Halifax. Excursion - O Canada, Eh?

It was a foggy start to the morning – not very nice at all, and we were a little bit late on arrival.  Fortunately the fog started to lift by the time guests started to go ashore, giving us some hope that the sun would break through.

I joined a group of guests just outside the terminal for the tour that I was assigned to.  Fortunately it was a nice small group = smaller bus.  Donna was our guide for the day and Paul was our driver.  Both of them gave the group a warm welcome and we were soon on our way, firstly doing a bit of a drive through Halifax, around the Citadel and out of town.  During our drive through Halifax I saw a pedestrian with a plug of tissue or cotton wool up his nose – I wonder if he had had a nosebleed… 

First stop was Peggy’s Cove but it was cloaked in fog.  We were able to have some time to ourselves to wander around what would be a colourful fishing village when there is no fog.  You could see the lighthouse standing out and there was a piper playing the bagpipes as visitors wandered around the site.  I ended up popping into 2 or 3 craft shops for a quick wander around before re-boarding the warm bus.  The fog started to lift when we left, which is a bit of a pity because Peggy’s Cove is very beautiful. 



Next stop was to visit Acadian Maple were we were able to buy maple products, from wine to biscuits and fudge.  I tried not to go wild but that didn’t stop me from making a few purchases.  Unfortunately I held up the queue a bit because I wanted to pay with American dollars as I didn’t have Canadian dollars.  They had to re-calculate everything but the till had a glitch in it so the calculation process had to be started all over again. Guests returning from the maple shop were grinning from ear to ear – no doubt they had stocked up on products too!

Dining room

We went for lunch at the Atlantica Hotel on the coast, not far from the town of Lunenburg.  I had opted for the delicious stuffed Portobello mushroom with risotto while others went for either chicken or fish.  Shortcake finished the meal but it was rather like a scone.  For once I didn’t feel rushed over lunch.  I tend to be a slow eater and sometimes it is difficult to appreciate a meal when rushed. 

The sun came out as we headed to the quaint historic harbour village of Lunenburg, a UNESCO world heritage site and it was warm enough to remove heavy coats.  In Lunenburg we had time to wander around town.  Some guests opted to take a horse and cart ride – a good way of getting around with a history lesson thrown in.  I decided to take a walk through the village, passing by St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and popping inside beautiful St John’s Anglican Church.  St. John’s the first established church in Lunenburg dating back to the 1700’s.  Unfortunately it burnt down in 2001 but was rebuilt.  With time ticking it was time to meander back towards the harbour and bus.  Bluenose II, a lovely replica of a fishing schooner, was back in the harbour so I went over to her berth for a look.


Time was not on our side with the ship’s early departure so the tour group had to head back.  We didn’t do too badly for time and arrived just as the final preparations for departure were being made.  The guests were in a jolly mood and very upbeat, having enjoyed their comprehensive tour.

This evening we had dinner in the Pinnacle Grill with the captain, his wife and a few officers.  Dinner was very nice but terribly filling  😩

MORE PICTURES

Peggy's Cove

Atlantica Hotel (Lunch Venue)

Lobby of Atlantica Hotel

View from the Hotel

Lunenburg (UNESCO World Site)

Halifax, Nova Scotia. Excursion: The Best of Halifax

Old canon at the Citadel - it is pointed at the river but high-rise buildings block the view now.

Had a 7 hour whirlwind tour of Halifax today.  A city is a city with its high rise buildings and busy traffic.  Only today wasn’t so busy because it was a public holiday.

We started off with a walk through the Public Gardens with its fountains, little bridges over streams, bandstand and, of course, lovely plants.  After that we went to Citadel Hill which is an old fort.  We had time to wander around and visit its museum and shops.   I opted to walk the old walls and had a good view of the city and its surrounds, not to mention bumping into a few old cannons along the way.  Some chaps were dressed in kilts, others in another uniform.  We were in time to get out before the road was closed around the fort for the noon-day cannon salute.

Our next stop was the Fairview Lawns Cemetery.  Nope, we didn’t have to bury a guest and it wasn’t time to organise my own funeral.  We were there to see a few graves of those folk who went down with the Titanic.  It was a sobering few minutes as our guide, Cath, explained why the dates are all the same, some had names on, others didn’t.  It took a while for the Titanic to go down so the date of death is shown as the date Titanic went beneath the waves.  Un-named graves where those folk whose remains have never been identified despite meticulous record-keeping of what they were found wearing that day, and personal effects with them/on them.  Other grave stones have names because they were identified.  Stones with engravings on the front of them, rather than on the top of them, means that the remains were identified years later.  Some gravestones were more ornate than others.  One woman’s husband’s body was recovered but she had no say in repatriating the body back home so instead used the money for a nice headstone.   All the stones are in polished granite.  Ground subsidence has taken its toll around the headstones so a trench was dug at the headstones and a supporting wall was built on which the gravestones were put.  Cath told us a few stories of some of the individuals.  It was very interesting.

We had lunch at Murphy’s Restaurant on the quayside.  It wasn’t what I would call lunch.  We had delicious seafood chowder (like a thickish soup) and apple pudding for afters.

Our next and final stop for the day was a good hour’s drive away to Peggy’s Cove.  It was a delightful little seaside fishing village, colourful houses perched on the rocky granite ground.  As the bus driver drove along the rounds from Halifax to Peggy’s Cove, the surroundings changed and the area became a bit like driving around the northern parts of Scotland and also near its lochs.  It was very beautiful.  We had time to wander around the village, visiting the lighthouse, the tiny harbour, the small shops.  It was wonderful.  The drive back was also beautiful, passing Margaret’s Bay on the way back.  Breath-taking ….

You can see my pictures on facebook via this link:  The Best of Halifax

Another day lies ahead tomorrow and we shall see what it brings.

Sailing to our next destination:  Sydney, Nova Scotia.