We stopped briefly at the port of New brunswick and had some time to explore the pretty city on the bay. There were some options available but the timing did not work out for us, so we decided to just tour on our own this time. There was a big mall within walking distance and we strolled through it and bought a few souveniers for the family back home. They had some delicious smelling maple syrup for sale that came in a cute maple leaf shaped botte. My son, Tom, had asked me to bring some of that back for him if I saw any for sale. I got a bottle for him and one for myself. The shopping district was in a beautiful park-like area and I got a few more pictures of the surrounding sights for my album.

Back at the dock, we watched two men on the pier wearing kilts and marching by the ship. One was playing a drum and the other one was playing bagpipes. They played several songs as we boarded the ship and prepared to sail. The passengers lined the rail and enjoyed the music as they gave us a send-off. We all applauded as the ship departed and the men marched away from the empty pier.

We had left port around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and sailed all night and the next day and into that night. We did not reach Halifax , Nova Scotia until early Thursday morning. It did not seem like a long trip since there were numerous things to do aboard ship. There was a miniature golf course, a rock climbing wall, bingo games and a poker tourney, to name a few. Of course, there was also a fun casino as a way to spend some time and perhaps win some money. In additioin there were always games and contests to enter (or just watch) to keep the passengers occupied. For awhile we sat by the rock wall and watched a girl attempting to climb to the top. She had the help of a coach at the bottom of the wall. He instructed her on where to place her feet and which rock to grab next to continue her climb. It was a lot harder than it looked and the girl was worn out when she finally reached the top and rang a bell that was hanging there. Everyone watching clapped and encouraged her as she made her descent. That wall was a sheer one with little to hold onto or stand on. A climber had to wear a safety harness to avoid falling and was also given instructions before attempting the climb. We missed the climbing competion that was planned later that day because we were elsewhere at the time but heard that it was interesting to watch.

We put our coats on and went to the top deck, which was rather cold and windy. It was excellent for viewing sea creatures, however, and we managed to see a pod of whales in the distance. There were 4 or 5 of them splashing around and all I really saw was a tail now and then or a puff of water from the blow hole of a whale spouting. I was glad I had my binoculars with me since they gave me a much closer view of the big guys. We were able to point them out to other people at the rail that were also looking acoss the water in hopes of spotting one.

Our next stop was Peggy's Cove and we found it to be a rocky city. There were signs on the large rocks along the ocean front that warned folks not to walk on the black rocks because some people had fallen into the water and drowned. The large round rocks were on a cliff and were black from the water washing over them for many years. They were slippery after the tide went out and trying to walk on them was hazardous. We were there at low tide and I could see where a perosn could be tempted to climb on the large rocks to get a better look at the ocean. Peggy's Cove supposedly got its name from a ship wreck survivor named Margaret. The young girl reportedly managed to swim to shore as the ship sank. The guide told us that was false and just a story to make the name interesting. No young girl, he said, could have survived the cove's rough water and swim to shore. The real name of the cove was St. Magaret's Bay, Peggy being a nickname for Margaret.

The guide on the tour bus, a Scottish man named Henry, wore kilts, as did many of the bus drivers and others we saw directing people to different attractions. He told us that the kilts were made of just one yard of fabric but that years ago early travelers used nine yards of material to make a kilt. They were also used as a blanket back then by the settlers who traveled light. Scottish people traveled in droves to the new land called Nova Scotia, or New Scotland. They were offered free land to settle and stay.

Four providences in the area are New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. Back in 1917 a whole town in Nova Scotia was wiped out by a huge boat explosion. Aid came to them from all over the world. Since the state of Massachusetts sent a large financial gift, each year Nove Scotia sends the state a giant Christmas tree as thanks. A note of interest: In 1912, the Titanic sank off the coast of Nova Scota and the city helped rescue people, since they had rail means that were handy and were put to use. Many people survived due to the early assistance. There were several residents of Nova Scotia aboard that ship that survived the wreck.

Henry told us we had about an hour to explore the cove on foot and then he would meet us at the bus for the next destination. While walking along a path, we spotted a beautiful cove with blue-green water and in it were 2 or 3 whales. Several other tourists came to see what we were pointing at and were delighted to see whales so close up. They appeared to be playing and just swimming around each other in circles and having a good time in the water. I managed to get a quick picture of one of them and it did not come out very clear, but gave me yet another thing by which to remember this trip.

Before I knew it we were on our last day of vacation and starting to pack for the long trip home..........