TRAVERSE Issue 40 - February 2024 | Page 176

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star in the middle , stands on every building in Halifax , the capital of Nova Scotia , and the French language fills its streets and squares . Halifax was for many decades the gateway for immigrants to the new world and today it is a cosmopolitan centre full of cultural attractions .
From the capital we reached the southern coast where some of the most characteristic fishing villages of the province are located . To reach them we ’ d abandon the dual-lane highway 103 for the slow ups and downs of the 333 which took us to the newly awakened Prospect Bay where the children were already busy shooting baskets along the road and the adults sip long coffees while reading the newspaper on a rocking deckchair .
Peggy ' s Cove is exactly what you expect from a village on the Atlantic : purple wooden houses and a lighthouse that couldn ' t be more spectacular sitting on a rock spur . There was also the bagpipe player who made the place even more imaginary and touristic . Luckily , we were not yet in high season , and we allowed ourselves the luxury of seeing it without the crowds of people . Before heading back , we visited Lunenburg , the largest of the settlements along the coast , and the second place to be founded in Nova Scotia after Halifax . It ' s easy to understand why UNESCO has included it among the world heritage sites . Initially inhabited by Swiss , French and German Protestants whose traces remain in the architecture of the churches with their sloping slate roofs and , in the horse-drawn carriages , now used only by visitors . The importance of fishing has certainly diminished over the centuries but the thriving industry of lobster catching and processing remains and the presence of one of the Ironworks Distillery which , has its ancient brass and copper systems on display .
Under a deluge of apocalyptic quantity we crossed the Angus McDonald Bridge leaving Halifax behind . The rain didn ’ t leave us until the border with New Brunswick where the Confederation Bridge appeared on the horizon allowing us to reach the second destination state of this journey .
Looking at the beauty that
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