The Halls of Granville Nova Scotia

On a relaxing bicycle ride from A Seafaring Maiden Bed & Breakfast down Granville Road, known as North America's oldest road, we visited my Hall family ancestors at Stoney Beach Cemetery early in the summer. From the first John Hall who came from Massachusetts in 1761 to Elizabeth 'Bessie' Hall, "the Seafaring Maiden of Granville", and many family members in between, Stoney Beach Cemetery is truly a walk through my Hall family history. Bill and I have had many guests at our B&B, A Seafaring Maiden, visit the Annapolis Royal area to do much the same; explore their family ancestry, often with the assistance of the knowledgeable Ryan Scranton and Wayne Morgan at the O'Dell Museum. If your family ancestry research brings you to the Annapolis Royal area, we would love to be your 'home base', as well, your encouragement in this most valuable endeavour.

Blessings,
Ann Marie

Summer's Ripe for the Picking at A Seafaring Maiden

The Summer 'berry season' is upon us with beautiful strawberries 'fresh picked' in the morning, processed into jam in the afternoon, and served to our guests on "Mile High Tea Biscuits" the next morning at a Seafaring Maiden Bed & Breakfast. The fertile Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, Canada offers the finest local fruit from family farms. The raspberries will be ready in mid July, the blueberries the 1st of August, then the peaches (Yes, peaches from the local orchard of David Armstrong) to serve to our guests with yogurt and homemade Granville Granola, in muffins, and of course as jam a top those "Mile High Tea Biscuits". Bill and I invite you to enjoy the 'taste of summer' at A Seafaring Maiden Bed & Breakfast on the Annapolis River in Granville Ferry, overlooking the Town of Annapolis Royal, celebrating the 300th Anniversary of its naming, and historic Fort Anne.

Blessings,

Ann Marie

Spring at A Seafaring Maiden Bed and Breakfast

Happy Easter!

The snowdrops and crocuses, with a promise of daffodils and tulips to come, tell us that Spring has come to A Seafaring Maiden in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. Easter weekend has been amazing with weather perfect for Spring cleanup in the garden and bike rides in to Annapolis Royal and down our Granville Road, known as the oldest road in North America. Speaking of gardens, we invite you to visit our specials on BnBFinder.com including a package to see Annapolis Royal's Historic Gardens when you stay with us.

Blessings,

Ann Marie

A Late Winter Wine Tasting

Bruce and Dave enjoy the 'fruit of the vine' at

A Seafaring Maiden Bed & Breakfast.

The Annapolis Wine Tasters enjoyed their 2nd gathering for food, fellowship, and fine wines at A Seafaring Maiden Bed & Breakfast on 27 February 2010. "OH! To be 21 again..." was the theme with the featured wines all priced under $21 including: Rudolf Muller Niersteiner Spegelberg of Rheinhessen, Germany; Toasted Head Chardonnay of Napa Valley, California; Domaine du Ladreau Village Muscadet of Loire Valley Region, France; McWilliams Hanwood Estate Shiraz of Southeast Australia; Canelleto Primitiro di Puglia of Puglia Region of Italy; and Annapolis Highland Winery Highland Blue of Clemenstvale, Nova Scotia. As wonderful as the food and wine were, the highlight of the festivities was probably the winning of the Olympic Gold Medal by the Men's Canadian Curling Team with one and all singing a rousing rendition of 'O, Canada'!

Nothing but Blue Skies...

Keeping cosy quilting on a chilly late winter day at

A Seafaring Maiden Bed & Breakfast.

17 February 2010 was a wonderful winter day to pursue my passion for quilting. We woke up to snowing and blowing, and as Don Connolly of CBC Radio in Halifax described, "cancellation day". So instead of heading to school to teach, I enjoyed a day at the sewing machine working on the beginning stages of my latest quilt, Nothing but Blue Skies, which will feature the traditional 'maple leaf' block in various shades of seasonal colour appearing to fall through a bright beautiful blue sky. There's nothing like the welcoming warmth and comfort of a quilt on a cold winter's night here at A Seafaring Maiden Bed & Breakfast where every bed has a beautiful handmade quilt. They make a great coverlet on our cool summer evenings here in the Annapolis Valley Region of Nova Scotia as well, so consider escaping this coming summer's heat and come stay with us!

Blessings,

Ann Marie

Winter Fun at A Seafaring Maiden

Greetings from 'the great white north'!

After several days of above freezing temperatures and a sad snow melt :-(, we had a wonderful white gift from mother nature with a foot of snow between last Thursday night and Friday. Bill and I joined others at Mickey Hill Picnic Park for an hour+ of snow shoeing hosted and guided by Hike Nova Scotia and Annapolis County Club 400, The Order of Active Living. For more information about this group, check out: www.annapoliscounty.ns.ca/club400 . As A Seafaring Maiden Bed & Breakfast is open year round, we invite you to come stay with us and enjoy some great outdoor winter activities. Most gear can be borrowed from the County of Annapolis, so just pack warm clothes and a sense of adventure!

Blessings,

Ann Marie

The Captain Joseph Hall House; Past, Present, and Future

Greetings from Ann Marie Monk,

great, great, grand daughter of Captain Joseph Hall!

My husband Bill and I are so pleased to begin sharing with you about The Captain Joseph Hall House, its past, present, and our hopes and plans for its future.

The Captain Joseph Hall House was built circa 1881 for him and his second wife, Abigail Litch. To commemorate it's historical significance, it was recently designated as a Municipal Historic Heritage Property with an auspicious plaque unveiling ceremony on 11 September 2009. In attendance were previous owners, Nathaniel Tileston and Davina Percy as well other descendants of Captain Hall, great grand daughter Mollie Lapinsky, my mum, and great, great grand daughter Mary Margaret Vanattia, my sister . Officiating the blessing of the house and 'all who have and do now dwell within', was Father Donald Neish; descendant of the Bohakers who lived in the home at one time as well.

Beginning a new chapter in our lives, Bill and I moved to Nova Scotia in 2007 and opened The Captain Joseph Hall House as A Seafaring Maiden Bed and Breakfast in 2008. We named it thus in honour of Captain Hall's daughter, Elizabeth Pritchard Hall, who is known as the seafaring maiden of Granville. Bessie is remembered in seafaring legend for having sailed the 1,444-ton ship Rothesay as captain from New Orleans to Liverpool, England when her father and others of the depleted crew fell ill.

As we look to the future, we hope and plan to welcome many wonderful people from near and far to stay with us and enjoy the natural beauty of the Annapolis Valley, the fascinating historic sites, and the warmth of the people whom have taken us in as their own.

In closing, The Captain Joseph Hall House is back in the Hall family once again, and here it will stay. I am a proud Hall descendant; connected to my roots in my family home and secure in the knowledge that Bill and I are passing on this legacy to Captain Hall's great, great, great grand children, Richard and Brian, to their families, and on and on...

Blessings,

Ann Marie