Thursday 22^nd November

This morning Vivian cooked us an omelette to set us on our way as our day was looking quite busy.  Unsure as to how long it would take to reach certain points on the island, we wanted to allow enough time to appreciate the scenery and call into any interesting looking places before winding our way back home.

The drive to North Cape was suggested as a route that provided plenty of scenery as well as being an easy drive.  We meandered along and found lovely homes set back from the road in the middle of a huge green lawn. We lost count of the number of white wooden churches which also seemed to be kept in immaculate condition.

We dropped into a working woolen mill where Bob was able to purchase a lovely scarf and beanie.  It seemed to be a small operation and the owner told us they primarily export their finished products to Japan. 

Upon our arrival at North Cape we found some interpretive signs which gave a good overview of the many windfarms which dotted the point. This site is managed by the Wind Energy Institute of Canada which is a not for profit, independent research and testing institute. Its mission is to advance the development of wind energy across Canada. It has access to a multi-seasoned wind resource making it an excellent choice for testing wind systems of any size. We were able to see part of one of the wind generators at ground level which gave us an idea of the enormity of these “windmill” type structures.

North Cape is famous for its natural rock reef where the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait meet. We understood that offshore lies the longest natural rock reef in North America, where at low tide it is possible to walk for about one kilometer off shore, but in the throes of winter the water freezes into ice – such a contrast.

Upon arrival back at our hosts home we were greeted with a fully lit and Christmas decorated house.  It was so welcoming and we are now really thinking that Christmas is getting so much closer.