CAPE BRETON
I can delay no longer the need to put pen to paper [so to speak] and tell as best I can about our experiences here on Cape Breton. The photos can come later. I would be a terrible customer for Snapchat or Instagram……
From time to time most of us will experience that need to wind down from our busy lives in order to attune to the rhythms of a vacation destination. When living and working in London I recall a couple of vacations to St Lucia where upon arrival I was driven almost insane by the very slow pace of life. It would take me an entire week to acclimatize and start to enjoy myself. Cape Breton has a pace of life I would describe as glacial. I am glad that today marks the one month anniversary of our time on the road, it has given us both time to adapt to a slower pace and thus we are enjoying the solitude and quite that you can find here.
We are living a very quiet few days here, doing nothing much but sitting on the small deck of our cottage drinking in the ocean view, the sunsets and the peace and calm. Ben is in seventh heaven, hugely enjoying walks along the beach and swims each day. His activity level and apparent interest in life generally has soared, one very happy dog. Several times in recent days people we meet have said these exact words - “I have never met such a happy dog”. Music to my ears. As I write sitting on the deck, mug of tea at my side Ben is laying out in front on the neatly kept grass surveying the property he now considers his. A few walkers and their dogs pass by and he is on High Alert, they shall not enter our domain without him having something to say about it.
It is now several hours since I penned those paragraphs and Ben is fast asleep in the van after sitting on the deck of a waterside cafe in Cheticamp for lunch. I’m on a voyage of discovery of my own, sitting in a laundromat seeing to almost two weeks worth of laundry! Luckily for me the proprietor is a very helpful soul and after making change actually came along to get the machines up and running for me. I was extremely clueless and very grateful all at the same time. When she is not looking after the likes of me she is power washing and vacuuming cars around the corner. Quite the entrepreneur.
Ben is sleeping because early this morning he wanted to play frisbee and I indulged him. After breakfast the children from next door asked if they could take him to the beach and of course I happily agreed. Off they went, Frisbee in hand - no leash needed in this quiet place. I tended to the van while they were gone, it needed a good tidy up and a shake out of the rugs I have placed inside for Ben. Some time later I looked up to see a very happy, tired and soaking wet dog peering through the cottage doorway at me, his tail slowly swinging from side to side. Shortly afterward Sabrina and Asher appeared and jumped at the chance to towel the old fellow down. He lapped that up and has been pretty quiet the rest of the day.
Internet back up so here are the photos!
THE COTTAGES AT BELLE COTE
THE BEACH
BEN ENJOYING THE SUNSET
ME ENJOYING THE SUNSET!
