My trip to Halifax

            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.