh greens

I arrived back from the Not Since Moses race exhausted and exhilarated this evening. Got lots of video footage, which I'll post within the next few days. On the way back from the race, I picked up some marsh greens for dinner. Marsh greens definitely qualify as 'weird stuff we eat' around the Bay of Fundy. They're hand picked from Bay of Fundy salt marshes (we've got plenty of salt marshes: see my post earlier this week about dyked farmland).

I snapped this photo of them raw & rooty on my patio. Remove the roots then steam or boil just like any other green (fiddleheads, kale, beet greens, etc.) and top with butter or vinegar. Should restore my energy for sorting through my voluminous photos and video tomorrow!!

Historic house & garden tour

Here's a fun event to attend if you happen to be in the Bay of Fundy town, Annapolis Royal this weekend: the annual historic house and garden tour! Hosted by the Annapolis Historic Gardens, the tour features tours of many historic homes in the town's designated National Historic District as well as several private gardens. The Historic Gardens themselves are in prime rose season - it's worth the trip just for that!

These photos show the Queen Anne Inn (both house & garden on display during the tour) as well as one of thousands of rose blossoms (a Tabris) in the Historic Gardens. Even if you can't make it to Annapolis Royal this weekend, it's a lovely Bay of Fundy town to explore anytime - fun shopping, historic sites, theatre and great restaurants!

Whale washes ashore

It's been decades since I remember a whale sighting in the upper part of the Bay of Fundy. Whales aren't usually attracted to either the Minas Basin or Chignecto Bay sections of Fundy; the water is too silty up here so no whale food to be found. Unfortunately, we usually only see whales up here when they've washed up dead on the beach.

Such was the case at Slack's Cove near Rockport, New Brunswick, this week. A fin or sei whale (about 50 feet/15 metres long) washed ashore in Cumberland Basin, which feeds into the Chignecto Bay section of the Bay of Fundy. Whale researchers hope to determine the cause of death, gender, age and whether the whale is a fin or sei, (by looking in its mouth) before the carcass is disposed of.

Interestingly, dead whales are usually buried rather than allowed to re-float because the tides will just land it on another Fundy beach. Although I've heard of an alternative method of whale disposal....

Best Fundy spot for Canada Day

It's Canada Day today! If you're Canadian you may immediately think of our nation's capital (Ottawa) or, in Atlantic Canada, perhaps Charlottetown, PEI, as the place to be on Canada Day today. I'd like to offer up a lesser known Bay of Fundy hotspot for Canada Day celebrations: the Ottawa House by the Sea Museum & Historic Site in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.

The full 9 chapters (240 yrs) of history of the Ottawa House are too extensive to mention in a single blog post, but suffice to say that the building (and adjacent Partridge Island) have played a prominent role in trade, the Age of Sail, Canadian sovereignty, early settlement & growth of the region, etc., since it was first constructed in the 1770s.

What makes the Ottawa House most suited to Canada Day celebrations is that it was Sir Charles Tupper's summer home in the 1860s, in the years leading up to Confederation. It was here that Tupper regularly hosted his fellow Fathers of Confederation and other notables who were instrumental in forming our great nation in 1867.

Canada Day is joyfully celebrated each year at the Ottawa House. The museum (overlooking the Minas Basin of the Bay of Fundy) offers an afternoon of flag raising, speeches, tours, performances by the Parrsboro Citizens Band, and, of course, birthday cake!

Pull pork at Coco Pesto Bistro

As mentioned in my previous post about Opera Bistro, I have a particular fondness for restaurants serving fresh, local Bay of Fundy ingredients in creative ways. Another of my favorite dining experiences is Coco Pesto Bistro, located in the Woodshire Inn, in Windsor, Nova Scotia. This bistro opened nearly two years ago and, in my opinion, was quite a refreshing addition to the mostly pub and fast food dining scene in this part of the bay.

The Bistro reflects the seasonal abundance of our region, with three licensed dining rooms and outdoor terraced dining. An applewood fired smoker provides diners with the opportunity to enjoy such favourites as dry-rub pork ribs, smoky pulled pork on a bun and signature sauces such as house-made, smoked, sweet pepper compote. Coco Pesto also offers a fine menu of local and international wines. Due to the Bistro's popularity, reservations are recommended!!

A sample of dyked farmland - Shepody Marsh

Further to my last post about dyked farmland around the Bay of Fundy, here's a great view of reclaimed land, the Shepody Marsh, in Albert County, New Brunswick. I snapped this photo just as I stepped out of my car on Route 114 between Hopewell Rocks and Riverside-Albert.

If you get your magnifying glass out for this photo you may even be able to see the teeny tiny cows grazing happily in the fertile fields. There's also a ridge of dyke cresting the top edge of this picture where the fields meet Chignecto Bay (one of Fundy's two smaller upper bays).

Farmland below sea level?

Here's a peculiar sign that often catches the interest of passersby in the village of Grand Pre, Nova Scotia; it says: "GRAND PRE DYKE 3013 acres below sea level"

Now, you may wonder exactly how this can be so read on "...behind 28455 feet of dyke."

The fact is: a high proportion of our most fertile coastal farmland around the Bay of Fundy is actually reclaimed salt marsh. What's even more interesting is that many of these dykes were constructed in the 1700s by our earliest European settlers (who became the Acadians) from France.

Although some of these dykes eventually eroded so that several low-lying areas reverted to salt marshes, hundreds of miles of dyked farmland still exists in the upper part of the Bay in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

If you know what you are looking at you can see dykes in dozens of coastal, flat field locations quite clearly as you drive or walk by. In some communities, such from Wolfville to Canning, Nova Scotia, the top ridge of the dyke has become a popular walking & mountain biking trail!

Blueberry lavender scones

My small veg and herb garden is coming along nicely; it's responding well to our 25-30 degree sunny June days and foggy evenings. Like many folks in our gardening zone, I struggle away with indoor potted herbs all winter only to breath a sign of relief when summer's warmth arrives.

I got this recipe from Alive (Canadian Health magazine) awhile ago. It's an strange one that combines two great tastes: blueberry and lavender. This is when you need to remember that lavender is an herb (related to the mint family) and not a perfume! These scones are a bit odd but really quite endearing...

Blueberry Lavender Scones
3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t. dried lavender buds or 2 t chopped fresh lavender
1/2 t salt
3/4 c cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 c + 1 T milk
1/4 honey (or maple syrup)
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 c dried blueberries
icing sugar for dusting

Oven at 375.

Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse meal. Stir together liquid ingredients in a separate bowl; add to dry ingredients. Mix just until dough comes together. Mix in dried blueberries.

Turn dough onto floured surface. Roll twice to 1 in thickness, each time folding in half (secret to a flaky scone). Roll dough into 3/4 in. thickness, cut into shapes. Place on cookie tray, brush with remaining milk, bake for 15 to 18 minutes until tops browned. Makes 12.

Exploring Cape d'Or Lighthouse

Here's a post that can easily fit in both the 'lighthouse' and 'places to eat' categories of my blog: the Cape d'Or Lighthouse. Cape d'Or is one of the best places to see Fundy's tidal rips: wild, upwelling tidal currents.

The site also offers a panoramic view of the upper part of the Bay of Fundy in the exact location where it splits into its two smaller bays: Chignecto Bay and the Minas Basin. And, even better, there is an amazing restaurant in one of the former lightkeeper's houses (the other house is used as a tourist guest house!).

Here a fun video of Darcy, the operator of the restaurant and guest house describing what makes Cape d'Or so cool.

Although the lighthouse was de-staffed in 1989 (automated), there's been a fog whistle at Cape d'Or since 1875 to warn mariners of the Cape's extreme tidal rips. Now the site is a great reward for those who take the time to drive 20 minutes up the dirt road from the nearby village of Advocate Harbour, Nova Scotia. One caution though: the cliffs are quite extreme here, ranging from 300 to 500 feet sheer vertical drop so this is not a great place to visit with little kids.

Whale watching season has begun

We're fortunate to have various whale watch tour companies in the Bay of Fundy. All the folks operate in the "Fundy Aquarium" ecozone off the coasts of Digby Neck, Long & Brier Islands (in Nova Scotia) and St Andrews & the Fundy Isles - Grand Manan, Deer & Campobello Islands (in New Brunswick).

Now, I have to caution you: this isn't Seaworld we're talking about here...our whales move around a wide radius at the wide mouth of the bay and can't be "called with a whistle". Still, being on the water and being part of the search for whales here, in their summer migratory feeding ground, is part of the adventure! Our whale watch companies (who also, by the way, follow a strict whale watching Code of Ethics) are quite adept at locating the areas where Fundy's upwelling tidal currents stir up lotsa good whale food. Where there is whale food there are whales!

The first reported whale sightings happened this week: some finbacks & humpbacks. Check out a couple of the whale watch blogs to get the scoop: Brier Island Whale Watch (NS) and Quoddy Link Marine (NB). This is a photo of a humpback's fluke (tail). Our humpbacks are named by our whale researchers and are completely identifiable by their tail markings: this one's name is Moustache.

Vote for Fundy in New7Natural Wonders of World

I've been busy for the past few weeks trying to get the Bay of Fundy officially nominated in the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest.

For awhile now, it's been bothering me that the Bay of Fundy occasionally turns up on various lists of "7 Forgotten Wonders of the World"... I mean, really....

So, last year, I was intently following the contest for the 7 New Wonders of the World; the winners of which were announced in Lisbon on 07.07.07. That initiative was so successful that the 7Wonders folks decided to run a second contest this year for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

I'm pleased to report that, as of today, the Bay of Fundy is a official nominee. You can go on the 7 Wonders website to vote. Over 1 billion votes worldwide are expected in the contest which will last 'til the end of this year. And the people speak....

Take the road less traveled

Here's a Bay of Fundy travel tip: be sure to get off the main highway and explore the secondary roads! Today I traveled a coastal section of the Bay of Fundy from Margaretsville to Hampton, Nova Scotia.

It had been many years since I'd taken particular roadway but it was absolutely delightful. There are several small ports along this shore; all of which are great places to see the vertical tidal effect of the Bay. Access this section of coast by going up (west) over the North Mountain outside Bridgetown (at one end) or at Middleton (the other end). Total kilometres about 30.

As luck would have it, I was passing by at low tide so I was able to snap these photos. You might like to take along a map but do allow yourself to 'get lost' a bit along this coast (and don't worry, the locals will help...we love helping visitors find themselves on the BoF).

My first restaurant review

Okay, I can't take it any longer.... I've been resisting making suggestions for dining experiences around the Bay of Fundy because, well, I've got a confession to make: if I tell you about my favorite places to eat you'll never find the best Bay of Fundy hamburger or steak. The thing is: I don't eat red meat so any thoughts I'm going to share in my new blog category: "best places to eat" are going to focus on fresh, local, regional, sometimes seasonal cuisine that's veg, fish or chicken served up in picturesque or artful settings around the Bay of Fundy. If you're up for this kind of culinary adventure then hop aboard!

So... allow me to introduce my first memorable dining experience: Opera Bistro in Saint John, New Brunswick. I like Opera so much that I ate there several days in a row this week. Owners Margret and Axel Begner (Chef) have infused Opera's decor, service and menu with their infectious European flair and charm. The menu (and wine list) is creative, eclectic and fun!

This photo shows me agonizing over which flavour of tartlette or homemade gelato to take back to the hotel for a midnight snack...would that we all faced this dilemma daily!

Saint John favourite places

I enjoyed the first really summery summer night this week while in the "Fundy city", Saint John, New Brunswick. It was a perfect night for a walk along Harbour Passage and the Hilton hotel boardwalk on the waterfront.

I don't have a category on my blog for favourite places around the Bay of Fundy to enjoy a Guiness but if I did then the Brigantine Pub in the Saint John Hilton (at end of the boardwalk on the right side of my photo) would be the spot. The Brig's outdoor deck overlooks the bustling harbour, where coast guard vessels, tug boats, tour boats and even cruise ships come and go. At the Brig the glasses are frosted, the staff is delightful and the Guiness is fresh off the boat from Ireland!