As we hit the sack last night the fog horn started. At least we will have smooth sailing. Wake up this morning still foggy. Ann goes off to the gym while I rest, it is 19 degrees. I check on the balcony and we are mooring at the dock! Visibility about 50 metres! By 10 am it has lifted. It is overcast and threatening rain but 20 degrees with high expected of 26.
We head off just before 11, and the threat of rain has diminished. We have to report for our brewery tour at 11.45. There is a lovely boardwalk along the waterfront, so we amble along. It seems very different from when we were last here. There has been a lot of development. We enter an area where the sights become familiar, but there are a lot o& eateries and small shops in shed like buildings. It is getting close to 11.45 so we head off to Alexander Keith’s brewery. Our tour starts on time at noon. It is in a lovely historic building. Our tour starts with a sample of their IPA and an initial description of Alexander Keith’s history. We then go on to a time line of the brewery’s development and products and the life of AK who was a very well respected citizen of Nova Scotia having been elected mayor for three consecutive terms. We then enter a dining room that is a replica from AKs manor house.
Then we have a lesson on the different types malt used and the crushing of the malt while sampling a stout. We move on to the brewing room and then to the cellar. The cellar has been turned into a bar and as we enter a song is being played by two bar girls. We are then given a glass of blonde ale while the history of drinking and singing in bars and tap rooms is brought to life by the guides who are fantastic. The different beers are explained and we have the choice of another beer. I go for a red stag stout which was very nice, Ann decides to sit on her blonde ale and I am disappointed she did not try another one so I could finish it! We have some more music, including a rendition of Donald where’s your trousers, and after an hour the tour is finished. It was well worthwhile and very enjoyable. Our ticket also gives us a free sample at the Beer Garden if we can find it.
We then head off to find a lobster roll for Ann. There are plenty of bars, restaurants and food places along the way. Ann gets her lobster roll, but it was just more than the cash we had left, so we are still cashed up. We continue along the boardwalk and find some sights we remembered from last time. We were looking for a tugboat named Theodore that was displayed on the waterfront (It was like Scuffy the Tugboat) but with the new developments it either no longer exists or has been moved elsewhere. In any case we find the wave sculpture.
I purchase an ice cream, Royal Canadian mint chocolate - yum! On the way back we find the beer garden so we head in to get our free sample. The sun has broken through the cloud and it is 26 degrees, what could be better than a nice cold beer for free! After that beer it is so good, and as we still have some Canadian currency left we buy a full size one each and enjoy the passing parade. We then head back to the ship and we are back on board by 3.45. After dropping off our bags in the cabin we head to the international cafe for a coffee and bite to eat. Back in the cabin at 5 pm and Ann needs a lie down. As I am typing this out on the balcony a piper starts up. It has been a guuud day.
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