It was, to say the least, unreal.

"Can I have it large?' "Sorry sir?"

"No, I'm sorry. I'm English. Can I have it... LAARRRGGGE?"

"Oh LAARRRGGGE? You shur kannn."

"Well, I'll go LAARRRGGGE then."

"But sir, we only sell McLobsters in August."

"Really? A few days ago you had a poster outside advertising them?"

"We shur did. But that was in August. Today is September."

"And you don't have any left?"

"We shur don't. But we've plenty of other meals..."

"But look, this McLobster, it's a lobster in a bun, right?"

(Suspiciously) "Uh-huh?"

"And you serve it with fries?"

"And cola, yes sir."

"That's fantastic!"

(Suspiciously again) "Look mister, you wanna see the manager...?"

As it happens, I didn't, but it was an appropriately surreal introduction to Nova Scotia, one of Canada's 10 provinces.

Lying on the east coast of the country, and almost completely surrounded by ocean, just a small strip of land connects it to the mainland (which is why most 'CFAs' - Come From Abroads, as the the Nova Scotians like to refer to them - think of it as an island).

Two-thirds the size of Scotland with a population of 940,000, it's no big leap to picture it as a wild and desolate destination, much like the Faroes or Outer Hebrides, its name alone reinforcing this impression.

But despite the fact it boasts such whimsically titled hamlets as Upper Economy and Lower Economy (I kid you not), Nova Scotia is anything but bleak. Or backward. Or wild. Indeed, this is a feature true not only of its capital, Halifax, but the rest of the province as well.

And to truly get the best out of your visit to this destination - whose three chief exports incidentally are blueberries, Christmas trees and lobsters - I suggest that you buy or rent a copy of Northern Exposure, the TV series which focused on the small Alaskan town of Cicely and its quirky populace.

It will, if nothing else, give you a 'feel' for the kind of welcome you can expect - a combi-cocktail of Clark Kentville, Dawson's Creek and Seinfeld.

Anyway, my week-long tour of this wannabe island began in its largest municipality, Halifax, a six-and-a-half hour flight from Gatwick, making it just long enough to seem like an adventure and short enough to negate the need for flight socks.

With a population close to 360,000, Halifax boasts a big city vibe without sacrificing any of its small-town charm. Agreeably hip and savvy, it is, as one hotel doorman confided to me: "a place that still feels like it has 24 hours..."

And it's easy know what he means; sure, there's the buzz and more than enough great restaurants and bars, (seafood, naturally, is on every menu), but everything - everyone - is very laid back, very C-a-n-a-d-i-a-n.

For most visitors, the waterfront is the city's most obvious - and accessible - attraction.

And as one might expect from one of the world's largest natural harbours, it hasn't been slow to cash in on this cachet, vaunting its varied collection of souvenir outlets.

But if all the 'pince-me-quick' shops along the boardwalk (lobster hats, lobster t-shirts, lobster gummies) leave you cold, there's a whole platter of other attractions to visit (see separate panel).

Car hire in Nova Scotia is obviously the best way to tour the province and prices start from around $250 a week or $35 a day.

Mine was a seven-day tour, incorporating everything from a tidal bore rafting adventure at Shubenacadie (no, I couldn't pronounce it either) to whale spotting on Brier Island and a seaside Jurassic Park adventure along the Bay of Fundy.

Clothes wise you'll quickly realise an entire wardrobe is a necessity, as weather conditions swiftly fluctuate from balmy'n'hot to wet'n'wild. And yes, that old chestnut of 'packing for every eventuality' is, in this instance, sound advice.

The roads outside of Halifax are generally traffic free, and even in the capital remain relatively - at least by Oxford standards - uncongested (although be warned: in Halifax, pedestrians ALWAYS have right of way, a fact which is initially disconcerting for both visiting drivers and walkers alike).

However, once you leave the capital, cars seem either to be way ahead or way behind, meaning you can relax and begin to truly take in the colour and flavour of the scenery around you.

For aficionados of The X-Files, it'll look all unnervingly familiar - curving roads with forests either side, broken up only by sleepy small towns and painfully pretty bays littered with 'blow-too-hard-and-they'll-fall-apart' piers.

Lobsters, naturally, rule, so no matter where you choose to pull-over, you won't have to look too hard to spot one (garage doors, flags, inflatables). So commonplace is this ubiquitious shellfish that until recently, farmers bought lobster meat for fertiliser while kids who packed lobster sandwiches for school were quickly tarred as being 'poor'... Pizza, believe it or not, is more rare.

Home to three distinct terrains - chic and cosmopolitan; dairy farmesque; and wild and stormy, but my advice is to especially take time to stop and wander around the small towns.

Annapolis Royal, on the north-west side of the province, is a perfect choice. Equally, hang around the university town of Wolfville and wallow in the Disneyesque allure of Main Street (when you move here, every business and restaurant contributes to a 'Welcome Pack' that includes gifts and invites to eat free at their establishments. Would that happen in Carterton, I wonder?). Or just embrace the 'Easy Rider' spirit and hire a Harley Davidson.

The province is a dream - effortlessly combining the all-important elements of adventure, style and value-for-money.

But its appeal is more rooted in providing a sense of gentle - and genuine - wonder than dishing out an 'instant-fix' series of forgettable highs.

TEN THINGS TO DO IN NOVA SCOTIA: 1. Eat fish: it sounds stupid, but it's unlikely you'll ever have it so good again. And it's ludicrously cheap. Check out The Five Fishermen in Halifax and Halls Harbour.

2. Tidal bore rafting at Shubenacadie with just an outboard engine and an inflatable. Utterly brutal, utterly exhilarating.

3. The Train Station Inn at Tatamagouche. Cabooses as bedroom suites, with Jimmy (the owner) as the station master. Surreal, but slyly charming.

4. Cape Chignecto Provincial Park: a spectacular national park, with wild, desolate beaches that seem to stretch forever.

5. Whale spotting at Brier Island: I'm no environmentalist but after eyeballing a humpback whale on my first trip out, I'm all for Greenpeace.

6. Hire a Harley and discover the province in true torn-jeans style. Check out www.vintour.ca. Very cool.

7. All the museums, bars, clubs and restaurants in Halifax -a terrific city that positively crackles. Apparently, it's 10 women to every man. So what else do you need to know to emigrate?

8. Search for dinosaurs at Parrsboro and check out the Fundy Geological Museum. It's real quaint and 'neighburly'.

9. Bear River First Nation Heritage and Cultural Centre: celebrate the traditions that still endure among the Mi'kmaq Indians of Bear River.

10. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES take the Mar II Tall Ship 'pirate cruise' in Halifax, because it's rubbish. Don't say I didn't warn you.