We dedicated time to exploring the Fundy Shore, driving there at different times of day for different perspectives.   This shore is in Southern Nova Scotia, which separates the Bay from the Atlantic and is on the other side of the Bay of Fundy from our last campground in New Brunswick.

Delaps Cove

Tides are still huge here, although being near the ocean end of the Bay of Fundy they are not quite as extreme as they were further up in the bay.  But visiting the coast at different times of day also meant seeing some of those “boats on the sea floor” at times.

During our several drives we stopped at little fishing villages, coves and working wharves.  Sometimes just randomly pulling down a side street only to find a beautiful seaside scene.

One village that we visited a couple of times was Hampton.   There was a rocky beach by the Hampton Lighthouse with perfectly round and colorful little stones.  We continued our beach combing and sea glass hunting.  An awesome spot.

Hampton Lighthouse is one of those short, pudgy lighthouses that are common around these parts.  One day that we visited the Lighthouse was open to the public.  We climbed the two separate steep metal ladders to the top.  It’s a compact little space on top, just enough for two people besides the light.  The Lighthouse was built in 1911 and is automated with a fixed white light.  And there is a lovely view of the Bay from the top.

Hampton also had a community market that day.  The market consisted of about five tables, mostly crafts.  But the folks were charming and a lot of fun to talk to, so we made the rounds.  We did score fabulous homemade biscuits (made that morning) and a cherry almond butter cake.  Did I mention that I love farmers’ markets of all kinds?  But we’re going to have to ramp up our activity level :-).

Just down the road, the seaside hamlet of Parkers Cove has one of the most active fishing wharves along this section of the coast and is where we saw a dulse fisherman for the first time.

Dulse is a red seaweed that grows in the North Atlantic and Northwest Pacific and is used in Ireland and Canada both as food and medicinally.   It contains many vitamins, minerals and trace elements and also has a high protein content.  We heard very mixed reviews on the taste, and have not had a chance to try a little bit before buying some.  But we probably will.

We were also in search of a good seafood market, and Nautical Seafood Ltd., really a seafood processing plant, fish store and lobster pound, also in Parkers Cove, was recommended by the visitor center.  We’d scoped it out previously one evening,  and decided to come back during the day to buy some seafood.

When we returned two days later, sadly, the building had burned down!  Hector first saw the charred remains while I was focused on something else, and I just couldn’t believe it was gone just like that.   We were shocked and felt a loss even though we have no real connection to the place.

Later I read a couple of articles about the fire; apparently five volunteer firefighter crews fought the fire for five hours.  What really struck me are some quotes in the articles:  A couple of tourists said “ The ice-making machine at the back, it was on fire and they had three hoses, spraying water in the vents trying to put it out and the owner was cooking our lobsters at the back outside it. “  Apparently the owner was trying to continue to provide them with their meal.

One member of the community said “We all pull together in these little communities and the women went up there to the hall to make sandwiches for the firefighters and make sure they had cold water.”

Then later I read “Local employees said they plan to help rebuilt the plant. Efforts are being made to ensure the fire doesn’t devastate the local economy; fishermen will still be able to bring their catch to the plant and it will be distributed to other processors.”  Godspeed to them.

There are many more small scenic villages along the Fundy Coast, with lots of friendly, down to earth people who seem to stick together in good and in bad times.  And they don’t know it, but they are teaching us important lessons during our journey.

~ Brenda