Category: 2017-eastern-canada

July 13 - The Cabot Trail and an Unexpected Visit to the Emergency Room

7/13/2017

We awoke to a beautiful Cape Breton Island morning. Our goal today was to follow the Cabot Trail with its rugged terrain and spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Inverary Inn Resort

With the stool right next to the tub, it was an easy mistake in the dark.

As we prepared to leave we noted that one of our travelers wasn't on the bus. No one had seen her at breakfast so our Tour Director Danielle and I went to her room. To our dismay we found she was in the room, answered our calls from the door, but couldn't get to the door to unlock it. She'd fallen in the tub and couldn't get out. The resort manager let us in and we got her up - shaken, bruised, and a little unsteady on her feet but otherwise seemingly OK. She told us she had gotten up during the night to go to the bathroom. The room was totally dark (no nightlight) and she mistook the tub for the toilet, so when she sat down she fell backward into the tub. Then she couldn't get her legs under herself to get up. She'd been there since about 3 PM.

We called the paramedics and I accompanied her to the hospital where she was seen by an admitting nurse within minutes of arriving. After a short wait a physician examined her and declared her "good to go, no need to cancel her trip". We went to the billing department to settle the bill - $100 cash! That included the ambulance, intake in the emergency room and the doctors evaluation. We were back at the resort by 11 AM.

Lessons learned:

Be sure you have some light when you get up to use the bathroom in an unfamiliar room. Leave the bathroom light on with the door slightly ajar, turn your bedside light on, or use your cell phone light. J
When you have an emergency Canadian healthcare is quick, excellent and inexpensive!

Meanwhile the rest of our travelers headed out to drive the Cabot Trail. They visited the famed St. Peter’s Church in Cheticamp, enjoyed a picnic lunch in Cape Breton Highlands National Park and paused at fishing communities along the coast.

Beach walk

Laura writing in the sand

Lots of trees - but when there's an opening the views are beautiful.

I missed this on the last post - it's our very own Jack dressed in an ancient kilt. Lynne by his side!

July 12 - Halifax to Cape Breton Island

7/12/2017

Our Itinerary in a Nutshell
Halifax, Nova Scotia - 2 Days
Baddeck, Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia) - 2 days
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island - 2 days
St. John New Brunswick - 2 days
Western Shore (near Lunenburg), Nova Scotia - 2 days

We headed north east out of Halifax under overcast skies, but our spirits were high because the lost luggage appeared today! Thank you for clean clothes and a warm jacket!

Our first stop was a visit to the Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre to learn about the Mi’kmaq heritage and see artifacts including intricate quill and bead work, a cedar totem pole and birch bark canoes. Two tribal members were building a conoe and we were able to watch the slow, meticulous work. We were treated to a "smudge", a smoke made of sweetgrass, cedar and other ingredients which we "washed" over our eyes, ears, mouth and heart to cleanse them for the day.

Heather receives the smudge

Jack has pure hearing

Shirley receives pure vision

Jerry accepts pure speech

Trudi receives the smudge

Gayle has a pure heart

We stopped for lunch, which included a lobster roll option. This is the 4th lobster experience for some of us. Is there such a thing as too much lobster? I don' think so!

Jerry, Barbara, Trudi and Gayle enjoy lunch.

We crossed the Canso Causeway to stunning Cape Breton Island. As we drove we skirted the Bras d'Or Lakes, Canada’s only inland sea.

Next, stop - St. Ann's Gaelic College, the only Gaelic college outside Scotland. It has a small student body but a dedicated staff which are working to preserve the culture and language. There are 3 Gaelic languages - Scottish, Irish and Manx (Isle of Mann). If you add those three to Welsh, Cornish and Breton you have the family of Celtic languages. They are related, but each is distinct.

We learned how the Great Kilt was made during a brief kilt-making demonstration. And learned a few handy Gaelic phrases before joining in the fun of a “milling frolic”…during which we practiced a Gaelic song while sitting around a table and beating a large loop of woolen cloth in rhythm. (B)

We were greeted by bagpipes

Terri, Corinne, Shirley, et. al doing the milling frolic

The traditional kilt

Jeri eating her first whole lobster. It looks kind of like the lobster is winning the "battle"!

We checked into the lovely Inverary Inn Resort. From there most of us walked across the street to the Baddeck Lobster Suppers restaurant where we again enjoyed the wonderful local lobster. (I think this is #5 for some of us, but whose counting?)

We returned to our lodging where Collette had arranged a private ceilidh (ˈkālē), a social event at which there is Scottish or Irish folk music and singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling. Actually, it wasn't an entire ceilidh, but it was a wonderful guitar player and singer who sang local tunes then lead us in singing some traditional folk songs we all know.

Off to sleep after a full day!

July 11 - Peggy's Cove and Halifax

7/11/2017

Our group gathered this morning. There are 25 Travel Our World travelers setting out on this Maritimes Coastal Wonders itinerary. Everyone arrived, but unfortunately five people arrived without their luggage. Hopefully it will arrive later today.

Undaunted, we set out for a Halifax city tour including the waterfront, Public Gardens, Spring Garden Road (aka Millionaire's Row) and the famous Citadel. This charming town was founded in 1749 and since it's port is the closest American port to Europe it has always been an important site, particularly during WWI and WWII. It was a nice way to ease into our tour.

Halifax from the Citadel

A year ago several of us toured Ireland. While there we visited Belfast (where the Titanic was built) and Cobh (the last place it stopped before it's fateful maiden voyage). Today we completed the circle by visiting the graveyard where 121 Titanic victims are buried.

We drove along the coast to beautiful Peggy’s Cove, a town of about 60 full time residents that has one of the most frequently photographed lighthouses in the world. Unfortunately it was foggy when we were there so our photos don't do it justice. We wandered the town, enjoyed our first lobster roll of the trip and took photos of the local sites.

Jeri and Carol

This evening, enjoy dinner along the waterfront. We had choices of crab cakes, mussels or salad as a starter, two types of fish plus lobster roll for our main, plus dessert. Delicious. We all loved the fresh seafood and look forward to much more.

Mussels

Haddock

Lynne and Jack

Pat, Suzanne, Heather, Danielle (our guide), Corinne and Jerry

July 10 - Halifax

7/10/2017

Our eastern Canada trip is an Either-Or-Both type itinerary. Some people chose only the Best of Eastern Canada, some chose only the Maritimes Coastal Wonders portion and 10 of us are doing both.

Those of us doing both have a "bridge day" here in Halifax for R&R between the two tours. We scattered widely to take in the local sites... Some of us even went to the laundromat. Ah, clean clothes!

Doing laundry isn't very romantic, but it's necessary on a 3 week trip. Besides, just finding a laundromat and interacting with the locals is part of the fun.

Carol

Pat and Jeri

Some took the ferry across the bay to Dartmouth to visit the Black Cultural Center for Nova Scotia. Canada has an early history of slavery, but later was the terminus for the underground railroad which brought many southern slaves to freedom in Canada.

Meanwhile fourteen travelers boarded planes this morning to join us for the remainder of our journey. They arrived late this evening and will join us for our visit to Peggys Cove, a city tour and welcome dinner tomorrow evening

July 9 - Halifax or Home

7/10/2017

Sunday we rose and headed for the airport. Pete, Jeannie, Carol and Steve headed back to Phoenix. Goodbye friends. We wish you were joining us for the second part of the trip.

The rest of us boarded a short flight to Halifax to continue our eastern Canada adventure. We arrived in the early afternoon. We had plenty of time to explore the waterfront.