Atlantic Canada
Summary:
The trip was just over 3 weeks in duration and took
us to Newfoundland for 8 days, Prince Edward Island for 4 days, Nova Scotia for
9 days, and New Brunswick for 1 day (to observe the radical tide changes in the
Bay of Fundy). We stayed in inns to the extent possible, B&Bs as a second
choice and hotels when neither was feasible. We ate a lot of good seafood, took
some awesome hikes, drove through a lot of dramatic scenery, met some incredibly
nice people, listened to Celtic music, and got tuned into life in places that
just run a little slower and friendlier.
Highlights:
Newfoundland:
The rock is bigger than you might expect. To take in St
John’s at the extreme East, and Gros Morne Provincial Park at the extreme West
requires at least two weeks. We chose to spend our 8 days in the eastern part
of the island.
Trinity, NL:
Our first (and Pat’s favorite) stop was the historic town of
Trinity on Trinity Bay and the Bonavista Peninsula. Since the
death of the cod fishing industry in the early 90’s, tourism has provided a
reason to keep this village in tip-top condition while maintaining the
architectural look of its roots as a fishing community (winter population = 36).
Pure charm.
As you drive into town, the waters are full of blue and white buoys
– mussel farming.
Our lodging was the small Artisan Inn where we were steps
from the Bight (the local word for the bay/harbor/protected waters of the town)
in one of several old homes that comprise the Inn.
The Twine Loft, the
restaurant associated with the Inn, was the gathering place for meals for most
of the guests staying there. This dining room is a small miracle. It can seat
20 persons at most but it is cozy, warm (literally), and still elegant. The
menu has two choices for entrees each evening and they are ambitious –
e.g. lamb shank, coq au vin, cod Provençal.
And it so happens that the owner’s daughter has a sommeliers certification so
that in the middle of nowhere there is one of the best wine lists of our trip.
In preparation for our trip, we read “Cod” by Mark Kurlansky
and were anxious to absorb some personal local stories about the population
relocations and the effect of the fishing moratorium. Our 3-hour boat trip with
Bruce Miller on the Rugged Beauty was perfect. Bruce’s family has deep roots in
NL and his storytelling ability along with his approachable nature filled in a
lot of history (and some politics) for us, as we observed deserted villages
along the shoreline.
We also took in a play, “Salt Water Moon”, at the Rising
Tide Theatre. Well done, entertaining, and culturally local.
When the weather cleared, we took advantage by hiking the
Skerwink Trail – a skerwink is a type of shearing bird. The trail is
beautifully maintained and has excellent views from its cliffs over the town of
Trinity from across water.
For our day of rain, we headed out to the lighthouse in
Bonavista. Out there the rain arrives sideways – good to catch a bit of real NL
weather!
We also took the dirt road to the Trinity lighthouse late that day
after it brightened up a little. We arrived at 5 PM as the park person was
leaving – we had been her first and only visitors all day!
Lunch one day was at the Dock Marina in Trinity. We were
there to sample Cod Tongue, a NL favorite. It is NOT the tongue but rather the
fatty part around the fish’s mouth. It’s the fat that makes it a delicacy,
given that the rest of the Cod is a very lean white fish – cod liver oil for
anyone? Not bad actually. And the steamed mussels were OK if not plentiful.
St. John’s, NL
St. John’s was our second base -- for exploring the town,
itself, and the Avalon Penninsula on which it sits. The majority of NL’s
population lives on or near the Avalon Peninsula. We had three days to explore
but unfortunately one was taken up by Hurricane Leslie as it brought strong
winds disrupting power and general activity for a day – even The Rooms museum
was closed. One day took us south on the peninsula to hike a section of the
East Coast Trail, starting in Witless Bay and hiking north for about 6 miles.
The first half of the trail was the better part, clinging to windy cliff tops
with ocean wave views. The better plan would have been to go halfway and
retrace our steps. When we reached the next bay, we were so far away from any
main roads that the prospect of having to walk perhaps 8 miles to get back to
the car became apparent. Fortunately, the ONLY car that came along was a man
who lived just about where we were parked! He was happy to give us a lift, even
though he was not headed home. Friendly people.
Our last day was spent east of St. John’s – at Cape Spear,
the eastern most point of the North American continent. There is a light house.
And there is another section of the East Coast Trail that one could walk all
day heading south toward Petty Harbour. The trail and views were spectacular
but we hadn’t come equipped for a full day’s trek, so we drove to Petty Harbour,
a fishing community that had been recommended to us by our hostess at At Wit’s
Inn, where walked the harbor and spoke with some of the returning fisherman
about their cod catch.
Lunched at Chafe’s restaurant (the only restaurant in town) owned by one of the fishermen with a long
family history in the area: chowder, fried clams, and poutine, a Quebec
favorite, quite popular on this island, and consisting of French fries smothered
in gravy and cheese curd. It is as heavy and stick-to-your-ribs as it sounds.
Good for someone heading to sea on a cold day, eh?
A word about the restaurants of St. Johns. There is a lively
nightlife and many restaurants from which to choose. For us, many of the
offerings were on the heavy side and the weather during our visit was warm. Our
best meal was at Oliver’s on Water Street, where we savored top-notch fish
chowder made from scratch with homemade halibut stock, cream, and barely cooked
seafood. Sensational. The snow crab cakes were also noteworthy. We ate twice at
Piatto, where the pizzas are wood fired with interesting toppings. Our fourth
evening was spent at Yellowbelly Brewery and Public House. The plate of mussels
steamed in beer was huge and delicious. The place has a nice vibe, friendly
wait staff and good beer. We way over-ordered but all food was delicious.
New Brunswick
On Sept 11, 2012 we flew to Halifax, NS and headed out on a
two week tour that was focused on Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. But our
first night stop was at the Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park in New Brunswick.
Pat had seen these “flower pots” when she was a kid and wanted to revisit. The
Bay of Fundy is known for its exaggerated tidal changes--upwards of 40 feet with
swift current--that have carved the soft red sandstone, leaving flowerpot
shaped pillars off shore at low tide.
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| Low Tide |
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| Rising Tide |
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| Low Tide |
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| Rising Tide |
Prince Edward Island
This part of the trip was timed to coincide with the Annual
Seafood Festival in Charlottetown. It’s a four day event but one day is enough
to get the flavor of the event and the fine seafood produced in the area. At
the Festival’s International Seafood Chowder competition, Pat’s favorite featured
Asian flavors of ginger and lemongrass while retaining an un-thickened, cream
consistency and bountiful seafood. There were at least 15 competitors and a
more traditional chowder won. We also enjoyed Malpeque oysters and steamed
soft-shelled clams until they were coming out our ears. Mussels, French fried
PEI potatoes, and chowder were also available in quantities. This event is held
every September.
PEI is rolling
farmland with sea vistas almost everywhere. One day as we drove around the
island, we screeched to a halt at a sign for Raspberry Point Oysters. Our
favorite! And so we went down the road leading to a small red shack on the
point. There was a tour group there getting ready to leave on an oyster boat
excursion but when they left, we were treated to some of the tour’s appetizers.
The cold smoked salmon, and mussels in warm cream-based sauce were both
excellent – as were the fresh shucked oysters. Nice to be at the source.
For fans of Ann of Green Gables, the house is open for
visitors. Apparently it is very popular with the Japanese, as was true the day
we were there. It is a worthwhile stop. Entrance includes a brief film to set
the mood and familiarize you with the history behind the stories.
Another evening we made it to one if the island’s famous
lobster dinners. This cottage industry has become quite lucrative for a couple
of churches and communities.
At New Glascow’s dinner, you select the size of
the lobster you want and pay accordingly. Then you are served as much chowder,
steamed mussels, salad and dessert as you can hold along with said lobster.
Fun, local, and filling. At another
dining occasion we tried seafood bubbly – very rich buttery sauce loaded with
seafood and finished with a parmesan cheese topping.
Spent a couple of hours during our last day in the north
east part of the island, cycling round-trip on the Confederation Trail from
Morell to St Peter’s Bay. PEI removed all their railways and converted them to
cycling trails. Perfect way to see this beautiful island, though our ride was
slightly hampered by high winds. The sun on the dark blue water that dips in
and out of bays and river estuaries along the trail is heartwarming.
A word about PEI lodging. Our original plan included lodging
at Dalvay Inn by the Sea. It is a beautiful old Victorian Hotel that is
actually within the boundaries of the National Seashore Park.
Before leaving PEI, we had an excellent unanticipated dinner
at Lot 30, a upscale restaurant in Charlottetown that we visited one night on
the recommendation of our waiter at breakfast, a friend of Lot 30’s chef/owner,
Gordon Bailey. Gordon is a huge fan of bluefin tuna, a mainstay of the PEI
fishing industry, all of which normally ends up in the hands of Japanese
purveyors. When presented with the opportunity by a local fishing captain to
purchase a whole tuna, Gordon grabbed it, and we were the beneficiaries--tasting
menu consisting of 5 courses of bluefin tuna, each more delicious than the previous.
A memorable, serendipitous evening. The décor and service at Lot 30 are equal
to the food in quality.
Cora’s (where we got the recommendation for Lot 30) for
breakfast each day was excellent. Cora loves fruit and it comes with
everything. The Gahan House Pub Brewery was another successful meal – steak,
salad, and fries all well prepared. We were ready for some meat!
Nova Scotia
Cape Briton – its own place
We next ventured across the Northumberland Strait to Nova
Scotia. Our first destination was Mabou (pronounced ma-BOO) on the Ceilidh
Trail up the west coast of Cape Breton, where we stayed at the Mabou River Inn.
This area is especially known for its strong love of Celtic music. A ceilidh
(pronounced KAY-lee and normally featuring a combination of piano and fiddle) is
a small music and dance event held in homes, pubs, firehouses, and church
halls. They are held most weekend nights for the locals but almost every night
during the summer for the tourists. Unfortunately we were there mid-week in
September.
The Red Shoe Pub in Mabou is renowned for its music, its
owners being the Rankin Sisters, famous for their legendary three part
harmonies, trademark step-dancing and Celtic-Canadian roots. The pub is open only from June to mid-October
but the grub is excellent and there is music most nights, but check the
schedule on-line.
Our first full day in Mabou started with another beautiful
cliff walk, locally known as the coal mine walk. The views over the small
protected fishing harbor, and the ocean beyond, are the draw.
After the walk,
we headed to Glenora Distillery, the only single malt made in North America,
for a tour and an excellent lunch in the on-site pub.
During our rainy drive to Cheticamp, the following day, we
stopped at the Inverness County Centre for the Arts http://www.invernessarts.com to take in a first-rate exhibit of quilts by New Jersey
artist, Adrienne Yorinks.
There was also
an exhibit “Masques & Mi-Carême Fête-on” by local artists. The
exhibit celebrates the Acadian mid-Lent custom of wearing masks at festivities
that last from a single evening to many evenings—a means of escaping the tedium
of the Lenten season.
Cheticamp is the center of this small French-speaking part
of Cape Briton. It is also the gateway to the Cabot Trail that winds its way around
the top of Cape Breton. The rain cut exploration short upon arrival at our
lodging, Maison Fiset, a small inn on the main street in town. We did, however,
have an interesting evening at Le Gabriel Restaurant and Lounge, where the bar
entertainment was a local group of 3 guitars, and a substantial majority of the
audience, was a group of 20+ people, all of whom had graduated from the same
high school in Wisconsin between 1961 and 1963. It was like being back at a
high school dance! Fun.
The main attraction on Cape Breton is the Cabot Trail that
winds through a provincial park and scales heights with views and offers many
hiking trails with opportunities to see eagles, moose, and even whales in the
distance. Experiencing a break in the rain on our first day out of Cheticamp,
we hiked the Skyline Trail,
On the way around the trail, we stopped overnight in
Pleasant Bay. Nothing to tell about except that we took the late afternoon to
drive to Meat Cove, a remote fishing town way out at the end of Cape Breton. It
was remote.
Next day we continued to Baddeck. The rain continued and
only the fog was intriguing on occasion. The name of our B&B was Worn
Doorstep. The name and its Scottish owner were the best things about the place.
We were here unnecessarily for 2 days, mostly with not-so-good weather. The
promise of sailing and canoeing didn’t materialize. We did enjoy a wonderful
dinner at Auberge Gisele’s that included duck pate and rack of lamb with
seating in an intimate room with perhaps 3 or 4 tables. (see our TripAdvisor
comments). We also ran into the Wisconsin contingent whom we had partied with
in Cheticamp.
The next stop was in Halifax for one afternoon/night before
we headed down the south shore drive. We stayed at Halifax Waverley Inn, a
lovely old townhouse hotel right downtown.
We
went out in the pouring rain to Bistro le Coq for a good French bistro meal at
a not so bistro price.
As good tourists we spent a mandatory day driving south from
Halifax to visit towns that are even more quaint than New England.
The much
touted Peggy’s Cove is as good as it gets – small community of little box
houses perched on a rocky outcropping.
Unfortunately the presence of too many roaming tourists ruins the very
thing we all came to see. I have some sympathy for those who live there, many
of whom do not seem to be participating in the tourist dollar.
Our final destination for the trip was Lunenburg where we
stayed at the Rose Garden B&B. Lovely old house with beautiful public
rooms, an exceptional breakfast, and great location. Our room, the largest in
the house had a ‘private’ bath but unfortunately it was way down the hall
including down and back up several stairs. And our hostess was less than
cordial. Peter signed the credit card bill at the end of our stay and she
insisted that I sign it because it was in my name, insinuating we would not
honor the payment. We both think her husband was embarrassed.
We walked around this sailor’s town and were delighted to
find that it was only days before the restored Bluenose would be ready for
launch in its harbor.
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| Bluenose Two Days Before Launch |
We read its history and saw it without its mainsail, which was to be installed once it was in the water.
Stopped at The Knot Pub for
a pre-dinner beer. From the outside it looked like a pub in the English countryside
but perhaps with no one inside.
We spent the next night at the airport in Halifax and flew
to San Fran the next morning. Our last night away from home was at the Inn at
Oyster Point. We stretched our legs with a walk around the harbor, enjoyed a
dinner right there at the Inn and headed back to Paso.
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