Boog's Blog

Tuesday overcast with rain threat and a bit of..

Alexander Graham Bell museum, a highlight of this very peaceful lakeshore community. That and the coffee shop.

Replica of the silver dart at the museum.

Dinner at the badeeck lobster supper. Chowder, qb wanted to try the white stuff with lots of stuff in it, mussels and lobster. Qb went for the sugar maple planked Atlantic salmon. Long lines to get in; all you can eat may have a lot to do with it.

The chowder: almost no broth, very few potatoes and stuffed with excellent fresh seafood. I ate more than qb.

Strange, scallops and calm present in local restaurants sparingly. Clams, when offered were always deep fried. Scallops were in dishes but not served as entrees.

In Album 7/28/15

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It is pronounced kay-lei, at least locally. Translated as a gathering. Maybe other translations.

The local one has a fiddle, piano and a Celtic dancer.

In Album 7/27/15

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Monday mostly nice with early evening smirr or smizzle

Other side,Acadian side of the park and a finish to the Cabot Trail. With moose!

Next time you are up this way,cape North highlands, be sure to take the Jack Pine forest walk/hike. Good signage, fragile Jack Pine ecosystem. Be sure, we did, to wear mudophile shoes. Coastline looks like it broke off from Brittany, same red granite

The shieling is one of the last of its kind. Situated in a heavily protected part of an old growth forest. As one tours the trails there is a sense that your presence is just not wanted by the ecosystem but desired by the park service.

Made up for last evening: mayo free lobster rolls for lunch.

Big wildlife sighting: two moose,moose, several good pictures on cameras and iPhone.

According to the locals there are an abundance of moose, to many, OK to hunt and lots of bears but no attacks. Interesting micro climate with extreme winds over 100 mph common. Houses are designed for the wind with extra bracing. No pines grow here, too soft, start growing 15 miles south.

People,"from away ", who move here don't know this he said laughing.

Dinner: Acadian Bouillabaisse. A well stocked seafood medley in a broth.

In Album 7/27/15

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Sunday nice day

North to the Cabot Trail.

Miserably paved or marginally paved road. Stopped at the clucking chicken for home baked scones, more like biscuits, not Cornish style.

Acquired a Celtic CD at the Gaelic college. A compilation to be shared upon our return, for those who dare.

Road improved and became like the road approaching big sur, windy, cliffs, damaged closed bits. Ski lodges not so much.

First real stop the Cape Breton National Park – number one tourist attraction in Cape Breton.

The walk around Warren lake aborted due to coyote warnings. Reverted to a walk along high cliffs, soaring birds, many roots.

Keltic lodge run by the park. Expensive but lacking in almost all ways. Spa shut, poor architectural design, no robes, etc. Stunning setting.

Family restaurant for dinner, we are spoiled as the lobsters were not of a size boogs require; other food provided.

In Album 7/26/15

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Saturday 25th rain promised but just cloudy and cool… They count the number of days over 20 degrees here. Not so many.

Puffin tour.

Starts with bald eagles following the boat out to the island. Some fish thrown from the boat, well done pickup.. Many soaring eagles several very close to the boat. Impressive flyers.

Mink on shore, mussel eater. Great cormorants, grey seals, many types of gulls, razorbills that look and fly like penguins and of course puffins galore.

Spectacular view of a puffin flying off the nesting rock cliff directly towards the boat.

After the Galapagos all viewings are pigeon equivalents. On this trip, about as long to get here as the Galapagos, the boat ride was cold and dry, compared to wet and hot on the zodiacs. Overall a good tour but wildlife of the Galapagos….

Tour finished with an interesting lecture on lobster fishing, hibernation, marketing, selection in restaurants – she is a lobster person when not running a tour company. No slacker her.

Dinner: Sydney lobster pound. Best cooked tails we have had ever; after some discussion agreed that the claws might be second out third to some others we have had on earlier trips.

Oink!

.

In Album 7/25/15

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Friday rain forecast but not so much

Coastal ride up North East to cape Breton, land of the Ceilidh.

Very rural ride with water on our right the whole way. Did not stop in Necum Secum but went to Sherbrooke village, reconstructed turn off 19 th century tourist attraction. 25-30 houses and shops, blacksmith etc, to visit.

Yes house had no trees other than store bought bags. We had coffee and homemade soup.

Road similar to upstate New York, windy two lane roads, rolling hills, conifers, early twentieth century clapboard and shingled housing.

No lobster tonight. Lobster pound closed! Some wavy thingy going on hereabouts. Closed. Grrh. But……I wanted the seafood linguine but it came with a cream sauce. May I have a spicy tomato based sauce? Why of course, even brought extra hour peppers to the table. Nice house from 1869.

Getting here we needed to cross an inlet. Traffic in the directions as well as qued sailboats. Massive congestion even without the Scottish bridge. Yes a Scottish bridge in Nova Scotia.

In Album 7/24/15

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Thursday perfect if a bit warm

Qb says oink….

Halifax: tourist literature points out that Halifax has, per capita, the greatest number of pubs and bars in Canada. A fun fact.

Number one tourist attraction is the public garden,a fine, perfectly sized, victorian square. No tea shop, coffee shops with tea.

Interesting looking, likely tasty, Toulouse goose bred for fois gros.

Peets fine foods. Small local chain with merchandising similar to whole foods. Mush of the product is from our address of California. Same marked prices as WF except 20% off as dollar is strong.

Regionalism: discussing lobster pound with a local she says the best place for a lobster "bowl" …. I enquiries about the use of the term, put it into a bowl? Bowl isomorphic with boil.

Waterfront, long, more than 90 minutes to stroll, with boardwalk in perfect condition. A tourist place on same for another lobster dinner, large ones here. Murphy's find the tourist boats, sight seeing, shops, and a large seafood restaurant.

The oink was my ordering of a two pounder. She gobbled down her one and a halfer.

In Album 7/23/15

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Wednesday Halifax cloudy intermittent rain

United flight: qb is chilly so I ask the attendant for a blanket. Sorry no blankets on this flight. Blankets are only available on red eyes, 9 pm or later and this flight departs at 8:40. Yes we know it is too cold.

Some rain

Halifax reminds me of Burlington Vermont. City on a rise, here the military citadel, dropping down hill sharply to a developed and tourist waterfront. Charming buildings though now it appears to be in the midst of a high rise development explosion.

Lobster dinner at fisherman's five near the old church, circa 1750.

In Album 7/22/15

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