Au Revoir Nouvelle-Ecosse

From Hideaway Campground looking toward Aspy Bay

So, Saturday around noon, perfect weather, we bought some Aspy Bay oysters from our camp hosts/oyster farmers and hit the road, continuing along the Cabot Trail and winding our way around and down the other side of Cape Breton Island.

After only about 15 km, saw signs to a Chowder House in Neil's Harbour down a little side road and remembered that Detlef and Barbara said chowder there is not to be missed!  Harold, always seeking the perfect bowl, agreed we should go there.

Lighthouse at Neil's Harbour

Atop that pole is, yes, a bald eagle!  Pretty awesome to watch
as he came in for his landing up there!

Busy little harbour - fishing boats coming & going all over the place!

Oh, yeah, the best chowder yet!

Lobster traps stacked everywhere . . .

Upper left hand corner? That's us, parked above
this sparkling blue sea.

That chowder was, we concluded, the BEST we've had, and the coastal scenes and crystal clear waters wondrous to behold! Unfortunately, though, once at tiny Neil's Harbour, there was no place for us to turn around, (we cannot back up!) and we sure didn't want to have to disconnect the truck). We had no choice but to continue on along a very "iffy" and rapidly deteriorating two- (and sometimes one-) lane.  Very relieved to eventually come to a turn-out where we could make a U-ey and get headed back!

This little screw-up had the surprisingly happy outcome, though, of finding this treasure to remind us of our time here . . . 

Woohoo!!  Lobster trap!  The ultimate Nova Scotia souvenir!!

Then, back out on the "Trail", moving southwest, with no clear notion as to how far we'll get today! 

Just another day of slow rolling along scenic coastline, with the vast Atlantic and then pretty St. Patrick's Channel off to our left.  Never have we seen water so blue! And on our other side - rugged rocky banks, creeks and rivers spilling into the sea, bands of lupin in shades of purple and pink lining the roadside, and mile after mile of lush green hillsides.

So we're just going down the road when Harold says,
"Uhhh, look on Zoe (GPS) for a gas station, will ya? I probably shoulda stopped at that station back there in Whycocomagh!" 
Well, you really need to see this place to realize there just is not always gas nearby!  (We've found much of Nova Scotia to be very sparsely populated and largely "undeveloped" in the way we think of it!  Not exactly "backwards" - but certainly not like home!)

Anyway, this was the the start of our second mis-adventure of the day! Thinking we were leaving the highway for possible gas 14km "down the way" we found ourselves, after six miles, more like up the creek!  Well, not water, just a little country lane that steadily narrowed and finally petered out til we found ourselves on a very remote, dusty and rutted dirt path with NO turn-around! 

This time we did have to disconnect the truck and maneuver around to get headed toward "that station back there."

Got the truck disconnected - then I followed Harold back to Whycocomagh & GAS!

Whew - we made it!

Then, believe it or not, we had yet another little "situation" today . . .

Thirty kilometers out of Whycocomagh, the engine coughed, sputtered and we had, like, NO power.  But lo and behold, there was a church yard off to the side of the road (divine intervention?) and Harold whipped in there and we safely rolled to a stop!

Well, today's "follies" burned up a good part of the day, but all in all we were pleased to have gone a full 130 miles before coasting into that parking lot of little St. Mary of the Angel's Catholic Church.  Friendly parishoners who just happened to be there said we were welcome to spend the night . . . so we did!

NOT the best day we've had, but it sure had it's bright spots! Anyway, it's behind us now and we'll press on, because (in the words of Scarlet O'Hara?)  "After all, tomorrow is another day."


(Happy to say apparently no serious trouble with the RV - maybe just a little water in the gasoline?)

And then Sunday! Feeling a bit of melancholy as we rolled along today, knowing it's our last day to enjoy Nova Scotia.

Scottish culture still very much in evidence as we've found it all over Cape Breton Island, with road signs in English and Gaelic. But now as we approach the lower end of the island, we seem to be coming back into French "Nouvelle-Escosse."

Along the way on this final, unforgettable and thankfully uneventful day . . .  

Back across the Canso Causeway . . .

Sidetrip to Mulgrave to post some cards before departing Nova Scotia!

And on the Strait of Canso, right there in dinky little Mulgrave right across the road from the post office, was this most unusual sight - a behemoth hunk of machinery!

Up close - an actual off-shore drilling rig!

Workers boarding the oil rig.
Looks like they're  getting ready to move on out . . .

Still in Nova Scotia - but not for long . . .

What amazing memories we made in that unique, incredible and thoroughly delightful wonderland . . . definitely a dream come true! 

Zoe says it's time to board!

So, bidding Nova Scotia a reluctant farewell, we boarded the ferry and sailed across the Northumberland Strait to Prince Edward Island . . . 

i 

"Au revoir"

So, take one last look at Nova Scotia there behind me.

Hello PEI . . .

Approaching Prince Edward Island

Relishing PEI with the wind in her face . . .

After a bit of motoring around this lovely little isle, we came to rest in Charlotteville at, would you believe?, Walmart!  We settled in for the night where we are one of seven RV "campers" in the parking lot. Harold took Trixie for a run with the bike while I stayed "home" cooking up those fresh Aspy Bay oysters!

            Mmmmmmm,  de-lish!!


That was yesterday! Today? A quick look at Prince Edward Island.  More on that in next post . . .