Sunday, October 8, 2023

Sydney, Nova Scotia

Yesterday we were in Sydney NS!  Started the day with breakfast at the Tuscan Grill. This restaurant is used for the coffee house style breakfast they provide for guests in the higher tiers of the Captains Club loyalty program.  It's quieter than the main restaurant or buffet. Had a plate of delicious fruit including blackberries (my favorite) and another of cold cuts including mortadella.  We then went to check-in for our excursion.  We'd be headed to Louisbourg a former colonial fortification city established by the French in 1714.  Through many battles (and treaties ) with the English and even colonists from New England, the French evacuated in 1758 and it was completely destroyed in 1760. It was left in rubble and no other city was built on top.    It wasn't until the 1960's when the Canadian government decided to restore parts of it.  Today about twenty percent of the town has been restored.  You can visit many of the old buildings including barracks and commodes.  We had a beautifully warm day for exploring!!  


After the tour we found a cider house called Island Folk. We tried their delicious ciders and nibbled on a charcuterie board that had prosciutto, salami, three cheeses, some tasty local honey and pretzels. Good Company was my favorite cider. Not too sweet. Almost like a Sauvignon Blanc. 
They also had what I'll call a String Circle.  They had two brothers, one who played the electric piano and the other played a fiddle.  Anyone in the community was then invited to show up with their fiddle and play along.  It was fascinating to watch.  In some ways it was like a book club. Everyone coming together and sharing - in this case it was their musical skills.  

We headed back to the ship and it was time for a mandatory rest period.  We got ready for dinner and headed to the main show.  Tonight it was Robert Neary who had a show called "So Good", a Neil Diamond tribute.  Robert Neary has an interesting history, having been a character actor on many TV shows of the 1990's and 2000's including NCIS and FBI: Most Wanted.  He even played a serial killer on Criminal Minds.  I couldn't place his face, but may go back and watch the episodes.  You can use the IMDB app and look him up. He mentioned that all his TV work opportunities had "dried up" and he was then forced to reinvent himself.  And he came up with this act after his brother said he sounded like Neil Diamond.  I was going to ask him if he was even a fan of Diamond before he came up with this gig.  He has an ongoing  "world tour", although it seems to be mostly in small cities.  Maybe one near you. You can check out his website. 

 https://sogoodtheneildiamondexperience.com/home

The show was entertaining. He sampled from different parts of Neil Diamond's career including Cracklin' Rosie, Shilo, Cherry Cherry and Love On The Rocks. And just when he feigned being at the end of his set, he of course sang the crowd favorite Sweet Caroline to end the show.  

We then went to the dining room for dinner. I had the most delicious French Onion soup!!  It had a rich, slightly thick broth with so much flavor.  And not too much bread.  I also had a Caesar salad with broiled salmon and the vegetable korma.  The Indian food has been so good on Celebrity over the years and this didn't disappoint.  

After dinner we had a night at the Martini Bar where we saw Neil Diamond. . . . . . er. . . . . .Robert Neary. We considered getting a picture with him and chatting but he found a different table of people who were apparently more interesting.  I was going to ask him if he was even a Diamond fan before he created this act. 

It was then time to head back to the cabin. We set our clocks back one hour last night.  Today is a sea day as we head towards Quebec City.

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