Nova Scotia - Annapolis Royal

Our first stop in Nova Scotia was Annapolis Royal, a quaint little riverside town with many heritage buildings. Nearby Port-Royal was the first year-round French settlement in Canada in 1605, on land that is the traditional homeland of the Mi’kmaq. The historical site was reconstructed in 1939 using early 17th century building techniques and is open to visitors as part of Parks Canada. During high season they have costumed interpreters describing the daily life of a frontier colony. This being the off season, we only saw one costumed gentleman in a funny hat and rather uncomfortable-looking wooden shoes chopping wood in the courtyard. The whole complex was quite well done and actually looked like a cozy place to live, except perhaps for the thin straw mattresses and lack of indoor plumbing. 

We also enjoyed a couple of museums in town, strolls through the historic core, and a great little farmers market where we stocked up for the next stops down the road.

Port-Royal Historical Site
(photo by Deborah)



Dining and entertainment hall



Interior courtyard



Trying on funny hats
(photo by Deborah)



Cozy kitchen
(photo by Deborah)



Don't mess with the baker



North Hills Museum. Built in the 1760s, renovated in the 1960s and filled with antiques.



Diminutive lighthouse: the Annapolis River is wide enough in this area to be navigable.







Fort Anne National Historic Site, built to protect the harbour.



Some very old tombstones in a very old cemetery.



Love this house.




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