Jun 16 2008
Fundy Fun / Sunrise Trail
We headed west, around the coast, and swung up to the north. The Bay of Fundy is supposed to be an amazing place to see – with the prevalence of whales, the largest tidal waves in the world, etc. – but we weren’t seeing too much, because the fog was pretty dense. We spent the night in Annapolis Royal, ate at a delicious cafe, and then headed further north, in the rain, towards Cape Split, a small peninsula that juts out into the Bay, and on a clear day, is supposed to showcase the amazing tides. Well, because of the fog, we didn’t see them, but I could hear them…
One of the most technical trails I have ever hiked (and the longest at 16k – nearly 10 miles), Cape Split was an amazing experience. After a few days of rain, and a winter off-season, I imagine the trail was probably not in the same condition that it is in during the warmer summer months. There were felled trees, steep dropoffs, some deep mud patches, and some narrow passageways – but there were also some beautiful sights.
These trillium blossoms were all over the trail. So beautiful and photogenic!
The western plains of the province are the agricultural center, there are farms and orchards dotting the landscape. The geography of the region is relatively flat, but further west, and to the north, there are some small rises, which add an interesting air effect, allowing grapes to grow rather well. So, with grapes comes wine. And wine? well, we just had to taste.
Lolly swilling around.
Here we are at Domaine de Grand Pré, sampling the Marechal Foch. This was a new-to-me grape, and I enjoyed the different varieties I tasted in Nova Scotia. Some of the premiere Nova Scotia wines are the ice wines, the sweet dessert wine made possible by the colder climate – virtually allowing the grape to freeze on the vine, locking in all of the sugars. Dessert in a bottle, I tell you. Grand Pré had a particularly interesting Muscat IceWine, and another favorite was the ice wine aged in whiskey barrels (Whiskey Ortega Ice Wine) from Jost Vineyards near Tatamagouche.
Although we did not get to travel as far west as I originally hoped, we did make it to several stops on the Sunrise Trail, the area closer to the provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. A real highlight of the Sunrise Trail was the visit at Sunrise Mercantile. Mimi, the shop owner in Halifax, had suggested stopping by the shop/cafe, So glad we followed her suggestion!
Sunrise Mercantile is a gourmet shop and cafe – in every sense of the word. They have amazing yarns, but also an extensive selection of local and regional foods, gifts, and supplies. The thing that made this shop so special? the owners: I talked weaving and knitting with Suzy, and talked alpacas and the current fiber trends with Dave, her husband. Suzy showed me her latest projects right off the loom, and Dave showed me the newest issue of Alpacas magazine, which he edits. The serendipity of meeting such amazing people! Their shop is great, and the cafe is amazing too (fresh local foods abound!)
Other highlights: Balmoral Grist Mill, and the beautiful Lismore Sheep Farm
Almost done… hope you aren’t tiring of this yet! Because the best scenery is yet to come! Many thanks to those that took the time to leave comments, it is so nice to get feedback.
Next up: Cape Breton Island.
magazine and have appreciated the tips, the little buying guides, and specifically the recipes with wine recommendations. The magazine also uses many seasonal ingredients in their recipes, which can be found through many farmer’s markets. The foremost wine publication in the US is probably 
magazine, which indeed, has some great tips, but their writing and tone can be a little … snooty. They are the magazine that rates all of the wines, and while the information may be helpful in some ways, how can you truly trust what another person is tasting? Taste it yourself and make your own rating 
from the library and really enjoyed reading the text. I did not try some of the experiments that she talks about in the book, but the information she shares is invaluable. She makes wine knowledge so accessible. She even gives phonetic pronunciations after many of the French, Italian, and German words – what a plus! She discusses the new and upcoming wine regions, how to shop for wine, and how to order at a restaurant. It was a great book that I really could not stop reading!
