I had no idea what to expect when Alan and I boarded a flight for Halifax Saturday. After only a two hour flight, we descended into what appeared to be a forest. There were dense trees – and nothing else – as far as the eye could see.
At this moment, Alan remarked, “Nova Scotia is known as Canada’s Ocean Playground.” Given his timing, and since (to my knowledge) he’d done absolutely no research on our destination, I assumed he was being a smart ass. Until that motto greeted us on the license plate of our rental car. One point for Alan.
We hopped in the car, leaving Halifax in our rearview mirror as we made our way to Cape Breton, where we anticipated gorgeous scenery, a great music scene and a solid dose of Celtic culture.
In case you’re not familiar with Cape Breton, it’s an island that was primarily settled by Scots. There are Gaelic signs dotting the road, advertising square dancing or Ceilidhs – live, informal music gatherings pronounced as “kay-lees.” It also is home to the Cabot Trail, showcasing some of the most breath-taking scenery in North America.
Among the highlights during our first 36 hours:
- Dinner at the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou – featuring some amazing scallops and the promise of live music (if only I hadn’t gone to bed early!)
- Fresh blueberry scones at the farmer’s market in Mabou
- A tour and single malt tasting at the Glenora Whisky Distillery
- A road-side music store featuring only Nova Scotian and New Brunswick artists
- Sunset on the Cabot Trail
- Fresh lobster rolls!
Sorry, I recognize this isn’t pithy and I should probably rename this blog MundanePants, but I’m just trying to provide a bit of context for the <hilarious> posts that will undoubtedly follow this week. Because if I happen to catch a moose running with a deer in its basket, or a baby seal seal doing a handstand on a whale, I don’t want to have to back-up to explain that these miraculous feats aren’t happening in Washington DC. Are we cool?
Guess what’s on tomorrow’s agenda?
pithypants 
Actually, MundanePants, that’s really interesting. I never knew that about the Sottish ties – makes sense: Nova Scotia/New Scotland.
Right? Kind of a smack-your-head moment when you realize you’ve overlooked an obvious translation.