A Breezy Day

Breakfast at the Dancing Goose Bakery!

We woke to a clear blue sky and a brisk wind—beautiful but blustery. Fortunately for us, the wind was in our favor, mostly as a tailwind with some crosswinds. Knowing we had only 35 miles to bike today, we took a more leisurely morning: writing our blogs, sipping coffee, and chatting with other guests at the Dusky Diamond B&B.

Afterward, we rode down to the beach to snap some photos, then headed into town for a late breakfast/lunch at the Dancing Goose Cafe and Bakery. Andy had what looked like the best ham sandwich in the world, while I enjoyed a delicious bumbleberry yogurt parfait and a cranberry-almond scone. Of course, we also had to buy some of the bakery's oatmeal raisin cookies for the road!

Andy waving from the beach along the Gulf of St. Lawrence

We continued north, climbing the coastal hills on a beautiful road with very little traffic. Tiny communities—generally just a few houses and lots of loosely affiliated farmland—broke up the more densely wooded hillsides. Soon, we found ourselves in the lovely Margaree Valley, idyllic in its swales of green. The day was truly peaceful, and the wind continued to help us along.

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The grasses of the Margaree Valley blowing in the wind like waves along the sea.

View along the Belle Cote - the Beautiful Coast near Margaree Harbour

After another set of hill climbs, we descended into the valley where the Margaree River enters the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This is where the Cabot Trail begins—the point we have been eagerly anticipating. The Cabot Trail (named for John Cabot, who was actually an Italian captain named Giovanni Caboto working for the English, and incidentally probably never set foot in Nova Scotia!) is an 185-mile loop that circumnavigates the northern end of Cape Breton Island, encapsulating the Nova Scotia highlands created by the ancient Appalachian mountains.

Map of the Cabot Trail

An interesting side note: the Appalachian mountain chain is the oldest mountain range in the world and existed before the breakup of Pangaea. Besides the Appalachians in North America, the rest of the range can be found in Scotland, where they form the Scottish Highlands! No wonder the Scots felt so at home in northern Nova Scotia when they settled here!

At the start of the Cabot Trail

The remaining ride took us north to the foot of the highland hills and the town of Cheticamp, where we will begin the famous section of the Cabot Trail, known for its daunting road climbs of nearly 1,500 feet in just three miles. The views are supposed to be stunning. While I am looking forward to it, I am also apprehensive, as the next three days will undoubtedly be the toughest part of this bike tour. Let's hope I have the stamina!