Sydney, Nova Scotia, August 5, 2017
At each port preview presentation, Barbara, the aforementioned Location Guide, urges her flock to disembark and experience the smaller ports even though we might have heard, "There's nothing to do there." This cruise lasts 38 days. Why not take a couple of hours to see what IS there? This morning we shared our breakfast table with a delightful 80-year-old retired linguistics professor. His wife somehow became involved in a project to track down Canadian military who had died and were buried on foreign soil. All the information will go in a data bank that will fill in a lot of gaps in military and personal histories. They've traveled all over the world gathering information. We told him we didn't have any firm plans in Sydney other than to find a yarn shop I'd located online. He joked that although Sydney wasn't a tourist Mecca, we would find the warmest and most welcoming people anywhere.
The professor was so right. This little port has one of the best cruise terminals in the world. It's packed with shops, information, a local craft boutique, a cafe, auditorium AND free wifi! There is also this HUGE fiddle out front in honor of Cape Breton (Once again we're on an island and my knowledge of Canadian geography is embarrassingly non-existent) music. We also got to enjoy an unexpected bonus: three Tall Ships tied up just behind us for a week end open house with free tours. Loads of locals and tourists taking advantage of that. It's Canada's 150th birthday so there were special banners on all the lampposts. Great logo, too. If I could include pictures with this post you would now be able to see that logo. If, If, If.
We'd been warned that Sydney had fallen on hard times when the mines closed so expect empty storefronts. With much effort, tourism is providing an economic boost to the area. Jim and I walked the few blocks into the commercial district and quickly found The Bobbin Tree, the yarn shop I learned about online. Two ladies were out front weaving on small looms and inside the small shop had supplies for spinning, weaving, knitting and wool needlework and a most welcoming owner. I told her I wanted yarn Made in Canada and she quickly showed me a fun beaded lace knit scarf kit she'd packaged with Canadian fiber. Sold! We walked back to the ship on a wide boardwalk on the waterfront lined with more hydrangeas. Oh, and did I mention it was barely 70 degrees with a refreshing light breeze? Midday. On August 5th. We sat on a bench overlooking the water just enjoying it all.
Oh, and we found the pizza outpost on board. Hand tossed, thin crust pies made to order and then cooked in a real pizza oven. I had the Wall Street: white sauce, multiple cheeses, prosciutto and arugula (does that make it count as a health food?) Crispy and delicious.
Last night we joined two wonderfully entertaining Australian women (I'm sure there must be some pills in that country but they must not be allowed out in the world), Jude and Margaret. 60-ish BFFs who travel for three months at a time while Margaret's husband stays home to water the plants and feed the dog. They have been everywhere, thoroughly enjoying every minute. They flew to Boston to join this cruise and then will cruise through the canal to San Diego, from there they'll drive to Nashville and back and then I forget the last leg before they go back Down Under. But to show that not everyone should be on a 38 day cruise, I asked the couple sitting next to me on shore using the wifi if they were on the Oceania ship that was also in port. "No, We're on the Rotterdam and it's just horrible." Uh oh. I ask you, how can anything be "just horrible" when you have a towel animal (lobster in Maine) on your bed and a chocolate on your pillow every night? They were from Las Vegas (by way of New York it sounded) so maybe they were cold and cranky
We're leaving Sydney as I write this, 5 pm local time. Tonight we move the clocks 30 minutes to Newfoundland time. Should make for an interesting day. We'll be either 30 minutes early or 30 minutes late for everything. The pilot boat just pulled up right below our cabin to pick up the local pilot (always an interesting maneuver as the ship does not slow down a knot). I was sort of hoping to see the Vegas couple in a heap with their luggage on the deck of the pilot boat as it sped away. No such luck.
Jim just came in after a chat with the future cruise representative on board with a printout of the itinerary for the Grand Voyage around South America in 2019...January 19 to March 19..
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