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I'm glad to be back in the present. Who's this clean-cut miner? A guide? The Glace Bay mine is now the Miner's Museum. It is no longer an operating coal mine.

The miner guide laughs as he tips his hard hat and blinds us with his little light. "Want to do down into the deep?" he says. Let's follow the guide.

"We'll be in the 1930's era for about 20 minutes," he continues.

The retired miner tells us that the coal in Nova Scotia is not all the same age. It is for this reason that some coal seams are thicker than others.

Coal is formed in stages. There is a middle stage of soft, brown coal called lignite. It is not the best quality coal. Most of the coal in Nova Scotia is bituminous. It is a soft, sooty, black coal. It burns well and gives good heat. Anthracite is shiny, black coal and has undergone the most changes. It is a good coal for heating homes because it burns slowly and has a clean, low flame.

Our guide smiles as he leads the way of the underground journey. He tells us we are now underneath the Atlantic ocean. We smile nervously. Some places are just four feet high and we all crouch to listen attentively. He has many interesting and amusing stories to tell.