Sydney (the one in Nova Scotia)

 Sydney, Nova Scotia and Sydney, Australia were named by the same man after one guy ( go ahead, google it!) 3 years apart, with Nova Scotia being named first.

We arrived about 8 this morning and had breakfast on Lido deck overlooking the starboard side.  Our shore excursion wasn’t until 2:30, so we went to town and looked around.

Our shore excursion was an historic haunted walking tour.  Our tour guide was a first time tour leader named Journey.  She told quite a few stories of hauntings around the original town.  Two churches were prominent.  The first was the Anglican Church, St. George, where the Queen of England, her husband and her mother have worshipped.  I sat where the Queen sat, but Paul has that picture. King William has yet to worship here.

  

The other church is St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic.  RCs were definitely in the minority here in the early days, and they had to buried in their own cemeteries, presumably so the Lord wouldn’t have any trouble sorting out who was who.  At St. Patrick’s there were mass graves for over 300 people, but very few gravestones.  It seems that stone and concrete were in short supply when the wealthy settlers were building their homes in North Sydney, so they would actually steal the gravestones for their homes!

Our tour guide, Journey, who grew up here, hearing many of the ghost stories.

Many Celtic people settled here and brought their culture, their fellowship and their music with them. A primary symbol for them is the “Big Fiddle “ on the dock.

The Big Fiddle

The Big Fiddle celebrates the important role fiddlers and their music have played in the cultural heritage of Cape Breton Island. Fiddle music was first brought to Cape Breton by Scottish immigrants. Today's music also features Acadian, Irish and Mikmaq influences. Fiddle music flourishes all over Cape Breton Island.

The Big Fiddle stands 17 metres tall and weighs eight tons.

It is made of painted steel and was built over an eight-month period by Cyril Hearn, a Sydney artist and welder. Visit the Cape Breton Island Tourism Exhibition inside the cruise pavilion to see how the big fiddle was made and learn more about Cape Breton fiddle music.