Glenora Distillery and the Cabot Trail

588

11 October 2012

R. Linda:

So ever onward we drove to our next destination, Glenora Distillery. We were staying at the Distillery and I had wanted to stay in one of the chalets on the hillside overlooking the Distillery, but the wife was having none of it. Therefore, I booked one of the nine rooms in the Distillery complex. I think once me wife saw that room, she wished we had the chalet. Ours was a typical hotel room. No charm whatsoever like the inns that she was spoiled from.

As we drove into the Cape Breton area we noticed for the first time small mountains, and farms. It was a totally different landscape from the south which was mostly forests and small villages. The weather had cleared as we went, and I'd stop for the occasional scenic photo but mostly we drove without incident. What we did notice was a lot of this:

This and THIS (see below)

Do you think winters might be harsh?

Anyway, the scenery was a welcome change because a farmhouse now and then meant PEOPLE! So if we broke down we weren't out in the middle of nowhere. Yet, I will say each farm was a distance so if that did happen it would be quite the hike for yours truly.

In the early afternoon, we pulled into the Glenora Distillery for an overnight stay, a whiskey tour and a pleasant dinner.

 

Entrance to Glenora Distillery (Looks impressive enough)

The distillery nestled in the hills

 

The bridge to our accommodations

 

Glenora Distillery Courtyard

The ivy-covered building where lunch and dinner are served

Speaking of lunch, that was the first thing I wanted as it was around 1 in the afternoon. So we left our bags and Tonya took no pictures of the room because, "Looks like a hotel," so off we went which thrilled me because this picture-taking stuff meant I waited outside with the luggage (usually) while she snapped away. This time none of that, so me stomach was all happiness it was about to get fed.

Because it was a late lunch there were not too many people in the dining room which Tonya described as a display room you'd find in Ikea. Yes, she's very hard on things once living the high life and being reduced to . . . well Ikea ::::cough::::

We were seated immediately and subject, yes subject as the wife put it, to non-stop live Celtic music. It was lively stuff I'll give them that, but it was constant. I thought something was up when after the first of a thousand songs was done, the applause was bordering on non-existent. Tonya was the only one who clapped like she liked the music after the first six songs, and then after that, she was in the polite applause group. I was too busy eating delicious pulled pork on a pretzel roll to be able to put my hands together.

I think the trouble with this was, that it seemed like a Sunday music practise session and it was loud. You couldn't hear any chat for the volume let alone think about conversation. This was one of those rare times I think piped-in soft music would have been the thing.

The Ikea-like bar and dining area - mobile phone shot so excuse the blur

When lunch was over it was just US. Everyone else had finished and left. As we started our exit, I noticed a spittoon and realised this was for tip money for the musicians. Unfortunately, I had paid by credit card and had no change but American. I decided as soon as I could change some bills I'd be back and throw in a donation so the joy could continue. I felt terrible about walking passed the two of them without mentioning I'd be back, but it couldn't be helped, they were playing, and the wife wanted out and it was out we went. When I did go back the music was ended, the place empty and the spittoon gone. I was told they'd be back later so I'd get my chance. This left me thinking later we had reservations for dinner, and oh my God, if Tonya had to listen to this all over again, me head would be served on a platter to the music gods.
                                                                                             

Two-Man Band

In the meantime, between lunch and dinner, we got our tickets for the whiskey tour. We were the only two and the tour started until about ten people showed up late. The interesting thing was the tour guide had told us quite a bit and we were about to move on when these late-comers appeared. He decided to give them an abbreviated version of what he already had expounded upon. There was one gent (who obviously likes his tours fully packed and who said, "That's it?") who was ignored as we moved on!

This tour guide talked more about Scotch than Canadian whiskey. Weasil and Wolfie's fav Scottish iodine (Laphroaig) was touted as the peatiest flavoured of all Scotch and spoken of often. The tour was the shortest distillery tour we'd ever been on (and that same gent muttered, "You're telling us this is it? End of tour?"), so that gave us plenty of time to travel up the Cabot Trail to see the sights. As Tonya said, "Seen one distillery, seen em' all."

A few shots of the distillery from the tour:

                                                                               

Look down at the works

                                                                                   

The room at the top

                                                                     

We drove through a wee bit of farmland and we could see the ocean through the trees as we reached Inverness. We kept up and were rewarded with magnificent views. I saw a couple on an open space and realised we could drive down to the sea not view it from the distance which was the usual way we did, as there was no easy access. I had seen a sign for a cemetery and started down the road toward it. Yes, another gravel road that when I turned onto it, had the wife in a tizzy I was taking her to a cemetery. Oh my God, the woman! As I made our way down the road there was a sign that asked respect for the terrain, no littering and such, and as I got to the end of the road, the vista that awaited us was worth the wifey mouth off. Even she had stopped yapping and was sitting there stunned.

Simply a lovely setting but windy . . . very

The ocean was loud and the wind just buffed us around like we were paper dolls

                                                                                       

The usual church in the distant cove

                       My fav shot was as we got nearer to the water you could see how stirred up it was

We did go to the edge here and were almost blown over, but the strange was, we were high up, but the sea looked higher

The colours in the water were very stark in person, this photo catches a wee bit of that

Another favourite picture of the sun beginning to set

Shot of looking over the edge, we were on our bellies doing this since the wind was so strong

Another shot looking down

The last one reminded me of Dingle in Ireland

I had to wonder about Ms. Tonya, after trying to give me a heart attack with the sleepwalking, then trying to get me to back meself almost into a raging tidal surge, she says to me "Here, take the camera and lean over the edge of the cliff. You'll get spectacular shots on the way down," and then she laughed. Yes, she did. As you so rightly put it later, SHE'D be the one with spectacular shots of the mess below. SIGH.

We arrived back at the distillery just in the nick to change for dinner. When I had gone back to leave the tip I was told the music wouldn't start until 8. It was 7 so I was hopeful of a peaceful dinner.

 

The dining room

Dinner was not what we had at DesBarres Manor, but it was better than expected. It was gourmet and presented nicely. We sipped Glen Breton Rare 10 Year after dessert and enjoyed it. Just as we were served the whiskey, a bagpipe sounded from the room where we had luncheon. Tonya looked startled, but the good thing was, the walls buffered the loudness so it was slightly louder than the usual background music (by a tad) and she could live with that.

Little did we know the next day would be the adventure of our trip. A complete mishap that could have gotten us injured or worse dead. And it was all my fault! Yes, me kids don't call me Mr. Adventure for nothing!

Gabe
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