Nova Scotia provided some great elemental inspiration. The first few days of our trip were before the color/elemental shift for Project Spectrum, between Earth and Air. It seemed like the perfect place to witness the effects of the elements, most specifically the tie between the two elements of AIR and WATER. Both have such strong powers of destruction, but also of great beauty.

The sun’s rays and the sting of the salty seaside air bleached and broke this tree.

Pebbles strewn along the beach.

Formed and smoothed by millenia of wind and water.

~The rustling of the grasses in the breeze ~

The crisp spring flowers: white and yellow blossoms.

The quiet whoosh of the windmills. Harnessing the power of the wind: sustainability. I hope to see more wind farms in my own country in the future.

~ Looking into the fog, rolling in from the bay ~

Enjoying the cool breeze off the lake, viewing the cirrus clouds above

Air may be the most difficult element to “see”, but it can definitely be experienced.

How are you feeling the AIR around you?

We left Cape Breton Highlands National Park having seen three moose (including an an unphotographed cow and calf right in the middle of the road – I am so glad we saw them!) and a bear. We were sincerely hoping for a whale sighting as well, but the storm clouds set in, and the day we planned to get out on the water was the day that it rained buckets. So, we traveled a little to the north to one of the most remote and purportedly beautiful places on the island: the oddly named Meat Cove.

One of the most northern points in the province. You follow a dirt road for many kilometers, all the while your mind thinking “is this right? we are in the middle of nowhere…” and then you happen upon this very small community. There is a campground there, and it would have been great to camp, but we wanted to get a little further on (and out of the rain). Maybe next time…

So, we headed south, spent the night in Ingonish at a nice inn, and headed out the next morning for lands south – and east. First we went inland to the Bras d’Or Lake region, surrounding Baddeck, home of one of Nova Scotia’s best yarn shops, Baadeck Yarns, and a great bakery, High Wheeler. (Yarn photos later!) We ran into our friends from the campground again (it really is a small world) and walked around the wharves and the docks.

That afternoon, we headed to Louisbourg, a fortress-turned-National Monument that was built by the French in the 18th-century. From Louisbourg, the French suffered several attacks from the British, and the fortress was sieged several more times, eventually falling in the 1760s. Reconstructed and employed by re-enactors, visitors can now see the fortress as it was before the large attacks – in its prime in the late 1750s.

We planned to camp near Louisbourg, but were disappointed to see that none of the campgrounds in the area accomodated tents (favoring RVs instead), and there were no restaurants open in the town. (The plusses and minuses of going in the “off-season”.) So, we regrouped, and headed south around the southeastern shore, and back to the mainland.

Spending the night near Sherbrooke, on the Eastern Shore, we got up early and planned to get out on the trails at some of the provincial parks.

We went around the small town of Sheet Harbour, and then headed to Taylor Head. We had the park to ourselves, well, except for this guy… The hikes worked up the appetite. A note to vegetarians: while it is not impossible to find vegetable dishes in rural Nova Scotia, it is challenging. However, many of the servers fielded my questions well, and there was often a salad choice – albeit kind of pale and out-of-season-looking. That being said, if you plan ahead, and maybe bring some of your own food, you will be fine. Kris, on the other hand, was in seafood heaven. This is the night he got a lobster.

After his feast, we headed to the nearby beaches of Clam Harbour and Martinique. Some of the widest and flattest beaches I have ever seen – and so pristine!

I thought it was a little chilly, but these brave girls jumped right in to the rising tide. We chatted with them for a little while, as well as a woman walking her adorable puppy. Just so relaxed and peaceful, and it shows on the peoples’ faces. We spent the night at Porters Lake Provincial Park – very nice campground, although there did seem to be a disproportionate amount of slugs (yep, found one in my shoe the next morning!)

We headed back into Halifax, and made it in time to catch the very enviable downtown farmers’ market. Ah, how nice. Too bad we were leaving the next day, or else this would have been the place to get some goodies!

We decided on a brewery tour, as well as a harbour nature tour. (They didn’t bill it as “Whale Watching” because of the chance that we may not see whales this far south…) The brewery tour was quite fun (more re-enactors! this time with mutton chops!) and we later boarded the Sea Tiger, the boat of New Dawn Charters. Once again, there is not a lot of photographic evidence to prove it, but we did see a minke whale. He was playing coy though, so every time he popped up, we would catch a glimpse, but not enough to shoot a photograph!

We ended our (free) time in Halifax with a nice dinner with Megan. It was great to start the trip with her, and then end it on that high note. I fell in love with Halifax all over again. Wow, what a province.

… we had a hard time getting home … (maybe I should think of it as Canada not wanting us to leave?) two canceled flights and sitting on the tarmac for six hours are not exactly fun, but I DID finish two books in that time. Funny thing is, I didn’t pack my knitting in carry-on because I was planning to get a nap on the plane. With that delay, I could have made a whole sweater!

And because I like maps – and some of you told me that you do too! – I thought it would be helpful to see our travels around the province:

The travels started in Halifax, in the middle of the province on the Atlantic coast, from there, we traveled clockwise (for the most part) around the province.  The only area that we did not adequately explore is the western region that connects to New Brunswick.  It was a little out of the way, and we were anxious to get north to Cape Breton.  The blue dots on the map correspond with the photos that we took – here is the complete Flickr set of photos from Nova Scotia. 

Once again, thank you so much for all of your amazing feedback!  I think I enjoy sharing my travels through writing and photography almost as much as I do traveling!

After receiving a plethora of accolades, it is nice to see that none of it has gone to Cape Breton’s [collective] head.  Quietly receiving all sorts of mentions on Top 10 lists and Must See Destinations – but, at the end of the day, there is not even an ounce of ego or entitlement in this place. 

One of the most beautiful places I have ever encountered?  Definitely. 

Some of the friendliest people I have ever met?  Without a doubt.
(This can be said for all Nova Scotians…)

We crossed the Canso Causeway (above) from the “mainland” to Cape Breton Island in a late afternoon. It was evident from the minute that we crossed the bridge that the Island was going to be a little different.  In the rest of Nova Scotia, it is normal (maybe even required by law?) to have all of the street signs and directional highway signs in English AND French.  And while there was French on the sign on the Island, there was also the addition of Gaelic translations.  Nova Scotia = New Scotland. 

We made our way up the Ceilidh Trail, which celebrates the musical gatherings that are common in this area, and in other areas where Celtic diaspora settled.  We spent the night in Mabou,  home of a well-known musical family, the Rankins, and their music at the Red Shoe Pub.  Unfortunately, we were there during an off night (Monday), so we missed the live music and the dancing, but we didn’t miss the jaw-dropping scenery (and the good beer at the Pub).

Mabou Mines trail, high above the town

This hike was straight up the mountain, and I may have complained a bit (maybe I should not have had the beer the night before…) but once I saw this view – it was SO worth it.  This overlooks the Northumberland Strait, looking west towards Prince Edward Island.

…and that was just a foretaste…

We continued up the coast, planning to camp that night in Cape Breton Highlands National Park… but when we saw this lovely beach near Margaree, we needed to stop and walk in the sand. 

We headed to Chéticamp, the last stop before the park, filled up on gasoline, and a few supplies (there is a yummy bakery there!) before heading into the Park.  Once we were there, driving up the mountains on the Cabot Trail, it didn’t take long before we were completely amazed.  We did the hike on the Skyline Trail – where you are almost guaranteed to see the Park’s famous inhabitants.  And we did. 

The first moose we met.  A juvenile male, right in front of us on the Trail.

When you meet a moose, you play by their rules.  While this guy was smaller than some of the others, he was still huge.  He was about 10 feet ahead of us on the trail, and seemed to be more interested in the plants than us.  So, we stood for awhile, waiting for him to move… and he didn’t, so we had to find a very circuitous route around him.

We were there at the perfect time of day ~ 5:30/6:00 pm when the sun was starting to set in the west.  The scenery there left me in a state of awe.  The ocean looked like silk, or like paper…

We camped at a little spot right off the Cabot Trail in the Park, near the beach on the western side of the island.  It was called Corney Brook.  We put up the tent as the sky was darkening overhead… storm was a’brewin’.

We made some friends that night – a group of campers were visiting from Ontario – and as the rain came down, we huddled up in the little shelter near our tents.  We talked hockey and politics, all while playing card games and *ahem* drinking.  It was so much fun.

We rose early the next morning, made plans to meet with our new friends again, and headed up to some other trails.  Little did we know… that we would see a BEAR that day.  There is no photographic evidence of this bear -  I was a big chicken, and was scared to even move at all… and I didn’t want Kris to photograph it either.  We were on the trail – completely alone, and here was Mr. Bear about 25 meters ahead of us, right in the middle of the trail.  HE WAS BIG.  Bigger than other black bears I have seen – about the height of a small horse or a donkey, but many times the weight and roundness.  I remembered reading over the Bear Safety pamphlet at the Ranger office, so, I started clapping and singing.  I made up a great little diddy, and before too long, he moved off to the right of the trail towards the nearby lake.  I was constantly looking over my shoulder the whole way back, but I was so darn excited to see a bear! 

“Bear” Trail, or so I called it.

I thought there was a chance of finishing up the Nova Scotia posts today, but yeah, there is still too much to say, and I don’t want the longest post ever… so, more tomorrow…

A few more photos from the Park:

Tomorrow: Remainder of the Island, Eastern Shore, and return to Halifax

We headed west, around the coast, and swung up to the north.  The Bay of Fundy is supposed to be an amazing place to see – with the prevalence of whales, the largest tidal waves in the world, etc. – but we weren’t seeing too much, because the fog was pretty dense.  We spent the night in Annapolis Royal, ate at a delicious cafe, and then headed further north, in the rain, towards Cape Split, a small peninsula that juts out into the Bay, and on a clear day, is supposed to showcase the amazing tides.  Well, because of the fog, we didn’t see them, but I could hear them…

One of the most technical trails I have ever hiked (and the longest at 16k – nearly 10 miles), Cape Split was an amazing experience.  After a few days of rain, and a winter off-season, I imagine the trail was probably not in the same condition that it is in during the warmer summer months.  There were felled trees, steep dropoffs, some deep mud patches, and some narrow passageways – but there were also some beautiful sights.

These trillium blossoms were all over the trail.  So beautiful and photogenic!

The western plains of the province are the agricultural center, there are farms and orchards dotting the landscape.  The geography of the region is relatively flat, but further west, and to the north, there are some small rises, which add an interesting air effect, allowing grapes to grow rather well.  So, with grapes comes wine.  And wine?  well, we just had to taste. 

Lolly swilling around.

Here we are at Domaine de Grand Pré, sampling the Marechal Foch.  This was a new-to-me grape, and I enjoyed the different varieties I tasted in Nova Scotia.  Some of the premiere Nova Scotia wines are the ice wines, the sweet dessert wine made possible by the colder climate – virtually allowing the grape to freeze on the vine, locking in all of the sugars.  Dessert in a bottle, I tell you.  Grand Pré had a particularly interesting Muscat IceWine, and another favorite was the ice wine aged in whiskey barrels (Whiskey Ortega Ice Wine) from Jost Vineyards near Tatamagouche. 

Although we did not get to travel as far west as I originally hoped, we did make it to several stops on the Sunrise Trail, the area closer to the provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.  A real highlight of the Sunrise Trail was the visit at Sunrise Mercantile.  Mimi, the shop owner in Halifax, had suggested stopping by the shop/cafe,  So glad we followed her suggestion!

Sunrise Mercantile is a gourmet shop and cafe – in every sense of the word.  They have amazing yarns, but also an extensive selection of local and regional foods, gifts, and supplies.  The thing that made this shop so special?  the owners:  I talked weaving and knitting with Suzy, and talked alpacas and the current fiber trends with Dave, her husband.  Suzy showed me her latest projects right off the loom, and Dave showed me the newest issue of Alpacas magazine, which he edits.  The serendipity of meeting such amazing people!  Their shop is great, and the cafe is amazing too (fresh local foods abound!)

Other highlights:  Balmoral Grist Mill, and the beautiful Lismore Sheep Farm

Lismore Sheep Farm Wool Shop

Almost done… hope you aren’t tiring of this yet!  Because the best scenery is yet to come!  Many thanks to those that took the time to leave comments, it is so nice to get feedback.

Next up: Cape Breton Island.

I must admit that southern Nova Scotia was a part of the trip that I was looking forward to the most of all. Why? well, because of a cute redhead named Ingrid. We “met” on the blogs (or Flickr?) about a year ago and started to talk pretty regularly. Kris and I decided to go to Nova Scotia and when I realized that she lived there, I thought, “I should ask her for some suggestions of where to go…” One thing lead to another, and then we had two full days planned with her AND her amazing family. And those plans involved a knitted cowl swap, boat trip, and some amazing birds.

Rocking the cowls AND the life vests!

But first, the back story… Ingrid’s father, Ted, is the caretaker/naturalist that oversees some islands off the coast of Pubnico, in southern NS. The islands, known as “The Brothers” are home to the largest community of terns, migratory seabirds, in Canada. This has earned him the very endearing moniker “Tern Man Ted”. Ingrid told Ted about our visit, and our love of nature and photography, and he agreed to take us to the islands to see the terns for ourselves. That morning, we met Ted, Ingrid, and Nigel, her brother, for an amazing day: we assisted Ted by counting the eggs in the nests, looking for signs of predation, and observing the numbers of separate tern species.

[Click for descriptions of photo] || [Kris's blog post on the Birds of NS]

We traveled the waterways around West Pubnico, stopping at two islands – the tern island, mentioned above, and Gooseberry, home to the cormorants, the large black birds in the photos, and the fluffy baby seagulls. Gooseberry also had another group of inhabitants that were particularly adorable:

The “marino” sheep of Gooseberry!
(haha, get it? Ted’s joke is getting a lot of mileage er, kilometerage)

The little male – part of a twinset of lambs in the small flock – came right up to us and let out the most adorable little “baaaa!” you ever heard (stuck his tongue out and all!) He seemed to be a little disoriented with our presence on the island. We may have been the first humans he had seen. The idea of leaving the sheep on the island is a smart one – there is enough for them to eat and graze on, and they are safe from predators. Plus, they look so great with the ocean backdrop, don’t they?

After our waterways tour of Pubnico, we headed back to town, ate at a local diner, and decided to do some land-based touring. We headed down to the wind farm at the end of the peninsula and decided to shoot the breeze ourselves.

Then, Nigel and Kris decided to do some mountain biking, and Ingrid and I took a more leisurely option, heading to the Historic Acadian Village.

[More photos of Le Village here]

(I don’t like to be ignorant, so I sheepishly asked Ingrid about the Acadians – I only knew bits and pieces. Thankfully I am now “in the know”, thanks to her explanation, the info I gathered at Le Village, and a plethora of Wikipedia articles on the subject.)

We said our goodbyes in Pubnico (after seeing Nigel’s amazing ukulele collection) and headed north to Yarmouth with Ingrid. We had a dinner date with her husband, Jesse, and after a day of being out on the water and hiking around, we had worked up quite an appetite. Afterward, we headed back to their house, met “the bastard kitty” Moustache, drank tea and managed to knit a bit (she was working on this while I was there). We laughed a lot.

The next morning, we made plans to meet Annie at the bakery, go to the yarn shop, and see the bustling metropolis of Yarmouth. So, we did.

Hands On Crafts in Yarmouth is a great shop – I don’t think I was ready for how great it actually was! More than yarn, it was a complete resource for so many crafty endeavors. We spent an hour talking with a lantern glass beader, and we saw rug hooking, soap making, and countless needleart supplies. I got some Fleece Artist, and some Briggs & Little wool. Ingrid got a Fleece Artist cardigan kit, and Annie got some roving for thrummed mittens. (Great sidenote: Annie will be moving stateside pretty soon! hoping we can meet again!)

…and just like that, the time was up… the intrepid travelers had to move on, up the shore to the north. Luckily, we had some great memories to take along with us. Many thanks to Ingrid, and all of her family, for their hospitality and generosity. It just makes me happy to think about you all!