The Journey Within The Journey - Part Two
Tuesday June 21
After breakfast and packing (the cooler again), our first stop is once again the Information Centre across the strait. We do some souvenir shopping and head up the east side of Cape Breton, more sites to see before we board the ferry to Newfoundland this evening.
Harald is disappointed in what he thought was going to be a tremendously beautiful sailing area around Bras d’Or Lake. I’m sure we just haven’t seen enough of it as it is favoured by many sailors for fresh water cruising.
We pass through Big Pond, hoping to see the original home and tea room of the late singer-songwriter Rita MacNeil. It has been permanently closed with a smaller tea room in Sydney, according to her website.
We do, however, sing along to some of our favourites, “Working Man”, “Flying On Your Own” and “Home I’ll Be”. Just seems appropriate.
Just south of Sydney, we take the bypass and head southeast to Louisbourg as we have 8 hours before we have to check in at the ferry dock, so why not spend a beautiful Cape Breton day touring one of its historic sites?
Stepping through the gate at Louisbourg, we enter a time warp back to the 1700s. Costumed interpreters go about their day and are happy to answer any questions you have of them, most answering “in character”.
The Fortress is situated within the walls dominated by the large light-coloured stone structure with the bell tower at centre. The remainder of the site is the French fortified town of Louisbourg as it would have been in 1744 . The multimillion dollar reconstruction is on the very site where British troops besieged the French town and fortress twice - in 1745 and again in 1758. The French lacked the naval patrols to defend the thriving community from the British. The British demolished the fortress walls yet they have now been rebuilt for us to explore and imagine a life here 275 years ago.
The Storehouse pub is our lunch stop, where we try the rum and the scotch, both aged onsite in oak barrels, along with a platter of pickled and smoked fish. A visit to the King’s Bakery provides the bread we will enjoy in coming days and the hot chocolate and molasses cookie from L’Epee Royale Cafe is a tasty afternoon treat.
Biscuit joins us for some photo opportunities but there is some hesitancy to hold him (Covid)
The site is about to close but still with time to fill, we drive along the shore to the Louisbourg Lighthouse Trail - a popular spot. We walk about an hour, along the marked trail, just meters from the North Atlantic Ocean. The trees are low and scrubby, the rocks rugged and plentiful and the wild irises show their purple faces amidst the green and the rock.
The lighthouse keeps watch over all - the first lighthouse in Canada, built in 1734 but rebuilt several times after damage from battle and fire.
The park is now closed but we can access the lone picnic table with a view of the lighthouse and the fortress in the distance. King’s Bakery bread, meat, cheese and vegetables sustain us as we continue to enjoy the view from our breezy but sunny vantage point.
After the short drive to North Sydney, we arrive at the ferry dock about 8:30pm. (No luck finding Rita’s “new” tea room) We are told to be there 2 hours before our 11:15 departure and we are glad of our early arrival. By 9:45 we are onboard to find our cabin then head to the lounge for a drink and some pizza. We can see the dock below where others are still boarding.
