Thur. 15th October ‘26
We suspected it would happen, but we still feel a bit fated as we woke after a night’s sleep being aware of the wind blowing outside. We had two ferry crossings booked for this Eastern Canada leg and now the second has also been cancelled due to the wind. Given the vile weather yesterday, it isn’t really a surprise and it isn’t as big a blow to our plans as the cancellation of the ferry across the St Lawrence. Still, we had been looking forward to going the old-fashioned way back to mainland Canada – not least because there was always the opportunity for some whale spotting.
As with the previous cancellation back in Tadoussac, we are grateful to be notified early in the day and so we can gear ourselves up for the drive. As Claude says, the overall time is going to be about the same we just have more driving to do as it is the long way round. On the approach to the Confederation Bridge, we can see the lorries all pulled over to the side of the road, no high-sided vehicles are being allowed to cross. Just as well, because as we cross, we can feel the car being buffeted by the wind.
Whilst the mainland side of the bridge is in New Brunswick, it isn’t long before we turn East and cross into Nova Scotia. I feel a bit sorry for NB, our total time in the province really isn’t adding up to much. We’ve been on the road for a good couple of hours now, so spotting a Nova Scotia Visitor Centre seems to be a good place for a bathroom break and a change of drivers. Whilst at the information desk, I ask about the flag that is the French Tricolour but with a star in the blue section. I had seen these a few times over the last week or so. It turns out that this is the Acadaian flag – for the original French settlements in Nova Scotia.
We keep cracking on and although we are slightly ahead of timings if we’d had the ferry, we don’t feel able to divert into Pictou. This is a shame as Pictou is the landing place of the ship which brought the first large group of Highland Scots to Nova Scotia in 1773 and began the Gaelic settlement of the province. We’re about to find out how this Gaelic influence permeates Cape Breton. Continuing along our old favourite, the Trans-Canada Highway, we get to the Canso Causeway which links Cape Breton Island to the mainland. As we approach the causeway, we can see the waves crashing up the sides and covering the cars in spray. It’s no surprise that, once again, the lorries are all parked up.
Crossing was like being in a car-wash with the spray coming over the car a couple of times. Now all the windows are salty/grimy and are going to need a wash when we next get to a petrol station. Over our three nights on Cape Breton, we are essentially going to do a clockwise loop and concentrate on the Northern, Cabot Trail section of the island. We are doing OK for time so feel able to make a stop at Mabou harbour to see the little lighthouse and trawler in the harbour. The wind is now blowing so strongly that I have to be careful holding my phone up to take pictures and we need to open the car doors only one at a time.
Finally, we get to Chéticamp and our overnight stop. Claude says that this is an Acadian village where French is still the everyday language and distinct from the Gaelic communities we’ve just driven through. I have to say that we didn’t really notice much of a difference. Having got to our room, after quite a long day’s drive, we didn’t feel like going out to explore the long & thin town. Fortunately, our (basic) hotel was close to both the harbour and the silver-spired Église Saint-Pierre and when some colour started to develop in the sky at sunset, I put my brave pants on and went out with camera. I’m particularly pleased with the picture of the church underneath menacing clouds and a red-tinged sky.