It started off on Friday with an outstanding concert at George's Fabulous Roadhouse, a local bar and music venue. Olenka and the Autumn Lovers (North American folk fusion with Eastern European influences), The Sheepdogs (1970s rock inspired, complete with long hair, scruffy beards, and bell bottoms), and Corey Isenor (local folk/alternative singer) combined to create a magnificent evening of live music that kept the whole place dancing until the early hours of Saturday morning!
Four hours of sleep later, I was off to catch the bus to Halifax with Vicky, another Killam at Mt. Allison. Vicky normally attends SUNY Plattsburgh and is a native of Buffalo, NY (Mom and Bouskills, get excited!). I can't tell you much about the ride there since I was passed out asleep for the entire trip. When we got to Halifax, we met up with Marty, a friend from American University who is on a Killam to Dalhousie. Like so many AU students, Marty also has the travel itch: he spent the summer and semester before that working in Azerbaijan and backpacking through Central Asia and parts of the Middle East. Marty was an awesome host!
We arrived in the early afternoon, had a delicious lunch in a cozy cafe and then made our way down to Halifax's waterfront.
Lunch at Wired Monk.
Yummy rum cake samples...and whiskey cake!
I tried to run up to the top of the wave, a Halifax tradition, but my shoes had no traction and I always slid down.
Marty made it to the top!
Waterfront
Waterfront
Theodore the Tug Boat
Beavertails, a Canadian tradition.
Maple and chocolate beavertail...yummm.
So tasty!
It was really nice being in a city on the water. It reminded me a bit of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, which made me feel right at home. After exploring the boardwalk and sampling delectable Canadian treats we decided to take the ferry across to Dartmouth. Dartmouth used to be its own city, but now is part of the greater Halifax area.
George's Island
On the ferry with Halifax behind.
Entering Dartmouth.
Recreating Titanic...somewhat in poor taste, yes, but still fun.
Dartmouth
Very fun adult playground in Dartmouth.
Playing on the adult playground.
Petting a very friendly cat we found, Henry.
After exploring Dartmouth we decided to take the very long walk back to Halifax across the bridge. Though very brisk and windy, the views were spectacular.
With Vicky on the bridge.
Lovely green bridge.
Back in Halifax, we headed over to the Citadel to see more spectacular views of the city. Losing ourselves to childhood abandon, Marty and I decided to roll down the big hill.
On top of the Citadel!
View from the Citadel.
Rolling, rolling, rolling.
My face went in a ditch and I ate grass...not too pleasant.
Vicky, probably the smart one, not rolling...I'm in the back still going.
So dizzy!
View from the bottom of the hill.
Grass-stained, we made our way from the bottom of the hill to the public gardens. These beautiful gardens are arranged in Victorian style. I also saw disgustingly fat geese. There are so many visitors who feed them that they have become obese and lumpy.
Across from the Public Gardens, in front of Sackville Street.
Public Gardens
Inside the Public Gardens.
I am shocked by the fattest geese ever!
After all of this walking, we got some great Thai food (NOT available in Sackville...I miss good ethnic food!). In keeping with the maritime theme of Halifax, I got mussels for the first time, in a really spicy red curry sauce - spectacular! We headed to a popular cafe, the Economy Shoe Shop, for a night cap and dessert (and by dessert I mean the biggest, best piece of carrot cake and cream that I've ever eaten).
The Economy Shoe Shop
That night I slept like a rock. Luckily, Marty had an alarm clock and Vicky was very on-top of trip planning and keeping us on a schedule. Without them, I probably would have missed a day just sleeping. Vicky and I got breakfast; toured the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia; ate lunch (yummy salad with scallops...the seafood is wonderful in Halifax); took a Harbor Hopper tour (amphibious vehicle that drove us through the city and then out into the water); took a tour of Halifax's beloved Alexander Kieth's Brewery; and went shopping.
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
Outside the AGNS
A fun shop, The Black Market.
Harbour Hopper Tour: Amphibious Vehicle! Check out those tires!
A little windy out on the water!
Crazy candy store, Freak Lunchbox.
Historic Properties of Halifax
Outside Alexander Keith's Nova Scotia Brewery.
Embracing Halifax culture!
In the evening, we met a Fulbright friend, Nora, for dinner at an Irish pub (crunchy fish and chips and a HUGE piece of rhubarb pie); went on a walking ghost tour in Halifax at night (which was a chilling way to spend two hours...literally, we almost froze!); got hot drinks to warm up; met back up with Marty and his international student friends; and finally, I tried two other Atlantic Canadian traditional foods, poutine and donair. Poutine is fresh, crispy french fries covered in cheese curds and hot gravy. A donair is specially seasoned shaved beef wrapped in a pita with onions, tomatoes, and donair sauce. Donair sauce is a sort of sweet and tangy creamy mixture...questionable at best, but surprisingly delicious at 1am.
Halifax at night.
The Clock Tower, meeting place for our ghost walk.
The Five Fishermen, supposedly haunted by an aggressive male ghost.
There is a male silhouette in the upper right window, which appeared under mysterious circumstances.
Halifax's cemeteries are home to the bodies of the Titanic victims, especially those unclaimed.
Willy's, a source of award-winning poutine.
Poutine (copyright Jim Elyot)
King of Donair, across from Willy's, where I tried my first donair.
Donair from King of Donair Ad...pretty accurate portrayal.
The following morning (Monday - Canadian Thanksgiving!!!) for breakfast I ate delicious banana and raspberry filled crepes at Anna's Cafe & Grill. Vicky and I made our way around Halifax, taking pictures of things we missed (that's why Willy's and King of Donairs are closed and taken in the morning). I finally got home after a packed bus-ride around five o'clock and my friends at 10 Park were generous enough to have me over for Thanksgiving supper. It was stupendous! They are spectacular chefs! On the menu: vegetarian and non-vegetarian stuffing; roasted acorn squash stuffed with raisin, walnut quinoa; roasted carrots and turnips; regular and nutmeg mashed potatoes; salad; Brussels sprouts; home-made cranberry sauce; local, free-range turkey and gravy; regular and gluten-free pumpkin pie (filling made from real pumpkins) with fresh maple flavored cream.
Food left before seconds...and thirds...and picking during clean-up.
The lovely residents of 10 Park!
Crammed on the couch, uncomfortably full, we had a mini-jam session led by Bernard.
