Cape Breton Island

There was no rush to get on the road today, only 300 km to Sydney. It was a cool, bright morning and after a refuelling stop, we were on our way. There is only one route to Cape Breton Island, Highway 104. The Canso Causeway is the only link between the Nova Scotia mainland and Cape Breton Island. The island accounts of nearly 20% of the total area of Nova Scotia and about 15% of its population. It contains an inland sea called Bras d’Or Lake which is open to the ocean but is also fed from fresh water rivers. The Cabot Trail is a major attraction where it is possible to spend days visiting attractions, hiking and eating. We are just going to drive from South Haven to Margaree Harbour which is not the entire 298 km and only a quick look.

I had expected to find more side trips on today’s trip but St Peter was really the only one. We drove along the shore of Bras d’Or Lake which is very pretty and varied but photos don’t show it well. When we arrived in Sydney we stopped to replenish our lunch supplies then continued to our hotel, an hour early. The desk clerk was very pleasant and accommodating so we were checked in early.

When we arrived, we inquired about a place for dinner and were referred to Governors Pub. We took a drive to local the pub and found hoards of tourists from the three cruise ships in port. The Celebrity Eclipse, Norwegian Sky and Emerald Princess were in port which probably unleashed 5,000 or more tourists on Sydney. We did see the ships from our hotel in the south of the city.

We returned to Governors Pub for dinner after the ships had departed. When we arrived at the pub it was nearly deserted. The locals gradually arrived as we ate our meal. Yes, I did get my first lobster dinner in years.