We had our sights set on Halifax today. So far, driving has usually taken longer than usual, either because of unplanned detours, or frequent stops. So we'd decided to leave early to allow plenty of time in Halifax for a look around.
We agreed to avoid the scenic roads today, and stick to the main highways as much as possible. There were some exceptions. The first was that the most direct route was via Mahone Bay (where we went yesterday) and we were happy to drive that again. The second detour was a small town called Chester, also often used for filming of the Haven TV series. The Chester detour was small, but ultimately not worth it. The town was nothing special, just a small settlement with no particular character. So we passed straight through.
The next major destination was Peggys Cove. A detour, yes, but everything we read said we should go there. We debated how many tour buses would be present here. Helen optimistically said "none". I said "two". I was closest because actually there were about twenty!!! Peggys Cove is not far from Halifax, and later in the day we would count three cruise ships berthed.
Anyhow Peggys Cove is a beautiful spot. A small fishing settlement, with a small sheltered cove, perched out on rocks on what is a very windy and exposed location. The lighthouse is the main draw here. It's surrounded by large, smooth rocks which are all walkable. It's quite fun to walk around it all.
After that, Helen kindly drove the car back down to the cove, while Dad and I walked down, so I could get a few photos. There was also a film crew there filming on a boat, for what will be a movie or TV show I guess. However everything you see in the photos here is real, as it's a working fishing village.
Once in Halifax, we headed straight for our hotel downtown, but it was too early and the room wasn't ready yet. No problem, we headed out again in the car.
Just up the hill is the Halifax Citadel, a fortress originally created by the British to defend their Navy and the harbour from intruders. First established in 1749, and updated three more times up until 1856, it is kept in remarkably good condition for visitors. We arrived by car just before midday, and they fire a cannon midday each day. When they do so, they stop traffic up the hill, so we were stuck in a jam when it went off. I was counting down but my iPhone was 4 seconds slow compared to theirs, so there was a sudden BOOOM!!!!! which gave Helen an almighty fright ahead of time. After that we parked up and went inside for a look around. It has what would have been a commanding view of the harbour, however modern progress has meant large high rise buildings have largely obscured the harbour view now. Finally, we happened to see the changing of the guard. The guard is actually a group of people paid to dress in traditional uniform (Scottish style, kilts etc) but not actual armed services. They still fly the British flag there as it would have been in the day.
After the Citadel, we went back to the hotel. Our room was ready, so we unpacked the car and took everything up to the room. Then we headed out on foot to find some lunch, and generally look around Halifax.
The city has no particular character. There's no special architecture, and apart from a mall we didn't see too many shops other then for tourists. There is a nice boardwalk along the waterfront, lots of food places and things to see, and obviously caters for cruise ship people. We found some "Cape Cod" chairs to sit in and admire the view. Although it was a bit windy just like home.
Rain was forecast for today, and the the sky started looking grey, and not feeling there's much more to see we went back to the hotel to relax. We can do that, we're on holiday!!!! By evening we sat in an Irish pub across the road for drinks and dinner, while we did laundry in the hotel. It was quicker to run back and forth from the pub to the laundry, than from our room!
Tomorrow we drive north to Baddeck. An easy drive and we won't rise too early.
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