Tidal Bore and Festival Acadian August 23

Next up, Moncton.  A much larger city lying near the Bay of Fundy and at the doorstep to the Prince Edward Island Bridge as well as Nova Scotia, it is a town of commerce and tourism.  With an intelligent road system incorporating a lot of traffic circles, we found our way to the WalMart that just so happened to be right on the waterfront not far from the center of town.

With a lot of RVs already there, we didn’t hesitate to find a spot and get ready for some exploring.  Today was to be another bike day so they were unloaded and we were off!  We followed a trail that led along the waterfront, right through the downtown area and continued on to parts of a long continental trail system.  We enjoyed the expanse of muddy river bed, the fields of wildflowers and the beautiful day.

Today was near the last day of a two week festival/event celebrating Acadian culture.  Comprised of descendants of the original French immigrants to Nova Scotia in the early 1600’s, the Acadians are now scattered between southeastern New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Louisiana.  With my Mom in New Orleans, we’ve come to enjoy Acadian culture and were excited to check out the event. 

Waiting for the fest to open, we wandered a bit then realizing that the dry riverbed was about to fill quickly with the arrival of the next tidal bore.  We went to the river as more and more people gathered for the twice daily event.  Sitting on the rocky shore, we watched the turn of the river.  It was first visible with Niagara Falls type mist being visible from around the bend and not long after the wall of water making   Some days large enough for surfers to be riding the wake, today was more tame with the four foot swell of tide looking small amidst the awaiting landscape.  A four foot wall of water was still something to behold and it came in with a speed and force that demanded caution and respect!
its appearance.

We spent the rest of the day at the festival.  So much smaller than any we’ve attended in Louisiana, it was a true gathering for the Acadian people.  We saw a mesmerizing performance piece by a silent dance company, several musical acts (a favorite coming from our familiar Louisiana stomping grounds) and were welcomed with kindness by the small crowd.  We met a lovely new friend, Minon, who filled us in on all things Acadian and had an impromtu portrait sketched by cheerful Lucie.  Sadly, the food did not impress having become used to the best of the best in New Orleans! 

We finished the night wandering into town in search of fish   With someone’s first recommendation being nothing more than a fast food chain, we did a quick about face and headed straight for the first Irish pub we could find!  With a Guinness and our appetite sated, we enjoyed the ride back to our parking lot home looking forward to tomorrow’s adventure.
and chips.