Taking Flight On The Cabot Trail And Beyond
Our sojourn to Nova Scotia in the winter of 2023 took a magnificent detour to God's country Cape Breton.
Mark Raynes Roberts
When I told a Haligonian friend we were headed to Cape Breton for the winter, his immediate response was "what was third prize"!
I admit my response was embarrassingly slow for a Brit, not realizing “Bluenosers” are equally quick witted when it comes to having a sense of humour.
Prior to our trip I actually didn’t know much about Cape Breton, other than it was famous for the famous Cabot Trail, and that Canadian singers Rita McNeil and The Rankin Family both hailed from there, oh and the fact my friend and “best man” Gerald Haddon, was the grandson of Canadian aviator J.A.D. McCurdy, who had assisted Alexander Graham Bell, in building and flying the ‘Silver Dart’, Canada’s first manned aeroplane in Baddeck. (but more about that later)
The thing was, Sarah and I had an extended window of time to fill between the sale of our home in Toronto and moving into our new home in Chester. So rather than head south to the sun, felt it wise to be in the same province at least while our house was being renovated.
And what fortuitous decision it was, as Cape Breton didn’t disappoint.
The glorious sunset from Carnoustie Cottage on Bras d’Or Lake, Little Narrows, Cape Breton.
Fortunately a friend of ours owned a charming Airbnb in Little Narrows, (there are details at the end of the article) overlooking Pooles Pond, (part of Bras d’Or Lake) which one could still easily consider part of the Atlantic, given the scale of the waters and indeed the fact it has brackish water. (a combination of sea and fresh water) Anyway, it was the perfect location for us to explore the region being central and easy for shopping in Whycocomagh and Baddeck.
Sarah and I thankfully travel well and enjoy the simplicity of self catering and also discovery new places come rain or shine. So as Sarah was busy writing during the day, it allowed me to drive around Cape Breton to photograph, so that when Sarah did manage to come up for air I could share some of the special places I’d discovered.
One of the most pleasant surprises of moving to Nova Scotia, has been how kind and friendly the locals are who we have encountered. It seems normal now to enjoy an impromptu conversation with a complete stranger, and leave feeling like you’ve known them all your life. I kid you not, I literally know everyone at our local hardware store by first name, and they know me more to the point. (a bit like Norm in ‘Cheers,’ where everyone knows your name.)
Call me old fashioned, but I love it. It’s an anachronism from times past, when you literally expect Garrison Keeler to magically appear with some marvelous yarn from a ‘Prairie Home Companion” but with an exclusive Chester episode!
It harkens back to how I grew up in England, where neighbors often ended up becoming friends of my parents, and consequently surrogate “Uncle and Aunt’s,” their children our extended family. It’s this sense of community and caring that matters, and there is great wealth in finding genuine connection and peace in this world, even more so today.
Some of the local humour in Little Narrows, the shortest ferry ride I’ve ever been on, and the bronze sculpture of Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel on the waterfront in Baddeck.