Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

The morning dawned bright and sunny with a superior breeze blowing. Having decided to stop in Lunenburg in order to hide from considerably stronger winds out in the Bay of Fundy, many were wondering what this newly scheduled day held. A Zodiac ride into shore allowed a quick tour of the various sailing ships tied up to piers along this quaint Canadian seaside town. Everyone was able to get a fine view of the Bluenose II and its crew hard at work down rigging the ship after a season of sailing. It is a rebuild of the Bluenose, which was a famous fishing and racing schooner built in 1923.

Once ashore everyone received a guided tour of the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. Exhibits included an aquarium of marine animals found in the North Atlantic, historic Cod fishing, rum running, small boat building and everything else one could think of pertaining to North Atlantic fisheries and ships.

Following lunch, those who decided to brave the ever building winds went ashore again for a chance to wander around the charming town. Little shops waited to be examined and historic buildings were in abundance. Guides described the founding of Lunenburg in 1753 and explained how it was originally a British colony. Being a pre-planned town, the streets were laid out in a square grid pattern before the site was even seen. This explains the steep hillside streets on which the historic buildings are built.
With a long, windy crossing of the Bay of Fundy ahead of us, the National Geographic Explorer was underway in the afternoon, pointed in the direction of tomorrow’s destination.