Sail with the Pilot at the Wheel …

….on a ship sturdy from it's mast to its keel.  We'll guide it through stormy weather …  You know the song.  At least if you  watched ACC basketball on Channel 5 back in the 60's and 70's.  Pilot Life Insurance sponsored the games — all the games and their theme song was amazingly good.  

I however am not such a good pilot.  The wind was not strong and shortly after this photo was taken we were dead in the water.  Stock still.  Not moving.  Not a ripple.  Sails limp.  We had gone from moving right along to tacking to change directions to who put the brakes on.  They had to start the motor to get us moving again.  

The young Russian tourist who tried after me did a fair job, then the young Canadian woman, well they had to turn on the engine again as we stalled out one more time.  Bad teaching I am thinking.  The boat we were sailing is below.

View from the boat as we steam out to sea.

past the residential section.  Our B & B is one of those roof tops.

Patt looking for the seal that kept popping his head up - or .. . who knows?

This is the interior of an old schooner that was involved in the cod fishing industry and part of the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. Those guys did not have an easy life.

I think I mentioned Lunenburg was a cute town.

 Well I hope this offers documentation.

As if further proof were necessary. A town of ship builders can build a house. They will trim it.

Back on the Continent

It is Friday and we are back on the North American Continent.  Yes we are off the Islands.  Got to mainland Nova Scotia via the Canso Causeway early this morning.  Drove south then on Hwy 7 along the coast.  Stopped in Heritage Village in Lake Charlotte.  A little settlement of reconstructed buildings that had been moved there that were from the 1930's, 40's and 50's.  There was a school, church, house, barn, tool shed, ice house, boat house, and so on.  They were the actual real thing, just picked up and moved old farmer Brown's barn with all his stuff — he had one BA horse. Check out that horseshoe. He had some regular sized horses too, but that was one BA horse.

Wish I had taken some photos of the fish boat house.  There was an old man there who was the guy who donated the tools and fishing equipment.  He had fished for 41 years — and had been out of fishing for a long time too. Very interested in telling us his story and he was interesting.

They did not have any Elvis, or Connie Francis or even Kingston Trio music playing so the Heritage Village was missing something as far as I was concerned.

We are now in Lunenburg, an old fishing town.  This boat is a replica of the Bluenose which is on the back of the Canadian dime. The real McCoy was lost at sea in 47 off the coast of Haiti. At one time it was the fastest sailing ship in the world and the pride of Canada.

Lunenburg was established by the British with German settlers they brought to help resettle former French land and to help keep the French out. The Germans were seeking religious freedom as they were protestant and they established a host of churches that became what are now the oldest protestant congregations and churches in Canada.

the Germans were supposed to be farmers and tradesmen but they became fishermen (the soil was too poor) —

One of the churches they founded.  Not one of the original buildings.

The place has some boats- and is picturesque.

and for some reason there is a piece of the Berlin Wall here. Norwegians who escaped from Norway trained here during WWII after the German occupation of Norway and there is a monument to "Camp Norway" sorta near this location but that does not explain this piece of the wall.

more Ceilidh Trail and Gaelic lesson number 2

Traveled the Ceilidh Trail today and are in Port Hawkesbury Thursday night.  Stopped in Port Hood and of course at the Port Hood Museum. Patt is part Hood on her father's side and wanted to check out the Hood's of Nova Scotia.  None here.  Not a Hood in the neighborhood.  Place was named after a British Admiral who sailed here and was the head guy around here for a while. The place also has about umpteen local names, hence the Chestico.

Old stuff abounds but photos of WWI guys and what ultimately happened to them was the big feature of the museum.  Go west seemed to be a theme for those that came home.  Cape Breton for the Scots was not a place to stay.

More Ceilidh music at lunch when we listened to a pianist and violinist. 

Continued Gaelic lessons today as we or rather I learned the word for men's washroom. Essential for traveling and eating/drinking in places where a Ceilidh is happening —  language refresher— Ceilidh pronounced kay-lee and means "gathering usually with music involved".  Anyway back to today's lesson, men's washroom is "fireannaich".  It is pronounced finneraghdeelicylh. Hint-- don't pronounce the "p"  or the "t" and you'll have it.

Oh one more thing.  It does not take long to have a lot of Ceilidh.  I am going to assume that one would want to buy some of the CDs available.  That is assume.  Emphasis on assume.  

Changes: landscape, weather, entertainment — and a throwback.

The highlands are to the north and we are now on the Ceilidh Trail on southwestern Cape Breton Island. And the weather is turing rapidly, winds like pre-hurricane Wednesday morning as we left Pleasant Bay.  The waves at this over-look are smashing the shore.

and white caps were far out to sea.  The spray from the breakers - or just from the sea was coming up onto the overlook.  It was windy!  Clouds rolled in by afternoon and rain is in the forecast.

A museum or two in the morning and then by afternoon, we were touring the Glenora Distillery north of Mabau, Nova Scotia. One of only two distilleries outside of Scotland that make single malt scotch.  They are proud of their scotch too.  The 10 year old Glen Breton single malt could be yours for $80.00 Canadian.

They have limited amounts of 14, 18 and 24 year old available too.  The tour entailed you to a generous taste of the 10 year old. It was quite good.

So good that Patt and I stayed and tasted a another at the bar on site and listened to the on-site musicians.  We tasted a couple including the 14 year old, now that was fine stuff.  Continuing the  different activity planned for today, we enjoyed the Ceilidh music.  We are learning Gaelic now, (that is the ancient language of Scotland — so I reckon I will have to help with pronunciation "Ceilidh" is pronounced kay-lee). There is a lot of logic with Gaelic pronunciation.  Makes it easy to read.

For dinner we went to the Red Shoe Pub, that is "Red Shoe Pub" in Gaelic in the red banner under the sign.  I figure you all now can figure out how to pronounce it based on the lesson with Ceilidh.

It is a pub that sells alcoholic drinks and guess — seafood!  yes, seafood.

Had a musician playing Ceilidh music.  He was not quite as good as the three at the distillery.

Also been meaning to point this out.  It is nice to see this sign again and two pump gas stations, that are real places where you can get you car worked on — not a stop and rob connivence store that sells gas.  This is more often than not the way you buy gas in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. I like it.

more nature stuff, Cabot Trail views, and a couple of very nice places to eat.

Tuesday. Went on two short hikes in morning, one to Benjie's Pond, a quiet desolate place, but no moose, should have been, lots of tracks and signs. And a real nice walk too.

The day was warming up and it was going to be a sunshine day.

Later in the morning we went to a bog or marsh land and walked on a raised walkway.  Again, very pretty,

Lots of flowers, many different kinds, some very pretty. surprising to be so late in the year. Both hikes were on top of the highlands. The "mountains"  North, French, and MacKenzie are somewhat indistinguishable but had names. We were on top of all three at various times.

and the little scrub trees in the acidic soil and harsh climate are over 100 years old according to the information tablets on the walk. Tough environment.

We also found the place used to make the Cabot trail calendar and post card photos. Near French and MacKenzie Mountains. They are part of the highland plateau and have remained resistant to change for eons.  They are precambrian gneisses, and I am just assuming that you all, just as I do,  know exactly what that means.  

We later found a hike that took us to an over view of part of the same road.

and yes we did drive it both directions and will drive it again tomorrow as we leave the Cape Breton National Highlands Park area of Cape Breton Island.

Restaurant  review # 4 Trout Brook Picnic Location.  On one of those curves in the photo above, there is a picnic spot provided by Parks Canada. Use it if you get the chance. Hard boiled eggs, peanut butter crackers, (avoid the bread, its a bit stale) some soda, a bit of ham, sorry we were out of cheese, but the view was great. We have had some wonderful lunch time picnics and today was no exception.

it is a road trip so we get the picture from the front seat.

Pulled over next to a beach and guess who found some more rocks.  The rocks are smooth and colorful.  And we, well mostly me, have a growing collection of beach rocks.

Patt is holding real whale baleen, like from a real whale.  The earnest young woman from Parks Canada, thats how they refer to the national parks system, is talking about how whales filter out their food.

Went on this hike to get to the overlook to see the road that is so spectacular.  and it is a very nice, but long hike.

A view form that hike.

And we did not see a moose, but we did see this bird and several of his friends. He is going to be lunch for someone as he had no fear.

And this is what some of the forest looks like on top of the precambrian gneisses.

Restaurant Review #5 Rusty Anchor   The day ended so very very well as while waiting on a table at the Rusty Anchor, a German couple offered their table as they were about to leave—it was a very very nice table.  We talked a bit and as we were enjoying one another's company they joined us for pre dinner drinks - for them after dinner. It was a most enjoyable time to wind down the day. They had been to North Carolina, we, alas have not yet been to Germany. They left to go moose viewing and we enjoyed dusk and haddock, lobster dip and french fried sweet potatoes.  

Cabot Trail, Cabot himself and museums

That little town is Bay St. Lawrence.  And it is not so big.  It is at the end of the paved road going north on Cape Breton Island.  There is a dirt road out of Capstick (we went there too, but Capstick is not as far north.  Meat Cove is the end of the dirt road and is further north  — we didn't go there.  

We drove to the end of the wharf, and Betty, we had to back up again.  (This was not long after you and Patt talked too).  There were a couple of motor cyclists who had ridden to the end of the road, some kayakers getting ready to go out in the bay and other than that, the town was quiet.  Pretty day though.

The Catholic Church was prominent.  Not big, but prominent.  We are in Scotish territory.  Lots of names beginning with Mac around here too.  Capstick is a family name, learned that at one of the little local museums.  A Capstick went off to fight for King and Country from 1939 to 1945.  He came home.  Not all of the local men did.  There are frequent monuments and such to commemorate those who left to fight for the Empire and are now buried in "Holland" or France or wherever.

Those purple flowers are about past their prime, but are still pretty.  Lupines Patt thinks they are.  When we ask, we get all sorts of folk names, fire flowers, graveyard flowers to mention two.  Neither of which you would use in a text.

I think this is coming back from Capstick.  Not sure.

We stopped and watched diving birds feeding on fish here.  (what else they gonna eat?)

We have had some pretty drives along the coast too along the Cabot Trail.  And why would the road be named the Cabot Trail you might ask?

Good question.  John Cabot, 1497 landed here, or somewhere - and so this is the spot they figure most likely.  Cabot claimed North America, or the part that Spain was not claiming, for England.  He, like Columbus was looking for a way to India, thinking to go north, but saw mountains, found a place with a sandy beach and landed and said this is England's land despite the fact that he was from Italy.  Cabot and his son had a crew of only 18 men.  Small ship — or very busy men.

And this is the beach.  People were actually in the water here and at other beaches we saw — not lots of people, there aren't lots of people here to go swimming, but a fair number.  The water was, shall we say, brisk.  The day was hot, the car thermometer said 77 and it felt like it too.

Of course we went on a hike through an interesting forest on glacial rock.

 Stunted old trees, lichen, ferns, laurel, fir and spruce, even some pine.

The trail ends at the coast. 

 Driving along the coast, more of the scenery.  

and we have crossed North Mountain a couple of times as we are staying on the west side of the island and we spent today on the east side.

We also visited a couple of little museums today, this was the littlest.  This here is your basic four room museum, not counting the light house, - three of the four rooms had exhibits - not much in the way of exhibits but you could say they had exhibits. Big Whoop. The light house had been moved here from his original location on St Paul's Island and reconstructed here (yes, that's the original height, sat on a rocky cliff high above the ocean). The other museum, the North Highlands Museum, was much better.  That is where we learned about the Capstick name.

We generally like museums, go into these little ones just about every chance we get.  Enjoy visiting with the proprietors, and generally the exhibits, old collections of stuff from members of the community are interesting. This one we could have missed and not missed much. The other one had some neat old stuff, old home movies of the area (1940's and early 50s), old photos, old school room, and was larger - well that ain't saying much, but it was pretty big.

One thing we did learn, we had better quit calling the Outer Banks the "Graveyard of the Atlantic".  They don't even use that phrase and they have had tons more ship wrecks than we do.