Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken on August 18, 2008. Mattie's art therapist knew he loved Scooby Doo. So they traced a Scooby Doo scene on a ceiling tile. Mattie then got to paint in the picture. This took Mattie, me, and Peter weeks to accomplish. We would do a little bit each time we were in clinic. When we were done, the tile went up on the ceiling. That year, Mattie created 6 ceiling tiles for the clinic. I took pictures of them and these framed photos remain in Mattie's bedroom at home. 

Quote of the day: Sydney (Nova Scotia) was founded in 1785 and named in honor of Britain’s Home Secretary at the time, Thomas Townsend, 1st Viscount Sydney; a few years later, Sydney, Australia would also be named after him. Sydney's original settlers included former soldiers and Loyalists escaping the chaos following the American Revolution. The town was the English capital of Cape Breton Island from its founding until 1820, when the island colony and its rich coal fields became part of Nova Scotia. It was that coal that would transform Sydney from a colonial town in Cape Breton into a major industrial center, becoming a world leader in steel production. That industrial growth saw Sydney officially become a city in 1904, welcoming workers and their families from around the province and world. ~ novascotia.com


Let's recap. I am on a Canadian cruise, aboard the Caribbean Princess. It sailed from Quebec on Saturday, August 10, and so far we have visited:
Quebec
Saguenay
Prince Edward Island
and today..... Sydney, Nova Scotia 

Today's tour started at 7:30am. I am not a morning person, so the day in and day out of early starts is challenging for me. At the moment, I am not feeling well. I suspect I picked up a sinus infection when I took my dad to the medical clinic aboard the ship. While there a passenger came to see the doctor about a sinus infection. Another infection which, if it is around me I will pick it up immediately. 

We arrived at Cape Breton today (part of Nova Scotia). It is fabled as a magical travel destination and the Port of Sydney is the gateway. Known for its beauty and unique Celtic music and culture. We were greeted at the Cruise Pavilion with the world's largest fiddle. 

The fiddle celebrates the important role fiddlers and music have played in the cultural heritage of Cape Breton Island. Fiddle music was first brought to Cape Breton by Scottish immigrants. 

The city of Sydney (on Cape Breton) has a deep history and was originally founded in 1785 by British Loyalists fleeing the perils of the American Revolution. The rich natural resources led these new settlers to establish prosperous coal and steel industries, which attracted immigrants from a myriad of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. To this day, Sydney remains a haven of multiculturalism. 

Our tour guide today was Ann Marie. She was not a good tour guide. She hurried us along, practically yelled at passengers who came back to the bus late, and truly made the journey more of a chore than a pleasure. 

Despite Ann Marie, I appreciated the beauty around us. Of course I am seeing Canada in the summer months. It is lush, pristine, and peaceful. Yet I do wonder what it must be like in the winter time. When one is basically quarantined at home due to weather. 


This is Bras d'Or Lake. Named by the French meaning "arm of gold," this sparkling lake is known for its gentle fog-free waters, hundreds of coves and islands, and surrounded almost entirely by high hills and low mountains. 

The terrain is absolutely amazing and the waters are calm and smooth as glass.  Very different experience from traveling on the ocean. I imagine this is what a river cruise is like. I hear no one complaining of motion sickness on this cruise. 

On route to Alexander Bell's Museum. 

The Alexander Graham Bell Museum which contains the largest collection of Bell's inventions - including replicas of the first telephone. 

Bell was born in Scotland, but became an American citizen. He spent time in Massachusetts, where he was a professor at Boston University and then lived in Washington, DC. He did not care for our hot DC summers, so he built a summer home here in Nova Scotia. He felt that Nova Scotia reminded him of his time in Scotland. 

The view from Bell's Museum. I am thoroughly impressed with all the gardens we have seen along our Canadian journey. 

This was Bell, his wife Mabel, and their two daughters. They had two sons as well, but they both died soon after birth. 

Bell was no stranger to loss either, as both of his brothers died from tuberculosis. 

I would say that Bell was a fascinating and complex man. We know him as a scientist. The man who invested the telephone, the phonograph, the iron lung, and the hydroplane. Yet what I absolutely LOVED about this museum is we got to know Bell the man. 

Keep in mind that Bell's mom and wife were deaf. 

Bell was acknowledged internationally and by many universities for his scientific endeavors and his dedication to advancing technology.  

There were multiple rooms at the museum. My mom and I only got through two of them. I am quite sure how we go through a museum is quite different from the average person. As our fellow passengers appeared to blow through this exhibit in under 20 minutes. 

The details and stories throughout the exhibit made it a place you could spend hours read, walking around, and absorbing information!

 Here is what I learned that truly caught my attention today. Alexander Bell's father was an elocutionist and his greatest achievement was developing a new phonetic alphabet called "visible speech."  His son, Alexander, took his father's invention and used it to teach the deaf to speak. It was an instant success. So in essence Alexander and his father were credited for creating sign language. Alexander is created for financing the American Association to promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. This organization merged with the Volta Bureau in 1908 and continues today as the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf. 

The photos you see here are Alexander's long term patients, George and Mabel. Mabel was ten years younger than him, and eventually became his wife. 

Helen Keller's father consulted with Bell regarding his daughter. This is a photo of Keller with Bell. Keller said, 

"I did not dream that the interview (with Bell) would be the door through which I should pass from darkness to light." 

We were not given enough time at the Museum. Literally I looked down at my watch and I told my mom we had to go. Not only go, but we practically ran back to the bus. 

It took an hour to drive to the Museum and an hour to drive back to the port. So truly we spent more time commuting than touring! After the Museum, we were brought to the small town of Baddeck. Baddeck is a coastal town and home of Alexander Graham Bell's summer mansion. We were given only twenty minutes to tour the town. Which in actuality was 20 minutes too many. Truly not much to see and would have appreciated that additional time at the Museum instead. 

Meanwhile, this afternoon we went up the to Sanctuary. This is an adult area of the ship. It is important that we secure seats here, because while we go on tour by day, this is a place my dad can retreat to. At the Sanctuary, you have access to wonderful lounge chairs, a private space without loud noise and the usual hustle and bustle of the ship. We have many wonderful people working with us and we love 3pm tea time with Karla (from Mexico), Dinish (from India) and Vesna (from Serbia). Cruise ships are like the United Nations. I love speaking with crew members and learning about their lives and why they choose to work on a cruise ship. To most Americans, we would look at their long 12 hour days as impossible. Yet from the crews perspective, they get to travel around the world and earn an income that is much higher than what they could earn in their home country. They are grateful for this work and to be able to support their families. I learn so much from them and admire their professionalism, how they want every passenger to have a good time, and truly cater to one's every need.