Please find above a Flickr pictorial slide show representing VanRamblings’ summer vacation, and 60th birthday celebration, in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. We thank Corinne for her warm hospitality, and the good folks of the Annapolis Valley for their tremendous kindness.
The slideshow is not fully complete, so in the days and weeks to come we’ll fine tune the photo display, re-order parts of the slide show, and add some pictures and video. For now, though, please enjoy the current slide show.
To access a SlideFlickr version of the pictorial slide show above, click here. For a full screen version of the Flickr slide show above either click on the full screen expansion icon bottom right of the slideshow above, or click here.

As VanRamblings composes this post, we are sitting in the front room on the top floor of Corinne’s home listening to Rose Cousins in concert just down the street at The King’s Theatre, her voice and music drifting through the night air to VanRamblings’ most appreciative ears.
Today, although we continued our preparations to leave ‘our Annapolis Royal home’ early on this Monday coming (witness the picture above of our wash on the line), we did in fact make it to the Saturday Market, where we set about to purchase some small, we hope interesting, ‘gifts’ for friends in Vancouver, as we wandered through the many Market paths.
VanRamblings also attended at the Fish Market to locate Digby scallops, fresh off the boat. Anyone who knows VanRamblings appreciates just how much we love Digby county’s awesome scallops, pan-seared in butter and oh so sinfully delicious. Where, in previous visits to the Maritimes, we managed to inhale a pound of scallops each and every day of our visit, on this vacation we’ve thoughtfully restricted our scallop intake to only a quarter pound of plump, large Digby scallops per meal, lunch and dinner.
On this scorcher of a Saturday, VanRamblings thought better of roaming the streets of town in the heat of the early afternoon sun, and took the opportunity to do a wash, allowing our clothes to dry in the reflection of the sun off the Annapolis River, a gentle river breeze aiding the process.
Instead, we wandered over to the Fort Anne Café, had ourselves a coffee and read the Globe and Mail, after which we took a restful afternoon nap.

Continue reading Annapolis River, Days of Exploration and Wonderment →

On our third to last day in Annapolis Royal, VanRamblings slept in, enjoying the peace of the early morning, before wending our way to the kitchen for our morning coffee. No breakfast today, though, as Corinne was having luncheon guests and a feast was planned. Time enough later for noshing.
By 9:30 a.m., on this warm, sunny summer’s day (complemented by a wafting breeze off the Annapolis River), Corinne and guest headed in the direction of the Save Easy, on the outskirts of town, to purchase scallops and haddock for our visitors. Haddock could be found, scallops, not so much. Fortunately, there were fresh scallops in the fridge at home, which proved more than adequate for our guests, and present company.
While out on our stroll, vistas presented themselves that had previously gone unrecorded by VanRamblings, all of which photos should find their way into Sunday’s upcoming SlideFlickr presentation, a sample of which may be found here (a photo taken of Annapolis Royal, from the Granville Ferry side of the river) and here. Nothing short of gorgeous, huh?

Continue reading Annapolis Royal: A Relaxing Day As Our Vacation Winds Down →

Following breakfast, VanRamblings took a stroll with Corinne along the boardwalk, towards the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens.
The gardens were planned in the 1970s to celebrate the Annapolis Valley’s rich heritage. Originally a French settlement, established in 1605 under the leadership of the Sieur de Mons, Annapolis Royal’s founding colony was called l’Acadie, its culture referred to as Acadian, as it is today. Over a period of 105 years, the British made six attempts to conquer the Acadian capital, until they defeated the French in the Siege of Port Royal, in 1710. Shortly thereafter, the town’s name was changed to Annapolis Royal.
Designed to represent the gardens of the Annapolis Valley at various periods in Acadia’s history, the Historic Gardens has something for every garden lover: formal Victorian and Rose gardens, La Maison Acadienne et Potager (a French settler’s dwelling), an innovative garden representing the modern period, a blush of perennial flora and fauna, a riot of textured, leafy shrub borders, and reproductions of pools spanning the centuries.
Covering 17 acres, and showcasing the Annapolis Valley from a horticultural perspective, as far as VanRamblings is concerned, Annapolis Royal’s Historic Gardens easily surpass Halifax’s Public Gardens.
Our garden tour continued long into the day with a visit to …

Continue reading A Day of Gardens In The Annapolis Valley →