Walking Through History

While we were in Nova Scotia we spent a fascinating day at the Fortress of  Louisbourg National Historic Park. Although the original fort and surrounding buildings—built in the 1700s by the French—were destroyed by the British, they have been meticulously rebuilt to be historically accurate using over 750,000 documents from France including the original building plans. 

Park staff dressed in period costumes acted as reenactors, staying in character as they answered questions about life at the fortress during its heyday. The Fortress of  Louisbourg was an important source of wealth for France since it was a key supplier of the dried cod that was so valuable in Europe. As we looked out over the harbor I tried to imagine it filled with 150 ships as it was when the fortress was in use.

Food was an interesting part of our experience there. We bought bread that had been baked using the recipes from the 1700s in brick ovens built using the original specifications. We learned that the whiteness of the bread was a sign of what class you were in: rye/wheat bread for the lower class, white bread for the upper class, and a mix of wheat flour with as much white flour as the buyer could afford for the middle class. (Side note: we bought some middle class and upper class bread and both were delicious.)

We watched them fire the cannon as they did in the 1700s.

We also had a period-correct lunch, eating at a common table with only a spoon to use as a utensil. Russ’ lunch was cod with turnips, carrots, and middle-class bread. Alas, there were apparently no vegans in the 1700s—at least none by choice—so my lunch was the middle-class bread with cheese. Our table mates were a very friendly Canadian family who quizzed us on why American politics are so partisan and angry. We couldn’t give them any answer that made sense.

Woman making lace in the living room. The convalescing bed is in the background.

We also saw something in the Fortress that was a first for me. In an officer’s house one of the reenactors answered our question about a bed in the downstairs living area by explaining that it was a bed for convalescing. She pointed out that disease and illness rates were quite high in those days so there might often be someone in the family who needed special care in a warm, convenient location. She mentioned that there was a higher risk of death for children since they often developed dysentery at the time they were weaned and started eating solid foods.

The harbor in the background used to be filled with ships.

Before we left the Fortress Russ believes he discovered an ancestor of mine. The records of early fort residents included a Jeanne DeFriche, which is pretty darn close to my maiden name—DeFries. Who knows? Maybe my family tree has a few branches in Nova Scotia.

Russ with poutine

After we left the Fortress of  Louisbourg Russ got his first taste of poutine. We’d never heard of poutine until we were at Niagra Falls where we saw it on a menu and still had no idea what it was although I was pretty sure it wasn't even close to being vegetarian. On the other hand, Brack, our son, had heard all about poutine from some of his coworkers and he wanted Russ to try it so when we saw a food truck with a sign for poutine we pulled over and put in an order for it. Turns out poutine is French fries topped with grated cheese and smothered with seasoned gravy. By the time Russ got his order, people were lined up for poutine. 

From what we’ve seen Canadians love gravy—in addition to poutine we’ve seen gravy on hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, just about anything on the menu. We’ve even seen gravy-flavored Lay’s potato chips right next to the  roast chicken-flavored chips!

Moseying Along the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia

From our base in North Sydney, our travels in Nova Scotia began with the Cabot Trail—named  after explorer John Cabot—which  makes a loop around the northern end of Nova Scotia. All the guide books raved about the beauty of the trail. There are definitely gorgeous spots on the trail but we’ve been so spoiled by our vacations to the Oregon coast and by living in the Seattle area with the Puget Sound as a backdrop that we may not have been as awed as people from more inland areas.

Much of the time the view was blocked by shrubs on the side of the road. But boy, when we drove out of the brushy areas and could get close to the coast with its beaches that go from sand to dramatic rock formations we could see why the Cabot Trail has a reputation for being so impressive. The water really was superl clear, like something you think must be Photoshopped when you see it in photos.

Boats in the cove at White Point

Tiny villages dotted every bay and cove. In fact, one of the most scenic things we saw was at the end of a side road we took away from the Trail. The road ended at  White Point, the northernmost point in Nova Scotia. At White Point we found a cluster of houses and a cove that looked like a picture postcard with boys swimming off brightly colored boats moored in the water. We sat on the rocks by the water and watched the boys swim while we ate a picnic lunch. As we drove away from the town we saw the boys take off in one of the boats, headed to the next cove. 

Boys swimming off the boats at White Point

One of the stops by the road on the Cabot Trail

As we neared the end of the Cabot Trail loop we stopped at Saint Pierre Catholic Church in Cheticamp. The church, which was built in 1893 has a beautifully ornate interior. Russ was amazed to see that the organ, installed in 1904 and still in use, is hand-pumped. 

The interior of Saint Pierre Church

Hand-pumped Organ at Saint Pierre Church

Hand pump for organ bellows

More photos from our trip on the Cabot Trail:

The water in this photo is 3'-4' deep. I still can't believe how clear it was.

Yep--towns in the coves really are this small.

We saw lots of fish traps piled up like this by houses and along the roads

 

We had to laugh at this weather forecasting tool. I think this is what they use in Seattle.

Flower Pots on the Ocean Floor

Although we were only in Moncton, New Brunswick for a short time we saw something truly impressive: the Flowerpots on the Bay of Fundy. The Bay of Fundy is famous for the way the tides move in and out, rising 45’ in a matter of hours. 

Hard to imagine people kayak here at high tide

The Flower Pots are rock formations that have been carved by erosion into tall towers topped with trees and plants. When we arrived at the site of the Flower Pots, the tide was out so we walked on the beach at the bottom of the spires and through the arches. I couldn’t resist taking off my shoes and stepping in the Bay. The water was too cold for swimming but not icy cold like I expected.

I'm that little spot at the bottom of the rock

As we stood on the beach we could literally see the tide rise. Within 15 minutes the rock outcroppings disappeared. As the tide continued to rise the park rangers began to move people away from the far end of the rocks. We stayed on the beach until about 30 minutes before the deadline to move to higher ground. While we ate lunch on the deck overlooking the bay we watched the shallow basin several miles out fill as the tide rose. It’s incredible to think of the volume of water that raises the levels so quickly in an area that large.

After the Flower Pots, we stopped at Cape Enrage to see the lighthouse built in the 1800s. As we drove back to Moncton we noticed that the flat grassy basins that had had no water on our drive down were filled with water once the tide rose.

Here we are at Cape Enrage

After talking to other campers at the RV park about their travels to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, we were  ready to hit the road again so after only a few days in Moncton we took off  to see Nova Scotia.