Days 21 and 22 Lunenburg and the RV Repair Facility

Tuesday, July 2^nd 2013

A group of colorful shops in Lunenburg

The forecast was still poor, but we decided Lunenburg NS might best be seen in the rain, anyway. 

Lunenburg harbor on a damp and dreary day

Being from the North shore of Massachusetts, and Norm having spent most of his life with a second home on Cape Cod, small, quaint fishing villages are not very different from those we have grown to take for granted.  Lunenburg was on every tourist's “ must see” list, so we felt we “must see”

.Lunenburg was, indeed, a very pretty, quaint fishing village, with some very nice shops lining the few main streets.  We wandered in and out of them ,leaving puddles of water from our raincoats in our wake.  It was a warm rain, so it was pleasant anyway.

We had a nice lunch, then traveled the coastal road back.  The heavy rain was intermittent, and I took quite a few pictures of the fishing coves that we could see through the rain and the fog.

Canisters of Liquid Gold

In one of the shops we stopped in, we spotted a display in the corner of stainless steel canisters with small spouts on the end. And sample cups and spoons.  Hmmmm. "Liquid Gold " the sign read. Now we are really intrigued.

 We asked the young lad behind the counter what this was all about, and he came right over and very patiently educated us on the  nuances of Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegars.

 First he started explaining the health benefits of olive oils.  Now I was really interested. Besides boosting your immune system, we learned, researchers have found it to help with heart disease, oxidative stress, blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.

I knew it was good for you, but not THIS good.



Their oils came fresh from the traditional Mediterranean countries as well as Chile, Argentina and California.

Olive Oil we discovered, is similar to a fine wine.  Which region it is grown in, and how it is processed affects it taste.   We sampled many and found they truly did taste differently. Some imparted an "after taste " that others didn't.  We never knew!

Their balsamic vinegars came in all sorts of flavors. Espresso, chocolate, Sicilian lemon, acai, pomegranate, strawberry, etc.  You could even sample combinations of your choosing, then buy a bottle and create your own special flavored oil and/or vinegar. A culinary smorgasbord!

Did we buy any?  No.  I am not sure why, perhaps because we were in the RV and thought we may not use it all, or because storing the tall bottles would be a problem, or maybe because it was raining? Quite frankly, after trying all those oily samples with a spoon, I was pretty grossed out.  The real reason is probably because we were just too cheap.  As I write this, I am really regretting that we didn't try a creation of our own.

For those that care to know, there is also a much larger store called Liquid Gold Tasting Bar and All Things Olive in Halifax that has 40 different types of oils, and the bonus of crusty bread to sample it with.

The rain a mere "mist",  we found this very inviting
spot in a nearby cove

Wednesday, July 3^rd 2013

Today we had an appointment to finally get the TV antenna replaced. It will be good to see what is going on in the world.  We have not watched the news for weeks.   Most of the other problems had mysteriously

Gotta get that shine back!

resolved themselves with the exception of the thermostat for the heat and air-conditioning, but we think we can live with it until we get home.

Nothing is more nerve wracking that going to a strange automotive repair place in a strange town or country.  This is our " house" and our "car" for heaven's sake, you don't want someone to mess it up! Not to mention charge an arm and a leg for the privilage. What is really scary is when you arrive at said strange place, you find that they messed up the appointment date, and the reason they never answered any of your 6 calls trying to confirm, is because almost all their technicians quit! Oh yes, of course we have a technician for you, not to worry.  Hah!  Why didn't THIS guy quit?  Was it because he was fired from all his previous jobs and he knew he would never get another?  

It appeared the serviceman knew what he was doing, but since he was working on the roof, we need a really good rain to be sure.  There was no TV reception there, so we have to wait to see if that works as well. They conveniently told us to wait a couple of days before we raise the antenna. ( maybe they wanted us well out of town )

After we left there with high hopes and a dent in our wallet, we went back to Woodhaven Campground and set back up at a much better location that they had promised us. 

Now this is a nice site here at Woodhaven RV Campground
in Halifax.  One of the best in the place.  Site #C7

We then raced to load the bicycles on the car and went into Halifax to bike a section of the Cross Canada Rail Trail. We were so pleased to see that the bike carrier (with the addition of a tarp underneath ) kept the bikes dry and rust free in all the rain.  It was so wonderful to be back on our bikes!

 This trail was beautifully maintained with crushed gravel and wide enough for two bikes. As it wound its way through the woods twisting and turning, we found ourselves going up and down a lot of hills which was a good workout for us Floridians.    We did about 8 miles, which is a good start. 

We found the local Costco and stocked up on a few things. There is quite a difference in inventory between the Costco in the States and Canada.  We found very few Organic products here.  Darn! We were told it is because Canada has no certifications regarding “organic” so it has little significance here.