Wind howled around the house all night long and throughout today. Ferries were cancelled, 12,000 customers lost electricity, and it was a good day to reflect back on the summer.
After leaving Quebec, we traveled to the small village of Hartland, New Brunswick, home to the world's longest covered bridge. Built in 1901, it was first used in an emergency. An urgent need for a doctor on the opposite side of the St. John River had the construction crew lay down planks so the doctor could drive across in his horse and buggy.
The bridge is 1282 feet (390 metres) long. Our visit was on a rainy day and it was nice to walk while protected from the wet.
All of the buildings were brought here from somewhere else, and the stories presented in each building are based on the families who once lived and worked in them.
Costumed re-enactors played their parts well. They cooked, stitched, and worked as they would have done 200 years ago. It was enjoyable to interact with them and learn about the daily lives of people from a variety of walks of life.
We wandered up and down stairs, through houses, barns, churches, shops, and even a printer's establishment. There we were able to print bookmarks for ourselves.
Meticulous care was taken in moving the buildings. In case of this stone house, each stone was numbered and removed, then reassembled just as it had been originally.
In one home a gardener demonstrated saving seeds. Dried flowers were available for purchase.
Although it was a humid, sticky day, the re-enactors baked bread, made soup, and worked as their predecessors would have. Tim enjoyed seeing the carpenters work with old tools fashioning furniture, repairing windows and doors, and also blacksmithing.
I always enjoy seeing table settings and pretty china dishes.
This house had a beautiful view over the river.
What I like most about history is learning about the way people lived daily life. Throughout the centuries, we have always been concerned about shelter and food; only the methods and details have changed. People of the past felt the same emotions we do, and faced many of the same challenges.
Do you enjoy history? What about it appeals to you?
