rock of ages

On my last day in Nova Scotia, I toured Joggins Fossil Cliffs, a UNESCO world heritage site on the north side of the Bay of Fundy. Between high tide and low tide was a difference of 33 feet, and the tour began at low tide, when the waters were receding. Exposed were rocks and fossils from 300 million years ago.  

 The first thing you notice is the angle of the layers.

Our guide had worked as a mining engineer in Alberta, and he explained that for every kilometer north toward Cape Breton, we were going back in time a million years. Forward toward Halifax, forward a million years.

The ridge you see along the beach is a natural seam along the floor of the Bay of Fundy, being exposed by erosion.

 The smooth straight lines above were lycopsid, tall plants, their outlines preserved for 300 million years.

This site, like the rest of the Appalachian mountains continuing south, included a thick seam of coal. In the 20th century, it was a mined underground, with wharf bringing the coal out to seat (at high tide). The mine closed in the 1960s. Some angry workers set it on fire, and those fires burned for years.

 As we walked around looking for fossils, we noticed the tide beginning to come back in.

Layers of history, record of time.

Rocks on this beach came from all over the world: granite, mica, quartz.

The patterns on some of the rocks resemble topographic rocks. Each is a layer of time, being peeled away.

These kids were great fossil hunters.

This rock was surprisingly heavy. Perhaps 20 pounds. At the time this layer was exposed, 300 million years ago, the Appalachians were the tallest mountain range on earth. Today they are smoothed and low.

The continents converged in a single continent called Pangaea. The present day Bay of Fundy lay on the equator, next to Casablanca! Whereas today it is roughly midway between the equator and the North Pole.

map by Massimo

Animal or plant life? More info on Biodiversity in the Joggins Fossil Cliffs is here. 

This is a tree fossil preserved.

I liked this composite rock, with pieces from all over that had melded

I found this fossil, with a tree and an air pocket.

This fossil shows a giant millipede. How giant? Arthropleura could be 8 feet long!

The cliffs themselves are fascinating. 

The "black pepper" on this fossil is algae, preserved.

 What do you see?

Can you spot the tree trunk?

This is a record of a horseshoe crab: one of the few species from the coal age that still survives today.

 Elegant cracks.

Wait, have I stumbled into a Wes Anderson movie?

With the powerful tides, the cliffs are unstable, and pieces of them broke off as we were standing on the beach.

 Fish scales!

And then it was time to hop in my Escape and head for the airport. The tides were ready to wash over our beach soon anyway. Five hours later, I landed in Boston, ready for my next adventure.

Tidal Bay

What's in a name? A rosé by any other name would smell as sweet.

I made my way southwest to lovely Parrsboro in the Bay of Fundy via Jost Winery on the sunshine trail. My reasons for stopping: Tidal Bay. Nova Scotia's wine industry is nascent. They've wisely decided to focus on obscure grapes that grow well here. Jost Tidal Bay is made from L'Acadie, Ortega, and NY Muscat grapes.

 But Mercator's even better Tidal Bay is L'Acadie, Seyval, and Petite Milo.

On the way, I'm listening to a CBC program entitled: Alcohol, Tonic or Toxin? This is a terrible name for a wine, btw.

I learned that the Tidal Bay appellation, Nova Scotia's first 8 years ago, can be made with different grapes. Tidal Bay is a brand. So this year 12 wineries are making a Tidal Bay.

Now here's the real kicker: I asked about Tidal Bay at Jost. And the woman standing next to me told me she named it: that the tourism board of Nova Scotia held a contest, and she entered online. They never even told her she won. Eventually they sent a case of wine and some other treats as a thank you.

Nova Scotia is a place that gets marketing. Every place you drive by has a tagline. This is Parrsboro, which is being revitalized as an arts haven. I'm not sure what its tagline is.

The license plates for the province promise Canada's ocean playground.
Pictou was the birthplace of New Scotland
Stellation offers people, spirit, pride. (No comma)
Stewiache proclaims it is halfway between the North pole and the Equator!

Why come to the Bay of Fundy? Because it has the biggest tide changes in the world. This week, 33 feet difference between high tide and low.

I'd planned to go kayaking, but the trip got moved up early in the morning, so I went hiking instead to Wards Falls.

It was a nice level walk along a stream, about 7 KM round trip.

It crisscrosses the brook, which must have meant getting your feet wet until they put in 16 bridges.

Some are a little wobbly. That's half the fun.

The falls themselves were modest, like Canadians.

All that moss left me in a good mood, even if I'd set out without refilling my water and had to pick blackberries.

Afterward I drove out to look at the harbour (sic) which just looked like mud flats.

Went in search of food and heard there was a tea room at the hostel at the lighthouse. So I scampered down the hill.

Sadly it was closed.

But hard to beat this view out to Cape d'Or (Cape of Gold).

3 pm and I was getting desperate. All I had to eat in the car was a bag of plums from the market the first day. I picked up Hello Dolly bars at the gas station. And then stumbled upon the best fried clams I've ever eaten, at the cafe in a trailer by the campground. (Sorry HoJo's of my youth.)

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't include a few photos of the exquisitely restored home I'm staying in through AirBnB.

John is a retired professor from Ontario. I'll call this the wallpaper house. All the period detail is lovingly restored. Each room different.

 The teddy bear picnic graces the hall

Italo the cockapoo asleep on his chair.

If you'd like to stay here, I'd be happy to share the contact information. This may be the best heritage home I've ever slept in. One of the reviews said it was like staying in a Jane Austen novel.

Sigh. Why indeed?

Nova Scotia deserves all those taglines and accolades. They don't seem to get a lot of West Coast tourists. They're surprised I've even heard of it. And that's just fine.

Time to get a little rest. Tomorrow: a tour with an archaeologist on the floor of the Bay of the Fundy! Dinosaurs and more.