Day 27 of 30 on our 2017 Canadian Maritime Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

It was a rainy morning for Canada’s 150 Day on Saturday July 1, 2017. We donned our best red and white to get ready for one of the country’s largest Canada Day celebrations. Every city and community has blanketed their areas with free events, the Halifax area is no exception.

It is too bad the weather did not cooperate! They had to move their official citizenship ceremony from outside the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, to inside. They also had to cancel the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo Canada Day Parade and disappointed the over 100,000 spectators that normally watch the biggest parade east of Ottawa. It was a good decision, we don’t want the kilted highlanders, Royal Canadian Mounties or the spectators to get drenched in a downpour!

Since Rod is the owner of the company and our wagon master, he was able to replace our cancelled parade with a visit to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. He was ready to pay the $7 for each of us to get in … he lucked out, because it was Canada Day, admission was free! It was my second trip to this museum, but there are several exhibits I want to see again!

Photo Credit: Word Press

I toured the “Collision in the Narrows,” the exhibit on the Halifax Explosion and ready every piece of information on it. It is really an amazing loss and source of pride for all those from Halifax. The piece of information I did not share in my last blog, is many people sent train and boats of volunteer workers and supplies. The biggest supporter was the town of Boston, they sent medical personnel and supplies. Halifax feels indebted to Boston, each year they send a specially selected pine tree for the Town of Boston’s Christmas tree.

There was a special video playing, Over Canada - An Aerial Adventure. It is one of the first IMAX movies created in 1997. From a bird's eye view, Over Canada is a beautifully produced, award winning, high definition "aerial adventure" television documentary that unveils the dramatic splendor of the awe-inspiringly vast Canadian landscape. It was awesome to see some of the places we visited from the air, it also made us anxious to explore western Canada!

Rod had arranged a private lunch at the Prince George Hotel. When we entered, we were greeted by the Consignere, Steven. The Prince George Hotel is a 4 diamond hotel located in downtown Halifax, perfectly situated to enjoy the area’s finest shopping, dining and entertainment. We were within a block of the venue for the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. We enjoyed a buffet of fine dining at its best. It was simply a feast for the senses. The wait staff, Heidi and Kevin, provided us with quality service. I would have to say, there is simply no better place to dine in the city.

After lunch, we walked across the street to the venue for the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. It is the World’s Largest Annual Indoor Show. It is a week-long event held every year in Nova Scotia. The two-and-a-half hour family show is fast-paced – every scene only lasts about 3-6 minutes, so there is always something new to see and experience. We enjoyed a glimpse of true Nova Scotia, with bagpipes, highland dancers and military traditions.

Many of you are saying what is a Tattoo? Here is a bit of background. In 17th century Dutch villages, drummers marched through the streets summoning British soldiers to return to their quarters from the taverns and inns. A drumbeat signaling innkeepers to "doe den tap toe" or "turn off the taps" was shortened and anglicized to "tattoo." The phrase now heralds the amazing entertainment highlighted by marching bands, hundreds of musicians, acrobats, dancers and military competitions. The unique and varied talent of hundreds of Canadian and international military and civilian performers makes the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo the world's largest annual indoor show. The Nova Scotia Tattoo was first held in 1979 to mark the visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother to Nova Scotia for the International Gathering of the Clans. It has been held every year since and was granted Royal Status by Her Majesty The Queen in 2006 on the occasion of her 80th birthday.

Some of the lighter antics of the Groove Onkels entertained the crowd. We joined in on this breathtaking rhythmic performance from Germany. Using no instruments, the spectacular show focused on garbage totes and recycling bins using jumps, kicks, dashes and throws to create great beats.

Obstacle Race between the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Squad and the Canadian Army Rifle Team. The Fire and EMS gave it their all, but they were outflanked by the Canadian Army Elite fighters!

Members of the IMPS Motorcycle Display Team, from the United Kingdom, perform a jump of more than 25 people … not really, the men he was supposed to jump scatter at the last minute. But his driving skills are great for a 5 year old … better than some 55 year olds I know!

The floor is getting covered by mixed groups of players. The sights and sounds they created were breathtaking.

The Calgary Fiddlers traveled along way to entertain us. These teenage fiddlers play everything from traditional folk fiddling, country, bluegrass, Celtic and even a little big band!

The Titans Gymnasts joined the Tattoo on behalf of the Titans Gymnastic and Trampoline Club, one of the largest gymnastic clubs in Eastern Canada.

The only United States representatives at the Tattoo are the US Fleet Forces Band. The UNited States Fleet Forces Band is often called the "finest of the fleet" and is teh musical representative of the US Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Kalutskikh Brothers, from Russia, perform amazing feats of synchronization and strength! 

Danil and Kirill Kalutskikh are the most flexible acrobatic duo I have ever seen! Did I mention they are Guinness World Record holders.

D’Holmikers entertained the crowd with thiee wild antics and aerobics! 

Wondering where the name D’Holmikers came from? It’s a combination of ‘holm’ meaning bar and ‘komiker’ meaning comedian … loosely translated … comedians who perform on parallel bars.

The 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge is commemorated at the Tattoo. I wrote about Vimy Ridge in my blog from June 29^th, you can read about it here.

The Calgary Stetson Show Band portrayed the birth of the railroad into Western Canada.

The Gebirgsmusikkorps Der Bundeswehr, say that three times fast, has traveled around the world in its 61-year history and perhaps most famously, at the 1972 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Munich. They entertained us from the stage and the show floor!

Bradisha is performing on behalf of the Atlantic Cirque and considers silks, contortion, cereau and trapeze among her favorites. 

Atlantic Cirque is celebrating their 15^th anniversary this year. It is amazing to see her hang with no hands!

The second performance of the Groove Onkels included the use of bottles and 55-gallon drums.

A drum circle was created and words cannot describe the sounds!

The drums were joined by the Massed Pipes and Drums, including 12 Wing Shearwater, 14 Wing Greenwood, 1^st Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders, 2^nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, 5 CDSG Gagetown, the Atlantic Black Watch Association, Scotch College Pipe Band from Australia and Halifax Firefighters Pipes and Drum.

Marine Tactical Operations Group gave us a display of their tactical prowess.

The La Baie en Joie, Nova Scotia’s premier Acadian dancing troupe, was joined by the Calgary Fiddlers.

The German Army Mountain Division Band entertained us using standard instruments and unique ones, like an anvil and whips. I found their calm warmers very interesting …. need I say more!?

 

Members of the IMPS Motorcycle Display Team wowed us with their slick motorcycle tricks. 

They are high-flying daredevils for being under 16 and many of them are under 10!

Every act from the Tattoo filled the stage and floor for the finale.

We had a relaxing evening with friends at the campground.

Day 26 of 30 on our 2017 Canadian Maritime Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

We created a car caravan on Friday June 30, 2017, to the Grand-Pre’. On the way we passed through the Annapolis Valley. The Annapolis Valley, is a charming countryside that runs parallel to the coastline of the Bay of Fundy. The valley has fertile soil that is protected on both sides from cold and unfavorable winds by mountains. Being sheltered from the weather, fruits and vegetables flourish here.

We also saw the dykelands. Prominent examples of dykelands include the Queen Anne's Marsh near Port Royal on the Annapolis Basin and the Grand Pré marsh in King's County. These are predominantly agricultural lands developed from rich salt marshes found mainly in the upper Bay of Fundy. Occurring in areas of high tidal range, dykelands owe their existence to dykes constructed to keep out the sea. Prior to the construction of dykes, extensive salt marshes occurred at the mouths of tidal rivers and in other low-lying coastal areas. 

Saltmarsh plants helped to trap nutrient-rich sediments from the tidal waters on vast level areas which were ideal for development of agricultural lands. Dykelands played a central role in Nova Scotia agriculture until the early 1920s. By 1948 the dykes had deteriorated to such an extent that large tracts of dykeland had reverted once again to salt marsh. In 1949, the Maritime Marshlands Rehabilitation Act was introduced by the Canadian government to prevent the loss of additional dykeland. From 1949 to 1970, over 30,000 acres of dykeland were secured. Today, the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing maintains 180 miles of dykes that protect approximately 17,300 acres of dykeland.

Grand-Pré is a powerful monument that unites the Acadian people. We learned about the tale of Le Grand Dérangement. A tragic event in Acadian history that has shaped the vibrant culture of modern-day Acadians across the globe through its quiet but powerful renaissance. Our exploration began in the hull of a Deportation ship, for a state-of-the-art cinematic introduction. By means of an ingenious system of dams and canals, the Acadians reclaimed fertile land from the sea and laid out large and productive fields for some 200 farms. The farms of the Acadian settlers provided for their needs as well as giving a surplus for export throughout the eastern seaboard.

The site commemorates the Grand Pré area as a center of Acadian settlement from 1682 to 1755 and the Deportation of the Acadians, which began in 1755 and continued until 1762. The English drove out the Acadians, destroying their homes, taking cattle and parceling the land out to colonists from New England’s Planters, Yorkshire farmers, and the United Empire Loyalists. Each new group of settlers claimed new acres of salt marshes, which the used primarily for pasture and hay production. The Grand Pré National Historic Site is in memory of the deported Acadian settlers.

In the gardens stands a memorial to Henry Longfellow, who in 1847 immortalized the tragic fate of the Acadians in his poem "Evangéline." Longfellow first heard the story which was to be the basis of Evangeline at a dinner party in the winter of 1840. Nathaniel Hawthorne was also present on that occasion and for some time Longfellow tried to persuade him “to write a story based upon a legend of Acadie," the legend of a girl who, in the dispersion of the Acadians was separated from her lover, and passed her life in waiting and seeking for him, and only finding him dying in a hospital when they both were old. There is also a statue of his heroine Evangéline. Acadian artist Philippe Hébert sculpted both memorials.

You'll be able to explore serene duck ponds bordered by majestic weeping willows, magnificently kept Victorian flower gardens, an orchard, and a kitchen garden.

There is even a set of iconic Canada Parks "red chair" experience.

The reproduction Church is a stirring memorial to the men and boys who were read the Deportation Order in September of 1755 and held prisoners for one month until the ships that would deport and scatter these families arrived. The order was directed by Governor Lawrence, he believed the Acadians were a threat to the British. However, the Acadians had no such intensions, they were peaceful, loving and hardworking people. The British wanted the Acadians to bear arms against France, when they refused the order of deportation was prepared and given by John Winslow. Some of the men and boys imprisoned in the church that day, would never see their families again.

We also had the opportunity to view impressive artefacts, some ingenious inventions and storytellers of a turbulent history.

We ended the tour by taking the path up the hill to the Landscape of Grand Pré View Park. You'll understand how this area got its name, Grand Pré, meaning great meadow, and why it became Canada's 16th World Heritage Site inscribed by UNESCO in 2012. For many Acadians throughout the world, the site remains a powerful monument that unites the Acadian people. It is the heart of their ancestral homeland and the symbol of the ties that unite them to this day.

27 of us stayed in Wolfville to enjoy an off the menu optional lunch at Evangeline Café. The tail-ender had stopped at the café on the drive in to let them know when we would arrive. They had one side of the café set up with tables snaking the whole length of the café. Shelia, the owner of the café, made us all feel welcome. 

Our waitress, Linda, was awesome. She handled all 27 guests and did not get an order or check wrong! We have eaten in smaller groups and waitresses could not get our separate orders right! She gave us flawless service! This bright and spacious Cafe is open seasonally, serving up classic homemade fare. Many enjoyed soup & sandwiches, others had burgers, or salads. Naturally, some of this crowd had homemade pie for dessert… Life is short, eat dessert first!

We relaxed back at the campground before we had our Yankee Supper of Lobster or Fried Chicken. A Yankee supper is similar to a potluck … Yankee RV Tours provides the entrée and you bring the sides dishes you want. You don’t have to bring enough to share … but most of us do! The campground owner and his son cut and cracked all the lobsters for us! Thanks a bunch!