Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia: public boat-building project on the main street
I am about a third of the way through this tour, and tomorrow I change locations again. It is not easy to leave the Annapolis Valley, where I have been based for 6 nights and enjoyed shows in many communities along this beautiful north-western coast. The weather has been hot, warm, and hot again; even on the hot days there is a soft, refreshing wind off the water. Everywhere I go, I am welcomed warmly. Whether the audience is a crowd of 80 packed into the library or a handful of 10 outside on what used to be the train station platform, there is an ease of being together, and afterwards there is always mingling and visiting. I weave French into the show, given the history of the Acadian culture. When I can, I stop along the way to explore, always watching for what catches my eye, and enjoying the conversations that arise out of simple encounters with strangers.
Nova Scotia Library audience. We had such a full turnout we had to move from the program room out into the main area. Great fun, with many French-speaking Acadian families.
Nova Scotia: After a show. I love the way the boys are watching his hands.
Digby, Nova Scotia: Weathered walls near the sea
Driving along the shore between shows, I pass an old church that’s been converted into a store where you can find anything you might need, or used to have, or used to see at your grandparents’, or have never seen at all.
Digby, Nova Scotia: Work at the boatyard