Two Days, Two More Provinces
June 5 is a bright and warm day. We pack up after breakfast and continue our journey along the coast, which ranges from steep, reddish cliffs to sandy beaches.
It’s a lovely day for taking our time so we stop as we wish. They are unloading lobster when we stop at the harbour at L’anse a Beaufils. We wander the beach for a short distance; I find some sea glass.
We’re only five minutes from Cap d’Espoir where the historic lighthouse beckons us, where the cliffs fall sharply into the sea. The idea of the Phare Cap d’Espoir (Cape of Hope - not despair!) was proposed as early as 1868 to enable the fishermen, when coming from Miscou Bank in thick weather, to find safe harbour. The initial offering from Parliament was $1,000 in 1871, but the funds were deemed insufficient, and construction was delayed until a sufficient additional sum could be obtained to build and equip a good sea light.
Work began in 1873, and its light was first exhibited on September 1, 1874. The square, wooden lighthouse stood forty-two feet tall, from its base to the weather vane on its lantern room, but its light was visible for fifteen miles. John Beck was appointed first keeper of the light at an annual salary of $400. The total cost of the lighthouse came to $5,175.16.
The original wooden tower was replaced in 1939 by the present forty-six-foot, octagonal, concrete tower topped by a red lantern. The light now guides fishermen and pleasure craft from seventeen nautical miles out. The lighthouse and decaying old foghorn building belong to the Canadian Coast Guard, but the keeper's dwelling is now available for vacation rental. (From “Lighthousefriends.com)
At the National Historic Site at Paspébiac we find a fully-stocked Poissonerie. We have to choose between fresh, frozen or smoked. We think shrimp, lobster and scallops will make a tasty seafood linguine for our host in Corner Brook. The lady wraps everything in newspaper and provides a styrofoam cooler filled with ice. We’re good for the next three days of travel.
The Cafe Acadien in the small marina at Bonaventure is a welcome stop for lunch. Seafood pizza is shared so we have room for a lemon curd dessert. The atmosphere and the food is very “Atlantic Canada”. We walk out the peer and take in the view. We have just entered Chaleur Bay, which we will drive around. Half way around we enter New Brunswick, then head toward Bathurst where we will turn south to Miramichi. The Best Western has a nice room ready for us and complementary breakfast prepared in the morning before we continue our drive.
Looking for service on our VW, we depart early the next morning and continue along the coast to Shediac and then drive inland, crossing into Nova Scotia at Amherst. The Welcome Centre is just that - very welcoming, including the piper entertaining the visitors as they arrive. We have an appointment at the VW dealer in Truro, just at the right time to meet friends Mike and Ann at the Tidal Bore. They are here housesitting and suggested we meet at this natural phenomenon before we continue our drive to North Sydney and the ferry to Newfoundland.
Neither of us have seen the tidal bore at Truro so we wait with anticipation. It is not as high as it can be, today, but we enjoy our short visit and the spectacle before us.
Basically, the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave of water that travels up the river, reversing the direction of the river’s current. We will see Mike and Ann in Lewisporte when they arrive to prepare their boat for the summer’s adventures. After a short wait, our car is ready to continue on through to Cape Breton and our night crossing to Port aux Basque.
