Nova Scotia seems to me to be roughly divided into two parts. Cape Breton Island and all the rest of Nova Scotia. Cape Breton Island was likened to the Scottish Highlands by Alexander Graham Bell. Of course Nova Scotia means New Scotland, and this area has a strong Scottish heritage. Nowhere on Cape Breton Island are you ever very far from water. For the past three days we camped on Northumberland Straits and watched beautiful sunsets, pilot whales, moose and a bear and her three cubs. Tonight we are camped on St. Anns Bay that nearly splits Cape Breton down the middle. Here, we are looking out into the North Atlantic, so I don’t expect we will try swimming off this shore. Today the water is deep blue, the sky is sunny with fleecy white clouds in a sky blue setting, the temperature is a balmy 78 degrees, and there is a brisk breeze blowing over our shoulders and out over the water.

We are driving the Cabot Trail. It is a very scenic road around the northern end of Cape Breton Island and is about 150 miles long. Now I have looked all through the travel literature and nowhere does it tell us the origin of the name. I have a theory, however. I think it is an old Gaelic word for “horrid roads.” There are times when we slow to about 25 miles per hour and even that feels to fast on some stretches. We are finding stretches of highway here that rival those of the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec; rough, uneven, twisty and steep. In addition the cost of fuel is jumping by 5 percent every few days. I suppose that is happening where you are too. We saw diesel today proudly advertised at $1.069 per liter. Translated into US terms that is $3.46 per US gallon in US dollars. The television is talking of $1.21/liter fuel in Newfoundland, which is real close to $4.00 per US gallon. At the same time the local Cape Breton Post has a headline, “Finance minister contemplating lowering fuel taxes.” The roads are horrid and they are collecting too much money. Is there something wrong with this picture?

On the other hand the scenery is spectacular, the people are friendly and the campgrounds are half empty. Simply put, we are having the times of our lives. We spent a lovely three hours in the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck today. It is exceptionally well done. We learned that he chose to live in Baddeck specifically because it reminded him of his native Scotland. His Votiar research facility was in the United States, I believe it was in Washington D.C., but his heart was right here in Nova Scotia, Canada. He is remembered for the Telephone, but he was awarded over thirty patents. He dabbled in kites, aeronautics and hydroplane boats over his lifetime, but his passion was teaching the deaf to speak.

The time has come for us to bid you adieu once again. We send along our love to all. Gary and Judy.