Single Older Woman -Canadian Beaches- Martinique Beach, NS – Beach #7-Accomplished

July 2022

Today I’ll swim at Martinique Beach, Nova Scotia, on the Atlantic Ocean.

It’s another beautiful warm day with blue skies and sunshine.

After breakfast, I made my way to the Fundy Discovery Centre, where I hoped to witness the tidal bore. The Bay of Fundy is home to the highest tides on Earth and is classified as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of North America. This viewing area is 10 minutes from my hotel in Truro.

Fundy Discovery Centre

On our trip to New Brunswick in 2018, my BFF and I did walk along the beach of Hopewell Rocks and this trip allowed me to be at the other end of the Tidal Bore.

I returned to my hotel, collected my beach things, picked up a coffee at Tim’s and made my way to Martinique Beach, about an hour’s drive from Truro.

The temperature in Truro was 30 degrees celsius, a perfect air temperature for swimming in the ocean. Imagine my surprise and dismay, as I drove south on the beach road, that the temperature gauge on the dashboard, slowly dropped in temperature. Within the 15 minute drive, from highway to the beach, the skies clouded over, it got cooler and now it was only 18 degrees……Not such a nice temperature for swimming in the Atlantic Ocean! Plus it was now drizzly, cool, windy and very cloudy…….

I always research what the water temperature is or has been for any of the bodies of water I plan to swim in/at. This was no exception. Considering the temperature may only be around 17-19 degrees, I looked into renting a wet suit, just in case the water was too cold. This beach offered a couple of places where I could rent one – for 15 minutes……

Upon arrival at the beach, I was further dismayed – no places to get changed into my swim suit, no other beach goers and no other swimmers in the water, plus the water is choppy and the waves are crashing onto the beach.

As I stood there on the sand, I realized I would not be able to conquer my dream of swimming at Martinique Beach. It simply would not be safe. So, I walked the beach in my bare feet, picked up some pretty stones and rocks and took a few photos.

I realized too that even though I would not swim in the water, I was on the beach and I had planned an entire vacation around travelling to the beach, in Nova Scotia and that is still an accomplishment for a “Single Older Woman, in her fifties”.

I made my way back to Truro and stopped in at a local restaurant for dinner – salad, Pizza, dessert. Pizza with Nova Scotia authentic donair sauce – very yummy… I waited until I returned to the hotel to enjoy my choc cheesecake with a glass of a local PEI wine, Gamay- Noir.

Tomorrow is my last full day in Nova Scotia. Stay tuned for local park adventures.

Thank you for reading and letting me share.

Joye