Hey, remember that time I said Edinburgh was my favourite place in the world? Actually, I said city, but never mind. I’ve changed my mind, and now it’s Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
Weird choice, I realize, considering it’s just a short ferry ride from Newfoundland and 90% of my friends are from Sydney. We always joke that Cape Bretoners are “Newfoundlanders who missed the boat.” We have the same laid-back attitudes, rowdy behaviour, and inclination to drink our pants off. Even when I lived in Corner Brook, most of my friends were from Cape Breton.
But my first time visiting was just two weeks ago. It was the first day of my spiritual “self-awareness hippie trip” (as dubbed by Jessica), and I thought, “Why not?” I figured the island would mostly look like Newfoundland too, and in many ways it did, but I’m about to admit something to you.
Something that will shock you.
Something that might make you never revisit my blog.
I think. I like. Cape Breton. More. Than. Newfoundland.
That was a heartbreaking admission.
Near Dingwall
Most of the drive I remained in a sleepy stupor due to my flight not getting in until 11 p.m. the night before. We drove through Ingonish to get to the Highlands National Park, dodging construction and catching glimpses of the coast. But by the time we reached the northern tip, around Dingwall, I learned a few interesting things about myself.
1. I am enthralled by beaches.
2. I had never heard the sound of crickets chirping before.
3. Green hills, oh my god I love the green hills!!!!!!!!!!
The greenness, the richness, the everything-is-wonderful-ness! Even driving 30 minutes to buy warm beer at a Co-Op wasn’t a hassle. When inquiring at a convenience store where to find some booze, the clerk checked her watch and said with concern, “Oh, geez, the store closes at 7.” On a Friday! Oh the insanity! At the Co-Op I felt at home, the lady serving me had her hair pulled back in a scrunchie, teased bangs, and she knew everyone in the store except me. I could have fainted.
Then the beaches. Markland Beach outside my cottage. Newfoundland has no beaches! There are no beaches in Newfoundland! People keep saying there are, but I haven’t seen any. The water was warm. The sand was perfect, there were remains of bonfires. And I was surrounded by green hills, green!
Pleasant Bay
The next morning after breakfast at the Mountain View Motel and Restaurant in Pleasant Bay, we started the drive on the opposite side of the island, towards Cheticamp. If I thought the previous day was lovely, nothing prepared me for the mountain joyride of a lifetime. If I had any doubts about my uncharted, unplanned, irresponsible trip to Nova Scotia before then, they were gone with the green, green hills.
At the top of the Skyline Loop. Did not get eaten by coyotes, but I was carrying a mean beating stick after all.
I still don’t know what it was, that insane happiness. But damn you, Cape Breton, for making me re-evaluate my life. I was fine in my cozy little townhouse in downtown St. John’s, building a colossal stack of empty beer cases weekend after weekend before you came along. Two weeks later and that buzz is gone straight out the door along with my cell phone and wallet. I’m stressed out, over-worked, terrified and I have no idea what I’m doing next. I don’t know what career I want, where to live, what to do. But I’m glad you came before it all, Cape Breton.
{ 3 trackbacks }
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Seems (and looks) like a beautiful place. And who isn’t enthralled by beaches?!
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:08 am
AHHHH the beaches!!
[Reply]
Muahahaha!!! Cape Breton is awesome!
You’ve totally freaked me out though. I never noticed there aren’t any crickets here. Now I’m creeped out. I grew up hearing crickets all night during the summer. It’s nice until one gets in your house. They’re impossible to find and chirp all night looking for some sweet cricket love.
Stop stressing and have fun!
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:11 am
You’ve never noticed??!!! They’re intense in Cape Breton. I can’t get over the differences!
[Reply]
Wow, that picture on the Skyline Loop was incredible, Candice!
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:11 am
The place is UNREAL!
[Reply]
ok, I know you are loving it here, but better than Newfoundland?? come on you crazy person!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahaha
The Cabot trail is quite wicked, however you didnt get to go to Louisbourg in Cape Breton
now that is awesome!
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:11 am
Hahaha, I’ll make it there on my way back if the ferry is still running!
[Reply]
Have you been down Lunenburg way?
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:12 am
Went there last week, beautiful.
[Reply]
You hiked Skyline, nice! I saw a bunch of folks up there when I was cruising down the road below on my bike. Couldn’t look too long, though, or I would’ve hit the mother and baby moose that wandered across. Yeah, Cape Breton rocks.
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:14 am
You didn’t do the Loop?! So amazing. Cant’ believe you cycled the trail, we actually saw one dude on a penny-farthing. Hi-larious.
[Reply]
It looks gorgeous! I can see why it might be your new favorite place. I really need to make it to this part of the world someday…
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:14 am
You really, really must.
[Reply]
So glad you love it here! Let me know when you’re heading back this way, if you have enough time we should definitely hit up Louisbourg, I haven’t been there in forever.
P.S. I will be having a staycation September 13 – 17 so no worries on missing me on your loop back, come visit and stay anytime!
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:14 am
I really want to come visit!! But I’m staying til around mid-October now, I’m housesitting and dogsitting for Joanne. Does the ferry even run after October?
[Reply]
Alana Reply:
September 23rd, 2010 at 2:38 pm
The Port aux Basques ferry runs year round, but that’s no fun at all, what with the drive back to St. John’s after a six hour ferry, ick!
If I make it to Halifax before you leave I’ll definitely give you a ring, I’m dying for a trip but trying so hard to not spend money… but I would love to visit Halifax soon, I miss the place. And I deeply miss St. John’s. Someday, someday!
[Reply]
A few shocking statements here – only begininng with your realization that you might love somewhere else more than Newfoundland!! You also have never heard crickets chirping? Aren’t there crickets in Newfoundland? I think that might be my favorite sound in the world. And Newfoundland doesn’t have beaches that you know of – does this mean it’s all cliffs around the perimeter such that beaches can’t exist? Plus, the coyotes, where I’m from they only come out at night – they sleep during the day so we don’t have to watch out for them. Are they not nocturnal there? Lastly, that photo of Pleasant Bay looks like a part of Martha’s Vineyard, minus the mountain in the background. Beautiful!
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:16 am
Nope, no crickets…nor porcupines or skunks, which run rampant here. It’s kinda surreal, and I keep meeting people on my travels and telling them about Newfoundland and they’re always like, “WTF? What is this place?” Hahaha. I have to do a post about it. There are beaches, but most are rocky and not warm. I’ll always be in love with NL though, it’s my life.
[Reply]
I went to Cape Breton last March with my women’s ice hockey team. I live in Los Angeles (yes we have hockey here). It snowed our first night in Sydney and we were all wondering what we’d gotten ourselves into. But holy crap, Cape Breton is now one of my favorite places on earth. I’m trying to convince my husband to go there on vacation in a few months. I met a few Newfoundland people on that trip and really liked them, along with all of the Cape Bretoners. It’s a special place with special people. Enjoy!
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:16 am
Ooh, I hope you do go again! Go during the summer or autumn, winter is a bitch!
[Reply]
That was a shocker, but Cape Breton (I’ve heard, never been) is supposed to be beautiful and your pictures certainly seem to show that. But really who says you can’t have a great (figurative) love affair with some other place like Cape Breton? I’ll still come back to this blog.
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:17 am
Hehe, thanks Alouise! Nothing will ever replace Newfoundland for me, but damn that place was unreal.
[Reply]
I love this post! It makes me smile and I can tell by reading it that you are so happy. Plus, I’m kind of going through the same feelings about life right now, so it’s nice to read about someone experiencing a similair situation.
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:18 am
Thanks, Jade! Glad I’m not alone either, haha. Funny how somewhere so unexpected can make you feel that way, eh?
[Reply]
Oh, Cape Breton is beautiful. I can see why you liked it so much.
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:18 am
Great place to travel solo also, Gray.
Hint hint.
[Reply]
Gorgeous photos!!! I’d never heard of Cape Breton, but now I want to go, especially because Edinburgh is also my favorite city in the world (so far)! It sounds like the kind of place I wouldn’t want to live, with the stores closing so early and everyone knowing everyone, but it sounds like an amazing place for a relaxing getaway like that. I want to go!!!
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:19 am
I’m in total agreement, I don’t think I’d live there because there’s really not much going on there…but nice to have a summer home, maybe. Surprised how deserted it is though, there’s so much space and great property.
[Reply]
That place looks beautiful and peaceful. No wonder you fell in love!
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:20 am
It’s a great place for self-discovery, for sure.
[Reply]
Great pics! Glad you found a moment of happiness in all the stress and overworking.
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:20 am
Thank you, Claire! Hahaha, and I suppose you’re right…even when I had a job, I was stressed.
[Reply]
And ps- even when one DOES know what they are doing next, the terror and stress still stick around
Some days I think I am just treading water to stay afloat!
[Reply]
not gonna lie, totally considered never reading your blog again. you hussy. ;P
I have a particular distrust/distaste for NS/Cape Breton… but I can’t really argue with what you’ve said. However, all the reasons you gave for potentially liking Cape Breton more than NL…. are the same reasons I will always love PEI best. (and if I ever start to think maybe I like NL the best, all I need to do is look at my pictures from the beaches of PEI…
)
Maybe when I kidnap you for a road trip to PEI next summer you’r find that insane happiness again..
In the mean time I’m going to work on reminding you why you want to come home eventually. And by eventually I mean before 2011 arrives. ;P
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:21 am
Maggie, I will always, always return to Newfoundland! Travelling more makes me realize how unique of a place it is. Will do a post about it later. Sometimes you just know where you belong, eh?
[Reply]
maggie Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 8:11 am
very true. i never ever felt as at home in Ontario as I do here
And everytime I visited PEI I was reminded how much I wanted out of Ontario ;P
[Reply]
I’ve wanted to visit Nova Scotia for so long, and this post just make it itch worse. Looks a lot like Scotland to me (which is probably why I want to visit).
I might need to make NS one of my one month visits!
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:21 am
Dammit, come to NL too!
[Reply]
Cape Breton is my favourite place on earth. Mind you, I haven’t travelled every last nook and cranny of the globe, or even close to it, but I dare anywhere to try and lessen my feelings for this magical place… Yeah!
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:21 am
Hahaha Lori, I know the feeling. Oh man.
[Reply]
Nova Scotia means “New Scotland” so I can see how you would fall with both places
but all the same I knew you would fall in love with Cape Breton. As much as I love Newfoundland, Cape Breton will always have my heart ! It’s funny about the crickets, it’s one of the first things I noticed when I moved to Newfoundland, no chirping as I was falling asleep at night. I miss the sound, it’s one of the main reasons why I would go back to CB in the summers when I was in school and not working. Your pictures are making me extremely jealous of you right now though. Next time you go, I am so coming with you !
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 17th, 2010 at 7:22 am
Hahaha yeah, people thought I was ridiculous because I was all, “CRICKETS!! THE CRICKETS!!!” Funny how NL is so different from here.
[Reply]
Umm…are you sure it wasn’t just the stellar company you had with you
“The hills, the hills…my God the hills!”
[Reply]
Candice Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Hahahaha, I`m sure it had something to do with it!
[Reply]
After reading for the last half an hour your post i must say your post has been really informative and well written as i am planning my next outing would be in Cape Breton Island.
Stuart
[Reply]