The ship arrived in Badduck, Nova Scotia (Home of Alexander Graham Bell) this morning in beautiful sunny weather. Environment Canada had posted a yellow thunderstorm alert for the afternoon, but there was no sign of inclement weather.

We took the “Heritage Highlights” tour, which brought us to Bailenan Gàidheal Highland Village, a living history museum located in Iona. It tells the story of the Scots who came to Nova Scotia in hopes of a better life (many of them were destitute because of the Highland Clearances in Scotland), and features “animators” (re-enactors) in many of their buildings.

It was about a one-hour drive from Baddeck through some very pretty country along the Bras d’Or, including a ferry ride. I’d borrowed an Olympus OM-1 from the ship’s camera collection and was desperately trying to teach myself how it worked, so I took fewer photos from the bus than I might normally have done.

You tour the village on foot, starting with Scotland (1830) and visiting Nova Scotia at different periods. The walk is very enjoyable, and interacting with the “residents” was educational.

I would have liked more time in the village, but we had a lunch date at the Frolic n’Folk Pub. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the food; I didn’t try any of their beers, which was a missed opportunity!

When we left the restaurant, I began to have more faith in Environment Canada’s forecast.

We retraced our path to Baddeck as the clouds got slowly darker.

It started raining just as the bus let us off, about 200 yards from the ship. By the time we got to the ship, we were seriously wet…and by the time we got to our room, there was thunder and lightning and serious rain and wind. The ship’s satellite Internet even went down!

We had hoped to visit the Alexander Graham Bell museum nearby after our tour, but by the time the weather cleared, it was too late. Instead, we enjoyed a concert of Cape Breton Celtic music from Derrick Cameron, Melody Cameron, and Bryan Doyle.

And we got to see Bell’s estate, Beinn Bhreagh, during dinner.

We were also treated to a lovely moonrise – so lovely that three of us jumped up to go outside and take photos.

It was a beautiful day, even with a bit of rain.

We reached Saint-Pierre et Miquelon about noon local time (UTC-2, half an hour ahead of Newfoundland, even though we sailed west to get here). We docked at the cruise ship port, about a five-minute ride from the town of Saint-Pierre.

We took a Zodiac to Île aux Marins (the Island of Fishermen), which used to support a thriving population of fishermen and their families. Today, it’s a “ghost island”, with a few inhabitants during the summer and no one living there during the winter.

There are no cars on the island, but there is a parking lot!

The main (well, only) industry on Île aux Marins was cod fishing…until it wasn’t; the last full-time inhabitants left in 1963. Our guide Michael pointed out a “cod-drying” field; the cod was dried on the rocks, which left it in good condition.

Every summer, there is a soccer camp on the island; the kids stay in this house, which was built in 1863 as a nursery school.

I could see the church and cemetery in the distance.

I was surprised to see new construction on the island – someone is an optimist!

We visited the laundry, which was built in the late 19th century. There was no running water on the island, but there was a spring just outside the laundry. Until it was built, the residents (well, the women) had to take their washing to Saint-Pierre by dory!

We spent a good amount of time visiting the cemetery and the church.

The school (built in 1863, closed in 1963) has been converted into a museum, filled with artifacts from the island’s life.

The island has adopted the motto of the city of Paris, “Fluctuat nec Mergitur”, which translates as “he is rocked by waves but does not sink”.

We returned to the ship and took a bus to Saint-Pierre.

We were told we’d like the Heritage Museum; it’s overflowing with interesting exhibits (some had English signage) and artifacts telling the story of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon since its settlement.

Bootlegging was an important part of the economy during Prohibition in the US, and it got its share of attention in the museum.

After we’d finished with the museum, we wandered around the city; most of the shops were closed, so we didn’t wander very long.

We left Saint-Pierre et Miquelon just before dinner. I’d like to see it again on a brighter, less rainy day.