Big Adventure Port 4 - Halifax, Nova Scotia

 The added port for this cruise is Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Today is her day.  She's not Greenland, but we've have a great time no matter what.  I'm ready to go, but . . .we have to get to port first.

Here comes the pilot boat.

It's always fascinating to watch.

This whole cruise has had plenty of deck space for those who wished to be up here.

Two perspectives - same place.  Just to be clear, neither picture had anything done to it except straightening the horizon.

Right on cue - here comes the fog again.

We are not alone here.  There was also a ship in Sydney, but two of our ports were all ours.

Hello Halifax.

This is the boardwalk I have read about --- nice to have some directional bearings.

Let's go explore.  Right near the ship is a statue of Samuel Cunard (1787-1865).  The first thought that crosses my mind is that I wonder if the Cunard Cruise line is named for him.  Cunard is a British cruise line that is also owned by Carnival.   Hmmm.  Perhaps a read will help me:  Samuel Cunard was born in Halifax and was the eldest son of United Empire Loyalists who emigrated here in 1783.  He married Susan Duffus and had 9 children, all born in Halifax.  For more than half a century, the S. Cunard & Company wharves on the Halifax waterfront were the center of a vast shipping empire engaged in the West Indies trade.  Samuel Cunard became the foremost entrepreneur in Halifax and on of the largest owners of sailing vessels in the Maritime Provinces.  Samuel Cunard was a visionary who foresaw steam power replacing sail on the North Atlantic.  He became the pioneer of ocean steam navigation when the paddle steamer Britannia, the first flagship of the British and North American Royal Mail Stream Packet Company (that's a mouthful) later known as the Cunard Line, arrived in Halifax on its maiden voyage from Liverpool, England in 1840.  Well, I guess that answers my question and my hunch was correct.

Right after Samuel is another beautiful piece entitled The Volunteers.  Thousands of women and children volunteered during the Second World War.  They provided nursing care, respite, entertainment and meals.  They knitted and quilted, made clothing for overseas victims of war, ran blood donor clinics, collected salvage, aided war brides and their children when they arrived in Canada and carried out countless other services.  To honour those volunteers, the three figures represent females of all ages:  an older women with her Mi'kmaw basket and knitting, a volunteer at an African-Canadian canteen and a young girl gathering salvage items for recycling.

Mister is behind me --- keeping watch as always.

This is called The Emigrant --- zoom in as it is GREAT.  The pain of separation he overcame, with faith and hope in his heart aflame . . .

Believe it or not, we haven't even cleared the front of the ship yet.

I learn something new when Mister takes this picture.  Do you see the metal pieces on the rope up near the ship?  They stop rats from being able to run up the ropes and board the ship.

Our first task is coffee.  Good coffee.  We had some in St. Anthony, but the ships coffee leaves a lot to be desired - even the stuff you have to buy.  Mister finds Terra Cafe and away we go.  What a cute shop.

This may be the best scone I've ever had.  Truth.

We exit the backdoor into a courtyard, which turns out to be really cool.  Gotta love this sign.  Grab some money, and then buy your bra.  What is a live bra?

Time to explore.

A peek into an unopen market.

Well now, Alexander Keith's was on my list to peek at, but for later today.  I'm not ready for beer yet AND it's owned by Budweiser so already not planning to drink there.  However, the building is REALLY cool and has been here since 1820.  It wasn't theirs then - Hence the name of Alexander Keith's Brewery.

A church steeple is spotted in the distance.  We are so off the walking path now, might as well just embrace it.

As we walk, this is looking back.

Ooooh - This is St. Mary's Basilica and it holds a central position in the history of Roman Catholicism in Nova Scotia.  Begun in 1820, the church demonstrated the enhanced ecclesiastical status of the province, which acquired its own Bishop in 1818, and witnessed enormous gains in the legal and social standing of Catholics.  A major expansion and redecoration of the church between 1860 and 1874 reflected the growing confidence and importance of the Diocese.  St. Mary's, named a Basilica in 1950, is one of the first Roman Catholic cathedrals in Canada, and an imposing example of mature Gothic Revival architecture.

It takes me a couple of door tries, but I find a way in.  Take a peek.

Across the street is an old cemetery and those always call me.  It is the Old Burying Ground and the land was set aside as a common burial ground outside the stockade of the new fortified town of Halifax.  The first grave was dug in 1749 and it was closed to burials in 1844.  During that period, over 12,000 men, women and children were buried here; fewer than 10 per cent of their graves are marked.

This is so very wonderful.  Yes, we are respectful, but this is cool.  

Look closer at the stones.  The lichen is everywhere, but it actually gives the place character.

Look how many names - 

Notice on this headstone that they have wrapped it to stop the deterioration.  

These gravestones were all carved by hand, using chisels and wooden mallets.  many of the old slate stones were quarried and carved around Massachusetts Bay, and shipped to Halifax before the American Revolution.  By the 1770s local stone carvers were making gravestones from a poorer quality local slate (or ironstone).  Most gravestones carved after 1820 are plain, massive, and sandstone.  The images or symbols can be a clue to age.  Older stones show symbols of death-stylized winged skulls (deathheads) or winged angels (soul effigies).  In the early 1800s the images gradually changed from representations of death to those of bereavement - funerary urns, lamps (of life, extinguished), and sometimes sprigs of willow (weeping.)

An interested area.

Exiting, we notice something going on across the street.  Mister has seen a band in full-dress uniforms.  Time to peek in.  It is the Government House - 1451 Barrington Street - and the residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.  It appears as though something is about to happen.

I decide to hang around and watch.  They are all set up and it can't take too long, right?

Then, it sprinkles and the band is led to a building and the other officials go inside.  Drat.  I'm still waiting.  Before too long (maybe 30 minutes) a staffer takes a position near us and another couples asks some questions so I listen in.  Turns out they are expecting a very important visitor, but he can't tell us who.

Next, the flag comes down and there are people waiting to raise another one.  That would lead me to believe this person is not from Canada.  Still staying.

Here comes the band again --- they must be getting close.

It's crazy that they just let us stand this close and watch.  No fences or a line of guards.  Wonderful!!!  Never would happen in U.S. - land of the free.  Ugh.

The Lieutenant Governor, Arthur LeBlanc, and his wife, Patsy, have appeared outside now.

The new flag is up and I can't tell a thing yet.  However, the Canadian flag is still flying.  The one that came down was Nova Scotia, I bet - so  . . .this person could be from Canada for all I know.

A couple has arrived.

She is being welcomed.  It's definitely her they are excited about but I sure don't know who it is.

She's being saged ---- I'm kind of unclear as to this, so I looked it up after and am adding this here.  It turns out that this is the Governor General, Mary Simon, the first indigenous governor general.  Very fun to watch.

And with that, we take our leave - an hour later.  Goodness.  However, it was kinda cool to watch and be so close.  continuing on, local art.

More street views - 

St. Paul's Anglican - This edifice was the first church of British origin built in Canada and became the first cathedral of the Church of England outside of the Mother-land. Erected at the expense of the crown it was endowed as a Royal Foundation by King George II and opened for public worship in 1750.  Between 1787 and 1864 it served as the cathedral church of the See of Nova Scotia.  For 96 years St. Paul's was also the  official garrison church for the army and navy establishment.  The design of the building is based on that of St. Peter's, Vere Street, London, England.  It is the first building erected in the Palladian style in Canada.  Despite the addition of wings and a chancel, the original wooden frame, pre-cut in Boston, still forms the main body of the church.

I LOVE these box pews.

Blue and white organ pipes.

We have gotten fairly close to the Citadel by now and decide to push forward.  It's all uphill from here.  Well, technically, it's also all been uphill until now.

The Town Clock on Citadel Hill in Halifax is a faithful reconstruction of an early 19th century Palladian structure.  Clad in white wood clapboard and shingles, the building consists of a symmetrical rectangular base supporting a three-tiered octagonal tower, and features typical classical elements and details.  The tower is composed of a round-plan colonnade, which supports the octagonal clock story, which in turn supports an octagonal arcaded story and is crowned by a copper dome and a balustrade and copper ball.  The structure still contains the original functional clock mechanism, which has been operating since October 20, 1803. 

Embedded in the wall below - before we start our climb.

I really felt that after yesterday, we wouldn't be climbing anymore mountains, but apparently I was wrong.  Stopping for breath.

I've passed the tower and still have a long way to go.

By the time I reach the top, I'm ready to stop and read a bit.  From where I am standing, I can see Ground Zero for the Halifax Explosion, the largest man-made explosion prior to the first atomic bomb.  On December 6, 1917, as the First World War raged around the globe, the Norwegian ship Imo and the French munitions ship Mont Blanc collided.  Mont Blanc caught fire and burned for about 25 minutes before the 2925 tons of explosives in her hold detonated.  The massive shockwave flattened two square kilometers of the city.  More than 1,600 people were killed, 9,000 wounded and over 6,000 left homeless.  More Nova Scotians lost their lives in the explosion than on battlefields of the Western Front.  There is a sign with old pictures I'm sharing.   So sad.

Across the street is the entrance to the Citadel.  I'm rested and ready to go back in time.  Built to defend against a land-based attack, the Halifax Citadel was the fourth in a series of fort to occupy this hill.  The star-shaped fortress, completed in 1856, was the centerpiece of the extensive system of fortifications constructed by the British military from 1749 to protect this strategic port, which by the mid-19th century had become one of four principal naval stations in the British Empire.  Garrisoned by the British until the Canadian military assumed control of all Halifax defenses in 1906, the Citadel stands today as a reminder of their rich colonial and military past.

It is surrounded by a large moat.  Looking right and then left.

When we enter, the first building we go into is the Guard Room and Lockup.  These cells are AWFUL!

Passageways for food.

Into the compound.

Deciding to take the high road, cos I just haven't climbed enough - I'm welcoming the breeze.

These cannons are massive!!

Looking down - 

Woah --- even bigger.

A whole lotta weaponry.

What do you suppose this tiny door is for?  Who is it for?

View of the lawn, city, and moat.

Never really did figure out why there is a mast here.  No, I didn't look it up either.

Spotted this little door at the bottom of some hidden stairs.  

Getting artsy.  Hahahahaha.

A stairwell back to the compound.

Another almost hidden tiny door.

Back on ground level -- we stopped in one of the barracks.  Eleven men lived in here -- this is only half of the room.

Well, that's it for today.  Right now it is changing of the guards.  I can't upload it here as the file is too large, but I did upload it to our Vimeo account and you can watch it with this LINK.

The infamous Guard Door and long, underground entrance.

The day is passing by and we need to start our journey back down to the wharf.  The City Hall stands out along our route.

The Historic Properties (also known as Privateers' Wharf) comes into view.  These are warehouse on the Halifax Boardwalk that began to be constructed during the Napoleonic Wars by businessmen such as Enos Collings, a privateer, smuggler, and shipper whose vessels defied the blockade to bring American supplies to the British commander Duke of Wellington.  These properties helped make Halifax prosperous in Canada's early days by aiding trade and commerce, but they were also frequently used as vehicles for smuggling and privateering.

So ---- a funny story while we are standing here.  We notice that the truck is illegally parked.  Someone else has noticed as well.  A citation is happening and perhaps a towing will follow.  The driver is not going to be a happy camper.

Back onto the Boardwalk.  From the founding of Halifax in 1749 until the early twentieth century, this portion of the waterfront was associated with men and events prominent in the civic and commercial life of the city.  These seven typical warehouses and offices, erected between 1815 and 1905, housed individual merchants as well as international trading and shipping companies. 

The Halifax-Dartmouth ferry goes is highly recommended, but there is just not enough time today.  It is the oldest saltwater ferry in North America and the second oldest in the world.

This high staircase is part of the Queen's Marque and is called Rise Again.  Climb to the top and look out over the harbour.  It is a ritualistic climb in homage to past generations that worked hard and struggled at times, to forge this place.  Rising out of the water, the form is proud and hopeful, as is the city.  At its apex is Tidal Beacon (which stands 40 feet above Rise Again), an art installation that transforms with the changing environment.  As the tides rise and fall, Tidal Beacon reacts, culminating with a beam that shines out over the harbour.  I'm a bit weary, but Mister makes the climb.

I can see him still --- can you?

These walls are so cool.  I wish they showed up better in the pictures. These are Muntz metal panels on the sides of buildings.  The metal used on these panels was invented in 1842 and used in shipbuilding to stop the hulls of ships from rotting during long ocean voyages.  The Muntz metal used today throughout the Queen's Marque is etched with stories, images and symbols that share Nova Scotia's past and present - from ship manifests and stories of rum running to lines of poetry and historical maps.

Love the harbor area.  We can see our ship --- getting closer now.

Sail - a 21' mesh sculpture.

A sign that said "corvette" and pointing this way led us to a ship.  Learn something new everyday.

We stopped to feed Mister and rest my feet for a bit, the rain began and we dug the umbrellas out and put the camera away - followed by a very quick walk to the brewery right near the ship.  Garrison Brewery, it's time.

Kelly and Shonie were already inside and waiting on us --- I didn't know as I hadn't checked my phone, but . . .we're together now.  They already had a whole sampler before we arrive.

All together now - 

While sitting here, I take a quick peek at our travels for today.  We put in about 2 1/2 miles and that's enough for today.  I would definitely return to Halifax for a more in-depth visit.  Back to my beer.

We stay as long as we can and then walk right across the street into the port and board the ship for the last time on this cruise.  Our room greets us with a new piece of tower art.

We've decided that the sweatshirt from St. Anthony (which was given to my by Shonie) should become the "traveling sweatshirt" and so I'll start.  It has made it to Halifax.

Now --- I want food and a burger sounds perfect.  On our way, we see that the port is still open as not all have returned, I guess.  I don't care - I'm hungry.

Sail away does happen and after the burger we take the time to watch.  Crazy strange -- beautiful day once again and now --- here comes the fog.

Leaving Mister on Lido --- a whale makes it appearance.  How fun.  I do see it further down the windows as I'm walking.  Mister does manage to catch his waterspout on camera.  Fun.

Kelly and I are the only two who make it to the dining room and  . . .  it's not our best night.  Hmmm - either it's because I feel like crap, or the food was just not wonderful.  Either way, we didn't stay long.  Well --- honestly that's it for today.  I'm going to the casino for a bit and then to the room.  When I get there, Mister is out on deck and it's a great pic to end the day.