OR – how one foot in front of the other and the world shrinks to meet me! OK, that does sound all a bit abstract, but I am struggling to get to the essence of my Camino Nova Scotia!
In July I joined up with 9 strangers and a friend to walk the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail on the southwest coast of Cape Breton. 92 km over 5 days along the seashore, through forests over rivers and streams and by ponds.
Like the Spanish Camino, there was walking day after day, communal sleeping, not in bunks as in an albergue/hostel dormitory but in community halls on the floor on an air mattress and cooking, eating and clean-up together and thus, strangers become Camino friends. And like in Spain, we walked through the countryside and communities. And the history, no Charlemagne and his Spanish battles, but Scottish and French settlers.
And my feet, I am so proud of my feet. They set out morning after morning full of vim and vigour. Often in the mornings, I would walk with the fast ones, getting some kilometres under my belt. Then my doodly dawdly self took over and I would smell the varied and profuse wildflowers, take time for a sketch and sit and watch the ocean or maybe stop at a picnic table with others from the group and just hang out. So by the end of the day, I would be one of the last to arrive.
Like the others Caminos, and of course life, there are bits among the beauty that can be somewhat of a slog. The Celtic Shore trail is a former railway line and when, towards the end of the day, you can see the path absolutely straight into the distance, you sigh and plough on.
We started in Port Hasting, just by the Canso causeway connecting Cape Breton to mainland Nova Scotia and ending in Inverness – home of the world-famous golf course. These are both towns, but in between it is mostly countryside with houses spaced out in villages with wonderful names such as Judique, Mabou, Creignish. Scattered around are churches, a community building, maybe an arena, restaurants, and cafes. And in these places, there will be music. Because in Cape Breton it is so much about the Gaelic language, and fiddlers and bagpipe players, singers, drummers, guitar players, dancers and storytellers and taking part and joining in and having fun. And the people really are friendly.
I had difficulty finding my bearings and centre in all these scattered communities. Where were the people and where was it happening? Then I started to feel my way around. I would see little notices in stores or the odd notice board about live music, a Cèilidh, a dance, all are welcome, children free in a hall or local building that looked all closed up but that would obviously spring to life come the time. And then I saw the depth and excellence of this culture, as in Creignish which is Ashley MacIsaac’s home and in Mabou, the Red Shoe pub belongs to the Rankin sisters. So those kilometres, the flowers, and the music all cuddled around me to make me feel so welcome. Thank you, Cape Breton.