Friday July 8, 2016 Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada

We were up and started drinking our coffee before leaving for our tour of the Port Royal Habitation.  The habitation was a combination fort and trading post set up by the first French in the area.  The first Europeans in the area built the fort like structure more for protection from the elements than from hostile action.  Although the buildings were eventually raided and razed by New Englanders.  The French originally had farms here in 1610 and traded with the Indians who were mostly friendly.  There was a docent who described the settlement and demonstrate some of the trades practiced by the original settlers.

Port Royal Habitation

We had lunch as a group at the German Bakery and Restaurant.  We had home made bread followed by a hearty chicken soup and then sandwiches on homemade bread.  Gerri had tuna and I had roast beef, both were great.

Alec and Sheila

Heidi the baker and the owner

After lunch we went to Fort Anne.  At the museum there was an interesting talk about the different times the area was controlled by the British and the French.  There was too much standing for my back and we left before the tour of the fort ended.

Tapestrry with the history of the area

I went out and found a cache just west of the park. I also gassed up the Jeep and stopped at a hardware store and bought a switch plate cover to make a mount for the new GPS on the coach dash board.  I stopped back by the power plant to get the information for an Earthcache.

The lighthouse at Annapolis Royal

At 3:30 we went to a Historic Garden in Annapolis Royal and explored the rose garden and other flower areas.  There was a local event Wine and Roses with music and hors d'oeuvres and we mingled with and met some locals.  All very friendly.

Pink dogwoods

White dogwoods

We had planned to have dinner at the German Bakery but it was closed by the time we finished our tour at the gardens.  We had left overs at the coach. Some TV and computer time, wasted time because it didn't work,  finished off the evening.  Tomorrow is a travel day with one of the longest drives so far. 300 or so miles to Baddeck, NS.