ON THE SHIP
The Chief Penguin and I are taking our first extensive cruise, something we’ve not done before, and are now in Nova Scotia. We had time in port in New York (more than we personally needed) and then a full day at sea.
The day at sea was a bit challenging for me as we had some swells, a remnant of Hurricane Matthew, which made for some prolonged rocking. Other than meals and attending an excellent lecture on Halifax and the Titanic and watching a magician perform card tricks and engage the small audience with puzzles, I spent the day lying low. Reading and even taking a nap.
Being first in port for a day and a half and then at sea for an entire day, I felt a bit encapsulated. However, the ship is lovely and abounds with venues and opportunities to eat and drink. You are never far from a friendly staff member who stops by to ask what you’d like to drink. Add to that an ice cream stand, a bistro for burgers and grilled cheese, afternoon tea with scones and mini sandwiches, a coffee bar that also serves pastry and several sumptuous buffets—and you’ll quickly see that your scale will be hard pressed to maintain the status quo! This in addition to the main dining room where you could order breakfast, lunch and dinner.
HALIFAX
Our day in Halifax dawned clear and bright with a blue blue sky and a pleasant 59 degrees. The boardwalk along the harbor is attractive and inviting even now when the season is obviously over. We toured the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and were impressed with both the Titanic exhibit and the one on the 1917 horrific collision of two ships in the Halifax harbor resulting in one of the worst explosions in human history. There was also a smaller exhibit on the aborted Franklin expedition to the Arctic in the 1850’s.
Continuing our walk, we climbed the steep hill up Prince Street to the old clock tower, a very handsome wood frame building, and to the Citadel. Panoramic view of the city skyline and the harbor. Then onward to stroll in the public gardens and just beyond the historic Camp Hill cemetery.
Returning down the hill, we lunched at a tasty fish restaurant, McKelvies, and then made a brief stop in the sanctuary of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, built in 1749 and the oldest building in Halifax. It survived the 1917 explosion and you can see a shard of metal from that event which still pierces the wall in the entryway. Architecture in the city is a mix of historic buildings and lots of new construction. I was also struck by the sight of brightly colored Adirondack chairs and picnic tables scattered around several public plazas.
