Forteresse de Louisbourg and to Pictou

The Gouverneur's bedroom and office















A view of some of the buildings of Louisbourg














Children being entertained while "mothers" watch

A place of memories

So yesterday after a smooth crossing from Port Aux Basques to North Sydney on which I met a Harley driving physician from Glace Bay who knows Bill Tholl because he's involved with the medical protection association, arrived early enough to be able to ride to Sydney and back. Jane and I have very fond memories of Sydney, in partcular a bar, Smooth Herman's, where she and I had a few bad bar scotches after day-long sessions at the Canadian Medical Association meeting that was held in the Arena in Sydney. Alas, while the name is still on the building, other signs suggest that the fine establishment, Smooth Herman's is no longer in business. Also, the only fine dining restaurant in Sydney, Le Petit Jean, has changed hands a few times since the mid-90s and is now the Governor's Pub and Eatery. while the fare is not as refined as it once was, I can vouch for the linguine with lightly curried seafood and vegetables. All the ingridients were fresh and the mussels, shrimps, scallops and vegetable were cooked to perfection. A glass of Jost Chardonnay was the perfect beverage with the pasta.

My visit to Forteresse Louisbourg, that Gerry Maffre had strongly suggested I do, was WELL WORTH the time. The weather was ideal, brilliant sunshine and in the mid-20s. The reconstruction of one-fifth (and that was always the intention) of buildings that were on the site in 1744, is remarquably well done and the numerous employees in period costume, many of whom have been working on the site for a long time, are extremely knowledgeable about the period and they add so much to the ambiance as they go about the daily activities that those they represent would have attended to here in the middle of the 18th century. Everything is as authentic as can be; for example all the costumes are hand stitched on the premises, and the food served in the auberge, where ordinary folk ate, and the hotel, that the higher class frequented, is based on period recipes. I can say that a mid-day meal of turnip, carrot and onion soup, followed by a plate of roast porc, more turnips and carrots, and rice, with bread pudding for dessert, accompanied by a glass of red wine, would have been satisfying, if not to contemporary tastes inspiring.

One final note on Louisbourg and Parcs Canada; once again I was very impressed by the guide, a woman who has been working there for many years, who led us on a one-and-a-half walking tour where she explained the historical context and the significance of Loisbourg to the french. She also pointed out the homes of, and gave us a glimpse of the lives of important residents, le gouverneur (like our GG), le commissaire-ordonnateur (with all executive powers), l'ingénieur (whose residence was the nicest), la seule femme qui appartenait une des 24 auberges de la place, and many other buildings.

After lunch I rode from Louisbourg to Pictou via a series of smaller roads going through places like Marion Bridge, Eskasoni, Grand Narrows; then down Highway 105 over the Canso Causeway and on 104 as far as New Glasgow; then a short hop to my room at Dolan's Inn in Pictou.

Tomorrow I take the ferry from Caribou, a few kilometres from here, to Woods Island PEI.