Summer Sounds of Music

“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain” Bob Marley

With warming temperatures, sunny skies and a fresh breeze we sailed from Lunenburg and into the Bras d’Or Lakes of Cape Breton with a 2 night stop in St. Peters and 2 nights in Canso, the home of the Stan Roger’s music festival.

What an entrance to the Bras d’Or Lakes. Only one lock at St Peter’s canal and in 10 minutes we popped into the Bras d’Or Lakes – painless and a relief. Out of the constant easterly Atlantic swell and into the flat calm waters of the Lake.

We were now in Cape Breton. First stop St. Peter’s Lions Club Marina! Two nights with cool gray weather but warm greetings from staff at the marina and a rousing music session around the lounge in the evening. Our first introduction to the fiddle soaked land of northern Nova Scotia. Just a casual get together on a Wednesday night with one fiddler, one singer, five guitars and one squeezebox player.

Time was running out. We were trying to get to Baddeck to rendevous with a few members of Connie’s family so the push was on to move over to the northwestern part of the Bras d’Or Lakes.

Baddeck – a town of perhaps 3,000 in the summer and probably a few hundred in the winter! Baddeck, from the water, is tucked in behind Kidstone Island. It has a government wharf, albeit small, and a small marina, Baddeck Marina.

The town’s major economic driver is tourism and the large number of Americans who come to sumer homes in the area.

Baddeck was home to Alexander Graham Bell and there is a Bell Museum. Bell’s home can be seen on a hill in the distance and talking to one of his relatives the home is still furnished and even has paperwork spread out on desks as it was when he died. The home was once open to the public but no longer as the family has been known to say there were too many artifacts taken so keeping it open as a museum was not in the cards

Settling into Baddeck life has been easy despite having no public transportation and no rental cars. There’s much to see in the surrounding area but much we can’t see due to restrictive transportation. There are no cars to rent and little public transportation.

That hasn’t stopped us though. Being in the heart of Cape Breton music country we have taken advantage of attending caleidhs, theatres and other musical events.

The best so far has been a visit to The Barn in Margaree, 30km from Baddeck to see Ashley MacIsaac and friends.

How to get there – Hitchhike…

Connie hitching a ride outside her favourite Cape Breton restaurant

Yes, even 70 (or close to) year old people can hitchhike. We got lots of great stares, fast cars roaring by, slow downs for looking but no pick up and, inevitably, a pick up that got us down the road.

On the way we had three rides. Met some locals who we now see at the Baddeck market on Wednesdays, some out of town strangers who drove us further than they were going as we ‘sang for our rides” i.e. we told stories as we really can’t sing. We even had a chance to stop at the Dancing Goat for lunch before getting to our destination.

Our destination was Normaway Inn. The Normaway Inn is 3 km up a country road in the Margaree Valley. It’s also the location of The Barn, a magnet for performing musicians. It’s literally a barn but for many years has been used for performers of all ages and types to put on small concerts. The Barn can seat about 100 + many more standing.

Ashley MacIsaac played a couple of sets – just himself and a piano player. Great reels, jigs and Irish songs. Energetic, excellent fiddler and a great raconteur. Ashley started playing at the Barn when he was 12 so he knows the people and the area and he was never short of anecdotes.

After playing the sets it was time to dance. The chairs were pushed aside, the floor cleared, a caller identified and the barn dance was on! What a hoot – not to say square dancing is my thing but we certainly had fun.

Calling it quits we spent the night at NormAway Inn. Highly recommended. Lovely hospitality, decent food and a lovely setting. A hearty breakfast saw us on our way. Not having much luck with hitchhiking the back country roads we walked 3 km to the main road and were soon picked up by a couple from Sydney who dropped us back at Baddeck Marina.

A great 2 day excursion off the boat.

Normaway Inn – main lodge

The Barn