Guest Author - Erin Caslavka

I suppose if you live in Europe, the idea of traveling from one country to another is relatively matter-of-fact. But here in the US, our closest neighboring countries are Mexico and Canada – and neither one is particularly accessible unless you happen to live at the extreme southern or northern borders.

So imagine how enchanted I was on a recent trip to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, when I was able to drive along the Cabot Trail and pass from an area of the province that is decidedly Scottish and into the town of Cheticamp - which is most definitely French.

Entering the village of Cheticamp, you can tell right away that you are no longer in “New Scotland,” for instead of signs in English only, the billboards and roadside stands provided names and information in both French and English. Along the road, the flag of French Canada flapped proudly in the wind, and “Bienvenue” was the word on proprietors’ lips. The French Canadians, or Acadians, were the original settlers of this area, and though most of them were expelled by the British in the 1700s, some remained. Their descendants are the current inhabitants of Cheticamp.

Although the village is small, there’s a plethora of things to see and do. Begin your visit with a stop at Les Trois Pignons (The Three Gables), which is a center of activity for the community. Inside you’ll find displays containing memorabilia of the area compiled by La Societe Saint-Pierre. There’s a genealogy center on site (Le Pere Charles Aucoin Genealogy Centre), and an extensive collection of hooked rugs created by Elizabeth LeFort.

Rug hooking is an extremely important part of the cultural heritage of the region, and even today it’s still a strong tourist draw. Whether through purchasing some of the locally-made hooked rugs, or learning how to make them, visitors infuse currency into the area. Weeklong tours are held during the months of May and June wherein you can learn all the basic aspects of rug hooking: preparing and dying the wool, tracing patterns, the set-up of frames, beginning and advanced techniques, and rug finishing. (The June tour is taught only in French, however.)

Also of interest is the Co-op Artisanale, where you can purchase souvenirs (including rugs), walk through a downstairs mini-museum, or eat at the Acadian Restaurant where waitresses in traditional costumes serve you. Aucoin’s Bakery is the place to stop for Acadian-style meat pies, teas and coffees, as well as homemade pastries, and you shouldn’t miss a brief tour of the interior of the beautiful L’Eglise St. Pierre, a church built in 1893 of stone taken from Cheticamp Island.

Cheticamp Island is tiny, but a lovely destination for a horseback ride, which you’ll begin in town before venturing over to the “wilder side” of the area. In the summertime, you might be lucky enough to witness whales off the shoreline, as well as seals and seabirds.

To round off your voyage into this slice of French culture, you could continue your drive to the south end of Cape Breton, and make your way to the Auberge Acadienne Inn. With rooms in both the inn as well as an adjoining motel-style building, the accommodations echo French country charm. There’s also an on-site restaurant and fireplace bar, and the property boasts outdoor picnic tables and Adirondack chairs for enjoying the surrounding scenery.

So even though we North Americans still need to make our way into a corner of Canada, it’s nevertheless exciting to be able to travel effortlessly from one culture to another – and all within the same day!