Bich's Canadian adventures: Tuesday

Rain woke us up Tuesday morning, so we rushed out and got to work taking down the tent.

Behind me, the vast farmland next to our site

Tide's in

Through pouring rain, we headed back to Nova Scotia and toward my next surprise for Rich (which he totally ruined by going through my travel folder, which I always carry on trips, and he knows better). It was about four hours away. I knew it was remote, but dang. This was remote.

We arrived in Advocate Harbour, found the signs for Cape D'Or Lighthouse, drove some pretty rocky dirt roads, and parked at the top of the hill. Turns out, Canadian park rangers were there doing lighthouse maintenance, so it put our host behind on the day, cleaning up the guesthouse and kitchen. Even he didn't have many suggestions for where we could go for a few hours, considering the rain and fog that had rolled in, meaning we couldn't enjoy all of the parks around.

And, of course, the closest restaurant was closed on Tuesdays. Figures.

We drove. And drove. And passed this place a few times before I saw a "cafe" sign, so we stopped and were ready to eat the shingles off any willing building.

We discovered Age of Sail in Port Greville (population: not many), a little museum dedicated to Nova Scotia's once-booming boat-building industry. They welcomed us, made us some sandwiches, and we perused the museum.

It's the kind of side trip that makes you glad you stopped -- unexpected, unexpectedly fun and interesting, and, as we like to say, it makes for a great story.

Behind the museum, where boats were made on the water
(low tide)

Boat-making tools

The new building at the complex
 is made in the shape of a boat hull.

It was the perfect rainy-day activity. The staff was so nice and full of information; even the teen running the cafe was a delightful chat.

We finally figured we could head to our evening activities, so we went back to the lighthouse. (I also highly recommend checking out this site, which really shows off the beauty. And better photography skills.)

This is at the top of the hill. You cannot drive down ...
so your luggage better not be too cumbersome.
I warned Rich. He did not listen.

Like ... where are we going???

The view on the hike down

Here it is: lighthouse, gatekeeper's kitchen, guesthouse (behind us).

Guesthouse

On the lighthouse grounds

When we arrived the second time, we kept hearing
what sounded like a ship's horn -- but nope.
It was the automatic fog warning system. And it was loud.

Very Cliffs of Moher. A long way down from where we stood.

The lightkeeper's kitchen

Rocky paths lead down from the lighthouse toward
the rocks. One wrong step ...

The Dory Rips, where three tidal paths meet.
This picture doesn't do the violence any justice.
Some of these waves are 90-degree angles.

We were ready to contemplate dinner. So after heading to the guesthouse -- where we met a fantastic couple from Minnesota who really like wine, too -- we literally walked to the restaurant, said, "Hey, when's dinner?" and the host (and his waitress) said, "What time do you want to eat?" There's something liberating about not being tied to a schedule, a formal reservation. We said we'd be back in half an hour, headed back to the house and just ... sat. Relaxed.

Our host has been running the site for 13 years. He keeps it fresh and simple, and the guesthouse is perfectly cozy. There are four guest rooms; two share a bathroom. Ours was across the hall. It was all so clean and unadorned. Every once in a while, we got a glimpse of the ocean from our room, but not often.

Dinnertime.

The restaurant is open to just dinnergoers, though it's clearly the kind of spot where you want to be staying for the night.

Caesar salad. Really good. When we stopped by the place
early in the day, Darcy, our host, wondered out loud, "I
wonder if I have time to make croutons tonight." He did.
So glad.

Prawns and Italian sausage with Mediterranean pasta, with sun-dried
tomatoes, artichokes, potatoes, spinach, garlic, onions and herbs

Pan-seared salmon on greens with herbed potatoes
and broccoli

Bottle of wine with fruit crisp (blueberries, raspberries,
blackberries and rhubarbs) topped with an
oatmeal/brown sugar topping with ice cream.
Oh, yum.

Darcy keeps dinner simple -- one starter, choice of two entrees, fresh dessert, one white and one red wine choice, and a few beers. It's based on what he finds at the market that day, what he's gotten good at making -- and it was really good.

As dinner came to a close, we all realized the fog had moved out, and the moon was making an appearance. I don't know if I've ever seen such a beautiful night. We bought another bottle and headed out for the grounds.

Lighthouse and restaurant

Our very cozy, very comfortable room.

We stayed up and talked in the living room with our fellow guests; Darcy had told us all that he would be up and at the lighthouse early because once a year, the sun rises through Cape Split, creating the perfect sunrise. We were there on the right date, he thought. So we set the alarms, finished our bottles of wine, and went to bed, listening to the waves again.