I headed east, then southeast, east, northeast, the east some more until I hit the causeway to Cape Breton Island. Then northeast again, except for temporary reversal of direction coming off of Kelly's Mountain. Funny, I stopped at a look-off at the top. It was so hazy that I didn't even pull the camera out, but I did notice a green bridge across a section of Bras D'or Lake that was down, and back to the west. Little did I know that the road I was on would loop back, down, and go across that bridge. I'm fascinated by bridges, and I would have happily stopped to share the view with my camera. Nope, not going to happen. It was a two-lane bridge, no shoulders, no pedestrians allowed. Do you ever want to ignore the "no pedestrians" rules?
The road was far enough inland that I couldn't see the water most of the day. The scenery changed from farmland to rolling forested hills, ups, downs, I caught a glimpse of the water as the road edged around and down, and then a sign jumped out to make me smile. Danger, watch for blowing snow. Hmm... no snow today!
I knew that the connection from mainland Nova Scotia to Cape Breton is referred to as a causeway, but somehow that didn't click for me. I kept thinking bridge. The connection is mainly a land connection, finishing with a short bridge section that swings out to allow passage for boats. That passage is the Canso Canal, a structure that was completed in 1955. The causeway supports wheeled vehicles and trains, and the canal allows passage of the same ships that travel the St. Lawrence Seaway.
I stopped in Baddeck to stretch, to walk a bit, to take in some views of Bras D'Or Lake.
The end of the road today wasn't too far past Baddeck, just under an hours drive. My home for the night? At the Harbourfront B&B in North Sydney, up the hill from the port. As I sat on the back porch this afternoon, I could see a ferry docking, nose lifting, unloading.
The sight of the ship pulled me toward the harbor, to walk, to explore. I wandered into what appeared – from a cradle to hold a ship - to be a repair facility. What caught my eye there? piles of rusted parts. chains, buckets, gears. Even rust can be beautiful.
Tomorrow? A ferry beckons, the MV Atlantic Vision. Please add your wish to mine for a quiet sea!
