Today we stared to explore southeastern Nova Scotia.  We planned to start our day by visiting Peggy’s Cove, a charming little village with a beautiful lighthouse that is about an hour from our house in Mahone Bay.   Eventually, we would make our way to the town of Lunenburg with a little nonsense along the way.

We started our ride to Peggy’s Cove along an uninspiring highway but soon turned off to follow a road that wound along the water, providing beautiful views across St. Margaret’s Bay.  We parked the car in a lot just outside of the village and walked into town.   The village is terribly charming, with small buildings perched on rocks and pilings.  The functional architecture is clearly tied to the sea and history, as the people of Peggy’s Cove have long made their livings from fish and lobster.

These fishermen evidently also encountered larger sea fauna from time to time.  Along the way we found an old, lichen-covered whale skull outside of one building.

We continued to meander through the village towards the local lighthouse, which was naturally on a rocky outcrop near the water.   We soon reached the rocky shore, where the Hubbards did what the Hubbards do.

The lighthouse in Peggy’s Cove is gorgeous, particularly given its charming setting.  But it all might be too lovely for its own good.  Peggy’s Cove is located less than 45 minutes from Halifax, a stopping point for numerous cruise ships.  As a result, Peggy’s Cove is always packed with tourists.

After the relative isolation of Cape Breton, being around so many tourists felt a little cramped.  Fortunately, the area was so lovely that we didn’t mind.

Besides, there were plenty of rocks to climb.  I might have lost the kids for a few minutes.

The troops were starting to get hungry, and we had explored most of Peggy’s Cove.  We decided to hunt for lunch along the road rather than fight the crowds in Peggy’s Cove.  Indeed, we had spied some promising places on our drive that morning … including the town of Hubbards!  We had to check it out. We started at the post office.

Then we spied another sign on our way out of town.  We were just a wee bit excited.

We thought that was the end of it, until we found an even bigger sign.  By now we had realized that our earlier enthusiasm was beneath us.  We were not some peasants excited by a shiny bauble.  We are the Hubbards.  This is our town.  Here, we are practically royalty.

And these royals were getting hungry.  We soon found a small cafe and got some lunch.  With food in our bellies, we were off to our next stop: Lunenburg.  The central part of the town has changed little since its founding by the British in 1753.  Today, Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  We started our exploration at the harbor, where we found a life-sized painting of a blue whale.  Indeed, all of the animals in the harbor seemed larger-than-life.  The lobsters were huge!

We then started to walk the historic streets to see some of the historic architecture for which Lunenburg is famous.

You know what kids love?  Old buildings.  They begged us to keep dragging them through the streets of Lunenburg.  But we eventually stumbled on a park, where Cassie and Guille entertained themselves on some swings.

Lydie found a gazebo where she looked for someone to discuss the merits of being older and wiser.

With the daylight fading, we headed back to Mahone Bay, where we picked up some take out and ate at our house.  After our adventures of the day, the charm of the small towns and villages of Nova Scotia was undeniable, and we are all fans.

-Will