Day 26 - Louisbourg

Day 26 – Louisbourg
Today Leo went to check out the Fortress of Louisbourg for picture taking positions during the festivities happening this weekend.

I stayed behind and went for a walk up to the lighthouse which is across the harbour from the fortress. This was a 4 km walk each way but worth every drop of sweat. Finally I got to see and hear the REAL Atlantic Ocean. I wanted to stay all day and just sit there and listen to the sounds, like the rocks being pulled back by the waves, the waves breaking against the rocks, and just the water moving up and down. The tide was coming in and hitting the rocks and splashing up against them. At times I was there all by myself. But I had to go back as no one knew where I had gone. Leo knew I was going for a walk and so did Jeanne but not where. I will have to go back, by car, and just spend the whole day watching the ocean and I think Leo will want to go there as well to take pictures. We may end up staying here longer after all.

Leo went to the Fortress today for the first time. He was tremendously impressed with both the French accomplishment in building this to begin with during the 17th century, and also with the people who reconstructed a good segment of it from scratch during the late 1950s. He was most unimpressed by the English who totally obliterated this marvelous place a few years after the second seige. There is a tremendous amount to be seen here, and the quality of the reconstruction is outstanding. It truly does provide a very credible glimpse into life at the fortress just prior to the second siege of it in 1758, the 250th anniversary of which is being celebrated this weekend. Unfortunately, Leo lost track of time and was home much later than his wife was expecting, as a result of which he is decidedly in the doghouse at the moment. Only time will tell whether he will be able to work his way out of it before the vacation ends.

Some of the pictures on which he lost track of time can be seen here.