Baddeck, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

Our first overnight stop in Nova Scotia was Pictou. Pictou is a pretty town which makes much of its Scottish heritage, with shops selling tartans, celtic design jewellery etc. It has quite a few sandstone buildings and they would look quite at home in any Scottish town. In the morning we visited the local museum. It is centred around a locally built replica of the Hector, the ship on which the first 200 Highlanders arrived in Pictou in 1773.

From Pictou we drove along the old highway to Port Hastings and onto Cape Breton Island.
Although many of the road signs are in Gaelic as well as English, and there is a Gaelic College, I don't think it is widely spoken. However the music tradition is very strong and every tourist office told us where to go to hear the music!

We stayed in Cheticamp where we were back among the Acadians. The waitresses in the restaurant spoke French amongst themselves. The meal was nice although the Acadian dish, Chiard would pass for a good Irish stew.

Today we have driven along the Cabot Trail, a scenic road around the island, much of it hugging the coast and offering spectacular views of the rugged coast. As there was very little traffic it was not difficult to stop at the "lookoffs".

Inland whole hillsides were in full autumn colours. We walked along a trail through an old growth sugar maple forest. Although the trees are over 350 years old, they are not huge. With such slow growth, I suppose it is not surprising that in other areas evidence of the 1947 fire is still visible.


We were caught in 2 "moose jams". I really admire the people who can spot them while driving. I find them hard to see even when I know they are there.

"Scottish" houses in Pictou

Along the Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Highland National Park

Another view along the Cabot Trail

Autumn colours, Nova Scotia

Moose on Cape Breton Island

Halloween decorations in the Acadian Restaurant, Cheticamp

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

We crossed the 13 km Confederation Bridge to PEI. It was raining and almost the first place we saw was a quilt store - a sort of Spotlight, but it had some nice batiks. I did not yield to temptation!

We stayed in Summerside, the second city of PEI. It seemed to have only one supermarket, so you will gather it is not huge (PEI's total population is only about 200,000 I think). Prince Edward Island bills itself as the Gentle Island and the countryside is gently undulating farmland. Most villages are dominated by a large white wooden church. A lot of the numerous barns are built of cedar shingles - both walls and roofs.

The coast is deeply indented and many of the small harbours are filled with fishing boats. Apart from lobsters, the catch is mussels, clams, oysters and other shellfish I have never heard of. 

I saw a poster of the shipwrecks around PEI and there have been hundreds - mostly between 1850 and 1900, so it is no wonder there are so many lighthouses 

There are red sandstone cliffs and little sandy coves  then along the North coast there are sand dunes and a long sandy beach.

Today at Anne of Green Gables we caught up with the tourists as there are two cruise ships in Charlottetown, so there was busload after busload. Peter had sent me an article saying how Anne of the Red Hair had a cult following in Japan, and so I was not too surprised to see several Japanese.

Charlottetown itself is a very pretty town, with a large park and boardwalk on the waterfront and treelined streets with attractive wooden houses.

Confederation Bridge between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island

West Cape Lighthouse one of over 40 on PEI

A shingle barn - one of many, but not the most typical shape

Typical church. I like the large clear glass Gothic windows

French River - a typical pastoral scene

More like Port Albert than Alberton

Note the lighthouse "garden feature". They are very popular here

Green Gables

One of the quilts in Green Gables

Typical red cliffs on PEI

Inviting sandy beach along the north coast of PEI

One of many fine houses in Charlottetown

Lobster Capital of the World

Here we are in Shediac, self styled "Lobster Capital of the World". The villages all along this Eastern coast of New Brunswick fish for lobster - each having a 2 or 3 month open season. At the moment it is Shediac's turn and so of course I had lobster for dinner tonight and it was pretty O.K.

We are staying near Parlee Beach - the warmest saltwater North of Virginia. Although it is described as the ultimate beach experience, I don't think it anything to write home about, but  it does at least have sand!

Yesterday we struck an incredibly unhelpful tourist 'info' officer - a civil engineering student more interested in doing his assignment. I could not believe anyone working in such a position could be so lacking in curiousity. We did eventually manage to drag out of him the tide tables and tonight we went to see the tidal bore in the Petitcodiac River at Moncton. Trouble was the tide tables were wrong and the mosquitoes were vicious! However the bore eventually came an hour late and it is a very curious phenomena.

The tides hereabouts in the Bay of Fundy are thirty feet or more and it makes an interesting coastline. This afternoon we went to the Flowerpot Rocks at Hopewell Cape. The wind and tide sculpt  the red sandstone into crazy shapes which you can walk around at low tide, but they become miniature islands at high tide.

We are still among predominately French speakers, and it is fascinating how easily they switch between the two languages. Coffee is the preferred drink. It is brewed, but not Cappuccino or Expresso. It is good coffee, but I have to remember white coffee is 'with cream' or people look at me blankly.

O'Leary Inn, Richibucto

Harbour at Richibucto

Cray pots (Sorry lobster pots) at Richibucto

Fairytale pumpkins for Halloween

The Big Lobster at Shediac, New Brunswick. Big item sculptures are not an exclusive Australian phenomena!

Flowerpot Rocks at Hopewell Cape, Bay of Fundy

Caraquet, New Brunswick

From Ste Anne de Monts we continued along the south coast of the Gaspe Peninsula (not that there is much choice as there are no interior roads.) On the way we drove past several large wind farms and we inspected 3 lighthouses including La Martre, (built of wooden shingles and dating from 1906) and Pointe-a-la-Renommee where in 1904 Marconi established the first maritime radio station in North America.

We stayed the night in Perce.  Rocher Perce is a dramatic off shore rock, with as its name suggests an arch cut through by the sea.. Suddenly we met other tourists - at least 5 busloads - one all the way from Tennessee. O.K. not quite Valley of the Kings, but very different from the solitude we have had. The attraction in Perce is whale watching and gannets nesting on an off shore island.

Our next overnight stop was in New Richmond at a delightful motel on a cliff overlooking the bay a little pine lined cabin with a cottage garden in front. Even though the Internet was flaky the ambience was 3 star and the proprietors delightful even offering us home grown herbs.

Yesterday we crossed the bridge into New Brunswick and suddenly English was the lingua franca. It didn't last and we are back in Francaphone territory, but no worries as Bill has been complimented on his French!. This area of New Brunswick is inhabited by descendants of the Acadians. (The Acadians were the French settlers deported from Nova Scotia in 1755. However in 2003, the Queen issued a proclamation apologising for the wrongs done to their ancestors by  the British Crown)  Nearly every house flies the Acadian flag (a tricolour with a gold star in the top left)

A lot of the coastal land is saltwater marshes much favoured by migratory birds and mosquitoes. Today we went to the museum - Village des Acadiens - think Coal Creek or Swan Hill - a collection of buildings dating from 1770 to 1936. Covering an area of 900 acres it includes several working farms, but at this time of the year the farming has gone into hibernation. There was still plenty of interest and we spent all morning wandering around.

We finished the day by finding another old - 1856 wooden lighthouse - Ile de Miscou. It is still in use. We then walked around the board walk peat bog interpretive trail. Peat is a big industry here. It was very interesting but the wrong season to see the bog orchids in flower.

Rocher Perce

La Martre Lighthouse

Pointe-a-la-Renommee Lighthouse

Still looking for Fall Colour

The boatbuilder at Paspebiac - a museum of the cod fishing industry  Fishing was established by a Jersey Island entrepreneur in about 1763.  It was an industry run by barter -  he sold the fishermen their necessities and bought their fish, but as he set all the prices the fishermen were always in debt.

Auberge Le Cachet, New Richmond

View from Auberge Le Cachet

Kitchen in Village des Acadiens museum

Farm at the Acadian museum

Patchwork in the Acadian museum

Ste Anne de Monts, Quebec

Shades of Liverpool, the motel near Quebec city gave us chips for breakfast. From the waitress there I also learnt that a hamburger with the lot is all dressed!

We drove through Quebec city, but intend spending time there on our return towards Montreal. We crossed the St Lawrence at Quebec and for the last two days have been pottering along the south shore. There are nearly continuous little settlements along the coast. It is pretty, but not spectacular. The beaches are rocky or marshy, but there are lots of birds and I understand the fishing is good. The older houses are wooden, well maintained - often with carved bargeboards and verandahs.

The roads are nearly empty and the Canadian drivers are very courteous, so driving is not stressful. As we come East there is more colour in the trees, but not yet my imagined "Fall Colour".

We hear very little English, but most people can switch to English if asked.

Tonight we are staying in a lovely motel. Our room has a picture window looking over the Gulf of St Lawrence and this afternoon while we drank our coffee, we were entertained by half a dozen windsurfers

Carved bargeboard in St Jean Pont Joli

The lighthouse at Pointe au Pere. Near here, The Empress of Ireland went down in 1911 with the loss of over 1000 immigrants.

Beginnings of Fall colours along the St Lawrence

Rowanberries

It should be easy for me to find the all night service stations

Windsurfers in Ste Anne de Monts

I have never noticed chimneys on a church before. It must get cold in Ste Anne de Monts

On the Road

Yesterday we walked around more of Montreal including an area called The Village which has pretty tree lined streets and row houses There seem to be a communal garden square in the centre of each block. Downtown Montreal has a labyrinthe of underground shopping malls including under the stone Anglican cathedral (lucky it is fairly small, but even so it weighed 8200 tons! Imagine the engineering involved).

This morning we found our way back to the Airport by public transport the metro and 2 buses. the main difficulty was hauling my case up the steps in the Metro, but I was soon rescued by two nice students.

We picked up a Red Ford Fusion and found our way through the spaghetti of motorways and got onto the Chemin du Roy, the old road to Quebec. It was almost empty (the Hertz man said tourists (American) were down 30%) It runs along the North Bank of the St Lawrence - a real proper river with large ships and through pretty old villages each with its own steepled church. The area was settled well over 300 years ago.

We found ourselves this motel which looks a bit like Woodside, but even here we have wireless although the lighting in the room is even more romantic than usual. I really need to carry light bulbs!!

Gay? clothes pegs in the Village, Montreal

House in the village, Montreal

View of the St Lawrence

Church in Lanorarie (or similar name)

Church in Champlain

In Montreal

As always the flight  from Australia was long and tedious, but at least we had a spare seat between us and could sleep! (The French red wine might have helped, too)
 

Today we explored Vieux Montreal on foot. Most streets seem to be named after saints  There are many very grand grey stone nineteenth century stone buildings. As it was a lovely sunny day we enjoyed the walk. We also checked out Notre Dame Basilica. The interior is most unusual and very spectacular - all elaborate carved and painted wood.

Our hotel is very central and seems to be quite a student area so is lively. The super market has lots of cheeses and pates, more reminiscent of France than North America. I could not resist framboises from California at $1.66/punnet and it was good to find a proper boulangerie as although our hotel serves a good breakfast it is accompanied by duck grade bread.

 Corner Deli in Vieux Montreal

Must be in the tourist area of town - a calouche

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Notre Dame Cathedral  I felt cheeky steadying the camera on the altar rail, and had no wish to photograph myself in front of the altar although that seems to be the tourist thing to do.

Les Chucateuses

Playing chess in the sunshine

Rather unexpected to find Kangaroo Paws in Montreal