laura bachynski

2 The Cabot Trail : part one

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton

Terry and I climb up to get a view

The view !

On the way to the waterfalls

Beulah Ban

SpiritLine at the falls

Typical gorgeous image

WE NOW HAVE PROTECTED A WHOLE WEEK TO EXPLORE CAPE BRETON. THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME HERE AND WE HAVEN’T BEEN DISAPPOINTED WITH THE GORGEOUS SCENERY ALONG THE CABOT TRAIL. EVERY CORNER SEEMED TO PRESENT ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL VISTA.

I ESPECIALLY LIKED THE BEULAH BAN WATERFALL . WE ALMOST MISSED THE TURNOFF AND THE ROAD TO GET THERE WAS NARROW AND FILLED WITH POTHOLES BUT IT WAS SO WORTH IT AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PHOTO ABOVE.

TERRY IS THE ‘MERCH KING’ AND HE SURPRISED ME WITH THESE NEW HATS THAT HE HAD MADE WITH THE LETTERING IMITATING OUR LICENCE PLATE FOR OUR JOURNEY.

WE ARE STAYING IN A LOVELY , WEE COTTAGE RIGHT BESIDE THE CABOT GOLF COURSE AND RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE OCEAN. WE LEFT THERE ABOUT 11 AM AND RETURNED HOME AT 9:30 PM SO WE HAD A FULL DAY OF DRIVING AROUND THE WHOLE TRAIL.

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 WITH PHOTOS……

0 Inverness

Kathy and Adele and us

St. Mary’s Cathedral

Fall Colours starting

On the way to Inverness

Welcome!

View at our Cottage

AFTER MASS AT THE CATHEDRAL ( THE CHURCH HAD A FANTASTIC CHOIR FOR ONCE) WE MET UP WITH TERRY’S COUSIN, KATHY, AND HER MUM , ” AUNT ADELE ” . WE HAD A NICE BRUNCH AT ELLE’S AND CAUGHT UP ON FAMILY NEWS.

AFTER PARTING WE HAD OUR NEXT JOURNEY : TO INVERNESS, A 3 HOUR DRIVE HEADING TO THE CABOT TRAIL IN CAPE BRETON WHERE WE HAVE RENTED A CABIN FOR A FEW DAYS. IT IS RIGHT ON THE OCEAN . WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE VIEW OF THE ROARING SURF.

NOW OFF TO EXPLORE THE TRAIL…….

0 Nice Condo Concert

Recording all of our experiences

Terry, Carmen, Laura

Terry’s Cousin, Vic

Last night with the Bombadils

WE ENJOYED OUR TIME AT A ‘ HOUSE CONCERT ‘ SET UP BY TERRY’S HALIFAX COUSINS, CARMEN ( AND VIC) . THEY DID A GREAT JOB PROVIDING MUFFINS AND TIMMIE’S COFFEE AND TEA AND INVITING SOME WONDERFUL GUESTS. IT WAS A LOVELY LITTLE GROUP IN A VERY LARGE BUT BEAUTIFULLY APPOINTED PARTY ROOM .

IT WAS SO GREAT TO FINALLY MEET CARMEN ( FOR THE SECOND TIME AFTER MANY YEARS) WHO I THINK OF AS THE FUNNIEST PERSON I AM CONNECTED TO ON FACEBOOK.

WE ARE HOPEFUL TO MEET UP WITH ONE MORE OF TERRY’S COUSINS TOMORROW AFTER MASS . THEN….OFF FOR A WEEK TO EXPLORE THE CABOT TRAIL !

0 Last Show in Halifax

0 Halifax!

From our hotel room

Not a Dollarama

Lunch in this city

Meeting Felicity

Some of our audience

The Bombadills perform

NICE TO HAVE A SUNNY DAY FOR OUR DRIVE TO HALIFAX. ANTIGONISH WAS OUR CITY STOP FOR A NICE TEAHOUSE LUNCH BEFORE WE FINISHED OUR 3 HOUR DRIVE .

SARAH FRANK AND LUKE FRASER HAVE A LOVELY APARTMENT AND THEY KINDLY HOSTED OUR HOUSE CONCERT THIS EVENING. MOST OF THEIR FRIENDS ARE IN THE HALIFAX SYMPHONY WITH SARAH OR WORKING WITH LUKE AT THE SAZUKI SCHOOL OF MUSIC .. OR JUST MUSICAL TOO. IT WAS THE MOST WELCOMING , COZY ROOM WITH LITTLE SPACE BUT A LOT OF HEART.

THE BOMBADILLS DID THE FIRST SET AND OF COURSE IT WAS INCREDIBLY ENJOYABLE. I WAS HONOURED TO HAVE THEM JOIN ME ON MY FIRST 2 SONGS IN OUR SET . TERRY AND I DIDN’T NEED TO ‘PLUG IN’ AND GOOD THING AS THEY LIVE IN A SECOND FLOOR WALK UP AND WE HAVE SO MUCH GEAR. IT WAS HARD ENOUGH GETTING MYSELF UP THOSE STAIRS….HA HA.

LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROW NIGHT’S SHOW ALSO HERE IN HALIFAX.

0 A Day To Play…Cape Breton

Marsh at Isle Madame

Blue House

Pretty Isle Madame

Terry explores a bldg.

Abandoned house

Laura & Terry at Lighthouse

Our van by the lighthouse

WE REALLY ENJOYED OUR ‘DAY OFF’ BY SIGHTSEEING AROUND THIS WEE ISLAND WE ARE STAYING ON CALLED ISLE MADAME. WE CHECKED OUT THE WHOLE PLACE WHICH DIDN’T TAKE TOO LONG BUT WAS BEAUTIFUL NONE THE LESS. WE STARTED THE DAY WITH A NICE CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST NEAR OUR ROOM AT THE GROUNDSWELL THEN WE DROVE AND WALKED AROUND LOOKING FOR PHOTOS AND ENJOYING EACH OTHER’S COMPANY .

WE STOPPED AT A COFFEE SHOP FOR LUNCH AND ENDED UP FILMING A BIT OF VIDEO WHEN WE INTERVIEWED AN OLDER GENTLEMAN IN THE PLACE ABOUT HOW HE CAME TO LIVE IN CAPE BRETON FROM ENGLAND. WE ALSO CONTINUE TO FILM OUR ENTIRE JOURNEY ( EACH CONCERT , THOUGHTS ABOUT THEM, FOOTAGE OF OUR TRAVELS, ETC. ) WITH THE IDEA OF MAKING SORT OF A ‘LOVE LETTER TO CANADA’ AS WELL AS A RECORD OF OUR EXPERIENCE.

I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE WE BOOKED THIS WHOLE THING OURSELVES AND THAT WE ARE DOING THIS ! WHAT A BLAST !

0 Our Cape Breton Show

Heading to our gig

Stopping at the big fiddle ( and chair)

Rita MacNeil’s TeaHouse is gone !

Pretty as a painting

After the rain

Our destination : the Groundswell Pub

Matt takes a call

Laura ready to play

IT HAS BEEN A VERY PICTURESQUE DAY TODAY SO WE TOOK OUR TIME TO GET TO THE LOVELY GROUNDSWELL PUB. MATT AND COLLEEN ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO MAKE US FEEL WELCOME …ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAD TO LOSE OUR TIME SLOT FOR TOMORROW NIGHT DUE TO SOME UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.

SO , NOT SURPRISINGLY THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT CROWD WAS PRETTY SMALL . THE BUILDING ( WHICH HAS RECEIVED A GRANT FOR FUTURE DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR RENOVATIONS ) IS ALREADY REALLY COOL . THE INSIDE IS WARM AND FUN AND THERE ARE INSTRUMENTS EVERYWHERE. MATT , AN ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIAN HIMSELF, ENCOURAGES ALL TYPES OF MUSIC . WE ALSO HAD A YUMMY DINNER BEFORE THE SHOW AND OUR ROOM RIGHT AT THE GROUNDSWELL IS GROUND FLOOR ( YAY!) AND COMFORTABLE. ALL THE OTHER ROOMS HAVE BEATLES’ TUNES THEMES THOUGH SO WE ARE MISSING OUT ON THAT.

IF YOU ARE A MUSICIAN/BAND LOOKING FOR A GREAT PLACE TO PLAY I SUGGEST YOU CALL AND BOOK YOUR TOUR TO PLAY ON ISLE MADAME IN CAPE BRETON AT THE GROUNDSWELL PUB. YOU WON’T BE SORRY.

0 Ferry to Cape Breton

The ferry

Mummer statues

Notice the hats !

Leaving NF

A room for the day

WE LEFT OUR HOTEL AT 7 AM TO GET TO THE FERRY TO CAPE BRETON BY 9:45 AND WE MADE IT. CLEAR DRIVE AND CALM DAY UNLIKE THE DAY BEFORE …SO WINDY IT WOULD HAVE ROLLED THE SHIP…HA HA.

I AM THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO ALMOST NEVER NAPS. AFTER LUNCH ON THE FERRY WE GOT BACK TO OUR ROOM AND WE BOTH SLEPT THE WHOLE WAY !!!!! HOLY TIRED, BATMAN !

THANK GOODNESS WE WOKE UP BEFORE THE MEGGA LOUD DISEMBARK MESSAGE…HA HA.

WE ARRIVED TO FIND A VERY RAINY WELCOME BUT DROVE STRAIGHT TO OUR HOTEL WHERE WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE WORKOUT FACILITIES .

OH! WHY THE PHOTO OF THOSE WEIRD DOLLS? WELL, WE FOUND OUT THAT IN NEWFOUNDLAND THERE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CHRISTMAS TRADITION OF ” MUMMERING”.

OUR HOUSE CONCERT HOST, DEBBIE, FROM ST. PHILIP’S , NF., HAS MANY MEMORIES OF NEIGHBORS PUTTING SHEETS OR BAGS OR EVEN LACE TABLECLOTHS ON THEIR HEADS, RINGING THE DOORBELL, AND BEGGING A DRINK. BUT THE ” MUMMERS” MUST FIRST DO A DANCE TO GET THEIR REWARD. SHE SAID MANY A GREAT PARTY STARTED THAT WAY AND THEY COULD ALWAYS GUESS THE ANONYMOUS GUESTS ANYWAY !

0 Final Day in Newfoundland

Terry at Holy Rosary Church

Deb in the bunker

At Cape Spear Bunker

At Cabot Tower

Magazine window at the bunker

Poster at bunker

Cape Spear

At Quidi Vidi

A BIG THANK YOU TO DEBBIE PARSONS AND RON COOPER FOR HOSTING OUR CONCERT, GIVING US A HOME FOR 3 DAYS, AND TOURING US AROUND ST.JOHN’S TODAY.

WE RECEIVED THE GIFT OF A SUNNY DAY TODAY SO IT WAS PERFECT TO SIGHT SEE AROUND THE ISLAND.

( AND DEB AND HER COUSINS STAYED UP TILL 5:30 AM THE NIGHT BEFORE! WE STARTED THE PARTY BUT WE CERTAINLY DIDN’T FINISH IT…HA HA…WE WERE THE FIRST ONES OFF TO SLEEP AFTER THE CONCERT!)

LONG DRIVE TOMORROW…..

0 Newly Arrived in Newfoundland

Just arrived !

A surprise for me !

Made it to Deb and Ron’s in Portugal Cove

Newfoundland

SO GRATEFUL FOR OUR EASY CONNECTIONS, SMOOTH FLIGHTS, AND BEAUTIFUL SUNSET ARRIVAL IN PORTUGAL COVE WHERE WE WILL PERFORM A HOUSE CONCERT TOMORROW EVENING.

WE PICKED UP THE CAR WE PURCHASED OVER THE PHONE AND ALL WAS JUST AS WAS PROMISED.

VERY TIRED AFTER ONLY 4 HOURS SLEEP LAST NIGHT BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO 3 DAYS IN THIS AREA.