Judy. As you know, we don’t
usually make a big deal about sightseeing when we visit a city. I can’t say
we’ve made a BIG deal, but we have seen quite a few things in our ten days in
Halifax, in part because we’re just curious.
On the first sunny
(but still windy) day, we walked to the Citadel, a fortification dating from
1749, though there have been several incarnations since then. The present one
is a star-shaped double-walled fort begun in 1828—to stop a land-based invasion
by the US. Remember the war of 1812?
According to the
Park Ranger, it’s been in use since, with a brief stint as munitions storage.
Now it’s a National Historic Site, and is a super place to spend the day. Docents are
dressed as the 78th Highlanders Regiment, who manned the fort form
1869-1871, so we learned about their various uniforms, tested the weight of
their coats and the equipment they wore, as well as the equipment they used. The docents are diverse, with several young women in uniform. That’s not
historically accurate, but the young Indian man in uniform does represent the
Indian soldier who served at that time in the Regiment. Love all this info!
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| Young docent standing guard |
The views of the
city and harbor are spectacular, and there are great exhibits of the history of
Nova Scotia and of the wars in which Canadian soldiers served. William Hall was
the first Black Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross in 1854 during the
Crimean War. Sadly, he died in poverty and was placed in an unmarked grave.
The exhibit,
though, that touched us the most, was of a WWI trench, an idea conceived by the
Park Ranger who is in
charge there, to honor those soldiers who fought during
that war. It is 300 feet long, muddy, and claustrophobic. Docents in WWI
uniforms guide you through, past soldier’s bunks, officer’s quarters, medic
rooms, and communications. There is graffiti on the walls. I’ve never seen
anything like it, and it was a powerful and emotional experience.
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| WWI trench |
Sunday we attended
church at St. Mark’s Anglican, a five-minute walk from our place. We were
swarmed with attention, stories of the Halifax Explosion and St. Mark’s part in
it (200 of the 2,000 killed were members there), and suggestions of things to do
while in town. The following Tuesday we volunteered with the food bank they
support. All the volunteers there had worked the bank for twenty years or so,
and I loved seeing the kindness and respect they had for each of the clients.
On Sunday
afternoon we took the bus to the Public Gardens. Spring is slightly delayed
here, but the rhododendrons were lush, the azaleas profuse, and the variety of
trees and greenery an absolute delight. To top it off, we were treated to the
first of the Sunday afternoon free jazz concerts!
From there we
walked 10 minutes to the Halifax Central Library, called Halifax’s Living Room.
It was beyond belief. There are five floors (the top with a view of the city),
books and media in every language, an area devoted to First Nations, several
covered booths where people could work privately, two cafés, and a performance
space (a dance recital was in progress). Never seen anything like it! Outside
are chairs and tables for relaxing in the sun. Yeah, I’d live in a spot like
that.
Tuesday we did a
typical Ted and Judy. We got all dressed up, caught the number 7
bus and rode
downtown to Halifax’s best restaurant, Stories, for a late celebration of our
anniversary. Afterwards, filled with delicious food and champagne, we caught
the bus home.
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| Happy anniversary to us! |
On Wednesday, the
first really warm and sunny day, we took another bus across town to Point
Pleasant Park, a wooded area on the south end of the city, with paths through
the woods and around by the water. We discovered the ruins of forts, beach
picnic areas, more amazing views, and more dogs than I knew existed. Parts of
the park are off-leash, and, while most of the dogs were well behaved, our
picnic was interrupted by a dog-walker’s pack of
ten dogs who were much more interested in our food than listening to the
walker. Ah, well.
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| Point Pleasant Park |
There is much in
the media about Anthony Bourdain since his unfortunate death. One thing he said
is that if you choose to travel, you must understand that there will be
terrible times as well as good ones. He's probably right. We’ve only been at this for a year and a
half, but so far, terrible is about as bad as ten unleashed dogs, running late
for a plane connection, and noisy upstairs neighbors. Oh, yes--and missing Mexico City because of an earthquake. Here’s hoping that’s
about as bad as it gets.
Love the 78th Highlanders. They have a regiment down this way and assemble at most of the Highland Games. They march and shoot their black powder muskets. Gotta appreciate those who bring us living history and want to share it.
ReplyDeleteThat library sounds like my idea of heaven! How is the cost of living up there? When Marissa lived in Ottawa, living expenses were quite a bit higher than Ga,USA. But she loved it there!