I woke up this morning and I could have been home in Port Ludlow. It was dark and rainy, and my body ached so badly that I needed a hot shower before I could function. Welcome to Halifax, the capitol of Nova Scotia and the most Scottish of all Canada’s major cities (Nova Scotia means New Scotland in Latin).
Our day started at a civilized 8:30 am when Michael took off on a 3-hour introductory drive. I followed up at 9:30 am with a “duck” (amphibious vehicle) tour. And the weather was perfect for ducks. I am not complaining mind you about the weather, just remarking that it rained buckets all day long. Our ability to take pictures was dampened (pun intended) by the use of umbrellas and wind and rain, and in Michael’s case, fogged up bus windows. We were told that yesterday was a glorious day. They only have two seasons here: winter and road repair. Well, can’t complain about the weather as we have really been lucky in our previous stops (Nuuk was superb – for Nuuk) and the seas have been wonderful.
I thought Halifax would be a sleepy fishing village, but boy was I wrong. It is the largest city in Nova Scotia (which happens to be the second smallest province in Canada) with about 250,000 people in Halifax/Dartmouth and 750,000 in the entire province. The city is clean and modern office buildings and hotels coexist with restored historic buildings and wharves along the waterfront. Halifax is the second largest natural harbor in the world after Sydney, Australia. Nova Scotia has a coastline made up of fjords, coves, bays, and inlets; beyond that, inland are farms and highlands, reminiscent of Scotland. We didn’t see any wildlife, but many of the souvenir shirts had something to do with moose, so I am assuming they have a few here. In addition to souvenir stuff, there were a lot of Scottish tartans and handknits to buy. There was plenty of shopping right in the ship terminal so that was handy because there was no way I was going back out in the rain (more on that later). Guess who bought a souvenir and guess what it was!? Another coffee cup!
Halifax was founded in 1749 as a military base and today has the largest naval base in Canada. It was once the receiving center for immigrants and refugees from all over the world, and the culture of all these different groups is a unique feature of life today in Nova Scotia. The “Historic Properties,” or the waterfront, is where it’s happening – shopping, restaurants, and entertainment abound. Original stone and wood warehouses have been refurbished into trendy lofts and apartments.
On a hill in central Halifax stands the Citadel Fortress, built in 1749 as a bastion of British control over North America. Breathtaking views are offered from this vantage point, however, it was too foggy and rainy to see very far (they get over 150 heavy fog days per year). Michael’s tour went inside the fortress while mine just drove around. Michael also toured the Pubic Victorian Gardens that were established in 1867, in the pouring down rain. He managed to get a few pictures, but said it was hard to juggle an umbrella and camera at the same time. My tour just drove around the gardens, which was OK with me.
Halifax has a curious naval history. In 1912, three naval ships were sent to recover victims of the Titanic (many of them are buried here). In 1917, one of the most tragic events in Halifax history occurred when there was an explosion when a French munitions ship, the Mont Blanc, and a Belgian relief ship collided and 2,500 tons of explosives caught fire and BOOM. Over 2,000 on the waterfront were killed and more than 8,000 were injured. The blast was felt as far at 50 miles away. This was the world’s single largest man-made explosion in history (outside of the atom bomb).
Now my tour: I rode on a Larc V amphibious vehicle which was designed to be primarily a boat, but has been altered to ride on land – and it doesn’t do either very gracefully. The “duck” has a canvas “roof” and is SUPPOSED to have side panels for inclement weather. Our duck arrived with NO side panels! It is pouring cats and dogs, raining sideways and the driver said, “we couldn’t find the side panels.” The tour guide offered us el cheapo plastic ponchos which did nothing to keep my keester dry. Forgetabout using the camera with the wind and rain. My hair was plastered down and my pants and shoes were soaked. I could not keep notes nor write on my report form because everything kept blowing away and getting wet. I cannot believe in this part of the world where is rains so frequently that they “couldn’t find the side panels.” It made for a long, cold and slightly miserable experience. I came back to the room to dry off and then wrote my report – not a very happy one. We are coming back here on our way to Montreal so hopefully the weather will cooperate. It did look like a very pleasant town to explore, especially down by the “Historic Properties” area. There are other sights to see such as Peggy’s Cove, the Maritime Museum, and the government houses.
Our afternoon agenda has changed from touring on foot to hanging around on the ship. Michael has disappeared for the afternoon to play bridge. I am writing the blog. I told him not to call me to play unless he was desperate. One couple pleaded with me to play, but I now know how to gracefully say, “No bleeping way!”
Our day started at a civilized 8:30 am when Michael took off on a 3-hour introductory drive. I followed up at 9:30 am with a “duck” (amphibious vehicle) tour. And the weather was perfect for ducks. I am not complaining mind you about the weather, just remarking that it rained buckets all day long. Our ability to take pictures was dampened (pun intended) by the use of umbrellas and wind and rain, and in Michael’s case, fogged up bus windows. We were told that yesterday was a glorious day. They only have two seasons here: winter and road repair. Well, can’t complain about the weather as we have really been lucky in our previous stops (Nuuk was superb – for Nuuk) and the seas have been wonderful.
I thought Halifax would be a sleepy fishing village, but boy was I wrong. It is the largest city in Nova Scotia (which happens to be the second smallest province in Canada) with about 250,000 people in Halifax/Dartmouth and 750,000 in the entire province. The city is clean and modern office buildings and hotels coexist with restored historic buildings and wharves along the waterfront. Halifax is the second largest natural harbor in the world after Sydney, Australia. Nova Scotia has a coastline made up of fjords, coves, bays, and inlets; beyond that, inland are farms and highlands, reminiscent of Scotland. We didn’t see any wildlife, but many of the souvenir shirts had something to do with moose, so I am assuming they have a few here. In addition to souvenir stuff, there were a lot of Scottish tartans and handknits to buy. There was plenty of shopping right in the ship terminal so that was handy because there was no way I was going back out in the rain (more on that later). Guess who bought a souvenir and guess what it was!? Another coffee cup!Halifax was founded in 1749 as a military base and today has the largest naval base in Canada. It was once the receiving center for immigrants and refugees from all over the world, and the culture of all these different groups is a unique feature of life today in Nova Scotia. The “Historic Properties,” or the waterfront, is where it’s happening – shopping, restaurants, and entertainment abound. Original stone and wood warehouses have been refurbished into trendy lofts and apartments.
On a hill in central Halifax stands the Citadel Fortress, built in 1749 as a bastion of British control over North America. Breathtaking views are offered from this vantage point, however, it was too foggy and rainy to see very far (they get over 150 heavy fog days per year). Michael’s tour went inside the fortress while mine just drove around. Michael also toured the Pubic Victorian Gardens that were established in 1867, in the pouring down rain. He managed to get a few pictures, but said it was hard to juggle an umbrella and camera at the same time. My tour just drove around the gardens, which was OK with me.Halifax has a curious naval history. In 1912, three naval ships were sent to recover victims of the Titanic (many of them are buried here). In 1917, one of the most tragic events in Halifax history occurred when there was an explosion when a French munitions ship, the Mont Blanc, and a Belgian relief ship collided and 2,500 tons of explosives caught fire and BOOM. Over 2,000 on the waterfront were killed and more than 8,000 were injured. The blast was felt as far at 50 miles away. This was the world’s single largest man-made explosion in history (outside of the atom bomb).
Now my tour: I rode on a Larc V amphibious vehicle which was designed to be primarily a boat, but has been altered to ride on land – and it doesn’t do either very gracefully. The “duck” has a canvas “roof” and is SUPPOSED to have side panels for inclement weather. Our duck arrived with NO side panels! It is pouring cats and dogs, raining sideways and the driver said, “we couldn’t find the side panels.” The tour guide offered us el cheapo plastic ponchos which did nothing to keep my keester dry. Forgetabout using the camera with the wind and rain. My hair was plastered down and my pants and shoes were soaked. I could not keep notes nor write on my report form because everything kept blowing away and getting wet. I cannot believe in this part of the world where is rains so frequently that they “couldn’t find the side panels.” It made for a long, cold and slightly miserable experience. I came back to the room to dry off and then wrote my report – not a very happy one. We are coming back here on our way to Montreal so hopefully the weather will cooperate. It did look like a very pleasant town to explore, especially down by the “Historic Properties” area. There are other sights to see such as Peggy’s Cove, the Maritime Museum, and the government houses.
Our afternoon agenda has changed from touring on foot to hanging around on the ship. Michael has disappeared for the afternoon to play bridge. I am writing the blog. I told him not to call me to play unless he was desperate. One couple pleaded with me to play, but I now know how to gracefully say, “No bleeping way!”
You can't jhave nice weather all the time. However, this seem like the worse day you have had so far. Good only for the ducks!
ReplyDeleteI think you are getting tired of playing bridge! Just relax with a good book!!
Marilyn