Halifax Odds & Ends

One of the most well-known sites in Halifax -- and the one that may be hardest to miss -- is the Citadel. It sits high above the city, and it's a steep trip down from the Citadel to the waterfront. That, of course, makes for some pretty good city views.

But it's also just an interesting place to visit. The Citadel is a star-shaped fortress that was constructed from 1828 to 1856. We meandered along the upper ramparts and opted for a free 45-minute tour that took us into some of the nooks and crannies -- all of which visitors are able to explore by themselves, but which would be pretty easy to miss without someone who knows where they're going.

Another site you'll find in the Halifax tour books is the City Hall. We didn't go in, but the clocks are what to look for anyway. One of them is set for the exact time of the 1917 Halifax Explosion in the harbour that injured some 9,000 people and ravaged much of the city.

One of the prettiest parts of the city is the Halifax Public Gardens. It's fairly small -- you could easily see the entire park in an hour or so -- but there are beautiful flowers, a lovely pond and lots of well-placed benches. Plus there's a summer Sunday concert series in the gazebo, which we were able to enjoy.

Halifax doesn't have an Eiffel Tower or Brandenburg Gate -- no must-see, world-renowned attraction that's on every to-see list. Instead, it has a handful of excellent ways to wile away an afternoon, and that's just what we wanted on this vacation.

On the Halifax Waterfront

Downtown Halifax sits on the Halifax Harbour, and the waterfront seems to be where most of the shops, views and people are. That was especially true since we were there for the Halifax Tall Ships Festival.

We never did see the ships drift into or out of the harbour (when in Canada, spell as the Canadians do!), but we walked along the boardwalk with thousands of other visitors, peering at the ships, close enough to touch. You could board the ships with a special pass, but we never got one. We were content just slowly walking along, taking in the sights.

When it was time to eat, Paul chose a restaurant with outdoor seating just steps away from one of the ships. A few minutes after we were done, the festival fireworks were launched. It was the first evening of vacation, so we were surprised by how cold it was. The weather, however, was a nice change from the heat and humidity we left behind in New York.

The main section of the boardwalk isn't too long or too short, but you can spend a good two or three hours by taking it easy and popping into the stores and souvenir shops, or by sitting on a bench watching the pleasure boats drift by.

And the boardwalk is practically anchored by two things you'll want to visit anyway -- the Historic Properties (I hesitate to use the word "mall" to describe the indoor/outdoor space, since it's all unique shops and restaurants) at one end and the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market at the other. Unfortunately we visited the market just after breakfast. One of the few things I'd do differently on this trip was go to the market during lunchtime.

We were lucky to be in Halifax during a festival. However, meandering along the harbour even minus the ships would be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

A Week in the Canadian Maritimes

View of Halifax and the harbor from the Citadel

Leave it to me to get my first tan in years not in Florida or Italy, but in Canada.

Of course, I use "tan" comparatively. I'm still pretty ghostly. But compared to my usual Caspar-like pallor, I look pretty brown. Or red, if you look at my ankles -- the one place I obviously forgot to use sunblock.

Tan or no tan, burn or no burn, we're back from our week in Canada: 3 nights in Halifax, Nova Scotia, followed by 4 nights near Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. It was the most relaxing vacation I've ever taken, and the first one I can remember in a long time in which I came home and my feet didn't hurt.

I wasn't up for planning an intricate two-week jaunt, and I wasn't sure my 5-month pregnant body could take the hustle and bustle of our normal vacation anyway. So instead we chose a destination I'd long wanted to see ever since reading "Anne of Green Gables" as a child: Prince Edward Island. Paul had a hankering to see Halifax, and since it's only a 4-hour drive away, we tacked that on to the trip, too.

Since the Maritime provinces of Canada (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick) are only a two-hour nonstop flight away, these passport stamps were the easiest I've ever acquired. (In fact, I was very excited to get them -- we've never gotten stamps any time we've driven across the Canadian border.)

The weather was beautiful: temperatures in the 70s and perhaps low to mid-80s for a day or two, with no humidity. A few nights it was even cold enough to need pants and long sleeves -- a far cry from the weather we left in New York. It rained exactly one day, and that was the one we drove from Halifax to Prince Edward Island and had no outdoor plans. Perfect.

Over the next few weeks you'll see several blog posts regarding the vacation, perhaps interspersed with posts about whatever else is happening here at home in the meantime.

Halifax Town Clock