Halifax to the Annapolis Valley
I was glad to leave the heat wave that reached Toronto today. Flying above the mainland skimming over the Atlantic brought a relief of freshness to my mind. The cold air on the floor
of the plane may have played a part to that. By the time we reached the tarmac in Halifax, my feet were near icicles. Although I researched the temp (21), I was absolutely convinced I would have to trade my sandals for socks and sneakers. Boy, was I wrong.
A blast of humidity swept through the cabin as soon as the door opened. Some of us stood in the arm to await our larger carry ons. Certainly, the need to trade footwear was no longer prominent. It was then the need to change my attire. Black tights and a long sleeve shirt. When we arrived at Allan’s Motel I changed into a dress my Aunt gave me. A purple strapless dress with a hand painted flower to one side.
After checking into our Motel in Kentville (because everything in Wolfville was booked), we hoofed it back into Wolfville making a much of a bee line as we could to the NSLC, though I kept calling it the LCBO. Same thing, different province. Once in the store, I zig-zagged to the Nova Scotia section, picking up a rose from Blomidon Estate Winery, Rumrunner Rum from Glenora in Cape Breton and a Halifax beer, Propeller a hefeweizen. So begins my annual exploration of all the new local wines and craft beers which seems to have skyrocketed in popularity as the craft beer in Ontario has. It’s nice to know that Nova Scotia in some way can keep up with the Joneses. In your face Ontario!
At Paddy’s Pub and Brewery, I tried two beers made in house. A Smoked Porter which was very rich in body, but creamy. It was smooth, and in no way intrusive in taste. The waiter said it had a smoked apple taste. While I could taste the smokiness, I couldn’t taste the apple no matter how much I rolled it around my tongue. Taste buds are so relative and it also depends on what beer you’re into. The next half pint, I tried an Annapolis Valley Ale which was lighter, better suited to a hot day like today, rich in flavour, a strong after taste that may have been better if it was the first and only beer you had. What I liked most about the AVA, was the earthy woody flavour. During our ordering, I asked about a tour of the brewery upstairs. I didn’t think that it would have come into fruition as I was thinking about future tours, or coming back with friends. Sure enough, someone working downstairs gave us a five minute tour. She admitted she never did a tour before but there was only three of us and we peppered her with some questions, and hopefully made her feel comfortable enough. At least until she accidentally flipped the switch to the Yeast mill, letting forth a loud grinding noise that startled us all. The light switch was next to said mill switch. Fishcakes were great by the way.
Sarahndipity 