Sydney for the Day Sabatinis at Night

We miss the sail in.  We check the bridge cam and sure enough we are docked and the sun is shining, but there is a risk of showers.

Nothing planned until noon, but I want to go ashore and explore our old town.  

check these booths for tours first thing

tourist information booth

The pier is a great spot to explore.  Lots of shopping, and all made by those selling it.  If you are interested in an independent tour there are two booths right at the gangway that can sell you tours, but get off early to secure a spot.

There are not a lot of taxis here but the ones that are here are keen to do tours.  I did hear some people state later that they took a taxi and the driver did try to say the meter was the price per person.  Note this is NOT the case, it is per ride.

But the terminal has free WiFi, tourist information, an atm, washrooms, lots of great shops and a wonderful restaurant called flavour.  

Walking to town is easy, but a bit uphill, and around 10 min walk.  Now Sydney's town center doesn't have a whole lot to do for tourist.  There is a museum, and a few shops, and restaurants and quite a few pubs.  Really the main sites to see here are further afield.

Head out to Louisburg, Baddeck, Cabot Trail, Glace Bay Miner's Museum - but do a tour here.

Today four of Bernie's 7 siblings are coming in to meet us for lunch, along with a niece and nephew and great niece.   We had a wonderful visit with all of them.  Many who we have not seen since we moved a year and a half ago.  

Also Dominique showed up after she finished her shift and crew drills.  It was lovely for her to meet the family and they all hugged her and said she is now their family too.  How sweet.

We left with Dominique and went and grabbed a drink with her before returning to the ship.

Bernie has a nap and I get a cocktail and head up to the top deck to enjoy the sailaway.  It is very picturesque!  

Tonight is dinner in Sabatinis but not until 830.  So we have a nap and head down for dinner.  Note when trying to make reservations no time slots were available.  Just show up and talk to them as they seem to have open slots that don't show up on app.  

Dinner was amazing.  We love the new menu and really missed it on the Majestic.  Service was outstanding.  Some of the best we have ever had.

Of course after a big meal we can't go to sleep, plus we had a nap.  So off we go to Skywalkers where we dance the night away.  And there were quite a few people there.  

What Have We Been Up To?

I've been getting quite a few inquiries as to what we have been up to since we got off the ship.  I know I have been preoccupied lately and have been missing all of you as well.  So now that I can catch my breath I will update you on the happenings here in Cape Breton.

We arrived back home in late May and we hit the ground running.  We knew we had to do some renovation work to the house.  Here in Cape Breton the outdoor renovation window is short and trades people are busy so we did not waste any time.  Within a few days of arriving home we had quotes, schedules and trades people lined up.

Some of you may remember we ended up purchasing a lovely old home (110 years old) last summer here in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, close to Bernie's family.  Although the house was more than move in ready, we knew there was some work to be done to make the home more comfortable (especially in the winter).

First thing was installing a new furnace with zone heating, with the upstairs and downstairs on different zones.  We also installed a separate hot water tank at the same time.  Prior system was an old system that combined both and was not efficient and was costing us a fortune in oil - basically it ate oil and spit it out and laughed at us.  

Old Furnace

Shinny new furnace and hot water tank

At the same time we replace the sump pump and insulated the sill plate in the basement.

The house had mostly new windows throughout but there were still old ones in the basement, bathroom and attic.  So those were all replaced with new efficient windows.

Then two new doors and storm doors!  Just that alone cut down on the drafts we felt in the house.  

The house had no exterior insulation whatsoever!  And it was felt last winter too!  Kenny who lives here with us certainly felt the cold and that in turned meant higher heating bills.  How could people live here for over a 100 years with no insulation?  No worries, we now have blown in insulation and we added one inch Styrofoam boards under the siding.  Should be nice and toasty this winter.

Next came new siding.  We chose a heritage colour called Neptune (seems appropriate since we love being on the sea).  

And then finally we installed a patio door and a back deck. 

We found we really were not using the backyard, but now with the easy access and large deck we have really enjoyed the added space.

We planted a garden - and we have been eating fresh veggies since!  Plus all our neighbours are reaping the benefits too.

Lots of painting inside too!

And finally we installed security cameras all around the house.  Even though we have someone living at our place when we are not home it is an added security that allows us to look in on things when we are away.

I was also excited to have some family from Quebec come and visit in early August.  They loved it and we loved showing off Cape Breton.

Now we are relaxing a bit and enjoying the rest of the summer.  We love going to the beaches here.  There are so many to chose from.  Some days we just pack a book, and a lunch and we head off to explore and find a new place to enjoy.  

Stay tuned as I will be posting more in the coming weeks and adding some information I acquired while sailing for four months this past winter. 

Oh and stay tuned to find out what we will be doing as far as travel in the coming weeks.

Thanks for following.