Friday July 20 around Cape Breton from Hawkesbury NS Day 7

This morning Jerry led without having any idea where he was to go, so as always we winged it. We were headed around the south of the bay and took a junket to Isle Madame, (Petit-de-Grat Island) named after the Queen of England mid 1800’s. Arichat is the oldest fishing village in the province, on Cape Breton Island. But wanted to find a place to eat breakfast. We were pulled over at a somewhat open restaurant and Dave asked some young men pulling into the place to look at our cars, where to eat breakfast. We followed them to a restaurant on the bottom road, Gulliver’s Café 226 9680; we would never have found it, as we were on the top road. I asked them to accompany us to breakfast and begrudgingly the tallest one said that’s hard to turn down. Here we met two very nice young men, maybe 19 or so. The talkative one was Kolton and the other Todd. The place was super clean and two friendly wait-staff. We ordered, the breakfasts came with toast, potatoes, some had scrambled, Dave had yes a bright yellow yoke looking at ya, mine were poached the right way in water and swirled, meats ranged with sausages cut and fried on the bias, mine was bologna – fits doesn’t it. Todd had French toast, using ketchup and syrup on it. The conversation then began, Colton worked in a lobster holding farm, and they could keep 1.5 million pounds of lobster. The pay is 11.21$ and up to 12 hour days and work three or so months then they can’t lobster fish for a couple months. He was headed to a commercial college to work heavy machinery in Alberta. Now lives with parents, his dad drives truck his mom works in physical therapy. He is living in a cottage of theirs and is paying rent that becomes part of the purchase price. Todd works as a hand on a fishing boat and fishes for haddock and others. Breakfast done we went outside and took pixs of them sitting in the Vette’s. Off they went and us the other way.

We took an off crinkly road to the fishing villages on the outer drive, didn’t find them as it was so foggy but interesting ride. Stopped at Rita’s Tea House, she is a singer Rita O’Neal. Cute place to take a break as we did, almost all had tea.

Off to Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, furtherest southeast in the Americas, ate at the Lobster House, a delicious seafood chowder with fried clams and Shirleen had a strawberry rhubarb pie. It was right on the water. I had a glass of Jost vineyard chardonnay wine. jostwine.com on the northern coast above Truro NS.

At the top of the Island at Little Bras d’Or we considered our turning home point. Jim had 2455 miles logged to date.

We stopped at Baddeck (Baudeck) for a rest room break. That turned to a refreshment break. Jim and I had a Guiness; Shirleen a grasshopper and Pat and Dave a brandy Alexander. The last three drinks are typically made with ice cream in the US but ccording to the New York Book of Bartending it is made with crem, I read the passage after the bartender brought the book. We thought because we are from the Midwest they use ice cream in ours – haha.

A McLobster at McDonald’s, theycost 6.23$CN. They are only made in the Maritime Provinces and Maine, because of the cost. The serving was as expected, hot dog bun up and opened faced, filled with lettuce and a generous helping of lobster claw meat with celery and mayo. Better than the ones a couple days ago in Maine. jerr