Cape Breton, Here I Come!

Saturday I drove from Sherbrooke to Cape Breton Island. I am staying in a town called Baddeck. Cape Breton is almost divided by an inland sea called Bras D’Or Lake. Baddeck is in the middle of the island on the shore of this Lake, and reminds me a lot of a town I stayed in on Mull in Scotland, called Tobermory. They bays have the same feel, although Tobermory is on a sound, not a lake.

Saturday I wondered around town, checking out the shopping, until I could check into my room. Again, there may have been a slight yarn purchase at Baaadeck Yarns. I also struggled with the laptop at the public library. The public library is above the fire station here.





On the side of the Baddeck library's bookmobile.











The view from the Baddeck library window.







Inside the library.









Baddeck lighthouse.








Baddeck harbour.





I am staying at the Broadwater Inn, in the Library Room. This building originated as a home almost 200 years ago, and it was owned by friends of Alexander Graham Bell, who would summer here in Baddeck. What a room! I love it. (I’ve had the gas fire on two mornings already – it’s been 11 degrees C, or about 53 degrees F.) I ate supper at a neat place called the Yellow Cello Café (great veggie pizza).





My room.







More of my room. The red chair is perfect for reading or knitting.







The front lawn.






Next day I drove the Cabot Trail, a famous drive that runs around one peninsula of the island that contains the Cape Breton Highlands. I stopped at Cheticamp to see the rug hooking museum. The Acadians (French Canadians) in Cheticamp hook rugs differently than the settlers from Sherbrooke. They use wool yarn, instead of wool strips to make the rugs. Elizabeth LeFort was a famous rug hooker from Cheticamp. She made some huge, incredible rugs.

Stephanie, a kind and helpful guide at the museum.

Rug hooking -- the Acadian flag.

Hooked rug (duh).

Hooked rug -- the dashes and dots on the side are Morse code, but no one knew what they say. Dad?

Elizabeth LeFort's version of Indiana's own Gus Grissom.

Elizabeth LeFort's Canadian centennial rug.

After Cheticamp, you drive up and down three or four different mountains, and it took me almost all day to do the whole trail. It took me the rest of the evening to get my equilibrium back. Words can in no way do it justice. I’ve run out of superlatives, even in my own mind. What an incredible creation God has made! Psalm 139.