visitCanada.in : Visit Canada - May 22: Halifax to Baddeck, Nova Scotia

May 22: Halifax to Baddeck, Nova Scotia

Today was an incredibly warm day, almost 30 degrees in Halifax. We started with a bit of breakfast at the Garden View B&B, then spent the morning exploring downtown Halifax. Walking across the Commons park area, we meandered down to the harbour front, which wasn't all that exciting, at least this early in the season. We followed the boardwalk then made our way up Spring Gardens where many of the really cool and funky shops were, including a great candy store called Sweet Janes.

It was then time to have lunch before starting out drive up to Cape Breton Island, so we made our way to Heartwood Bakery and Cafe. On our way, we came across (apparently) the only downtown city centre riding stable in Canada. We were fortunate to find a helpful rider who actually gave us a complete tour of the stables, the indoor riding arena and the outdoor ring; very unusual to see a horse riding school right downtown! And not to be outdone, before reaching our lunch destination, we spent some time in Halifax's public gardens, which are very beautifully designed and maintained.

Halifax public gardens

So... finally off to Heartwood, where we had an incredibly tasty and filling lunch. Elizabeth had the picnic-inspired hummous sandwich, coleslaw with sesame dressing and dill potatos; I had the vegan pizza made on a kamut crust, which was far more creative and delicious than it may seem!

All full and barely able to stay awake, we packed our things, left Garden View and began the drive to Baddeck, the gateway to the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island. We met our host Denise and the Bell View B&B, and it really is a great view. Nestled with a view of the Bras D'Or Lake, the largest saltwaker lake in the world, the room was spacious and elegantly appointed. Time for a good night's sleep for the big race day!