BOWLING, MASSAGE AND A SWIM AT THE Y

Our rental car deposited at the airport drop off point we took a taxi to our Sydney, Nova Scotia hotel.  

The driver was a wealth of information offering his thoughts on the best things to do in Sydney.  A lovely young man, but bowling??  We had other thoughts! 

The previous afternoon we had ventured south of Sydney to the Fortress of Louisbourg, now a National Historic Site of Canada which contains a small reconstruction of the large Eighteenth Century French fortress, its displays informative and all manner of volunteers dressed in costume while acting in character doing a fine job. 

The town of Louisbourg itself is the definition of charming.  Well kept homes and gardens, quaint hotels and an attractive waterfront.  There was an important side trip that took us along a winding, and occasionally, treacherous road to the site of Canada’s first lighthouse lit in 1734.  The existing lighthouse which is operational was built in 1923.  The picturesque coastal views from the lighthouse, that included the Fortress, were worth the occasional brush with lead footed drivers along the narrow gravel road to the Lighthouse. 

Strategically placed, the original Fortress of Louisbourg was situated at the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, designed to guard the gateway to New France. The Fortress suffered through two sieges that became the turning point in the Anglo/French struggle for what was to become Canada.  From its early beginnings in 1713 it had been a difficult existence for its occupants.

The reconstruction project began in the 1960s and utilized some of the original stonework which provided work for unemployed coal miners and steel workers. It’s ironic that the French quarried the stone for the Fortress’s construction in an area that would eventually become Sydney only to have the British take some of that stone after the French defeat to build Sydney homes and other structures.  

The historical quarter of Sydney itself is flanked by mature oak, chestnut and maple trees and was a lovely stroll the next day with St. George’s Church and the Jost House well worth a look around.  It did make us think about the region’s long history. 

The Mi’kmaq, the First Nations people of Atlantic Canada, the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec and the North Eastern region of Maine were the original inhabitants.  After Cape Breton became a separate colony in 1784 loyalist refugees made Sydney their capital but were soon overwhelmed by successive waves of Scottish immigrants.  In 1820 Cape Breton came under the jurisdiction of Nova Scotia.

Modern day Sydney’s waterfront is charming, the boardwalk winds its way past small hotels, restaurants, moorage and the modest cruise ship terminal, complete with its sixty foot fiddle and seriously oversized Adirondack chair. Required photo opportunities!

The view across the harbour was so pretty with homes and boats casting deep reflections in the glassy water.  

We found the perfect place to have dinner and watch the setting sun.  The following morning’s farmers market was a good stop as we admired (and purchased) a piece of local quilting which beautifully captured our Maritimes visit – lighthouses, seascapes and sailboats.

Our touring holiday of the Maritime Provinces had ended but with the welcoming sight of One Ocean’s RCGS Resolute docked in port the next morning our adventure was to continue.  We were bound for Newfoundland, Labrador and Nunuvut on Baffin Island.

There simply hadn't been any time to go bowling.