If you are just tuning in and would like to check out the first 4 posts in my vacation series check out the links below:
Part 1: Quebec-New Brunswick
Part 2: New Brunswick-P.E.I (1)
Part 3: PEI (2)
Part 4: PEI (3)
After a wonderful time on Prince Edward Island, it was time to check out of our hotel and hit the road once again. Our next destination was North Sydney, Nova Scotia where we would board the ferry to Newfoundland.
Instead of traveling back across the Confederation Bridge, we crossed the Northumberland Strait on the MV Confederation ferry.
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| Image from http://www.ferries.ca/nova-scotia-to-prince-edward-island-ferry/ |
Tourism Nova Scotia describes it as:
A visit to the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site in Cape Breton is like taking a step back in history to a time when the French and English crowns fought for control of the New World, and all of Nova Scotia was a battleground. The Fortress is the largest historical reconstruction in North America and offers an incredible window to all aspects of life as lived by some of our first European settlers.
Upon arriving at the location, we bought our entrance tickets and boarded a bus for a short ride out to the Fortresses main gatehouse.
As you can see from my pictures it was a very foggy and damp day. You would think this would have made for a miserable tour, but instead it just added to the ominous feeling of a potential invasion. It perfectly set the mood for this historical reconstruction.
The cannons were ready to be fired if need be. And just look how thick those walls were. This settlement was quite large with a huge amount of information visitors can take in.
Each building was open for visitors to walk through. They were set up like that of the period when the Fortress was originally occupied. Staff were all dressed in period costume, each playing the role of the different classes of settlers that may have inhabited this village.
The further into the village we walked the more prosperous the homes became. The above pictures show a barn and yard area where there were actual animals. Also pictured are the beautiful gardens. It was interesting to talk to the staff and learn about what life was like way back when. Some of my favourite parts were watching a lady demonstrate how lace is made and a demonstration of popular dances of the time period.
There was also many activities for children, a dining room, rum tasting (for adults of course) and so much more. We could have spent two days at the Fortress and still wouldn't have learned everything there was to know about its history.
It was a great experience that I would recommend to anyone interested in French and British history in the New World.
For more information on the Fortress of Louisbourg check out the following website:
Fortress of Louisbourg
After finishing up our tour it was time to head back to North Sydney and get in line for our ferry to Newfoundland.
I spent almost 2 weeks in Newfoundland visiting with my family and enjoying the cooler weather. I am not one for the heat of an Ontario summer so getting away was a welcome trip for me. I really was born and raised in the wrong province ha. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share from this leg of my vacation because we didn't do any touring.
All in all I had a wonderful time traveling through the east coast of my country. There is still so much I would like to see and experience in each of those places and I hope to get the chance to do it all again sometime in the future.
I hope you all enjoyed my vacation series and stay tuned for more posts like this in the future.
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