Halifax to Sydney

Today was mostly driving, so there is not too much to tell. The weather began cool, overcast and breezy. By mid afternoon, there were some sunny breaks, and by early evening in Cape Breton there were only scattered clouds. It never really warmed up though, probably not above the mid teens.


We drove about three hours to Sherbrooke Village, another historical village with costumed interpreters. This one was an original village that was being gradually deserted. People convinced the provincial government to save it as a museum (and make work project, no doubt). A few of the residences are still in use by private owners. It would be kind of like living in Disneyland. It was a very good park though with many artisans practicing their crafts, producing articles for the store, including a $600 rocking chair made with 1850 technology. Our planned two hour stop lasted about four, including a very nice late lunch.


Approaching Cape Breton, we noticed signs advertising McLobster at McDonald's. Even though we had just eaten at 2:30, we stopped at 5 to split one, just to try it. The lobster salad was pretty good by itself, but it was stuffed in a stale, crumbling hot dog bun that had first been stuffed with lettuce so there was very little room remaining for lobster. It was a bit of a disappointment. Afterwards, we figured out the trick - eat the lobster and lettuce with the fork provided and leave the bun. Hopefully we will remember that if we try it again.


We checked in to our hotel about 7, too tired to do anything else.

When we first entered Nova Scotia from New Brunswick, we observed a lot of agriculture all down the west coast. In fact, by noon on the first day we saw more agriculture than we had in all our time in New Brunswick. About the only place we noticed extensive agriculture there was south of Moncton. In both provinces, the newer, higher traffic highways are built through the bush in fairly virgin territory. Nova Scotia actually looks a lot like northern Saskatchewan with thick, but not real tall forest on rolling land. Except that NS has more soil and less bare rock than the shield landscape of Saskatchewan and there are more deciduaous trees and less coniferous.