Awakening rested and eager to start a new day, we had a great breakfast cooked by our host.

     Later, we drove to the Fortress of Louisbourg Historic Site, parked the car, and walked to the Visitor's Centre.

     Built by the French starting in 1719, the New Englanders laid siege to it in 1745 and the British in 1758.

     In 1760, after the British military blew up the Louisbourg's town walls, its buildings remained, gradually falling into ruin. Mined for their brick and cut stone over the next 25 years, the houses disappeared leaving only their foundations above ground.

      In 1785, after Sydney became the capital of the new colony of Cape Breton, Louisbourg was left to some Irish farmers and fishermen whose gardens and pastures did little to stop the encroaching grass and sod.

     In 1960, under the leadership of John Diefenbaker, then Prime Minister of Canada, reconstruction began as a National Historic Site. A property plan was found in France detailing every lot within the town and plans for public buildings there.

      In their research on the colony, the historians amassed over 750,000 pages of documentation and 500 maps in the archives in Europe and North America.

     The boggy, acidic soil helped to preserve leather and wool. The archaeologists also found shoes, buckles, and wooden buckets in the ruins. Each artifact told a story.

     Using coal miners laid-off when the mines closed and retrained in the art of French masonry and building, the interpretive team chose 1744 as its focus. By then, with the fortifications nearly complete, the town had reached its potential as a fishing and trading centre.

     The Fortress is now staffed by paid personnel and volunteers, many of whom live in the Louisbourg village. Poultry and farm animals can be found within the fortress itself, giving the impression of a 'living town'.

     After paying our admission and noting that no private vehicles were allowed any closer, we took a shuttle bus to the entrance to the Fortress itself. While on the bus, our guide suggested that when we were challenged, in French, by the sentry at the gate, as to why we were there, we should reply in French or risk being placed in the stocks as a Spy! This remark had us laughing and wondering if it was a fact.

     Arriving near the Dauphin Gate with its drawbridge, we saw a fisherman's house nearby. The family within it were all volunteers. Next to it was a worker's hut, built of upright logs and a sod roof; it looked able to withstand the winter winds and cold.

     Walking across the drawbridge, we were greeted by the sentry, musket in hand, and welcomed to the fortress. Others from the bus were challenged but I don't recall if they ended in the stocks.

     After walking through the gate, we opted to follow the Ramparts towards the King's Bastion. Along the way we passed a stone wall with cannons facing the sea. Further along on our right, was a lime kiln nestled on a hill beneath the ramparts.

     Approaching the King's Bastion from the side, we walked up the grassy slope to the top of the wall where we could see the parade square behind the barracks and the Governor's apartments. Looking down on it, we could almost see soldiers marching within it.

     After walking down the hill onto the square and across it to the buildings, we were approached by a soldier asking us our business. Reassured that we meant no harm, he let us go past him to explore the barracks.

     Within them, everything was what you'd expect in 1744. In the rooms were small cots with thin mattresses, wool blankets and lanterns to light the dark days and nights. On tables nearby were plates, cups and spoons made of pewter waiting for the soldiers' next meal.

     In the reconstructed chapel, a part of the Governor's apartments, a portrait of St. Louis, King of France in the 13th century, hung over the altar. Behind the chapel were his rooms, all furnished with furniture and clothing in the style of the 1700's.

     Later, leaving the building, we crossed another drawbridge to the guardhouse. There, some of the soldiers were resting while others practiced their musketry nearby with loud bangs and lots of smoke.

     Next month we'll continue exploring the Fortress of Louisbourg.