Courting the colours...

Bras d' Or Lake from Alexander Graham Bell Museum

From Cape Breton to Corner Brook...

The last few weeks, which have included the long Thanksgiving weekend without a Villages sale, have seen us on the road...chasing the fall colours and soaking in as much culture and landscape as possible.  We thought the colours had gone missing.  People were speculating...perhaps the fall had been too warm, perhaps there had been too much rain...  And then, as we were leaving Cape Breton, around Baddeck (the home of Sir Alexander Graham Bell), it happened...as if overnight...everywhere a blaze of glory. 

                               

Our Cape Breton adventure took us first to the Fortress of Louisbourg, a national historic site on the southeastern tip of Cape Breton.  Between 1960-1985 the gov't of Canada poured money into what is purported to be the largest reconstruction project in N. America. Now we can visit this amazing 18th century French colonial outpost, exactly as it was, and enter into it's daily life.   







weight-operated rotiserrie...mmm

That evening we took in a Celtic Colours concert in Sydney on the Esplanade.  The 15th annual festival of traditional celtic music runs for a week and has venues throughout Cape Breton.  Our "Taste of the Festival" was a delightful eclectic potpourri from fiddlin' to singin'...



fiddle in front of Joan Harris Pavilion, Sydney


The next day, with great anticipation, we entered the Cabot Trail...one of the most scenic drives in the world according to our tour-book, and there's not much more to be said!



We spent our last night in Beddeck, which sits at the southern entrance to Cabot Trail, ate our first complete lobster dinner with a pail of mussels! and in the morning toured the fascinating Graham Bell Museum before heading back to Petitcodiac.  This was to be a very quick

turnover.  By noon the next day we were on the road again, truck loaded heavy with merchandise for our next big sale.  So...back to North Sydney, about 550 kms... to catch the overnight ferry to Port aux Basque. We were off to Newfoundland and Labrador for the very first time and Corner Brook was to be our biggest sale yet!

pulling in to Port aux Basque harbour at sunrise

We had arranged for an extra day with Brian Elliot, our director, so after arriving at our host family's place, we parked our truck, rented a vehicle and headed into Gros Morne park (voluntary service isn't so bad, is it?).  Of course, this is mid October, and past tourist season, so we found the Discovery Centre closed and the tour boat at Western Brook Pond no longer running.  But the geological wonder of Tablelands, a world heritage site for it's illustration of plate tectonics, was there for us to explore and the coastal fishing villages were quaint and wonderful. 

cod hung to dry

 a too windy day!

The moose evaded us... although we glimpsed a small herd of elk from a distance.  We were able to drive to the northern tip of Gros Morne, Cow Head, but then needed to rush back to Corner Brook to set up for what turned out to be a $34,000 sale.



sale at Cathedral of St. John the Evangel

Today is October 25, we have six sales under our belts with six to go.  We are now four volunteer couples, although one is leaving next week, and the schedule is getting more hectic.  This coming  weekend there will be four sales happening in three Atlantic provinces. 

Next...Gaspe!