It’s finally here!

We knew we’d need to partake in this tradition at some point, and fortunately for us, Diane Bell made it happen. Made it happen a big way.

She’s a friend of my friend Karen, whose mom made us this chowder and wild blueberry pie when we were in St. Andrew’s.

(The moral of the story here is that if you know Karen, you are likely to be well fed wherever you are).

Diane invited us to come for a meal at her beautiful home, which is just south of Peggy’s Cove. Of course, we stopped at the iconic landmark first, pulling our hoods tight against the wind to see the lighthouse. It first acted as a beacon for ships in 1868, then was rebuilt in 1914, and the current structure is still operated by the Canadian coastguard. The nearby town, traditionally a fishing village, is small and charming, its buildings stacked upon barren rocks, and all trails leading down to the boats.

Then we continued on to see Diane, her lovely parents Connie and Tim (who happened to be visiting at the time), and of course, the crustaceans.

So, how does a lobster boil work? Well, first the lobsters are boiled, then served up with some hearty salads (typically potato, if you know what’s up), bread, melted butter, lemon, and plenty of napkins. Diane EVEN HAD THOSE DISPOSABLE BIBS FOR US, though we didn't get a picture. We were too messy to be touching the camera.

Eating an entire lobster is a full contact sport that requires two hands, a teeny tiny fork, and the abandonment of any and all dainty habits. These things are literally armoured, and it takes a bit of elbow grease to pull them apart. But the reward for your diligent work is lobster meat! So much wonderful lobster meat!

But that wasn’t all. Diane started us off with a huge bowl of fennel, red pepper, and white wine mussels,