Volendam 2026, Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia...

A nice bright but crisp sail-in into Sydney, Nova Scotia, home of the world’s largest fiddle. We meet our friends Laura, Bobbi, Bernice and Donna meet us with Tim Horton’s refreshments and Timbit donuts at the ship terminal before we headed off in pursuit of lighthouses. On a previous visit to Sydney, we had done this trip through the fog and heavy rains, so we decided to try it again. The weather today was beautiful in the Sydney area as well as along the Lighthouse and Marconi Trails. These two trails are scenic roadways around the northeastern point of Cape Breton Island. The route is entirely within the Sydney’s Cape Breton Regional Municipality and runs from Louisbourg to Glace Bay along the island's eastern coast. Our first lighthouse stop was at Louisburg. Lighthouse Point is the site of the first lighthouse in what is now Canada. Its beacon was first lit in 1734 by the French. You can still see the foundations of this lighthouse, as well as the foundations of the second lighthouse that stood on Lighthouse Point from 1847 to 1923. The current lighthouse was built in 1923. The lighthouse guards a dramatic, rugged rocky coastline overlooking crashing North Atlantic waves, the ocean, and the nearby fortress across the harbor. From across the harbor, we could see the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, North America's largest historical reconstruction of an 18th-century French fortified town and seaport. On the outskirts of Louisburg, we passed the Louisburg Train Station, this restored site was the Eastern Terminal of The Sydney & Louisburg Railway. We did a quick tour of the town of Louisburg and made a brief stop at the North Star Inn. Next, we followed the Marconi Trail through Glace Bay, Dominion, Laura’s hometown and into New Victoria to visit the Low Point Lighthouse. Not far from the Low Point we stopped at Fort Petrie on the eastern shore of Sydney Harbor. The Fort consists of remnants of a World War II fortification and bunkers. We made an unexpected stop at St. Alphonse Catholic Church…Ironically every time we have been in Sydney, whether coming in or leaving, I have photographed this church and was surprised to get up close to it today. St. Alphonse’s sits on a grassy hilltop overlooking the entrance to Sydney harbor. Since its construction in 1916, its twin spires have served as a landmark from both land and sea. The Atlantic Pilotage Authority paid for the construction of one of the spires, and harbor pilots have been using the church for navigational bearings and guidance into the harbor ever since. The church was closed in 2007 and is falling into serious disrepair…too bad!  Returning to Sydney we bid farewell to Laura for showing us another great day in Cape Breton. Another fabulous day onboard the Volendam…