Week 3 – And the North Wind Doth Blow

Prince Edward Island (province No 4 for us)- known locally as PEI – is a large island in the Gulf of St Lawrence, known for its rich red soil,  red and white sandy beaches, and very fertile farmland.  25 % of Canada’s potatoes are produced in PEI.  The Confederation Bridge – an amazing eight mile long structure, which includes an extra high bit in the middle for the big ships – provides access to the island from New Brunswick. Charlottetown is the capital, where we enjoyed a self guided tour of neat and tidy streets with the usual timber framed, wooden clad, colourful houses.  It’s clear that the more wealthy house owners stick to white!  Note that there are no garden fences or obvious boundaries.

Charlottetown KOA campground allocated us a lovely sheltered site on the West River – and with G&T’s to the fore, we watched the sun go down! An easy day’s driving saw us covering a large chunk of the island, from lovely sandy beaches in the north

to a quiet walk along the Trans-Canada-Trail,

which goes quite literally from one side of Canada to another  ( we will be getting our 10,000 steps in all the way across the country!).  Sadly the temperature has dropped steadily as we’ve traveled east.  The first campfire of the trip at Ocean View Campsite, near Murray’s Harbour, was abandoned after half an hour.  Despite the heat of the fire, it was just too cold to enjoy sitting out there!  Perhaps we should have been ‘Canadian’ and wrapped up in blankets!

A small version of our cross-channel ferry provides access from the east end of PEI to Nova Scotia (province No 5).  The 45 minute journey takes you from Wood Island to Caribou.  Lulu seemed tiny compared to the enormous articulated lorries surrounding her.  

Coffee and lunch stops are always a challenge.  Picnic areas are fairly common, but they never seem to appear when we’re ready to stop (a common problem, I suspect!)  Peter’s  love of maps normally finds us somewhere off the beaten track.  North Eastern Nova Scotia, is sparsely populated and heavily forested, but full of Provincial Parks.  Beaver Mountain Provincial Park provided us with a good two hour walk through the trees  – spring violets were everywhere -before lunch.

Linwood Harbour campsite near Monastery was our destination that night.  Again we overlooked the water – but the proximity of water plus the threat of rain, meant the mosquitoes and black flies were out in force.  Damp wood on the campfire smoked ’em out!  With temperatures dropping to near 0C at night, we hunkered down.  Heavy rain and high winds rocked Lulu all night.

Sunshine greeted us the following morning however, and the Cabot Trail beckoned. (John Cabot having discovered the North American coast in 1497)  The trail is 298 km long and winds up, down and around the Cape Breton highlands.  Having been very much a part of my school geography lessons, we couldn’t wait to experience it.   Before settling into our campsite at Cheticamp, we took advantage of the brilliant evening sunshine and walked the Skyline Walk – along a ridge with beautiful views over the sea and the highlands.

Weather forecasts had warned us of heavy rain – they weren’t kidding!  Local shops and a gallery kept us occupied, and eavesdropping in a local cafe reminded us that we were in an Acadian area.  (17th century descendants of the French and/or Indigenous people of Acadia). The locals talk in a very natural mix of French and English. The Scottish influence was also noted – lots of Celtic folklore, not to mention Royal Wedding Fever!

Twenty four hours of rain left the Highlands shrouded in mist, but our itchy feet got the better of us, and we decided to push on.

We had read that driving the trail has it’s challenges  – hair pin bends, steep inclines and descents  – all part of the Reynolds adventure!  Intermittent heavy rain continued throughout the day, and there was thick fog/cloud over every high point.   Add to this the hundreds of runners (on our side of the road!) tackling the Relay for Life  (running the whole of the Cabot Trail in 24 hours in Relay Teams) – and you will get the picture!  A very friendly policeman stopped us right on top of a mountain.  He was dripping wet and must have been cold, but with a big welcoming smile “Well, you guys have chosen a ‘real good day’ to come up here!”  and laughingly sent us on our way.  Probably thinking – Crazy Brits!!

In an effort to get away from the rain and fog, we stopped for the night in another KOA at North Sydney, still on Cape Breton Island, and overlooking the entrance channel to Bras d’Or Lake, which is a huge UNESCO biosphere reserve.

 

Evening sunshine lifted our spirits, as did a fellow RV’er who was practicing his bagpipes outside!  Given that it was close to 0C and with a cold north wind, I’m afraid none of us dared to escape the warmth of our RV’s to cheer him on!  His hands and lips must have been frozen . . . . .or maybe there was some whiskey involved?

Peter’s wish was fulfilled today as we visited Louisbourg French Colonial Fort on the south eastern shores of Cape Breton.  Louisbourg was a thriving French colony in the 1700’s, but two British invasions destroyed it completely.  In the 1960’s, the Canadian government started a huge project to reconstruct about one quarter of the original town and fortifications.  It’s an impressive effort – and provided us with several hours of exploring and walking around the coastal ruins.

We’ve clocked 3,150 km as of today . . . . . inbuilt propane tank has been refilled (central heating has been a real boon) . . . . . don’t even think about the amount of petrol we’re getting through!  Hopefully Canada’s wide open spaces can absorb our heavy carbon footprint!

The adventure continues . . . . . . .