After breakfast we boarded the bus for our trip around the Cabot Trail. This is a 185 mile road around the northern half of Cape Breton Island. Our guide for the day was local authority Paul Hanna.

Paul regaled us with stories about what we were seeing and the history of the Acadians who settled this area not once, but twice.

Stops along the way included:

We toured a hooked rug museum along with a demonstration of rug hooking

(Yes, these are all hooked rugs!)

We visited St. Peter’s catholic church in Chéticamp which dates to 1893.

Services are conducted in French (with one English service each month). Paul called for a volunteer singer to demonstrate the acoustics. So I treated them to a chorus of “Butterball”.

We drove around Cape Breton Highlands National Park (up and over the top of the island). It was raining off and on (serious rain). The bus voted to skip the scheduled “bog walk” as the rain was sheeting at that point.

We did take a break for a little R&R/Beach time at Black Brook Cove (named for the tannin infused stream that flows into the ocean nearby)

and saw the (purported) landing spot of John Cabot in 1497.

We took a peek at Keltic Lodge – an old national park lodge with a stunning location.

Returning to Baddeck Cheryl and I had time for a short walk before our seafood feast.

We gorged on crab and other outstanding stuff and rolled back to our motel where I spent some time fighting with the wholly inadequate WiFi and Cheryl ran a load of laundry.

Tomorrow we’re back on the bus. This time to head over to Louisburg were we’ll tour the fortress there.

But for now we sleep.

Nite all!