6/2/12

Our last day at Baddeck Cabot Trail RV Park and the sun was shining when we awoke. (Thank you Jerre for your sun dances. If finally worked.) We had to run in to Port Hawkesbury for a nail in the tire repair. Not everyone works around here on Saturday so we had to drive 82 km to find someone. Canada Tire wanted us to wait an hour until they had time, but said we might find someone on the “lower road”. Off we went in search of an alternative, not really knowing if we were on the “lower road” or not. We stopped at one likely looking garage where a young man made a phone call and sent us off to another garage. We found that one with no problem. They repaired the tire and didn’t charge us. Back we went to the other garage for a badly needed car wash. That accomplished we set off on the Ceilidh Trail for lunch. We stopped at a small café in the Cape Breton Celtic Music Interpretive Centre where we were treated to a mini Celidh, Celtic music, by one of the teachers on violin, his wife on piano, and one of his students on violin. Music is a way of life in Cape Breton. During the tourist season many of the restaurants have musicians play during dinner and concerts are frequent. We are slightly early and found many of the restaurants as well as other tourist attractions aren’t open yet. After lunch we stopped in at the only single malt whiskey distillery in North America for a tour and taste. The Ceilidh Trail is on the north or west side of Cape Breton on the Northumberland Shore; very different topography from yesterday. It’s quite a bit flatter, but gently sloping towards the interior. We took a shortcut back to Baddeck through a valley where we found large dairy farms with huge pastures.

Music if very important to Cape Bretons. They keep the traditional music alive.

Cape Bretons are very proud of their Gaelic heritage.

Signs showing town names are written in English and Gaelic. In the rest of Canada signs are written in French and English.

Glenora Inn & Distillery

Port Hood beach on the north/west coast.

Impressions of Cape Breton…. Life is fairly simple, fishing, tourism and services the primary occupations.  Houses are smallish, with tiny windows, and scattered wherever. There are few, if any, “housing developments” except maybe in Sydney or Port Hawkesbury, the only big “cities”. People are extremely friendly. Prices are high, tax on everything, as high as 15%. Overall, we’ve had a great, but fast, five days here, but would come back in a heartbeat.