The Puffins on Bird Islands in Cape Breton

Perhaps the most fun Jen and I had when in Cape Breton recently was on the boat trip to Bird Islands to see the Puffins and other birds.  We toured with Donelda's Puffin Boat Trip, and I highly recommend this tour if you are ever in Cape Breton.  Donelda was the perfect tour guide, and she and her husband Captain John  know just the right places to go to see the birds.

We enjoyed the scenery while waiting for the boat to come in.

Get your tickets and souvenirs in this little shed.  

Lots of lobstering in the area. 

Enjoying the view across the bay while waiting for our boat to come in. 

While on board Donelda threw fish overboard and the eagles came in to devour them.

Eagle coming in when it sees the boat. 

Eagle diving for fish. 

Those eagles know when to look for Donelda's boat.

Jen on deck.

Jen enjoyed the trip from out on the deck.

Puffin swimming.  (Photo from Donelda's Boat Tours.)

Puffin taking off.  (Photo from Donelda's Boat Tours.) 

We saw lots of seals and puffins.  I wasn't able to get good photos of the puffins or seals.  The puffins were so fast in the water.  So I've snagged some from Donelda's Puffin Boat Tour.

Gadding About in Nova Scotia with my Friend Jeanette

Our house in Marble Mountain as seen from our beach.

A few weeks ago my friend Jeanette traveled with me to our place in Cape Breton.  It was the first trip to Eastern Canada for Jeanette, and we tried to take in a lot of sights.

The first of the trip was very frustrating because we missed our connection from Toronto to Halifax because of bad weather and we were stuck in the Toronto Airport for most of a day.  I used this as an opportunity to introduce Jeanette to Tim Horton's, Canada's Krispy Kreme.  The maple frosted donuts are particularly tasty.

Maple frosted donuts. 

We spent a few days along the South Shore of Nova Scotia.  Blue Rocks, Mahone Bay, and Peggy's Cove are all worthy of a visit.

Blue Rocks. 

St. James Anglican Church in Mahone Bay.

Mahone Bay on the South Shore.

Peggy's Lighthouse. 

Dan's cousin Bruce and his wife Becky provided us lodging for the one night we were in Halifax.  It's always fun to see them, and we especially enjoyed their three Huskies.

The Huskies. 

Our main visit was to Cape Breton and our place in Marble Mountain.  It is such a pretty place that we need not have ventured away from there, but we did make a few day trips.

Full moon over the Lake with reflection on our pond.

St. Peter's is a pretty little town on the east coast of CB and has several little restaurants that I like to frequent.  While in that area we drove over to Isle Madame and enjoyed the scenic views from the Acadian Villages.

Jen and Christene having lunch in St. Peter's. 

Isle Madame

Jeanette is a native of Australia, so a trip to Sydney, Nova Scotia was certainly on the agenda.  On the way over there is a lovely view from Kelly's Mountain looking down on the Seal Island Bridge that we traverse to reach Sydney.  A main attraction at the Sydney Port is the Giant Fiddle.

The Seal Island Bridge that we crossed to get to Sydney.

The Giant Fiddle in Sydney, NS. 

I believe Jeanette's favorite part of the trip was the visit to Bird Islands.  (Check back later for a blog on just the Bird Islands.)

Jen on the boat to Bird Islands. 

The last day we went to the Cabot Links Golf Course over in Inverness and up the Cabot Trail for just a bit.  A trip all the way round the Cabot Trail will have to wait for another time.

Looking out over the Cabot Links Golf Course. 

I hope I have whetted Jen's appetite for more trips to the Maritimes of  Eastern Canada for she is a gungho travel companion.