Festiville Baddeck - Another Summer Tradition

When I first moved back to Cape Breton after being away for many years, I immediately started exploring the little island I had taken for granted in my younger years.  I soon learned that Baddeck was a place I really liked spending time in and one such evening wandering around this pretty little village, I found myself in the middle of a lively festival.  I never heard about it before.  It might have been the first time it was held for all I know.  But from that day forward, I made it a point to always be in Baddeck during Festiville and it's one of my favorite events of every summer. 

For some years now, I've recruited a buddy to come along with me to the festivities.  This year was a little different because she had other things going on and couldn't make it so I attended on my own.  It's a little strange wandering such a large crowd by myself but you can easily blend in with people and there's always a familiar face in the crowd.  

I got some home fries and found myself a nice place to sit where I could watch everything going on and hear the live music.  Of course, it being a vacation day and special event, I decided to treat myself to some ice cream (I normally wouldn't have home fries AND ice cream in the same night!)  

When the evening came to a close and everyone started to leave the downtown area, I walked down to the docks and over to the boardwalk where I sat for a long time just watching the boats coming and going and watching some large fish eat smaller fish in the glow of the light shining on the Bras d'Or Lakes. 

I was fortunate enough to be able to find a decent and affordable hotel room near downtown Baddeck for this night.  I walked back from the boardwalk, taking the road along the shore.  It was dark and quiet and there wasn't not a lot of people around by that time, but I felt completely safe and relaxed.  I love living so close to a place like that where I can escape and feel safe and not have a care in the world! 

  

A Night in Beautiful Baddeck

Quite a few years ago, not long after I moved back home, I discovered a festival that takes place every August in the little village of Baddeck.  I love Baddeck and I love cultural events where I can try local food, buy local products, see local art and hear local music. 

 

The first time I attended, I had such a wonderful evening that I decided to make attending the festival a yearly tradition.  It usually falls on a Monday so I always drive straight to Baddeck right after work and get there just in time to enjoy the best of it.  Of course, it runs late and the drive home is long so I usually request the day off the next day.  My friend has her camper trailer parked at a nearby campground so we meet in Baddeck to attend the festivities and then I follow her back to the campground, where I stay the night. 

This year, Festiville was quite lively with several great bands playing and many vendors selling everything from homemade jewelry to homemade fudge.  We walked up and down the street several times, listening to the music and checking out the many vendors while eating ice cream and fudge. 

When it was all over, we weren't quite ready to leave so we just hung out on the docks admiring a huge yacht parked amongst the many smaller boats with the sparkling waters of the Bras d'Or Lakes lit by a full moon and sky full of twinkling stars. It was so calm and peaceful that I could have just slept right there with the sound of the water and trees rustling in a light, warm breeze. 

Back in the parking lot of the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, we walked to the deck attached to the museum and admired the moon shining over the lakes.  It was quite the sight.  I could live in a place like that.  Maybe someday.

The drive back to the trailer took about 30 to 40 minutes.  There was hardly any traffic by that point as everyone had already left town and headed back to wherever it was they were spending the night. It was equally as beautiful in Jersey Cove where the moon shone its beams down on the beach near the trailer.  I took a little stroll down there just sat and listened to the water rolling over the beach.

The next day, we drove to Ingonish hoping to enjoy a swim at Black Brook Beach.  The water was rough but I made an attempt anyway.  I didn't stay in long.  I prefer to swim in calm, clear water.  Being tossed around in the surf isn't all that enjoyable!  We left and drove to The Point in Ingonish and went for a much calmer dip in the water at the little sandy beach by the wharves.  The water was so clear and calm there that I even got to try out my new waterproof action camera!  

After dinner at the Seagull Restaurant, we headed back to the trailer where we parted ways and I headed home.  These are the moments that make summers in Cape Breton so memorable and why I have no desire to be anywhere else but here during those long summer days and nights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Long Weekend Like the Ones I Used to Have

It was a yearly tradition and then Covid arrived and it wasn't anymore.  Things changed in the years of the pandemic, people changed, routines changed.  I began to think that those August long weekend trips to  Margaree were a thing of the past. 

That's why it was such a surprise when the invite came from the friend I used to travel to Margaree with to spend the weekend there.  I had a four-day weekend coming up for the civic holiday in August and I had a desire to get out of town and spend some time in the country.  And that's exactly what I did. 

We left early that Friday morning and headed straight for Inverness Beach before checking into the old farmhouse that would be home-away-from-home for 3 days. It was supposed to be off and on rain showers all weekend with Friday afternoon being the only time that looked decent enough to enjoy some time at the beach.  The water was lovely...warm and calm as it often is on the west coast of Cape Breton. However, it was windy and probably not the best day to try and set up my new beach tent!  Let's just say it didn't stay in one place like it should have! 

It didn't rain although the sky threatened to at times.  I was just happy to have been able to go for a refreshing dip in the clear, warm water of Inverness Beach followed by a long walk in the surf along that long stretch of coastline. 

Nightfall comes sooner in mid-summer so we left the beach around 5:30 to get back to the house and unpack before dark.  With our chores complete and some reheated leftover pizza in our bellies, we settled in to relax for the evening. 

The next day was a mixed bag of weather so it was hard to decide what to do.  We drove to Inverness to do some thrift store shopping at The Closet.  I was surprised to find quite a few things in that tiny shop.  

Next, we drove to Cheticamp intending to hike the Salmon Pools Trail in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  We attempted this hike a few years ago and had to turn around due to bad weather.  We hoped to finish it this time around but that was not to be.  The moment I turned the car off in the parking lot, the rain started.  We drove back to town and stopped for our traditional ice cream at LeBlanc's General Store (I had the Blackberry Cheesecake ice cream, of course).  

When we exited the store, the rain had stopped and a crowd was gathering along the road.  Curious as to what was going on, we asked someone passing by. "There's a big parade at 2 and they'll be closing this road very soon."  We could have taken the Cheticamp Back Road to get back to Cap LeMoine but instead, we decided to stay right where we were and watch the parade. 

The parade was part of the Festival de l'Escaouette and for a small place, I was surprised at how many floats there were! It was nice to see all the families out with their little ones, smiling and waving and having a good time.  

Back at the house that evening, the skies threatened rain and thunderstorms. The barbecue we had planned was postponed so we stayed indoors and tried our hands at some virtual reality.  I'm not a video game person by any means but I always wanted to try this.  I donned some futuristic-looking headgear and raced my Corvette through the streets of some ancient city in Italy. It was interesting.  I admit it was easy to get caught up in the realistic feel of it and at times, I felt like I was actually behind the wheel! It was fun for a short time but not something I could see myself getting hooked on or doing on sunny days that are best spent outdoors. 

My last day in the Margaree area was again under threatening skies.  It was too cold and windy to head to Inverness for some swimming and too close to rain to do much hiking so we went to Cheticamp and got some coffee and sat on the beach on Cheticamp Island for a while before heading to Le Gabriel for our traditional yearly feed of French Onion Soup and Nachos. 

The weather may not have been great but it wasn't the worst part about the entire weekend; the worst part is always the moment we have to say our goodbyes and hit the road for the long drive home.  But boy, it was nice to be back up there again!

Celtic Colours International Festival - It's a Wrap...Until Next Year

Cape Breton Island is world-renowned for being one of the most beautiful places on earth and the island has gained much publication and notoriety in recent years. It was voted second most beautiful island in the world. It was voted most beautiful island in North America. The Cabot Trail, the scenic route that winds along the coast of the northern portion of the island has been voted the most scenic drive on the continent.

So Cape Breton is obviously known for its beauty but it is also known for having North America’s only living Celtic culture. In the remote, rural areas of the island, some of the people still speak Gaelic, a language considered dead in most of the world and children are immersed into the world of Celtic music and dance at a very young age. Some of those “children” have grown up to become accomplished and widely known stars of Celtic music and there is even a Gaelic College located at St. Anne’s where students can learn the language and learn about the culture and visitors can take part in many events throughout the year. Some of the most popular events take place in Mid-October and are a part of the International Celtic Colours Festival which has events happening at dozens of other venues around the island. The festival takes place just as the fall foliage comes out in full bloom, making the famed Cabot Trail even more spectacular. The festival started back in 1997 and since I moved away to another province around that time, I never had the chance to experience it first hand. Over the years, the festival grew and attracted more sponsors, world-renowned Celtic artists and followers and is now known to be one of Canada’s top festivals. This year the celebration ran from October 11th to the 19th. Over the course of those nine days, visitors from all over the world took in a number of musical and cultural events including concerts, art displays, culinary events, farmers markets, guided hikes and story-telling sessions. Lucky for me, I happened to be in Cape Breton during that time and took in some of those events.

I love all types of music but the sound of the Scottish fiddle has always had a special place in my heart, particularly the style of Scottish fiddle that is unique to Cape Breton Island. I grew up to the sounds of the Rankin Family, Natalie MacMaster, The Barra MacNeils and Ashley MacIsaac, all well-accomplished Cape Breton musicians. Even while I was living away, I stayed on top of the new generation of musicians that were emerging on the local scene. So when a friend invited me to join her for a night of Celtic music, as part of the Celtic Colours Festival, at the Joan Harris Pavilion in Sydney, I jumped at the chance. I always wanted to attend the Festival and Lennie Gallant and Ashley MacIsaac, two of Atlantic Canada’s top acts, were headlining the show.

The show, titled “Taste of the Festival” featured artists in residence, Harald Haugaard from Denmark and homegrown talent, Kimberley Fraser. Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, a group of fiddlers from Norway, Sweden and Shetland played a beautiful set of traditional Nordic reels. Norwegian dancer, Hallgrim Hansegard wowed the crowd with his flawless dance routine and Lennie Gallant performed a mix of some of his most popular tunes, past and present. Ashley took the stage last and, as usual, left the crowd spellbound. His unique style of fiddle playing combined with the sounds of the Cape Breton piano, played by several notable Cape Breton pianists who were invited to the stage during his set, made for one heck of a closing performance! You can think what you want about him and some of his past actions but there is still no denying that Ashley always was and still is one of the best fiddle players to come out of Cape Breton…and maybe even Canada and all of North America.

Festival Club, a nightly event offering artists the opportunity to showcase their talents in an informal setting, was taking place at the Gaelic College in St. Anne’s right after the concert. Unfortunately, I had already had a few drinks and left my car at home, so making the hour drive to the college was out of the question. I wasn’t able to attend any more concerts during the festival due to other commitments but I did take in a few of the cultural events that were happening around the island as part of Celtic Colours.

One of the events I took part in was a historical hike in the town of Boisdale. I love learning about history and I love leisurely, morning walks in the country so this made for a perfect Sunday morning. And bonus: The fall foliage in that area of the island is usually very vibrant and this day was no exception. I met up with a small group of people at the fire hall in Boisdale and we made our way along the old railway track and up through the center of the village while our guides gave us the history of the area and its people. The walk lasted about two hours and ended at a small bungalow where a fire and some tea were waiting. Since I was in the area anyway, I made the short drive to Grand Narrows and poked around at the Farmer’s Market that was being held there that day and bought some homemade baked goods to bring home to have with my Thanksgiving Dinner that was taking place later that day.

So my first experience with Celtic Colours was enough to encourage me to make plans to take part in more of the festivities next year. And I won’t have any excuses. I know it is coming up so I can plan for it and I am living in Cape Breton full time now so I’ll have no reason to be out of town.

Taking part in Celtic Colours was a bit of an eye-opener for me. When the audience at the concert I attended was asked where they were from, it seemed that most of the people in attendance were from the United States, Europe and other parts of Canada. When I arrived for the hike in Boisdale and introduced myself to the other participants, I discovered that most of them were from away. Meeting all these people from far away places and hearing about their wonderful experiences traveling around Cape Breton gave me a sense of pride. But it also gave me a sense of disappointment. Hardly any of the people I met were from Cape Breton. I’m sure tons of Cape Bretoners took part in some of the events during the festival but, in my opinion, maybe not near as many as there should have been. The island hosts a world-renowned festival that sees guests from all over the world and many of my friends and acquaintances didn’t even really know what the festival was nor did they have any interest in finding out more…so hopefully next year, more Cape Bretoners will come out and support this homegrown cause and learn more about our unique culture and heritage.