Maritimes: Louisbourg Fortress

 Sunday morning, we drove to the Louisbourg Fortress, a living history site set in 1744 before the English first took over the fort from the French. We enjoyed exploring the fortress and learning about its history. Workers generally greeted us with "Bonjour, hello." Me would often answer in French which sometimes confused people. One man, after Me had responded to him in French multiple times, asked if he should speak in English or French (question asked in French). Me responded (in French) that English would be better for the family.

This cemetery was in a pretty setting. See the lighthouse across the way? It is super tiny!

And there is the Louisbourg Fortress. It looks quite imposing!

Our car found its sibling. (They are both FSH47x9 license plates!)

Fancy chickens

Hello goose!

A cool contraption in the engineer's home that uses a clock type mechanism to rotate a stake in front of the fire. The speed of rotation is controlled based on the attachment used.

The kitchen in the engineer's home.

Sitting room

Dining room. The engineer had a stuffed puffin in his office.

Well

Soldier shooting a musket.

Me and U with the soldier. He told us all about the life of a solder including the clothes they wore and the weapons they carried (swords were just for show). They would work 1 day in 3. During the 24 hours they were on duty, the rotated between 4 different types of work (guard, patrol, upkeep tasks like weeding and landscaping and resting-but not sleeping) with 2 hour blocks for each type of work. It sounded exhausting! There would be three people assigned to a two person bed in the barracks since one of the three was always on duty. Soldiers often got jobs in the town on their days off to supplement their (low) military wages.

The barracks for the enlisted men. 4 double bunk beds=24 men assigned to each room.

The living quarters of an officer. Notice the game on the table. 

The officer even had a toilet!

Matthew and Megan put together puzzles of replicas of old plates. 

Actual plates found in the excavations

View of the town from the ramparts 

Megan, reporting for duty!

The King's Bastion

Military Chapel

Impressive looking structure!

Matthew showed off his strength by climbing up the wall.

Matthew

Megan

Back at the engineer's kitchen. When we were there in the morning, this lady was rushing around making a molasses cake for the master. We stopped by in the afternoon to see the progress and found that it was done. (The lady remembered us being there in the morning, too.)

Measuring cups in the kitchen. They weren't necessarily standardized measurements but the kitchen staff at a house would know how to use the ones in their particular kitchen. This is also how drinks were measured in a bar or tavern. We were warned not to order the smallest size as that was seen as being cheap and would usually result in receiving a low quality drink.

Matthew and Megan

Megan and Matthew roasting marshmallows.

Partial Lego replica of the fortress.

There were 9 Lego mini figures in displays around the fortress. We found all of them.

We drove to the Louisbourg lighthouse (stopping to wave good bye to a cruise ship). It was a picturesque setting. There was a coastal trail which looked really cool although we did not have enough time to walk it.

We ate dinner at the Dory Pub and Restaurant on our way home. We met a nice couple from San Francisco who are on a 10 week road trip in their sprinter van. It was nice chatting with them. We even peeked in their van on our way out. Oh, and the food was amazing!

Mussels! Yet another delicious preparation.

U had the blackened haddock with a beet and peach salad.

Me had the pan seared haddock with a beet and peach salad.

Megan had a trio of sliders: Thai chicken, pulled pork and chickpea patty, the latter being her favorite.

Matthew had parmesan chicken.