-- From North Rustico to Big Bras D'Or, NS
The road tracklog
from North Rustico to Big Bras D'Or
from 17/10/2011 to 23/10/2011
Of course in seashore at this latitude in this second half of October, weather is changing and dubious. All the day it oscillated between a persistent drizzle, heavy downpours and a sunbeam. I was not motivated to go for a walk in the PEI National Park, in spite of the splendor of the landscapes, under the very rare sunning. After a stop at the Tourist Office in Cavendish to publish the updates of my website, to send my emails and to read newspapers, I drove in the park lunching on a carpark vis-à-vis a rough sea then stationing in Covehead for the night.
Dalvay by the Sea
Dalvay
17/10/2011
The Beach
Stanhope
17/10/2011
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Lighthouse
Covehead
17/10/2011
Charlottetown
The distances are very short on PEI, to go to Charlottetown I traversed 39km! It is the provincial capital of the island with a population lower than 40,000 inhabitants. It entered the history of Canada in 1864 at the time of first the conference holding for the creation of the Canadian federation. The Founders' Hall is installed in an old station of railroad with the Tourist Office. The showroom is a historical tour with accompanying notes in video by a young woman with much of humor,… British of course. I give some pictures of interpretative signs to put the debate which was often surging. After 1867 Canada extended westwards to occupy the territories attracting the covetousness of the USA after their purchase of Alaska to the Russians. Finally thanks to the construction of Canadian Pacific Railway, British Columbia joined the federation in 1871. Current Canada will be completed only after the fastening of Newfoundland in 1949 and the creation of Nunavut in 1999.
Founders' Hall
Charlottetown
18/10/2011
Founders' Hall
Charlottetown
18/10/2011
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Founders' Hall
Charlottetown
18/10/2011
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Founders' Hall
Charlottetown
18/10/2011
I walked in the old city to discover two or three interesting buildings. The first catholic church was set up in Port-la-Joye in 1721 in a French settlement. Scot fleeing British persecutions were established in the area at Scochfort. But it is only in 1896 that the first stone cathedral St Dunstan was built. Destroyed by a fire in 1913, it was rebuilt thanks to the gifts of parishioners.
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St Dunstan's Basilica
Province House is regarded as the cradle of the Confederation of Canada. Of neo-classic colonial style the building was built in 1843. It housed the Conference of Charlottetown into 1867 which provided the foundations of the Canadian confederation.
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Province House
Two buildings testify to Victorian architecture, Government House and Beaconsfield House. The day was pleasant with a temperature of around 15°C without rain.
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Government House
Beaconsfield House
Rocky Point, Fort-la-Joye
Opposite the port of Charlottetown the French built the Fort-la-Joye on Rocky Point to control the access of the port. In this October 19 the Visitor Center was closed since the end of August. From Fort it remains only a grassy ground heap duly maintained. The track which curves it is arranged of panels of interpretation with reproductions and comments very eloquent. The few pictures below do without superfluous repetitions. The morning without being sunny was pleasant with a quasi winter light. In the afternoon I strolled on the small roads along the coast to go to Borden-Carleton at the foot of the Confederation Bridge. I spent time at the Tourist Office to read my mailbox and the French newspapers.
Fort-la-Joye
Rocky Point
19/10/2011
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Fort-la-Joye
Rocky Point
19/10/2011
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Fort-la-Joye
Rocky Point
19/10/2011
Thursday October 20 I crossed the Confederation Bridge in opposite direction and, after a short transit in New Brunswick I entered Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia
The French settlers were established in the Island by naming their Port-Royal camping (currently Annapolis Royal) in 1605. The Chief Membertou of the First Nation Mi'Kmaq became regularly the host of Samuel de Champlain. The suspicious British of the good relations with natives invaded the Island and expelled the French with a majority who left to Louisiana. In 1621 king James granted the area to Sir William Alexander. Around 35,000 Loyalists coming from the USA settled in the French's properties.
As the weather posted in the Tourist Office announced it, it rained all the day. I entered Nova Scotia; New Scotland, in Tidnish on secondary Hwy # 366. On the way I noticed that some houses had pumpkins and mannequins for Halloween. I drove the Sunrise Trail in the rain. In Pictou no attraction was open, I were satisfied with a picture of an old ship beside Hector Heritage Quay. Pictou is the birthplace of New Scotland. I stationed for the night on the quay and in the rain.
Halloween
En route
20/10/2011
Replica of Hector ship
Pictou
20/10/2011
Vieux gréement
Pictou
21/10/2011
Before leaving Pictou I noticed the reproductions of the clans' tartan present in the city. It was a small driving day under a dubious sky but without rain, the day before the sky had been purged with black rainy clouds. I stopped in Antigonish where only the Heritage Museum was open. I was accommodated by a charming old lady of who the Scot accent was with English what the Quebecer is with French. Well, the museum is free. After a tour in the city, the cathedral was occupied by a funerary ceremony, I went my way to go to Cape George to find a night parking vis-à-vis the sea at the foot of the lighthouse.
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Clock of 19th century
Scot's Gentleman
Cape Breton Island
I left with regret my bivouac at the foot of the lighthouse so much the lookout was superb in the early morning under the sun exactly. The day was sunny with a temperature of around 14°C. The Island of Cape Breton, in the past Isle Madam, is connected to the continent by a Causeway. Attractions in the move were all closed, on the other hand I admired landscapes of Ceilidh Trail in Scottish territory. Admittedly it is not the spinach dish of Scotland. From Chéticamp it was Acadia again. In the two areas the signposts are in the two languages of the majority inhabitants, the Scot then the French. I still found a bivouac in edge of sea at Petit
Étang Beach.
The portt
Ballantynes Cover
22/10/2011
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Margaree Mural
Cheticamp
Acadian national anthem
22/10/2011
Cape Breton Highlands National Park
The National park is famous for its highlands and its coastal landscapes of a spectacular beauty. It contains a single association of forest habitats as well as vegetable and animal species.
The day was announced rainy, no water drop did not fall from the sky however very dark. Despite everything I undertook two walks in the Park. Skyline unrolls its track in the highlands to finish in overhang of the abrupt coast. At a detour of the track I was face-to-face with a moose and its cubs. We looked ourselves with anxiety. Most slowly possible I took my camera. Alas they escaped with large spanned. It is an strange animal, not beautiful, high on legs and weighing very heavy, but very nimble.
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Map of the Park
GPS track
The track
Skyline
23/10/2011
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Moose
Moose
Paysage
Skyline
23/10/2011
On the East coast of the Cape Breton Island I traversed a second walk, Middle Head close to Keltic Lodge, Igonish. Landscape is very different. There too I made a face-to-face with a rabbit but too far to be net. Moreover on the rocks far away sea birds nestled due to the white droppings. GPS tacks are given on a chart at the 2 millionth scale increased 8 times! Indeed New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island do not appear in map in the 250,000 thousandth scale, it is the same for the territories of the north Canada. I bivouacked in a campground at Big Bras D'Or.
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Map of the Park
GPS track
The track
Middlehead
23/10/2011
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Rabbit
Sea birds
Landscape
Middlehead
23/10/2011
