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!