The middle day of our see-all-of-Nova-Scotia Canada vacation we spent on the road. It was Tuesday, August 8. We drove from Dalvay-by-the-Sea on Prince Edward Island to Wood Islands to board the 9:30 a.m. ferry to Nova Scotia. The ferry station had a rudimentary restaurant for sweet rolls, coffee, and snacks. The purple and pink roses outside the station smelled fabulous! It rained most of the 75-minute ferry crossing through the Northumberland Strait. Nonetheless, we took photos.
FOODIE STOP
FOODIE STOPOn Nova Scotia, we stopped at Antigonish for lunch at Gabrieau’s Bistro. Our best lunch of the entire vacation!
“Winner of Taste of Nova Scotia ~ Restaurant of the Year for Chef Inspired Fine Dining. Recommended by Where to Eat in Canada ~ Star Rating 14 consecutive years and winners of the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine from 2008-2013. Gabrieau’s is the perfect marriage of wine and food!”
I enjoyed an herb-encrusted biscuit and a divine carrot and squash bisque soup. Next, I devoured a seafood croissant filled with bits of lobster, scallops, sweet shrimp, sliced cucumber, and lettuce. How good was the seafood croissant you ask? My eyes rolled back and I moaned.
Handsome laughed. “That good, huh?”
Chewing, I nodded. Fortunately, he didn’t ask for a bite. I probably would have refused to share.
Attention Foodies, mark this bistro marked as a must-see destination. Trip Advisor reviews raved about it. Gabrieau’s Bistro earned my vote for the 2017 Taste of Nova Scotia Award. May they win!
ROADSIGNS IN CANADA
We continued on the road in the light rain, through forest and farmland to the only bridge from the main island to Cape Breton Island. Along the way, we saw warning signs for deer, moose, fire trucks, people, and snowmobiles.
At the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton, we waited fifteen minutes to cross. Perhaps the bridge was raised for a boat to clear the lock. We crossed and couldn’t see a boat in either direction from the bridge. We were growing tired of being on the road. At first, I thought my tired eyes were misreading the street signs. Later, I learned that road signs on Cape Breton were written in English and Gaelic, others in English and Mi’kmaq depending on the location on the island. The First Nation or indigenous tribes in this area were called the Mi’kmaq and the Mi’kmaw. Perhaps their language didn’t translate well into English, or there could have been different tribes. I didn’t discover more about them because we were cramming so much into our 10-day visit.
Sign in Mi’kmaw language.
We checked into Auberge Gisele’s Inn at Baddeck. Our building did not have an elevator, so we lugged our suitcases to the second floor. Note to self: pack lighter! The room was large enough to cartwheel in without striking furniture. I did not, I’m just describing the roominess. The shower was stronger than the WIFI. Both the sauna and the indoor hot tub were closed for repairs.
Perhaps the pool was open. Even though Canadians swim in Florida in the winter, we declined to swim in Canada in the summer. Canadians, apparently, get in the water as soon as it turns liquid. Hypothermia wasn’t on our schedule.
We strolled in a light rain through main street Baddeck. Handsome and I regretted that we had not brought waterproof raingear. Even the packable plastic ponchos, the kind the theme parks sell for ten dollars, would have kept us dry. Alas. Hindsight is 20/20.
I washed two loads of laundry and read half of a book on my iPad. Meanwhile, Handsome hunted down a gas station to fill up our Dodge Challenger for the next day’s 187-mile Cabot Trail tour of Cape Breton.
This was the day Handsome said he regretted that I was not listed as a driver on the rental car. The longest day of driving was yet to come later in the week. I didn’t have the heart to tell him.