We went south from Halifax, entering a landscape of piney forests intermixed with lakes and marshes, finally giving way to a seashore of pale granite rocks and calm waters. The village was enshrouded in fog that gradually retreated from shore, revealing the fishing vessels that would be at home in Chatham – except that we were in the vibrant tourist town of Peggy’s Cove. Here is Omi on the wharf next to lobster pots in Peggy’s Cove.

We stopped by this picturesque church in Peggy’s Cove, visited with two locals inside and told them stories about Oma’s grandfather Hubert McNeill, our family churchman.

After Peggy’s Cove, we hopped back in the car and drove on to Mahone Bay where my friends Sylvia and Doug bought a house. I worked with Sylvia for some 12 years in the ER at UNM in Albuquerque. She became disenchanted with her job and started looking for options. Then she and her husband Doug, who is a radiologist, talked to recruiters in Canada, and they decided that Mahone Bay was the place for them. They have a 100 year old house, with a big deck that overlooks the water. Their kids can walk to school and to the local shops. Doug has started his job at the local hospital and seems happy with the choice to relocate up to Nova Scotia from New Mexico.

Our BNB was above, right next to Sylvia’s. We stayed in the carriage house behind the pink house. It was spacious and lovely. We will be back, certainly. But we had other places to go and see.