Thursday Sep 27, 2018 – Halifax, NS

Heavy rain all day meant that it was very unpleasant to be outside and the only remaining indoor attraction I wanted to see was the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Luckily, the hotel had a guest laundry so I spent the morning doing laundry and planning/booking the rest of my time in Nova Scotia,  the afternoon visiting the museum and the evening watching TV.

Halifax was the port from where the Titanic rescue efforts were launched, survivors and victims were brought ashore and where many are buried. The museum had an excellent exhibit on what happened, particularly the aftermath, and several Titanic artifacts including an unscathed deck chair.

An even more interesting exhibit focused on the Halifax Explosion, which I had not previously heard of. This occurred in 1917 following a collision between two ships near the harbour. One of the ships, the Mont-Blanc, was carrying a cargo of high explosives destined for the French military and the collision caused a fire resulting in the largest man-made explosion prior to the invention of nuclear weapons. Nearly 2,000 people were killed, all structures within half a mile of the ship were flattened and one of Mont-Blanc’s anchors was found 2 miles away. This photograph of the port area shows the devastation.
Halifax was the birthplace of Samuel Cunard who founded the famous shipping and cruise line. In addition to exhibits about the company and its liners there were many incredible models, including this 1/48 scale of the Mauretania.
I rarely watch TV while traveling but I was able to access my Tivo at home and download  programs I had recorded using an app on my tablet. With the long HDMI cable that I have always carried with me but never used before, the hotel’s TV became my TV.

Friday Sep 28, 2018 – Halifax, NS

When I was originally looking for a Halifax hotel almost all were sold out, or charging ridiculous rates, and I ended up with 2 nights at a hotel a few km out of town. The reason was the annual Halifax Oysterfest.

During yesterday’s travel planning session today’s weather was expected to be “mainly cloudy with a chance of showers” which made me look for a third night in Halifax. To my surprise I found a great rate on a four star hotel right on the waterfront and I’m guessing that the weather  caused some Oysterfest cancellations. Despite the forecast, there was still moderate rain as I headed to the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site this morning.

Halifax was, and still is, a major gateway for shipping to Europe and it has always been heavily fortified since its founding in 1749. The current citadel, completed in 1856, is the fourth fort built on the site and was in use right up until WWII. The huge fortifications and massive stone walls are still much as they were when built and the former quarters and other buildings inside have been converted to a museum.

Canada’s historic sites are presented as living museums with actors portraying characters from the past.
The citadel is huge compared with other forts I have visited.
Located on a hill overlooking the port and armed with cannons like this the citadel successfully repelled every attempt to storm it.
By 2 o’clock the rain had almost stopped  so I headed to Point Pleasant Park. Originally this was to be mainly for the view but the park also contains historical fortifications, including the Prince of Wales Tower, which was constructed in 1799 to protect the coastal batteries from land attack.
The view from Point Pleasant was not great today but I was happy to be able to get out for some exercise and fresh air.
Dodging the rain in Halifax added an extra day but I was able to see everything I had planned (except for an overpriced brewery tour).