Nova Scotia – Cabot Trail

After the breakfast, I set off at 9:30 to do one circle of the famous Cabot Trail, the ring road around the Northern tip of Cape Breton. The owner gave me some good tips that should turn out to be as good ones later. I hoped that the horrible weather forecast would not materialise – and luckily it didn’t, I had no rain the whole day, just mostly sunny weather. I followed the advice to go counter-clockwise and did not regret it. I followed the Cabot Trail to the north and enjoyed some view on the coast.

I wondered when I should plan to fill up petrol, as stations are scarce. But as the consumption is low, I can afford to take it easy. In Neils Harbour, I followed the advice of the landlord to take the side road along the northern coast. In retrospect, this was an excellent idea, as it provided some of the best views of the whole day.

I returned to the main road and decided to fill up to give me some peace of mind for the rest of the day. To my surprise, only 16 litres fitted in the tank which means that the consumption is quite low (5.5 L/100 km; 43 mpg). I headed north to the northernmost tip of Cape Breton next to Bay Saint Lawrence, a small fishing harbour. I tried to ride to a remote lighthouse, but after 2 km the gravel road turned into a footpath. Well done, Google Maps! I turned around and tried to follow the coast in the opposite direction towards Meat Cove. I did not ride the whole way, only until I had enough of the gravel road and had taken enough pictures of scenic views.

I turned around again and went back to the Cabot Trail main road. I reached the west coast which turned out to be very different from the eastern side. The temperature was lower and it was more windy. The aspect was more maritime as the eastern side is more protected. I stopped at a viewpoint that informed me that this was a large geological formation – the Aspy Fault, a large rift that separates the north of the National Park of Cape Breton. Down at the coast. I felt a bit peckish, but food places were rare. Finally I stopped at a souvenir shop, mainly because it said “biker friendly”. I browsed the merchandise and acquired a T-shirt of the Cabot Trail of an acceptable design. I also purchased my lunch, aka icecream.

I noticed again how friendly people were – this is a general observation, genuine friendliness, such as greeting a stranger on the road. Very relaxing and showing a true kindness without pretending. The next stretch was probably the most scenic part of the trail, a great coastal road that went up and down overlooking the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Very beautiful.

I arrived at Chéticamp where suddenly the language switched to French/English. This was the enclave of French speaking arcadians, Chéticamp and Isle Madame are major Francophone centers on Cape Breton Island, with French being the dominant language in those areas. I stopped at a very colourful café and had a real espresso. In the adjacent gallery, many colourful artifacts of the local artist could be studied and purchased. I could have been inclined to consider a purchase, had the prices been considerably lower. The place was idyllic in its own way and I enjoyed the short break.

I rode further south along the coast before the road turned inward again. Soon I arrived at the Bras d’Or lake and decided I would try to visit the Alexander Graham Bell museum in Baddeck. It was still 45 min open so the visit was worth a try. Bell was the famous inventor of the telephone who lived here for the last 40 years of his life. He was interested in many things and invented a series of devices. The museum also celebrates his groundbreaking progress in aviation, for example. Well worth a visit.

Back at the hotel the new daily menu was too tempting to not choose the full monty (aka the full menu). A surprisingly good bottle of Nova Scotia Pinot Noir accompanied the delicious dishes. I had entertaining chats with Holger the owner. I had browsed where to go to tomorrow. My first idea was to go to Prince Edward Island – until I checked the weather forecast. This made me change my mind – I will go for a long ride past Halifax tomorrow, stopping in the town of Lunenburg.