Part V A Trip to Peggy’s Cove
What makes this rural village—with a population of 600, tucked away on the eastern most edge of North America, and closed down half the year due to its bleak winter—so appealing as to draw people from all over the world?
Following the instinct of migratory birds, I have decided to travel north to escape the sweltering summer heat, and to see for myself what makes this village in Nova Scotia so special. I had vaguely heard of Peggy’s Cove before I hit the road. Since it is within a short driving distance from the capital of Halifax once I’m there, I pick one sunny afternoon and start my journey.
As I get closer while cruising on the serene, curvy road, the unusual rock formations come into my sight from both sides along the coast of the narrow peninsula. Getting nearer, the rugged and bulkier rocks replace the grassy terrain, then suddenly, the unassuming Peggy’s Cove sign pops into view atop a humongous boulder.
The Peggy’s Cove or Mars
Another 10 minutes later, looking out at the scenery ahead, there is nothing around but the rocky earth extending into the Atlantic Ocean.
Or imagine you have just landed on Mars.
Turning my head to look inland, past the large rocks, I see a few dozen houses sprinkled in the distance—it’s the renowned Peggy’s Cove. This off-the-beaten-track fishing village has maintained its novel and picturesque appearance, its small population and a simple, but not simplistic, way of life, along with its natural, scenic appeal, since it was founded in 1811.
Then, the Famed Lighthouse
Its iconic lighthouse, too, without a doubt, has captured the eyes of travelers. Few places on earth are immune to the force of globalization nowadays, thus tour buses are rolling in during the day, carrying people from all parts of the world. Still, as it gets closer to sunset, and after the babbling crowds have left and the clouds of dust have settled, serenity returns with the twilight. By dusk, Peggy’s Cove goes back to its own distinct ways, holding on to the same rituals, beliefs, and traditions as it always has.
I can’t help but wonder, what would it be like to live like the locals here? Therefore, I have decided to stay here for a few nights, to experience the village in its true authentic sense, to view it with a certain reverence.
Fortunately, unlike most other touristy boroughs, nightfall here does not mean neon signs are switched on. Other than a few old-fashioned street lamps flickering, the lighthouse is emitting a ruby-red glow piercing the foggy darkness. Although it is no longer in service for guiding ships today, its steady, radiating rhythms act like heartbeats heralding its vigor and exuberance.
Still A Fishing Village
Peggy’s Cove was, and still is, a fishing village with fishing boats dotted along the coast and in the bay. While I take in the view overlooking the village that meets the ocean, my mind travels back to the start of time in this hinterland. Somehow, I imagine, it looked and felt exactly the same back then as it does today; while salty ocean breezes gently caress my cheeks and fishing lights sparkle on the sea from near, far, and everywhere in between. I can even picture fishermen returning to their homes after their hard-working day, nourishing their fatigued bodies and hardening their stamina to go out to the sea the next morning. I feel I’m closer to the people who are part of nature, and I feel closer to nature than I have ever been before.
Center For the Locals
Even though the gleaming image of the lighthouse draws tens of thousands of visitors year after year, it’s the communal center of the village that holds the hearts of the locals throughout its history.
Long before I entered the village by road, the first thing that caught my eye from a distance was the steep-pitched roof with its slender spire in cardinal-red, radiant under the sun, designating the center of the community. Coming in closer, I noticed this pristine building with lancet windows glinting in the sun. It was built in 1893 with its history carved in a big bronze panel placed outside the front door. Regardless of what name you call God, this historic Carpenter, Gothic style house of worship slows you down, calms your heart, and brings your mind to a time, together with the people who erected it over one hundred years ago.
The Artsy Spirit
Walking around, it doesn’t take long to get into the artsy-craftsy spirit while wandering in the ambiance of solitude, surrounded by bare rocks, and seemingly on the brink of the world. Countless artists have come here from all over the world to get in that zone, to write books about it, or shoot movies. Some have even stayed for the rest of their lives.
My early morning stroll stops at this Monumental Work of Art. I read the plaque and reflect on it: What would you do with a 30-meter outcrop of granite in your backyard? A Finnish-born painter and sculptor, William deGarthe, decided to carve a work of art from it. In 1977, at the age of 70, deGarthe picked up his chisels and power tools and set out to, as he put it, “release the figures sleeping in the rock for over 10 million years.”
His sculpture is the monument to the generations of hardworking fishermen and his adopted home–Peggy’s Cove.
On my way back, I can’t resist one last look at this gem on bare rocks and then ponder: what makes one place feel so rich, yet another hollow? Evidently, it is not the size that matters, not even its opulence.
