A Longer Stay: Atlantic Canada
Exploring Canada's Maritime Provinces: A week of wandering through beautiful New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island together make up Canada's Maritime Provinces. With a jagged coastline punctured by picturesque bays, sandy beaches and towering cliffs, idyllic seaside villages, and some of the freshest seafood in the world, it's easy to see how the region earned it's nickmane as "Canada's ocean playground".
Argyle Street, in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, is lined with cozy pubs, eccentric bistros (i.e. the iconic Economy Shoe Shop, a cafe and bar that takes its name from a salvaged neon sign that hangs from the side of the building) and plenty of options for dining al fresco on a gorgeous summer day.
I love learning about local cuisine, so I couldn't leave Canada without procuring the essential guide to Maritime cooking: Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens: a collection of traditional recipes of Nova Scotia and the stories of the people who cooked them. First published in 1970 and still celebrated today, the book documents the history of cooking in the Canadian province. (I also picked up a copy of Out of New Nova Scotia Kitchens, which was inspired by the original but offers recipes for Best Loved East Coast Dishes for Today. After reading both of them front to back, I created my own take on traditional Maritime Hodgepodge, which I served topped with pan roasted halibut.