Fog Witch Reigns

We have to ride into Yarmouth to Privateers Sou’west Harley Davidson as the motorcycle’s throttle cable is loose and the bike is stalling occasionally - perhaps all the rainy, damp weather is taking its toll. Yarmouth is over 100 kms away and there is a heavy wet fog today. We ride the inland 101 Hwy and manage to stay fairly dry in our rain clothes.
While the bike is being fixed we go for lunch to Hickory Hut next door where Marlene tries her first Rappie Pie. Rappie pie is a traditional stewed chicken and potato dish that the Acadians in South-Western Nova Scotia are historically famous for. Its name is derived from the French "patates râpées" meaning "grated potatoes". It is a unique recipe made by freshly grating potatoes and removing all the water. Then a hot broth made from chicken (or pork, beef, rabbit, etc.) is added to the potatoes, to replace the moisture. Then cubed meat and onions are layered with the grated potato mixture to make a baked casserole-like dish. It has an excellent taste but a very gelatinous texture that takes a bit of getting used too.
The return trip, after a quick look at Yarmouth in the fog, is along Hwy 1 which hugs the shore. We are on the Evangeline Route, Evangeline is the heroine of Longfellow’s poem that recalls the displacement of the Acadians. This southwestern part of Nova Scotia is the Acadian region and Hwy 1 (and many side roads) winds through well-kept pastoral villages that look out to sea. Many of the houses are connected to their barns. We’re not sure whether these people are particularly fond of their animals or if the winter weather is terrible or what other reasons may account for this interesting architecture. Although the fog witch dominates the landscape, we can still see some of the charm of this region that was settled by the Acadians as early as 1653, and resettled by returning Acadians from 1767 on, after their expulsion in 1755.