Sword & Anchor's Blog

Unions and Reunions

swordandanchor — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:48:17 +0000

One of the delightful aspects of owning a B&B is playing host to weddings and family reunions. We have had plenty of both this past summer with people coming from all over the world to re-connect with family or to attend one of the many weddings which occur throughout the months of June, July and August.

Fall Foliage on the South Shore

swordandanchor — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:47:14 +0000

Late September and October are some of the best times. In fact, a recent article in the Globe and Mail newspaper (Susan MacCallum-Whitcomb, T3 , September 10, 2011) picked Lunenburg County and especially Mahone Bay as one of the top spots for leaf viewing in the Maritimes. And, as an added bonus, Mahone Bay hosts the annual Scarecrow Festival with lots of creative and colourful scarecrow designs dotting the front lawns of this wonderful town with its renowned hospitality and picturesque churches on the bay. The summer crowds are dwindling so now is the time to come visit us if you savour a quieter pace. And don’t forget, Lunenburg, a UNESCO-designated community and home of the Bluenose, is only 15 minutes away.

Fun at the Painter’s Workshop

swordandanchor — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:42:45 +0000

The Sword and Anchor hosted a plein air painter’s workshop a week ago and it was a great success. We expected that of course because of the fabulous scenery in the area. The consensus favourite was the day at Blue Rocks. The group also painted in Lunenburg, Chester Basin and Mahone Bay.

This seems like it is going to be an annual event. If you are a painter you do not need to be part of the painting group, just bring your oils, acrylics or water colours along and we will be happy to show you some beautiful scenes to keep you busy and enchanted. One of the best in the area is the balcony at the Sword and Anchor.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

swordandanchor — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 23:31:16 +0000

Actually we were under a rare double rainbow at the Sword and Anchor this week.

Rainbows are considered good luck, especially if you are staying where the mythical pot of gold is found as our guests were.

We like to think we are very fortunate to be in this part of Nova Scotia. A rainbow means that summer is here and all the glory of the South Shore is at our front door. Bookings are picking up fast so give Jane a call, book for a night or as long as you want, and make sure you do not miss out on one of the best views in all of Nova Scotia.

Summer has arrived

swordandanchor — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 12:38:22 +0000

At last!

Family Reunions at the Sword and Anchor

swordandanchor — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 13:40:09 +0000

We just had the Slaughter family from West Virginia stay with us for a week during one of their periodic reunions. Actually, the family started out in West Virginia but has branched out to other states as far away as Oregon.

Never have so many people done so much in so short a time to take advantage of their stay together. They were in Peggy’s Cove, Halifax, Lunenburg, Tancook Island and just about anywhere else you care to name. They hiked, biked and kayaked their way through the South Shore and we thoroughly enjoyed hosting them.

It is a special joy to us when families visit and get to experience the warm hospitality we offer combined with the comfort of being at ‘home away from home’. That’s what the Slaughter’s said they liked about our place and it always feels good to know people have had a good time with us.

Meet “Captain George”

swordandanchor — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:57:59 +0000

He’s supposed to be the Sword and Anchor handyman. He has a company called “Phantom Renovations”. The company slogan is, ”You’ll never see us working”. Alas, it is all too true. Good thing the S and A does not need any work done on it this year.

What “Captain George” seems to be really good at is showing up for breakfast and running his boat, ”Privateer”. When you visit you might see it moored just across the road. If it is a particularly fine day, George might even take you on a free tour of the South Shore from the water; the only way to see it according to him.

He’s also a good story-teller so if you are not familiar with the legend of the Teazer or the Oak Island Mystery just ask George. He’ll be happy to fill you in. Anything to avoid being seen working.

The Beautiful South Shore of Nova Scotia

swordandanchor — Mon, 30 May 2011 12:28:21 +0000

There is lots to do in southwestern Nova Scotia and when you stay at the Sword and Anchor you are central to most of the ocean playground of Atlantic Canada. Here are some places to visit.

Right next door is Oak Island where the legend of buried treasure is alive and well. President Roosevelt once owned shares in a company which followed the dream of pirate’s gold on the island, his correspondence is full of references to it. The mystery of the “pit” and why it was built has fascinated fortune-hunters for centuries.

Lunenburg is a world UNESCO heritage site, still a working fishing port and the home of the renowned Bluenose, the greatest racing schooner whose profile is featured on the Canadian dime. While you are in the town you can visit the many art galleries for that special maritime painting and stop by the waterfront Fishermen’s Museum and Memorial.

In the other direction on the the old Highway 3 out of Halifax is Peggy’s Cove village and lighthouse, a spot celebrated around the world for its quaint beauty.

A rewarding day trip is to visit Annapolis Royal on the Bay of Fundy, which has close by the Port Royal Historic Site where Champlain built a colony and fort in 1605.

Closer to us is Kejimkujik National Park for hikers, bikers and kayakers.

Not far away too is Wolfville and Grand Pre National Historic Site. There, in 1755, the British expelled Acadian settlers for refusing to take a loyalty oath to the Crown. Longfellow immortalized this moment in his poem “Evangeline“, and the descendants of these deportees are the source of the ‘Cajun culture’ in Louisiana.

Then there are our fabulous beaches, Hirtles, Bayswater, Queensland, and Carter’s to name a few.

Only four hours drive away is Prince Edward Island. So, why not include a day or two exploring the home of Anne of Green Gables and the many beautiful beaches in that part of the East Coast? Nova Scotia and PEI are the two smallest Provinces in Canada and so getting around is easy.

Just a few suggestions to consider when you stay with us.

Writers Weekend at the Sword and Anchor

swordandanchor — Fri, 20 May 2011 04:26:35 +0000

We are having another aspiring writers retreat the first weekend in June ( 3rd-5th ) and there is still space if you want to join us. The workshops are run by Cynthia McMurray of Bryler Publications. You can contact Cynthia via email at info@brylerpublications.com and view her website at www.brylerpublications.com. The website contains some more information about the workshop.

This is a popular session which includes all the important topics; what makes a good writer and a good book, common mistakes, memoir writing, how to bring style to your writing, tips for great fiction and how to get published, among other subjects.

The session begins with a reception on Friday evening and lasts through lunch on Sunday. Lunch is provided on Saturday as well.

So, come and exercise your creativity at the Sword and Anchor in June.

You can sign up by emailing Cynthia.

For those who have been asking about the ” plein air” oil painting class in July, this is already fully booked.

Haven finds a haven

swordandanchor — Fri, 13 May 2011 14:24:32 +0000

Nova Scotia has an active movie industry and reports are that many more films are planned for locations all along the South Shore in the coming months. One of the shows that shoots here regularly is “Haven”. It is a TV series loosely based on the Steven King novel, The Colorado Kid.

The stars of the show regularly eat at Nicki`s in Chester and the Sword and Anchor has the pleasure of hosting some of the crew who are down here for a photo shoot.

Other stars who have made films in this area include Sandra Bullock, Kirk Douglas and Christopher Plumber. Jason Priestly was spotted here last week.

Last year Brad Pitt visited the Alexander Graham Bell museum in Baddeck. A film in the planning stages perhaps.

So, if you can take your eyes off the beautiful scenery you might spot a movie or TV star sharing the same scene.