Tag Archives: Royal Caribbean

January 6, 2020 · 5:35 am

Fall Foliage Cruise — Return to Sydney, Nova Scotia


Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas in Sydney, Nova Scotia

In today’s article title you’ll note the words, “Return to Sydney, Nova Scotia.” That’s because it is a return, and sort of a sequel to 2014’s No, Not THAT Sydney; The OTHER Sydney. But this time we’ve landed during a chilly October morning, and this day in Sydney, Nova Scotia, was much more dismal than our previous visit.

Lobsters, Free Advice, Marriage Tips, and Directions

We didn’t have a tour planned this day, so Ursula and I headed out along the waterfront boardwalk with the intent of walking back to the ship via Sydney’s main downtown thoroughfare Charlotte Street. Of course, one of the first things you see stepping off the ship is the ‘Largest Cèilidh Fiddle in the World‘:

Largest Ceilidh Fiddle in the World

From here we hooked right and headed out onto the boardwalk. A quick look back gave us this view of Adventure of the Seas:

Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas

And naturally, I wanted a photo of Ursula with the ship in the background:

Ursula in Sydney

As you walk along the boardwalk you’ll soon come across some statuary. The first one we approached was ‘Land of Our Own’, a statue created by local artist William Ernest Brown, and dedicated to Cape Breton Island immigrants.

Land of Our Own

Beyond there is yet another piece of statuary of a more somber dedication. During World War II many supply ships sailed from the nearby HMCS Protection (also called Point Edward Naval Base). These vital supply ships for England were operated by the Canadian Merchant Navy, the equivalent of what we in the U.S. refer to as the Merchant Marine. It was a dangerous mission sailing slow cargo ships across a U-boat infested North Atlantic, and one in seven sailors did not survive the journey. This is the Merchant Mariners Monument:

Merchant Mariners Monument

Dedication to Merchant Mariners

On Wednesday we’ll head back through downtown, and stop for lunch along the way at a charming Irish alehouse. Until then I shall leave you with a more peaceful image:

Membertuna

 

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January 3, 2020 · 5:35 am

Fun Photo Friday — Prince Edward Island Favorites Part 2


Covehead Peeking Above the Dunes

This past Monday I took you to the House of Green Gables. What you have not seen yet is the post office in Cavendish where author Lucy Maud Montgomery worked. Here it is:

Cavendish Post Office

In three weeks’ time we move on to Sydney, Nova Scotia. But over the next two weeks I’ll be rerunning several Christmas Season articles, including tips on photographing Christmas lights and a couple of my Christmas humor stories.

Until then, our final look at Prince Edward Island:

Belfry

Silver Bush

Splash of Fall

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January 1, 2020 · 5:35 am

Fall Foliage Cruise — Prince Edward Island; Carr’s Oyster Bar


Carr’s Oyster Bar

It was time to break for lunch, so Cyril Arsenault drove us to one of his favorite places — Carr’s Oyster Bar, located at the mouth of the Stanley River where it flows into New London Bay. Looking across the river you’ll see this scene:

Across Stanley River from Carr’s

Stepping inside and walking toward the back, you’re greeted by another welcoming sign in the main seating area:

Welcome to Carr’s

The interior of this rather busy establishment:

Carr’s Oyster Bar seating

Make sure you look up and to the right as you first enter to see this behemoth:

Now, what would an oyster bar be without fresh oysters straight from the nearby oyster farms?

Oysters don’t come any fresher than this

But I don’t do raw oysters. As I frequently say, “Never eat raw that which thrives on human sewage.” Stewed, baked, broiled or fried, absolutely, and I know raw is good from a trusted source, nevertheless… .

So, my plate had the fried variety, along with shrimp, scallops, haddock, and a small crab cake:

Carr’s Five Fried Sampler

Ursula opted for one of her favorites, seafood chowder:

Carr’s Seafood Chowder

One of our companions enjoyed a lobster roll:

Lobster Roll with French Fries

Ursula rate her chowder exquisite, and she thought it was one of the best she had the entire trip. The lobster roll was proclaimed good, but I thought it was rather small (just wait to see what we had in Bar Harbor, Maine later in this fall foliage series, just for comparison). My fried platter was just a bit of a disappointment. As with the lobster roll, the portion was heavy on the fries and light on the seafood. The shellfish and haddock could have used a bit more time in the fryer, as you can see from the blondish color, and the oil could have been a bit hotter for a crispier texture.

All in all, it was an okay lunch, and probably not overpriced considering, but I was left thinking I’d have been better off ordering Ursula’s choice.

I didn’t get a picture of Cyril’s choice, but there’s a humorous story attached to that. Cyril ordered his favorite, the coconut shrimp. He allowed me to sample one, and it was very good. He then went on to brag how Carr’s only uses locally sourced ingredients. Never one to miss an opportunity, I looked toward Cyril and, without missing a beat, said, “You really must show us that local grove of coconut trees.”

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