Always Anticipating those Lazy Beach Days of Summer on Cape Breton Island

All through the long Cape Breton winter, I dream about summer and the days ahead when I'll be able to return to the sandy beaches that line the coastline of my little island paradise.  The countdown usually starts after Christmas when a few months have already passed since my last ocean dip and the realization that a long winter lies ahead sinks in.  6 more months.  5 more months.  4 more months....and so on.  I occupy myself with snowshoeing and indoor projects that are best done on days when it's too wintery outside to do anything else.  

Finally, the day arrives.  That day when the temperatures climb above 20 degrees, the water is at least a comfortable 16 or 17 degrees and the jellyfish have gone to wherever it is they go after they pollute the shorelines for a few weeks in June and July. For the next several months, every single day that I'm not working and it's nice enough to go to the beach, I'm there.  It could be Dominion, Inverness, Black Brook, Marble Mountain, Ingonish, North Bay...Where there's sand and warm, clear water, that's where you'll find me!

Because Dominion Beach is so close to my house, it's the beach I head to most often.  I bypass the crowds of families and college kids and head for the section further down the sandbar and set up for the afternoon.  Sometimes someone will join me.  Sometimes I relax with a book and my beachy playlist on my mini portable Bluetooth speaker between swims.  

If the water is calm and clear, I take out my mask and snorkel or I lie on my back and watch the clouds drift by overhead as the gentle swells lull me into a trance. 

It all goes by too quick.  Come late August, the lifeguards leave, the air cools and the crowds dwindle.  But the water stays warm until late September and sometimes into October.  I keep going to the beach as long as I can.  Sometimes, I'm the only person there.  

Sometimes, there are people walking on the beach looking at me like I'm crazy to be swimming so late in the season.  Often times, the water is warmer than the air and the people walking onshore in their hoodies and long pants assume the water must be as cold as the air.  Sometimes I don't want to get out of the water because the air is so cold but I tough it out for as long as I can.  The season is short and I want to get as much out of it as possible.

The water usually turns cold quite suddenly.  I'll head to the beach one day late in the season and walk into the water to discover that it's far too cold to stay in for more than a few minutes.  I'll tolerate this a few times before the combination of cold air and cold water is just too much and I exit the water one last time.  And the countdown begins once again.

Summer Has Arrived in Cape Breton!

 

Outdoor Adventures, Sunburns and Bug Bites 

Enjoying some Hiking in the first Days of Summer Before it gets too Hot

Summer is finally here on Cape Breton Island but it's still cool enough to enjoy a few hikes before it gets too hot and my outings turn into lazy beach days swimming in the cool Atlantic Ocean rather than days trekking through the woods in the hot sun. 

Hiking in the summer is doable but the combination of heat, sun and bugs can make it unbearable at times.  I prefer to save my big hikes for the late spring and fall.  Recently I embarked on two amazing hikes; one to a location I had never hiked before and the other to a location I haven't hiked in many years and have been longing to get back to.

But First, Lunch

The first hike was supposed to be to the place that I had been before but that day turned out to be too windy for a coastal hike.  I met my friend in the parking lot of the church in Grand River, Richmond County.  Past Gabarus, Forchu and Framboise but before Point Michaud and St. Peter's for those of you are vaguely familiar with the area.  For those of you who aren't, it's in southern part of Cape Breton Island in an area off-the-beaten-tourist-path. 

We turned onto a remote gravel road and parked by a very old farmhouse because it looked like a nice spot to have our lunch before heading out on the hike. We sat near the weather-worn steps of the old homestead.  

The house had to be close to 150 years old. I doubt anyone has been inside since the family packed up and vacated it many, many moons ago, no doubt for better employment opportunities in a big city somewhere in New England, Ontario or western Canada. Perhaps their grandchildren and great-grand-children don't even know the old property still exists.  The treasures they would find within!  A part of their heritage if only they knew about it! After tea and sandwiches, we walked around the old property and found some interesting old farming equipment and some things we weren't quite sure what they were. 

 

Exploring a New-to-me Trail

The trailhead for the hike of the day was only a short distance up this gravel road.  We parked and hiked into the forest.  I had no idea how long the trail was and there really wasn't any point in asking my friend because every trail is "just a short one" even if it's 10 or 20 kilometers long. I was ok with that.  I had nowhere to be, I had nothing planned for that evening and I was just itching to spend a day in the woods.  After the long winter and the stress of the pandemic, this was long overdue! I didn't care if it took two hours or 20 hours, I was game. 

We walked. And walked some more. All the while catching up on gossip and what has been going on in our lives since we last embarked on a hike the previous fall.  The weather was ideal for hiking.  Warm enough to not need a jacket and cool enough to be comfortable. There was a lovely, steady breeze that kept the flies at bay and the odd light rain shower which were welcome refreshments. 

Finding Paradise By A Lake

Eventually we arrived at a lake where we thought we would sit and enjoy a cold beer. There was nowhere comfortable to sit and the flies were bad near the water so we moved on to the next one.  The next lake was perfect!  There was a little shelter with some seats and a nice breeze that kept the flies away.  

There was a slight but constant ripple on the lake and a haze that the sun's rays just barely poked through.  The trees rustled in that gentle breeze and the sound lulled me into a relaxed state.  The beer also helped. The stillness of the world around me in that moment was so peaceful and the sounds were like the ones you hear on those relaxing yoga soundtracks that city dwellers meditate to after spending 2 hours in rush hour city traffic after a long day at work...but this was the real thing . 

There was no sign of the owners of the nearby boat ramp or the little shelter we were occupying. I'm sure if they magically appeared, they wouldn't mind two women sitting down for a cold one. Around here, they'd probably pull out a chair, start a fire, take out some guitars and invite us to stick around for some more.  But, we were fine just the way we were and for about an hour, we just sat there and took in as much of those sights and sounds as we could. 

We walked for a few more kilometers before reaching an old building perched up high on an embankment.  If we weren't really looking at everything so intently, we might have missed it.  It was dark-coloured and tucked behind some big trees. My friend tried to access it from one end and found a way in.  I went to the other side to check it out but got stuck in some trees and couldn't go any further.  It seemed to be some sort of old workshop.  Like, really old.  Perhaps over 100 years old. I'm not too keen on entering old buildings like that.  I'm always afraid they floor will give out!  I passed on the opportunity to go inside.  

 

The Home Stretch

We reached the third lake on this hike and took a little break before finishing the last leg of the trail. It was after 6 in the evening when we got back to the car.  The flies were just starting to bite and a heavy rain shower was moving in.  Just in time.  

We parted ways but headed in the same direction.  Instead of leaving the way I came, I took the long way home and made a detour through St. Peter's where I grabbed a Tim's coffee and took my time driving home along the Bras d'Or Lakes. Midway home, I started feeling a burning sensation in my shoulders and my skin was hot to touch.  I pulled over to inspect my "injuries". Sunburn. Great. My advice to you: wear sunscreen when hiking even if it's cloudy and drizzly!

 

The Foggy Coast

With four distinct seasons on Cape Breton Island, adverse weather is to be expected from time-to-time and fog is one of those adverse weather conditions that we have to deal with sometimes.  Well, maybe fog isn't all that bad; after all, you can get some pretty interesting photos in foggy conditions and it can be a welcome sign after a day of extremely hot conditions. You are most likely to experience fog in the early morning and near the coast.  The south coast of the island from Gabarus to Point Michaud experiences the most fog.  When I seek refuse from the heat, I head to this coast where the temperatures are much cooler, even in summer.

A foggy day at Crooked Lake Beach on the South Coast of Cape Breton Island.  I'm always the only person on this beach whenever I go there. Just the way I like my beaches...deserted!

A Hike Along the Remote and Rocky Shores of Fourchu - A Colourful Beach and a Deserted Island

I do a bit of hiking in the Summer but , for the most part, the weather is too hot or I'm just too busy to do any long trails. The fall is when I try to do the bulk of my hiking throughout the year. It's not too hot, it's not too cold and my schedule tends to be less hectic.

One of the first real hikes I did this fall was in Forchu along the southern coast of Cape Breton Island. It was a bit cold, windy and damp the day I set out on this trail but I dressed warm and headed out, determined to complete it from start to finish without letting the weather deter me. I often hike alone, especially since I moved back to Cape Breton but I've been meeting more people who have the same interests as me and more often than not lately, I have company on the trails as I did on this day.
I'd been to the Forchu area many times before but never hiked in the area so the idea of hiking a new trail was exciting for me....except this trail wasn't exactly a trail; It was a rugged coastal path that wasn't worn in enough to be able to actually see any path. Fortunately, we had someone with us who knew the area well and was able to guide us safely along the rugged coastline.


The hike started out easy and got a bit more difficult as we moved further along the beach and remote area of coastline. The air was chilly and windy but in a refreshing way. With all the hard walking I was doing, that chilly air combined with a light spray coming off the cold Atlantic provided welcome relief.

The first thing I noticed about that beach was how colourful it was. I'm referring to the rocks. Millions of rocks each one different. yes, I know most beaches have millions of unique rocks but there was something more rich and vibrant about the rocks on this beach that made it stick out from any other rocky beach I'd ever seen.


We were walking for quite a while when I decided to inquire exactly how long of a hike we were embarking on. The only person familiar with it pointed ahead and said "see that point. It's well beyond that". That point looked like it was a hundred miles away! Not that I minded. I love long hikes, especially coastal ones with scenery like this one. There was so much to look at. Seals bobbing in the rough surf, boats passing by on the distant horizon, deep forest lining the shoreline, various beach "treasures" that were washed ashore in storms. There was a smell too. A smell that is common along the seashore in fall. Rotting seaweed. Yes, to some, that may sound like the most unappealing smell in the world but I know I'm close to the sea when that smell fills my nostrils and as long as I'm by the sea, I don't care if the seaweed smells bad.

We walked for quite a long time before we reached that bend and I was finally able to see exactly how far we were going to go....and it was far. There was a possibility if the tide had been too high, we would have to turn back but since it was low, we pressed on toward our goal - the small island attached to the beach by a causeway that is fully exposed during low tide but submerged underwater during high tide.

As we inched closer to that island, the wind picked up ever so slightly and the ocean spray began to sting my face a little. I started to walk with my head tilted more towards the ground and that is when I noticed there was a lot of dog footprints in the sand. I wondered why a dog would be all the way out here on this remote beach and there were no human footprints accompanying the prints. And that is when it dawned on me that these weren't dog footprints at all, they were coyote prints. Good thing I brought my big walking stick and bear spray with me because these prints looked fresh.


It's hard to believe that the wide causeway leading out to the island had been submerged under a few feet of water only hours before. We were able to walk straight out to the island and climb right to the very top and look out at the wonderful view around us. Of course, because it was a deserted island in the middle of nowhere surrounded by beautiful scenery, it was also the perfect place to have a picnic. A small field on the side that was sheltered and out of the wind did the trick.
The walk back was much colder as we were walking into the wind. It seemed to take forever to get back to the car. Not that I like to rush my hikes but my hands were so cold, I couldn't feel them! But like always, they regained their colour soon after I reached the car and I was able to move them enough to grasp the cold steering wheel to begin the long drive home along that country road that by that time was encompassed in the soft glow of a setting sun and impending twilight. Another day, another trail knocked off that list.

Me at the very top of the little island...what a view!

A Introduction to Barbados, Falling in Love with Bathsheba, a Meal Fit for a Queen and a Caribbean Sunset

Barbados is a very Christian country with many people still attending church every week and treating Sunday like a holy day spent with family but I was still able to find a tour provider that gave tours on Sundays. The tour I chose was one that took me to every parish (in Barbados, areas are separated into Parishes rather than Counties) and every coast on the island with stops at a number of scenic areas. It seems that a lot of tour guides on the island are not familiar with Angler Apartments because it is off-the-beaten track and away from the touristy resorts. Although the person who answered the phone when I booked assured me that the driver would find it, I was getting nervous that they forgot about me as I waited at the gate well past my scheduled pick-up time. Sure enough, the driver was lost and did call to get more directions. A few minutes later, the driver, Kenmore, and a bus load of other travelers pulled up.

We turned onto the main stretch and headed towards Holtown. Along the way, we passed Sandy Lane, one of the leading hotels of the world and home to Rihanna’s $22M condo and the site of Tiger Wood’s wedding. Not that I care but I did take note when the tour guide reminded everyone that all beaches in Barbados are public and anyone can access this exclusive beach with a little creativity, a knowledge of tides and a backup plan to get off the beach another way if the tide does come up and you cannot access the way you came in.

We continued along that stretch and stopped at a little coastal village where we got out to stretch our legs and enjoy some rum punch by the sea. I usually don’t drink a lot of booze when I am traveling but Bajans really love their rum punch and love to share it with tourists. It’s very hard to turn down free rum punch when a friendly Bajan is twisting your arm and practically begging you to share in such a revered tradition and symbol of friendship.

We drove along that same road for a while, eventually moving into more rural areas of the island and stopped on the north-east coast at a place called Little Bay. The scenery of Little Bay reminded me a little of home because it was so rugged and natural. I walked to the top of a hill to get a good view from the top of a cliff out into the bay where there were blowholes, which are basically sea caves that open to the surface and the pressure from the pounding sea causes water to push out of the top much like that of a whale’s blowhole.

The Blowholes at Little Bay, Barbados

We continued on through a little village. For a while, the road was very windy and at times, it felt like the bus would tip over and roll over the side into the ocean. I didn’t see any guardrails, ditches or even a shoulder on this road for that matter so that is exactly where we would have ended up had the bus left the road and apparently, buses in Barbados do this quite frequently and yet, no safety measures are put in place to prevent it from happening again…and again.

I fell in love with the Bathsheba area of the island before we even got off the bus. The area is much like what Ingonish is to Cape Breton – a place where families go on weekends to get away from the city and enjoy the scenery and relaxing atmosphere. It being Sunday and Barbadians being very Christian, the area was crowded with people of all ages dressed in their Sunday best, eating ice cream, combing the beach for lost treasures and having picnics on the grass. And when I say they were dressed in their Sunday best, I mean like you see in those old movies where the men are dressed in suits and top hats and the women are dressed in beautiful, long flowing dresses and large fedoras.

Bathsheba, Barbados

Vendors set up shop just above the beach. One, in particular, had some colorful towels hung on a line. This might sound like something the average person wouldn’t even take the time to notice, but the way those colorful towels blew in the breeze with the beach and ocean behind them was almost breathtaking. The picture I took doesn’t do the real thing any justice but hopefully you can try to envision it the way I saw it that day. I stood above the beach watching the children play in the surf and noticed they were doing something very strange. They were playing in an area that just looked like regular, ankle-deep surf when one of them dove into the sand and disappeared! I found out later that there are deep pools, also known as tidal pools, close to shore. If I ever go back to Barbados, I think I’ll stay somewhere in the Bathsheba area and explore that part of the island some more. There seemed to be more to do and it wasn’t as crowded as other areas of the island. As I was about to board the bus to leave the area, I noticed a man sitting on a bench with one of those little, mischievous green monkeys. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the monkey was sporting clothing and jewelry that matched the attire of his master. Some people take their relationships with their pets to a new level!

Some colorful towels blowing in the breeze at Bathsheba, Barbados

We kept driving along the coast and passed through an area with houses with cliché million-dollar views like the ones you see on those TV shows that spotlight the homes of the rich of famous in tropical places around the world. We drove by a beautiful beach where dozens of surfers were braving some rough seas to catch some rather large waves.

As we continued along, I spotted a number of people at a baseball field (unlike the ones at home that are going to waste because no one goes outdoors anymore) but noticed as we got closer that they were playing cricket and not baseball. Did I mention Barbados is very British? I don’t watch soap operas nor do I have any interest in them whatsoever but everyone else on the bus was excited to discover that a little, colorful shack we drove by was featured in a scene from a poplar soap (I can’t remember which one – perhaps the Bold and the Beautiful?) where two of the main characters were married and there was something about a helicopter rescue or some weird thing. I noticed some peculiar-looking fruit in many of the trees and learned that they were breadfruit trees and that anyone lucky enough to have one of these trees on their property would never go hungry because the fruit is very versatile and can be eaten in many different ways. Along the way to our next stop, I learned a few more things from the ever-knowledgeable Kenmore. I learned that Barbados is the only Caribbean island made entirely of coral with no volcanic rock like the other islands. I learned about the versatile, hurricane-proof Chattel Houses that could be taken down, moved to another location and set up again in the same day. I also learned that Barbados has a very high unemployment rate and many of the young people leave for the United States, Canada and other Caribbean islands to find work and there are more Bajan-born people living outside of Barbados than there are on the island. Sounds familiar.

The little building that was supposedly used in a scene from a famous soap opera

When I think of lunch on a guided tour, I think of tea, sandwiches and sweets, not a four-course meal fit for a Queen. That’s what awaited us at the Sunbury Plantation House. After a tour of the plantation with some background history, we sat down to a delicious meal that included a variety of drinks, appetizers and several choices of main courses and desserts. One of the items served was macaroni pie and I learned that, besides coucou and flying fish, Macaroni Pie was considered to be one of the island’s national dishes. This may sound strange to you because, lets face it, macaroni pie doesn’t sound all that special but I swear to you that the macaroni pie in Barbados is like no other macaroni pie you have ever tasted.

We continued on and passed through another scenic area except this time, we were more inland and the area was characterized by valleys and fields with the ocean in the distance. The bus rolled to a stop on top of a hill with a spectacular view. Some vendors were set up there and I did a little bit of shopping. I don’t really shop for myself when I travel. I shop for the people at home who always ask “can you bring me back a keychain” and for my dad who collects baseball caps and has caps from about 30 different countries that my sisters and I have traveled to. Me? I might buy a keychain but usually just keep a handful of local currency as a souvenir. Trinkets and T-shirts with cheesy local sayings on them don’t do much for me. I thought the prices for the keychains seemed reasonable and thought it strange (and kind of rude) when a fellow traveler said I should haggle the price even lower. I know many travelers like to haggle and there are numerous articles written on the topic of “how to become an expert haggler” but I rarely haggle (if the price is absolutely outrageous for what I am being sold, I will occasionally negotiate a fairer price). The way I see it is these people are trying to make a living at a job that is hard enough and when the prices are already so low, I don’t think it’s fair to try and bring them lower. This is especially true of handmade items. I will never haggle an item that someone made with their own hands. A lot of time and love go into those items and they are usually worth the price tag that is on them.

Purses for sale

By 3:30PM, I was back at Angler apartments. There was still enough daylight left for me to get to the beach and catch a beautiful sunset before nightfall. I was warned not to go near the beaches at night but I couldn’t spend a week in Barbados and not experience a sunset at the beach. I walked in the direction of Holtown looking for a public beach access where there were other tourists so I wouldn’t be alone. I found the perfect spot near the fish market about half a kilometer down the road. There was a little boardwalk with some stairs that led to a section of beach and I found a nice spot in the sand under a Manchineel tree (while being careful not to touch any part of the tree because its toxic) where I could see the whole bay complete with sailboats and the lowering sun. There was a man fishing from some rocks a few meters away and he looked so peaceful and content as he sat smoking his cigarette and waiting for a fish to hook his line. A police officer approached me and stopped and stared and smiled and kept going. I don’t know what it was about him but something told me he wasn’t a real policeman or perhaps he had had a little too much rum punch at one of the beachside bars on his rounds. A man selling aloe plant leaves approached and gave a desperate speech about how my sunburn and bug bites could use some healing aloe. He tried to send his message home by actually dabbing some of the aloe on a bug bite on my leg. Gotta love a salesman with a personal touch! I stuck with my usual story and explained to him that I don’t bring money to the beach.

A sailboat in Payne's Bay at sunset

The sun went down and yes, it was beautiful. I love sunsets no matter where I am in the world but sunsets in the Caribbean are magical. I left the beach while there was still a bit of twilight left and while walking along the road back to Angler, I learned another Bajan national pastime; catcalling. Not that catcalling is unique to Barbados but these catcalls had a little added touch. Following the usual marriage proposals hollered from moving cars “hey sexy, I love you, will you marry me” were unmistakable kissing sounds. I swear, the same thing was hollered out of every second car that passed me. Yuck. I just rolled my eyes all the way back. Sometimes it’s best to keep quiet when trekking on someone else’s turf.

The warm air of the early evening and the sound of the cicadas and distant Caribbean music had me not wanting to call it a night just yet. I raided the mini bar in the fridge and sat on my step with a Banks beer and relaxed to those sounds that only grace my ears once a year when I travel south for a week.

It's Official...I'm Off to Costa Rica this Spring!

The last time I blogged about a trip to Costa Rica that I won, I wasn't sure if I would be able to go. With the moving, work and so many other things going on and the fact that the rules stated I would have to take the trip this November, it didn't look possible. Since then, I have been in touch with the people who held the contest and some very helpful and accommodating people at Anamaya Resort in Montezuma and was able to work something out with them that would allow me to go at a later date. Although I would rather go sooner than later, I am booked to attend a yoga and adventure retreat at the resort this coming April. The only problem I have now with this trip is the fact that I have to wait until April to go!

Costa Rica Flag

 It's still almost surreal to me that I am even going. Costa Rica has always been at the top of my must-see list but I didn't have any plans to go anytime soon. Maybe once I have my flights to Costa Rica booked (I'm just waiting for the prices to go down again so I can snag a good deal), the reality will sink in but I can't imagine me being more excited to be going than I already am. I've already been doing a lot of research about the country, the town I will be staying in and the beautiful resort I will be staying at while I am there and I am quite impressed to say the least. Costa Rica is said to have one of the most beautiful and pristine, natural environments in the world and Montezuma, which is located in Puntarenas Province, was once a remote fishing village that has transformed into a popular Eco-tourism and yoga retreat destination. Waterfalls, beautiful sandy beaches and stunning coastline will make for some great pictures and nearby souvenir shops, nightclubs and restaurants serving up local fare will make for exciting off-resort excursions. I'll spend one night in San Jose Costa Rica and as an added bonus, upon arrival in Montezuma, I will lay eyes on the Pacific Ocean for the first time. To date, I traveled to many places that were close to the Pacific, such as the interiors of California and British Columbia, but I never made it to the coast.

Anamaya Resort, the place I will be calling home for the duration of my week in Montezuma, is also quite impressive. It is my understanding that a number of activities and excursions are included in my package including daily yoga classes, town and beach excursions, infrared sauna treatments, a waterfall hike, Butterfly Garden tour and, what will probably end up being my personal favorite, a Zipline Canopy Tour. I don't think surfing lessons are included but I know the region is known for its surf culture so I will be making it a point to seek out some lessons! The luxurious and relaxing accommodations, the gourmet organic food and the infinity pool are all added bonuses and, so I have heard, there is a lot of wildlife around the area. It should be interesting to look out my window and see monkeys, toucans and parrots frolicking about!