Halifax - Day 2

I neglected to take notes so am relying on memory and photos. So I won't bore you with the time we woke each day and what we ate for meals. 

While on the waterfront the day prior, we had noticed the Harbour Hopper, an amphibious vehicle that does a tour of downtown Halifax, as well as a water tour of the harbour. Eli was quite taken by it, so we looked into the cost. I should note that D was able to get an access pass through Easter Seals, that allows a caregiver free access to various events and attractions. As a result the cost for the three of us wasn't unreasonable. After parking the car, we walked down to the kiosk and purchased our tickets for the 10 a.m. tour.

We started with the city tour, with our tour guide providing information on the buildings we were passing. A quick drive around the Citadel and then it was down to the harbour. What an odd feeling to suddenly be floating in the water! Captain Jack made certain to make a big splash. Various buildings were pointed out as well as other attractions along the water front. About ten to fifteen minutes into the tour, the Captain beckoned Eli to come forward. D went with him, and Eli was given the opportunity to drive (is that the correct term) the vessel with a little help. 

All too soon, the tour was over and Eli wanted to stay on board. He was quite disappointed when we explained it was someone else's turn. From the drop-off point, it was a fairly short walk along the waterfront towards the Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. We did make a quick stop to allow Eli to play and run off some energy.

The museum also took the Access pass, plus I was given a discount for my CAA membership. It's always nice to save a dollar or two.

Eli's favorite exhibits related to the Titanic (no photo - but he was fascinated by the various model ships). Apparently he and his mother have watched a few documentaries so he knows about the fate of the ship. My favorite exhibits related to the immigrants as they left Halifax for other centers across Canada. There is a train car that one can sit in and imagine the long trip west. There are also several "children's trunks" - one that struck me was that of one young girl's belongings containing clothing, blankets and toys, as well as walnuts! Apparently her grandmother had stuffed their luggage without the father's knowledge and it was quite the surprise for him and the customs officer. My daughter is a history buff, so I think the entire museum was a highlight.

Our final destination for the day was the Citadel. We did not make it there in time for the noon gun, but were fortunate enough to find parking right on the site. All national parks have free admission this summer so the only cost was the parking, about $8. As a result we didn't have to climb the hill, but we did climb to the top of the walls of the Citadel for the views.

We checked out the cannons first and the cubbies were extra shells were kept. As we continued our walk around the top of the wall we came across a employee dressed in the garb of a soldier explaining the firing of a muzzle loader to several young men. After a demonstration without the ammunition, one of the young men signed a waiver, put on the coat of the uniform and was allowed to fire the gun. It was loud!

Making our way down the ramp, we went through several exhibits, and another young man explained the purpose of the rooms, the tailor's space and an officer's room. He explained that there was only one tailor responsible for the dressing of all of the men at the fort.

Before we left, we stopped at the main gate for Eli to have his photo taken with the guard. There was a trip to the gift shop as well!

Then it was time to return to the hotel, for more time in the pool. The next day would be cooler, and we'd be heading out of the city to our next destinations, Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg.

Day 5 - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Since I'd been to Halifax (September 2015) I had already planned not to do an excursion.  I'd seen those buses pull in and out of Peggy's Cove while we were there and knew I'd be disappointed in the short time.  Besides which there were several other ships in port that day and I knew things would be hectic. My goal was to visit the Citadel and walk the wharf, and maybe find Alexander Keith's brewery for a beer.

We arrived about 7 a.m., and since I had no excursion planned, I met Pam in the dining room for breakfast at 8:45.  It was so nice to be waited on!  I left her with her coffee and went back to my cabin to shower and get ready for the day.  I finally left the ship about 10:30 - no long line-ups to disembark. 

My goal was to walk to the Citadel and I had in my head where it was generally so off I went.  I walked along to boardwalk until I thought I was would run into as I climbed uphill.  AND it is mostly uphill (as Kim can attest).  I was running out of steam about a half hour into the walk, stopped at a hot dog vendor and he assured I was only about 2 1/2 blocks from the base of the hill to the Citadel.  One foot in front of the other, and when I get there to the top, it's all down hill from there I kept telling myself.

When I finally reached the top of the Citadel I was so happy I'd made the effort.  The view was incredible!  It took me nearly 45 minutes to make the trek and I arrived in plenty of time for the noon gun.

I climbed to the top of the wall (using the stairs) on the opposite side of the gun.  From there I was able to get some awesome photos.

Once the gun was loaded, the two volunteers took a minute for a brief chat.  It was obviously and enjoyable one.

While the one on the right disappeared it was the responsibility of the other to light the gun and set it off.
Good thing for ear-plugs!

I was fine from my vantage point but I'm certain it's pretty loud.

 Then it was time to head downhill to find some lunch.

The clock tower building is beautiful!  

Along the way I spotted the art work on the side of a building.  Beautiful too, in a different way.

   

When I got down to the waterfront I walked along the boardwalk and was thrilled to see the Bluenose II was docked there.  We saw the ship in Lunenburg when we were there in 2015.  

That time, I took a photo laying on my back on the deck of the boat looking up towards the masts.



This time I stayed upright.  I would have appreciated if some of the other people would have given me a clear shot but as I noted, there were several cruise ships in port that day.  


I made my way along the waterfront until I came to a series of food vendors.  I spotted the poutine place and decided what could be more Canadian than that?  With my poutine and a Sprite soft drink I sat on a bench near the water, watching the traffic - both on the water and on foot.  I'm a people watcher at given time.  It was fun because there was a discernible difference between the locals (either jogging, returning from yoga class or walking with purpose dressed in workday clothes) and those from away (from the extreme t-shirt/short crowd to the raincoat or even winter jackets).  It was cloudy and a bit damp but it never really rained.

On my return to the terminal, I stopped to browse the craft shops and picked up a onsie for Eli (the only gift I brought back) then headed back to the ship.  I decided some time in the hot tub was in order.  

That evening I met Pam, Matt, and David at the Crown Grill for dinner.  There is an additional cost to eat there but so worth it.  We all had the filet mignon for our entree, I started with black and blue onion soup and a goat cheese and green salad.  With our entrees we also had asparagus, spinach, mushrooms and mashed potatoes served family style.  For dessert I chose the lemon tart, while the others had the trio of chocolate desserts.  After such a big meal, I was happy I'd done as much as I had that day.  

In total, it was another wonderful day.  I love cruising, I unpack once and wake up somewhere different every day.  Of course, the last day is always a little sad.