Fortress Louisbourg on a rainy day

The rain began last evening while we were at dinner and continued on and off through much of the night. It was predicted to be our constant friend throughout today Sunday with the addition of a temperature. And add to the precipitation the temperature fell some 30 degrees (F) since yesterday!

Not to be deterred by such nuisances, after a leisurely breakfast we packed ourselves into the car and headed off to Fortress Louisbourg, on the far eastern shore of Cape Breton. 

The drive took us across another (free) car ferry at Little Narrows and through the Ekasoni First Nation  Mi'kmaq community located along the East Bay of Bras d'Or Lake. 

The rain continued as we made our way back in the vicinity of Sydney where we turned southeast on Rte 22 to Louisbourg and the 18th fortress, one of Canada's National Historic Site.

As we drove along the singular main street of the modern town of Louisbourg the four of us were struck by how utterly deserted it seemed -- businesses closed or indeed out of business. . . But on the far side of town we came across a bustling cafe, the North Star, and pulled into the parking lot for lunch.

Once inside we could smell the food and hear the banter of guests, some of them locals apparently. The food was very good and it turned out to be just the respite we needed from the rain, the cold, and the roadway.

It turned out this cafe was a "training" ground so to speak for their very large restaurant which was located directly behind the cafe and close to their lovely hotel overlooking the bay. We asked one of the owners what he did during the winer -- they were just getting ready to open their entire operation for this season -- and he replied that he goes to Grand Cayman and then home to Glasgow!

ferry at Little Narrows

From the North Star it was a 5-minute drive to the fortress. Located on a large spit of open land, this is one of Canada's premier historic sites. The reproduction 18th century fortified village provides a glimpse into the life of what life was like during the wars between France and England. 

Unfortunately, many of the interpretive parts of the village were closed (shoulder season don't you know), there were no signs describing the buildings anywhere and no maps were provided -- in fact we were instructed to use our phones to take a picture of the one map at the information center!  But they were still happy to take our money to wander the grounds anyway. 

Plus it was damn cold and the wind coming in off the Atlantic would bite right through you jacket.

While we were quite disappointed in the village, the King's Bastion or central fortress itself was impressive. Although the original structure and walls are long gone or at best in ruins, the reproduction was amazing. Here we came across several interpretive guides located in key parts of the structure who provided insight into 18th century life inside the fortress. The military chapel as well as the barracks and governor's apartments were fascinating.

entrance to the King's Bastion

interpretive guide inside the military chapel

interior grounds of the bastion

Richard just happy to be here!

view of the grounds from the bastion walls

Leaving the fortress we pushed homeward having achieved our goal for the day. 

That evening we decided to have supper at McCurdy's in the nearby Silver Dart Inn. 

(Silver Dart was the name of Alexander Graham Bell's airplane and J.A.D. McCurdy was the principal designer and pilot who flew the craft right off the frozen lake at Baddeck in 1909. A fascinating story, you can read more here.) 

The food was very good and creative we thought and the view of the bay lovely even in the rain. 

The service, as has so often been the case on Cape Breton, was superb. 

Our server, Emma, grew up in Baddeck and went to large one-building school right across the street overlooking the water. (She was one of 22 in her graduating class two years ago.) She is in her second year at St. Xavier University in Antigonish and was amazed when she heard we had stopped for lunch at the Tall and Small on our way north -- according to her it is the most popular coffee shop in town. 

Tomorrow we begin our long return home, stopping first just north of Halifax near the airport where we will say goodbye to Richard and Pauline on Monday (they continue their trip to the far west of Canada). Susie and I will then drive to Bangor Monday night and on to Albany Tuesday night and finally home on Wednesday.