I wanted to share some photos of the beautiful Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia today – not just to show off this beautiful historic town but also to show two beautiful people – Lloyd and Sharon – the photos they helped us take. I apologize in advance for the lengthy, and image intensive post – but there was no way to just briefly talk about this amazing area.

Lloyd and Sharon are amazing, friendly folks who basically scooped us off the Annapolis wharf and offered to give us a driving tour of the valley. They were so generous with their time – it always amazes me how warm and sweet east coasters are.

Among the unexpected treats we got that day was a visit to their blueberry patch – where we ‘gleaned’ to our hearts content. Yvette was in heaven.

This watery stairway was fascinating to me. I took this photo at Victoria beach – which is a small fishing community on the Bay of Fundy. When the tide goes down these stairs are exposed so folks can use them to get down to their boats.

This wharf is at Parkers Cove – I love the way these wharfs have been built to allow for the dramatic tidal changes. The fishing wharves are a patchwork of construction with newer parts for where storms have washed older material away. The oldest parts of the wharfs are hundreds of years old in some cases.

Another view of the wharf – you can see someone walking along the top for perspective, I love this shot.

Another shot of the wharf – the tide is out so the boats are sitting on the ground.

We can’t thank Lloyd and Sharon enough, their hospitality made for a wonderful day.

Speaking of hospitality, this beautiful place is the Dragonfly Inn – we highly recommend it. Friendly folks, beautiful rooms and a short walk to the waterfront.

The town of Annapolis Royal is small, friendly and significant in Canadian history. I defer to wikipedia:

“Annapolis Royal (2006 population: 444) is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St. Augustine, Florida.

The town was the capital of Acadia and later Nova Scotia for almost 150 years, until the founding of Halifax in 1749. It was attacked by the British six times before permanently changing hands after the Conquest of Acadia in 1710. Over the next fifty years, the French and their allies made six unsuccessful military attempts to regain the capital.

Including a raid during the American Revolution, Annapolis Royal faced a total of thirteen attacks, more than any other place in North America.[1″

We visited the Garrison Cemetery – there are tours at night a few times a week that are both entertaining and informative. Each person is given a lantern to carry and you go though a guided tour of the most significant gravestones. Garrison cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Canada.

Yvette and I really enjoyed our time in this town and would definitely recommend it to others looking for the perfect spot to relax and unwind in :)