Adventure Caravans by RV to the Gaspe Peninsula and the Canadian Maritimes

Day 20 - Annapolis Royal, NS
It rained fairly constantly last night and many of us awoke to water in the campsite. But Ed and Pat Casey had a moat on the side of their rig. Here, chivalrous Ed provides Pat a bridge to cross the moat to high ground.	This weather vane caught my eye, so I included it.
Our first visit was to the Port-Royal Habitation. Port Royal is the first permanent European settlement in North America north of Florida, having been founded in 1605 by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts and Samuel de Champlain. De Monts built the Habitation at Port-Royal in 1605 as a replacement for Champlain's initial attempt at colonising Ile Ste. Croix, located on the border between what is now Maine and New Brunswick. The Ile Ste. Croix settlement had failed due to the lack of food, water, and fuel wood on the island.	The actual buildings of the Habitation were burned to the ground in 1613 by an English invasion force from Virginia led by sea marauder Samuel Argall. Prompted by the efforts of Harriette Taber Richardson and the Historical Association of Annapolis Royal, the Canadian government rebuilt the Habitation in 1939-1940.
We had a a very knowledgeable and interesting guide who explained the history of the Habitation and answered our many questions. All the guides were dressed as a common man of the day. This is the room where everyone in the settlement ate. By the way, they were all men. Families had not arrived at this time.	John shows us a common man's beaver pelt hat...
and then the gentleman's hat. It was taller, formed on the sides and perhaps the back, and would have a decorative band with a couple of ostrich plumes to set it off.	Mike is checking out one of the cellars we could explore.
The center courtyard of the Port Royal Habitation - The oldest National Historic Site of Canada
Pat Beitler checks out the sleeping accommodations for the common man in the loft over the dining room.	The ceiling rafter construction is very reminiscent of the hull of a boat. It is built with wooden dowels to hold all the beams together.
This was the quarters of the gentlemen. It was shared by two to four men.	This is the upstairs bedroom where the person in charge slept, with much nicer accommodations than the gentleman's shared room or the common man's loft area.
The store where the French traded hard goods for furs.	Blacksmith shop
The kitchen	Our guide demonstrated how they made wood shingles. He is splitting a board into the correct thickness.
He then shaves it to the correct proportions.	He so looked the part of a 1600's explorer.
Our next stop was the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. Located on 17 acres overlooking a tidal river valley, it is often described as "Nova Scotia's Hidden Treasure".	The historic gardens feature collections and displays which provide a glimpse of the past from a horticultural perspective. From the Mi'kmaq practices and the methods of the early Acadian gardener through to innovative gardening techniques of today.
The rose garden had a wide variety of roses. Unfortunately, many of them were drooping from last night's rain.	However, some of them were still in pristine condition.
There were a number of ponds with beautiful plantings surrounding them.	The lily pad flowers were a vibrant pink that I had not seen before. I have only seen white lily pad flowers.
There were flowers that I had not seen before -	to flowers like these daises that we all recognize.
At noon we were treated to a caravan included lunch.	The Garden Cafe is on the Historical Gardens grounds. It is a restaurant and a German bakery. Many of us didn't leave without purchasing some bakery treats.
For the amount of things we packed into today, I never felt rushed. Our last tour of the day was Fort Anne, which is about 5 miles up river from Annapolis Royal.	The French and the British in turn had their colonial capitals here, and built several forts to protect them. Their officials interacted with the Mi'kmaq, Acadians and the British residents. It was one of the most hotly contested territories in North America, enduring alternating sieges and attacks from both the French and the British who sought control of the continent. The 1702 earthworks are the earliest Canadian example of a Vauban-Style fort. Vauban was undisputed European fort design master of his time.
Fort Anne is the oldest national historic site in Canada, designated in 1917.	Our guide explains four panels depicting the 17th - 20th century history of the area. Done in needle point, and measuring 8 X 18 feet, it took 5 years to complete.
A view looking over the tidal basin.	The powder house, dated 1705, is the oldest building on the site.
After the tour, most of use walked the downtown area of Annapolis Royal. It is a quaint town with many stores selling a variety of items.	A local landmark that was never a working lighthouse.
The tide was out so you can get an idea of the height of tides coming in from the Bay of Fundy. The line between the black and white stones is the high water mark. The tides can range up to 28 feet.	We have seen these through Canada. Our guide on Prince Edward Island referred to them as "cow marshmallows". They are rolled hay that is packaged in plastic to protect them. Sometimes you would see them as long white sausages.
Click here for a Google map of above pictures. Day 19 - Day 21

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