Recently
I went to Metro Halifax, Nova Scotia. I took the train to there, where it took
close to thirty seven hours. For short distances the train is fine, but for me
– that long a train where it would get off on time but get delayed and trying
to make up time made me nervous. I bit my finger nails more than I usually do.
But the three and half days I was in Halifax and what I was able to see was
really interesting. For those few days, it was just me doing my own thing and
was really nice. The following is a good majority of what I did on my trip.
Thursday August 17, 2017
Day
before my trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia. This will my third time out of my home
province, I will be taking the train. It will take about thirty-six hours to
get there. Yes, taking a plane would be cheaper and shorter in time but it
would be nice to see my way to the East coast by land. I am all packed but a
few things – like toothpaste and bobby pins. I do not know why I have chosen
Halifax, but I do know why I choose my activities/ hotel room close together –
walking distance. Yes I could just learn one or two routes of the bus line to
get to different places. I do not have a license so I am unable to rent a car,
and no access to a bike – though I have not rode one in years. But I filled my
mornings and and afternoons with different activities and time alone in my
hotel room and I am alright with that for this trip out to Halifax. If I go
again, I can plan differently since I have seen a few things this time around.
Friday August 18, 2017
First
day of trip, and the train I was supposed to get on was about ten minutes late.
This would be a precursor to all but one train ride (the one home funny
enough). It therefore was late getting into Toronto, and I had a few moments to
get the one to Montréal train. The one to Montréal was twenty minutes late but did
not matter that much because I had about an hour and half of wait time to kill.
On the two trains to Toronto and Montréal the driver was able to make up
some time, but at some points lost time. The central via rail station there is
pretty large, with a few stores and food court – almost like a mini mall. At
the terminal I was able to grab a few things to eat and charge up my iPod and
cell. I had planned to read on both trains to Toronto and to Montreal, but only
got a few pages to Toronto and none to Montréal.
Even to this point I was adjusting what I was going to see and when on my trip.
On all three trains there was stops along the way – it was not a direct link to
either city, the one to Halifax from Montréal made
sense to have a few stops because it was a long distance. On the ride to
Halifax I noted to myself I should have gotten an upgrade to a sleeper car than
economy. For that long of a ride, even with brakes to step outside the train,
it still hurt and uncomfortable.
Saturday August 19, 2017
The
over night would stop and start which was rather bothersome, and would become
an hour late getting into the Halifax train station. I was not impressed with
it, the delay they said was them waiting on a part of the track to let freight
trains move past, and I over heard, if I heard correctly, as well that staffing
and shortages also was a factor. The last part I can understand because of
where I currently work I get that. So part of me is okay but part of me is not.
When travelling through Quebec and New Brunswick – during the day when we could
see the scenery, it was really beautiful. Nice waters, greenery and landscapes.
But looking at all that moving green made me a little sick of it for a little
while. As I was making notes of my notebook I could not seem to focus on
writing, reading, listening to music or anything really. And I only had about
seven more hours left on the ride to go. The train finally picked up some
speed, and caught up some time but was still behind schedule. Stretching on a
train for almost twenty four hours only helps so much. An hour after I was
originally supposed to get there, I arrived. I went to my room at the Novel
Stay to drop off my luggage and then went to Pete's fine foods to get some
food. Time zone wise, if coming from Ontario/Quebec, Halifax is about an hour
later.
Sunday August 20, 2017
It
was my first full day there. I went really well. I went early to the Public Garden on Spring Garden Road. The Garden was a beautiful, large piece of
garden. Nice setup, figures, plants, small buildings and statues with
descriptions, there was nice paths. Overall, it was a nice place to walk around
– I spent close to forty-five minutes to an hour just walking around, taking
pictures and sitting on two or three of the many benches there. There was a
place set up with chairs facing what would be a stage for performances, which I
found to be really cool. Next place I
went to was the Halifax Citadel, I did not spend a whole long of a time there –
being a Canadian Park and it being Canada 150, I got in free. So I did not
waste any kind of money doing only a few minutes doing a walk through and
listening to an interpreter for a few moments. It was something really
interesting to see if you are a person interested in military history, Canadian
history, coastal history. It is worth looking outward to the shore line when
you are up there and spending time at the Citadel – no matter how long.
Afterwards
I went to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, where I spent a long time going from
different level to the next. There was a few different exhibits being shown and
all are very interesting. The ones that were going on when I went were:
Shifting Ground – a look a charting the changing currents in contemporary
Aboriginal art across Canada – and
SakKijâjuk: art and craft from Nunatsiavut both were really neat to look at
and to see what type of art form they use to express their history, emotions
and what is going on. Buoys and Gulls – a selection of whimsical and sometimes
humorous works tying to the regions heritage and ties to the sea was just that
and really fun to see. In a flash, was the next exhibit and of interest who
wants a small snippet of the First World War, it is not huge but nicely done.
Vimy Ridge... artists document the First World War merged into the previous
exhibit as well. The Maud Lewis Gallery and Maud Lewis & The Big Screen
were next. You get to see numerous paintings done by the artist, which hare
very lovely to see. As well you got to see imagery and two costumes from the
film about her (Maudie). The final exhibits that were in places also
merged, they where the Centuries of Silence: the Discovery of the Salzinnes
Antiphonal and An Expression of Faith: Sacred Art of the Centuries Past. Now
these exhibits are not just for those of the Christian Faith, but for those who
like history of the East coast, music and all around art. It was so many items
to look at and was really beautiful pieces of works. Now I may have missed a few
mentions but there was so much to have a look at and was really fascinating
just to go from room to room and floor to floor to have a look at. Now this
Gallery, you start on the south side, go down to the lower level in order to
cross to get to the north side/ opposite side of the gallery which was
interesting.
Now
I filled my Sunday even more by going to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
(or as some call it: the Titanic museum). This museum is the place if you have
any interest in maritime, naval/marine, boat history, wrecks like the titanic
or the Halifax explosion. There is two levels to this museum and each is jammed
pact with models and artifacts from different events, boats and times in
history of the Atlantic near or surrounding Halifax or Nova Scotia. As a person
that has not much of interest in this area it was really cool to see how they
brought this aspect of history and life to the public. The models alone are
worth having a look at and more active than other museums atmosphere.
After
my time at the museums and parks, I made my way back to where I was staying,
but made a stop at a local 'witchy' shop called Neighbourhood Witch. It is
located in a converted home with two other shops, you have to go up a set of
stairs to get to it. It is divided into two small rooms that is sandwiching the
room where they offer tarot readings, which I am assuming is also small in size
as well. The day as a whole was really nice, I did not take as much photos as I
thought I was going to take but I had had a nice time. When at the hotel, I had
a few hours to watch Netflix and shows on television, like storage wars and
just for laughs.
Monday August 21, 2017
On
my way to Pier 21 I went to Trident bookseller and cafe, I just looked at the
books – I got two. It is a small place but very nice and a good atmosphere.
Worth having a look if you are in the area. After, I went to the Pier 21 museum
of immigration and shopped at the corridor 22 while I waited for the museum to
open. These are connected to the Seafood market. The vendors in the corridor
are only open when there are tours scheduled for the day, when I went there
were multiple tours that were going to happen. The selection of the vendors
were similar but still different enough to have a look at each one and see
almost a lot of new things. After touring the museum for almost an hour, I went
to Point Pleasant Park. There were a few main and smaller trails that you are
able to walk on. Make sure to take a photo of the map to know where you are if
you are going on it for the first time. In the park there are different small
sites to see – like half built forts before the realization going inward was a
better idea to set up fort. Also, while I was on a boat tour the next day, I
was told that the park is not fully Canadian land. We just pay the British
eight to ten cents to keep it in Canadian territory. The Park is really nice to
have a walk and a place to be with your dog, after a certain point you are
allowed to take off your leash and are area you are allowed to have them for a
certain amount of time. So if you have a dog and like to walk, this park is
really a place for you to go. There is a lot of the park touching water and if
you are able to get along the coast, you are able to get a great view. At the
park, you are easily able spend well over an hour like I did if you are just
looking around. But if want a place to walk or run, you can get your exercise
in very quickly and easily.
After
walking back to my hotel room, I cleaned up a little and then went again. Close
by this time because where I was staying it was a twenty five minute walk back
from the park. When I went out again I went to a local bookstore called
Bookmark. Oh my, it was nice. I didn't get any books but spent some money on
notebooks and accessories. Very nice place to have a look at and the personnel
are really great. Then I went to a restaurant/pub called Your Father's
Moustache. It was a great place to have something to eat and drink. As well
there is a patio if you are a type of person that likes to eat outside on a
good day. The patio is on the roof though and not on ground level like other
patios are, but since it is in an area where places are close together, going
up is the option to go.
Tuesday August 22, 2017
My
last day here was more low key then the previous days. I took a ferry to
Dartmouth and looked at two parks that were close by to the terminal. I went to
the Peace Park Pavilion, which is small but very interesting to have a look at
and is overlooking the coast. Next I went to Sinnot Hill Park look out for
another view of the cemetery and park below and that park of the coast.
Leighton Dillman Park was the next park I looked at, and is just as nice as the
Public Gardens. It is more of a park that people go through to get to downtown
or to the ferry. It really is a nice park and goes more uphill than it is
level. After I took a ferry back, I stayed along the coast and waited for a
nature and whale watching tour I booked. Though I did go a few minutes away to
have a look through Coles and be inside for a few moments and get something to
eat. I went on the tour, two and half hours long and really cool see the coast
by boat. We did not see any whales but did see some sea lions and more
porpoises. There was a regalia going on when my tour was going passing through.
After the tour ended I walked around a little and went back to my to my hotel
room.
Wednesday August 23, 2017
My
last day here and left at eleven and made my way to the VIA terminal. It was on
time but we had to wait ten minutes before it got going again. It would become
delayed between twenty and sixty minutes. Though when it came into Montréal with about fifteen minutes to spare, so I was able to get onto
the train. This one was slightly behind and I was able to get to Toronto with
about half an hour to spare waiting. The one going to Kitchener was the only
one that came and arrived on time and was on schedule. Overall, minus the
nervous over the train times I had a great time in Halifax, Nova Scotia. If I
get the chance again I would be interested again to see other places and do a
few more boat tours. It was a really nice place to stay and a place really
getting into being green/ environment interest.
