Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

Dingy in Peggy's Cove.

We have arrived in Nova Scotia and chose to stay in the South Shore region to enjoy the Atlantic Coast.  The landscape is dramatic and much different than the Fundy Coast of New Brunswick. Here we find a rocky granite coast line with exposed boulders and tide pools next to wild flowers and lush grasses. 

Saturday morning we drove around the coast to the Hubbard's Barn Farmers' Market. It was more of an event than we anticipated. We were able to stock up on fresh produce and found coffee from a local micro-roaster all while listening to live Acadian Music.

Peggy's Cove home.

The coastal road is very  twisty here, the coast line full of small  bays and inlets. There of dozens of tiny islands off shore. This irregular coastline is home to many lighthouses including one of the most famous at Peggy's Cove.

 

Peggy's Cove is a tiny fishing village. It's picturesque buildings and rocky prominences have played  scenes in a number of movies, including some of Fred's Favorites in the Jesse Stone series starring Tom Sellek.  (more about those in a later post)

We found it to be as beautiful as promised (sometimes with great intention) and very crowded.  There are a number of small shops selling local crafts alongside those offering tee shirts and bumper stickers. Amos Pewter has a comparatively large store that offered handcrafted pewter giftware as well as casting demonstrations. My favorite store was Hags on a Hill, a co-op style market for artisans of St Margaret's Bay. There is a great Espresso booth in one of those shops with Adirondack chairs on the back deck. We took the opportunity to sit for a while in that quiet place and enjoy the atmosphere of the cove.

Peggy's Point Lighthouse.

Peggy's Point Lighthouse is impressive. It stands alone on a huge expanse of grey and pink granite. It was built in 1915 and remains an active aid to navigation. The 50 foot tower  is topped with a fixed red light that marks the entrance to St Margarets Bay. We were able to walk around it and enjoy the sounds of the Atlantic crashing against the rocks. A Canadian Coast Guard cutter passed by.

Canadian Coast Guard Cutter on St. Margaret's Bay.

William deGarthe Memorial.

 We also enjoyed the memorial created by local artist and sculptor William deGarthe. The bas relief sculpture is chiseled and carved onto a 30 foot granite rock face next to his home as a monument to the lives of local fishermen. He began the 10 year project in the 1970's at the age of 63. The sculpture includes the images of 32 fishermen, their wives and children, Saint Elmo, and "The Peggy" a young woman rescued from a shipwreck as its sole survivor and married into a local family. Legend states that Peggy's Cove was named after her .  Others, with less imagination, attribute the name to the fact that Peggy's Cove is at the entrance to St. Margaret's Bay. 

Fred enjoying the Peggy's Point Lighthouse grounds.