Canada Day 84: Cape Breton Highlands National Park -Saturday, July 11 2015
Beautiful “yellow balls in the sky” (a phrase Anne, our tour coordinators uses that I loved) day. Woke realising I am a bit over touring with a group. The lack of freedom to explore, or to move about independently is frustrating. “Herding” is the term Chris uses.
Oh how ungrateful.
The rational bit of me quickly reminds me of why we chose this way of travelling. We would not be seeing what we see, or learning what we learn, or meeting the people we meet without it.
So buck up and get to it!
In addition to the wonderful Anne, today we have Napolean (known as Nappy) as our guide. Nappy lives in Cheticamp and is a direct descendant of the Cheticamp Acadiennes. He travelled with us giving us humour, history and information throughout the day.
As with our learning of the atrocious past (and not so past) treatment of many peoples throughout our journey, this included more information on the expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia which has resulted in communities outside of Nova Scotia including the current day Cajun community from a settlement of Acadiennes in Louisianna.
One of the early stops was a museum for hooked rugs. Prior to the visit I thought it not my thing and contemplated going for a walk instead, particularly with my crabby feeling about tours today. Lucky me – I stayed and it was fascinating.
Firstly the skills needed – drawing, dying, pattern making and the needlework -incredible. A collection of rug portraits were easily recognisable. A series using plant and vegetable dyes were beautiful – more subtle muted colours. My favourite was one done in shades of grey to black.
The collections were largely as the result of two women – one a collector (hoarder) who donated her collection and the other Elizabeth LeFort a one of a kind “hooker” whose rugs are displayed.
Likenesses were astounding – Jacky Kennedy was very real, taken from a photo. The bottom of the rug had been damaged (I can’t remember if it was mice or water). It had been cut off.
The huge rug of American Presidents completed in the 1950s showed President Kennedy – apparently when he died Elizabeth unpicked a section of the rug and inserted a panel with his image:
A well versed, animated young man showed us around describing himself as ‘the only male hooker’! One story he told captured me – the largest rug ever hooked – remembering the loom has to be as wide as the rug –was sold or given to someone in Virginia and has never been found. This is despite searchers being sent to track it.
We circumnavigated Cape Breton Park via the Cabot Trail travelling 185 miles around the northern tip of Cape Breton. It was hard to sit and see all the trails and scenery rushing by. We could easily be tempted to come back to do some hiking if opportunity arose. Today – time, distance, and the level of mobility within the group, limited it to 2 short walks.
One walk eventuated when we stopped for lunch – we decided to forgo the eating part and hoof it to a waterfall trail from our lunch spot. Another slightly fraught walk as we negotiated how fast to walk, how far to go before turning back, and whether it was OK to break our or not!
Dinner was a lobster supper in Baddeck.
We left groaning with food after:
– an entrée of steamed mussels served in a huge bucket in the centre of the table. Smaller mussels than I am used to but tender and buttery tasty.
– Next came seafood chowder – less cream more seafood and potato than usual making it more taste filled and less fatty.
– Finally a lobster each was presented along with eating instructions, long skewers to prize the meat out and nut (lobster) crackers. Fresh, natural and delicious.
– Oh but wait – then there was dessert. I have no idea what it was I couldn’t even look at it!
