Friday, August 24, 2018 (Camping Colibri sur Mer, Caraquet, NB)

August 24th! Happy 63rd Birthday to my husband, Steve, and my partner in this incredible lifestyle that we share! Love you and our life!

We had another very full day today! Our main reason for visiting Caraquet was to visit the Acadian Historic Village. What is an Acadian you ask? The short version is:
The Acadians are the descendants of French colonists who settled in Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries, some of whom are also descended from the Indigenous peoples of the region.
Louisiana: 815,260
New Brunswick: 25,400
Nova Scotia: 11,180
France: 20,400
Maine: 30,000
Quebec: 32,950
A more detailed and we think interesting version to fully understand the plight of the Acadians click here.

We arrived at the Village just in time for their 10:00 opening...
The Acadian Historical Village (Village historique acadien) is an ambitious living history site located on the Rivière-du-Nord near Caraquet, NB, in the heart of the Acadian Peninsula.

First opened in 1977, the Acadian Historical Village (Village historique acadien) is an ambitious living history site located on the Rivière-du-Nord near Caraquet, NB, in the heart of the Acadian Peninsula. It presents the rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the large Acadian population who settled in New Brunswick.

The site includes over 40 restored or reconstructed 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century buildings from various Acadian communities around New Brunswick. Interpreters in period costumes introduce visitors to the way of life and distinctive culture of Acadia between 1770 and 1949.

The site is laid out to replicate a small rural settlement and includes several farmsteads, a grist mill, a tavern, a general store, a school and a pioneer chapel among other buildings. The Village is noted for its special events which often involve demonstrations of traditional skills like horse shoeing, soap making or haying.

After paying our admission fee, we watched a short film then were on our way...to a lot of walking...well over the 2 km listed on the map!

(Click to Enlarge)

We started with the Martin Settlement (1773)...

This fellow was excellent in explaining the history of this cabin...notice the wooden shoes...thought those were only worn in Holland...

 Mazerolle Settlement (1852)...

As you walk around and visit each building, people were at work doing domestic chores just as they would have been back then...

Godin Settlement (1890)...

Even though it was mid morning many of the ladies were already preparing their meals...

Turkeys...

Digging in the mud...

 The Shed (1855)...

Dried fish and nets...

 Robichaud (1846)...

Root Cellar and wood placed tee-pee style for drying...

Working the loom...

Cattle and sheep...

 Cyr (1852) What are they looking at?

Bah...Bah black sheep have you any wool?

Fish pie ready for lunch...all meals are traditional...

Flax cut and placed for drying...

Steve checking out the barn...

Whats for lunch?

After the flax plant has dried it is turned into a linen fabric from the cellulose fibres that grow inside the stock and is one of the oldest cultivated plants in human history...

Flax linen in the making...

 Savoie (1861)...

 General Store (1889) on right and Tavern (1889) on left...

 Inside of the General Store....

 Inside the Tavern...

 Bardeau Shingle...

 Woodworking (1875)...

 Printing Shop (1880)...

 Dugas (1867)...

 ...where they serve Traditional Meals (at 2018 prices!)...

Blacksmith Shop....

 He made a nail while we were there...

 Blackhall (1840) on the right...

 Theriault (1890)...

 Lunchtime for the workers...it was weird touring through the many homes during their lunch time...

 Grist Mill (1895)...

Flour chutes...

 School (1869) and Chapel (1831)...

 Chapel...

 Babineau (1855)...

Weaving hats...

 Covered Bridge (1900)...

We waited and waited and they just wouldn't move on so we did (Steve was trying to get a picture without them in the picture)...

 Far right, Wood Mill (1949)...

1903 Electric Vehicle made in Quebec...

 Thomas Cooperage (1937)...

 Barrel Maker... he actually makes these and they can be purchased at the welcome centre...

Hotel Albert (1907) and Irving Oil Company Ltd (1936)...

Hotel bar (our bartender recently retired from the CFB Esquimalt Naval Base in Victoria, BC and has moved back home to Caraquet)...

Hotel Lobby...

Leaving the hotel...

General Store (1924)...

 Turgeon (1928)...

 McGraw (1915)...

What you lookin' at!

 Tinsmith's Shop (1905)...

 Chiasson (1920)...

 Cobbler's Shop (1944)...

Four hours later, we were finished...and dragging our feet by this time. It was all very well done and made you feel like you were back in time!

The next thing we wanted to do was drive into Caraquet...about 5 kms on the other side of our campground. We saw the large tent and figured we would investigate...

We parked in a big parking lot for (translated) "Crossroads of the Sea"...






There was nothing happening at the tent so we continued our walk around the area...

A collection of Artisans showing their wares...although it wasn't very busy and not all spots were open...

This looked like a great spot for lunch but it was closed until later in the day...

Oh look...we found a spot for a beer...Happy Birthday, honey!

That looks like a cool spot to sit...quite a view!

We took our beer outside...

We both thought that a good feast of seafood would be an excellent way of celebrating Steve's birthday, so we decided to check out a spot nearby. We moved the truck to the other end of the huge lot so we'd be a little closer to the fish market (poissonnerie)....which also has a restaurant attached to it that was recommended.

We sat outside on the deck and enjoyed a fabulous feast! Lobster dinner for Steve and Scallop Kebabs for me (but we shared, or at least shared tastes)...

Our view across the parking lot...

After an early dinner, we were home at about 5:30...a fabulous day!

Steve edited all of the pictures taken today, way too many to post, so if you'd like to have a look at all pictures taken, click on the album "Acadian Historic Village/Caraquet".