Shop & Treasure Hunt

Arlene Collins, a natural artist, lives and works in Yorke Settlement. A visit to her studio and gallery is a must when you stay at our beach side cottage in Nova Scotia. Her studio is about a 10 minute drive from the cottage, or a lovely bike ride any season of the year.

The Destination Gallery on Main Street in Parrsboro, next door to Kiss the Sky Kites, exhibits a range of contemporary artists and wonderful things from the past. If you look closely, you'll see a little house being built between Destination Gallery and Kiss the Sky. Look again and you'll also see an exquisite sign made from a wooden ironing board.

Shaw Country Market in Port Greville is about 5 minutes drive from our Nova Scotia beach cottage. Next door is Ebb Tide's Victorian Tea Room, where it is an absolute pleasure to have a tea break.

Parrsboro has one supermarket for major shopping trips, and if you can't find what you want, speak with the manager and see if it can be brought in for you.

The Nova Scotia Liquor Commission in Parrsboro has a good selection of wine, hard liquor, beer, and whatever else you enjoy.

The Parrsboro shore is a hotbed of creativity. Some of the local people's creative products are available at Shaw Country Market and in the shops in Parrsboro. When you go to town, take a slow walk down Main Street, and you'll see this creativity which makes this town a wonderful place to visit. Liz feels that the shops in Parrsboro are as nice as the ones in her Yonge/Eglinton neighbourhood in Toronto.

Maybe you'll be really lucky, and be able to purchase something special such as a wood carving, a lawn ornament, old furniture or even a quilt.

For visitors to our Nova Scotia beach cottage who like bargains (and don't we all?), a short trip to Frenchy's in Amherst is an absolute must. To get into the spirit of things, visit The New Yorker online (www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060925fa_fact) to read Calvin Trillin's Letter from Nova Scotia: Ragtime. Trillin describes his relationship with his local Frenchy's - hope you'll have fun reading it.

Not too far down the road from our Nova Scotia beach cottage is the Joy Laking Gallery, located on Highway 2 in Portaupique. Joy Elizabeth Laking is one of Nova Scotia's most well known watercolour painters. Visitors are welcome "year round by chance or appointment."