On Cape Breton Island we see lots of property for sale, but it's a long way from anywhere and this economy only seems to survive via tourism and lobstering. Because of the steep climbs and twisty roads we hemmed and hawed about whether to go fully around the famous Cabot Trail in the RV on Sunday. We decided to go clockwise as far as Cheticamp and, if conditions warranted, we could backtrack to Baddeck.
The roads were better than expected with a few rough sections, but overall OK. The weather was clear and warm. For lunch we stopped at a 'genuine' Acadien restaurant in Cheticamp where all the customers (~8) were speaking French or the Acadien dialect of French. We guessed they were having a meal after Sunday Mass. The waitresses were all dressed in traditional Acadien costume. Where else does this happen these days? The place was spotless and neat as a pin.
I had a bowl of delicious haddock 'soup' made w/o milk but with lots of potatoes and a side of poutine! Carol had a tasty meat pie made with pork and beef. Cheticamp is a wonderfully neat seaside town as are all the villages in the island.
After stopping at the National Park entrance just beyond Cheticamp and talking with the officials there, we decided to go all the way around because the weather was excellent and very few cars were on the road. It was a great trip, very scenic with impressive vistas on an excellent road.
I stop short of calling it outstanding, because some of the vistas in Norway, along the Mediterranean, and in Northern Italy around Lake Como are truly spectacular. We are satisfied we did the round trip and upon returning to Baddeck, rain set in while we ate dinner (halibut for me and scallops St. Jacques for Carol) at the Bell Buoy restaurant.
On Monday we set out late from our campsite and decided to head west along the coast through a farming valley, then along the NW coast to the Canso Strait which separates Cape Breton Island from the rest of Nova Scotia. Wecrossed the causeway and followed the westerly side of the strait meandering on secondary roads around the numerous coves eventually arriving at the town of Canso (settled in 1605; incorporated in 1901!).
We locked in our site at Sea Breeze Campground right on the ocean, then went exploring in town. While driving slowly around, a fellow came up to us in his car and asked if he could help us find something. The town is in the process of dying, very dilapidated with little commerce other than lobstering and a small fishing fleet. A very dismal place. He said lobsters were fetching only $3.50/lb at the dock (They were $4.50/lb. at Main-a-Dieu three days ago.), but none were available because it was too late in the day.
We finally found a restaurant with spic and span interior and a large menus with the lest costly food we've found. I had a bowl of the absolute best fish chowder ever! Carol's meal was nothing to write home about, but the bill, including a glass of very nice white wine and Snapple tea was only CDN$25!
To top it off, we have no WiFi in this campground, but the cell signal is very strong so I have a very solid data connection to publish this.
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