June 28th, 2025

 

  June 28th, 2025  Mabou to  Broad Cove Campground on the Cabot Trail 

  We went to the Red Shoe last night for great fiddle/piano/guitar music.  Knowing that the music started at 7:30 and tables filled quickly, we decided on an early dinner and had great seats.  People were lined up outside the door for the music venue, and we told that staff that we would be happy to share our table of four.  The first two ladies who joined us were retirees from Vancouver, Iris and Margaret.  They stayed for dinner and then left for another music venue in town. The staff came and asked us if we were willing to share our table again.  This time we were joined by Bonnie and Carl, a couple in their late 40s from Toronto. They were fun!  Several locals entertained us with step dancing.  By 9:30 we decided to head back to the RV as fireworks were going off at a nearby beach.   I will try to upload some videos of dancing later.  

The Red Shoe

Our original plan  was to go to the Doryman in Chiticamp for music, but we arrived in town so early, we continued on to the Cabot Trail. The trail is a scenic 298 km highway loop on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.  It's named after the explorer John Cabot who led the first European expedition to North America in 1497.  While he didn't explore this specific area, his voyages paved the way for European settlement and the naming of the trail in his honor.  

The Gaelic people in Nova Scotia are primarily descendants of Scottish Highlanders and islanders who immigrated to the province between 1773 and 1855.  They brought with them their language, and a rich culture that continues to influence Nova Scotia today.  While Gaelic is no longer widely spoken, there are still an estimated 2,000 speakers in the province  Kitchen parties (Ceilidhs) pronounced kay-lees, are a popular way to experience Gaelic culture, with music dancing and story-telling.