Canadian Maritimes: Nova Scotia (the northern part) (Part 4)

This day would be a road tour along the Cabot Trail. This would take us along the northwest coast of Cape Breton Island. The scenery was fantastic!

The red Adirondack chair seems to be the symbol of the Canadian parks.

We did run into some construction as the road pictured here was being moved inland a bit.

After a while, however, all I could think about was this song from the Arrogant Worms:


This was our final day in Nova Scotia. The next day was to be along haul back to Maine.

Canadian Maritimes: Nova Scotia (the southern part) (Part 4)

This day we were going to take the ride north and cross over to Prince Edward Island--until we learned the bridge toll would be $45 Canadian. The ferry is even more, around $75, and requires advance reservations.

So, instead, we drove along the shores of the St. Lawrence toward Antigonish and Pictou. We had missed the Highland's Games at the former by one week but the helpful personnel at the visitors' center were able to find the ever illusive Dunn Clan on their computer. Dunn was my mother's maiden name and, while she always said it was a Scot's name, we were never able to find anything about it. The folks in Antigonish printed out a copy of the clan tartan and told us that the Dunns were affiliated with the Erskines and, somehow connected to Prince Charlie. Interesting.

We continued on to Pictou which was a major landing area for Scottish immigrants in the late 1700s. early 1800s. Thrown off their lands by English landlords who were interested in converting farms to sheep pastures and raising rents, thousands came to Canada and the colonies to the south (think Carolinas).

Stone commemorating the Scottish landing iin 1773.

Replica of the ship they sailed on.

Tight quarters below decks.

A little further up the coast, we visited Cape George and it's lighthouse.

Cape George Lighthouse

View from the lighthouse to the east across the St. George's Bay and the Northumberland Strait.

We again returned to our campground in Truro and began our preparations for departure. Our destination was to be the town of Baddeck along the Bras d' Or on the northern portion of Nova Scotia which is also called Cape Breton.

Canadian Maritimes: Nova Scotia (the southern part) (Part 1)

We planned a three night stay in Truro with the idea of exploring the south end of Nova Scotia and possibly even getting over to Prince Edward Island. (The latter never happened.)

After checking into the Scotia Pines Campground (much easier to find!), we had plenty of time to head down toward Halifax on the southeast coast. We were heading toward the British stronghold known as the Citadel.

It's a massive stone edifice sitting atop a hill overlooking downtown Halifax and the entrance to Halifax harbor. But it wasn't constructed to protect the harbor, according tour tour guide. That job belonged to smaller island stationed batteries. The Citadel was to protect from land invasions from the north. It was so large and so strong that the British would give guided tours for the emissaries from France and the newly formed US. They would point out its strong points and brag about how they would be able to cut down any attempt at taking the fort. And it is an impressive system built for killing--no--annihilating any army foolish enough to try to scale it's walls. The cross fire from the walls, the height of the walls themselves, the pit between the outer and inner walls, the long, steep slopes leading up to the outer walls which could be covered by cannon firing grapeshot... Let's just say any attacker might get close but never close enough.

Oh, and it was manned by a Scottish Regiment. Who in their right mind wants to fight a bunch of guys wearing knee socks, skirts and a bear on their head!? Especially when they break out the bagpipes!!!!

Parade ground of The Citadel

Parade ground of The Citadel

Parade ground of The Citadel. The flagpoles here would carry information about ships arriving and departing the harbor.

 

 The place is HUGE!

One of the cannon on the wall.

Our tour guide.

Soldier dressed for duty. Yeah, it's all wool. And it was 90 degrees F. Poor bastard.

Standing guard.

Just a reminder: This was a British fort.

More cannons aimed down the slope.

Armory and storage facilities.

Changing of the guard at the main gate.

Changing of the guard at the main gate.

Panorama from the walls.

Afterward, we were going to go down to the waterfront and walk the newly refurbished boardwalk, BUT it was a Friday and there was a jazz festival going on and everyone in the southern parts of Nova Scotia were there. We could not find a parking spot for the Tundra and so slowly made our way up the eastern shore heading for our campground.

Along the way we found a little hole-in-the-wall place that made the best fish and chips we had on the trip.