Day Four Churches and Lighthouses

We got a bit of a late start today but it was raining so we didn't mind.  We left the town of Digby and started down the highway toward Yarmouth.  Years ago Lynda and her husband at that time purchased a piece of property in Nova Scotia so we were on a mission to try to find it after being away for about 35 years.

We turned off the highway at Weymouth and drove down back roads looking for Sissiboo Road.  After driving for about 10 minutes we found the piece of property but the people she was looking for were not home. She left and note hoping that they might call her.

We left the main highway and took the Evangeline Trail, Highway 1 which winds down the western coast of Nova Scotia.  Our first stop was at St Bernard's church which was built from 1910 to 1942 by local people.  This area was settled by the Acadians so there is very little English in any of the write-ups about this area.

St Bernard's Church

The Main Altar.

This is a huge impressive church that you come upon around a curve.  It was raining very hard so the pictures are dark.

Our next stop was Church Point.  The Church of Sainte Marie is North America's largest wooden church.  

Sainte Marie Church

There is a huge museum is this church with many old artifacts.  It needs a lot of repairs and they are afraid that they may have to sell some of the artifacts to help pay for the repairs.

A beautiful Altar.

Further down the road we came upon the town of Saulnierville here we found Sacre-Coeur Church.  Another very impressive church.

Sacre-Coeur Church.

This church is painted yellow so it is hard to miss while driving down the road.

It was getting to be 2 pm so we needed to look for lunch.  There were no stores or restaurants on this road and then we spotted a Tim's.  Lunch at Tim's it was.

At the town of St Alphonse we found another church St Alphonse Church.  We went in and found a group of people enjoying an afternoon of singing hymns 

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St Alphonse Church

Inside the church is a grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Our Lady of Lourdes. 

This is all hand carved.  There were also large murals on the walls painted by local artists.

Travelling down the road we came upon Cape St Mary and the Lighthouse, high on a hill overlooking the harbour.

Cape St Mary Lighthouse

Fishing Boats in the Harbour.

The tide was coming in.  

It was very foggy and raining.

We finally made our way to Yarmouth.  Since it was Sunday the quilt shops were closed and it looked like the town had "rolled up the sidewalks".  There didn't seem to be anyone in town.

We found the Information centre and asked the attendants what would be something of interest if we only had time for one thing and they directed us to the Cape Forchu Lighthouse.  We drove out to an island at the furthest end of Yarmouth.  At one point we took a wrong turn and ended up in a dead end in someones driveway.  We got straightened around and put the lighthouse into the car's GPS and seemed to drive forever but then we saw it in the fog.

Cape Forchu Lighthouse.

Also referred to as "The Beacon to Canada"

The false harbour

That is why this lighthouse was so important.

Time to make our way back to Digby so we took the main highway which was a direct route with no sightseeing.

Tomorrow we travel north to Truro and hope to be able to spend some time watching the tide come in.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will drive out of the rain.

Peggy