NYC & Canada Day #5: Halifax, Canada

Thanks to everyone who shared their concern over my post-race heart issue. I have made an appointment to see a Cardiologist. In fact at the moment, I’m starving because I can’t eat breakfast – I’m having labwork drawn and several other things tested out. Hopefully I’ll have an update in a few days!

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Moving on back to our NY & Canada trip, I left off at our first port day – Halifax!

NYC & Canada Day #4: First At Sea Day
NYC & Canada Day #3: Boarding the Disney Magic
NYC & Canada Day #2: Wicked!!
NYC & Canada Day #2: New York Yankees
NYC & Canada Day #1: Exploring New York

Our day in Halifax was a gorgeous one. After spending 7 hours on an excursion, I still felt as if I didn’t get to see as much of Halifax as I would have liked. This town is beautiful. I would go back in a heartbeat and spend a few nights!

I was really excited about visiting Halifax because this is the area that the Acadians were living when they were relocated to Louisiana. Once moving to Louisiana, they became “Cajuns”.  I love learning about heritage and our tour guide discussed the Acadians several times during the tour.

We met up with our excursion group (this one was adults only! Yay!) and boarded a tour bus. Our tour guide was awesome – he was full of interesting information (which I guess that’s why he has the job of a tour guide, right?).

No, gas is not $1.38 a gallon  - they pay per liter in Canada! I took this picture because I freaked when I saw the price, then our tour guide explained!

Our first stop was the Public Gardens which were absolutely beautiful!!

For the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee!

 

Our tour guide!

After walking through the Public Gardens, we made our way down to the Historic Waterfront Properties for about an hour’s worth of shopping! (Yeah!!)

 

I loved this ship!

I found a little piece of home, thousands of miles away!!

Our next stop was about an hour away at Peggy’s Cove.

There’s only about 45 people living in Peggy’s Cove. Our tour guide explained that fishing has become a near impossible task. In order to obtain a fishing license, you basically have to buy one from someone who is retiring. The government is no longer issuing brand new fishing license. The price of lobster is also really low so that makes for a poor return of a fisherman’s hard work. I say they sell all the lobster to us! They eat lobster on the East Coast of Canada like we eat chicken!

Lunch – seafood chowder! Oh so yummy!

We were told, do NOT go on the black rocks or we might be swept away by the Atlantic.

 

Lobster!! :0)

The cove is gorgeous and the bagpipes added so much to the serenity of the area. I loved listening to him play!

One of the most photographed lighthouses in the world!

 

I could have sat for hours and stared – really, pictures do not do this cove justice!

 

A giant whale bone

I was SO excited about my Cadbury chocolate find, the girl at the register thought I was NUTS! Hah!

  

After leaving Peggy’s Cove, we drove over to the Titanic Grave Site.

Days after the sinking, several fishing boats from Halifax rode out to the Titanic site to recover bodies. A little over 300 bodies were collected if I remember right, then brought to Halifax for identification and burial.

Rows of headstones.

 

I’m sure you’ve all seen Titanic the Movie – well, Bruce Ismay was hated by all after he took a spot on the lifeboats. He left behind two of his assistants who were indeed, women. As it came time to bury them, he gave extra money for them to have nicer headstones. Just because he wanted the world to know that HE provided the money for the headstones, he included his name along the bottom of the headstone. Turd.

Did you know there really was a Jack Dawson on board the Titanic? This one worked as a crew member instead of a third class passenger as depicted in the movie.

 

“Nearer my God to Thee” – Rice, one of the musicians on board the Titanic who played until the last fatal minutes.

This grave was labeled as the “unknown child” for many years. When the sinking of the Titanic happened, this baby was only 2 years old. So sad! Only recently, the identify of the baby was found.

Our last stop on the tour was the Citadel!

I took a picture with the guard!

We made it back with MINUTES to spare….MINUTES I tell you!

 

As the ship pulled away from port, bagpipes played to wish us farewell! I really loved Halifax and I definitely want to go back one day!

 

Dinner that night was at Animator’s Palate – super yummy as always!

My favorite dessert on the cruise! Doesn’t it look yummy?

Mickey made a surprise entrance!

 

We also decided to play “Who Wants to Be a Mousketeer”? The room was not full so I wondered if my number would be called.

Guess what? IT WAS!

This was kind of fun but I was definitely nervous!

In the end, I won! The last question was a bit tricky (from a 1920’s Mickey Mouse Cartoon), but the host dropped a subtle clue that helped me out!

We definitely dropped into bed exhausted after the day’s activities!!

Up next: Another Port Day – Saint John New Brunswick