Also it is the 2nd largest natural harbor with Sydney , Australia being first.
The horrific Halifax explosion took place Dec 6 , 1917. War time explosions detonated on SS Mont-Blonc. Two ships prior to the explosion collided and 20 minutes later the explosion hit. There was not enough time to alert the town or get the men off the ships even though they knew they were in trouble. It has been the worlds largest accidental explosion with 100’s of people treated for damaged eyes. 1951 people died from the explosion. The first school for the blind was developed and sanctioned here due to the many people who lost their eyesight or had permanent damage.
On a more positive side there are 250 vendors at the longest functioning farmers market. There is a popular Hop on hopoff bus here.
This port was the Titanic connection being the nearest port to supply assistance. Dead passengers from the Titanic came to Halifax and are buried in three cemetery’s here.
Peggy’s Cove Lughthouse is the Most photographed lighthouse of all time. On a previous trip here we went to Peggy’s Cove and took our famous photos while there.
Halifax no snow really; maybe 6 inches. Jan -Feb is their winter. Average winter temp is 40
Getting warmer winters along the 44th parallel.which is in the gulfstream.
We got off the ship as soon as possible and walked the waterfront listening to different music venues and checking out lots of cute little outside eateries. The harbor are seems to be in a constant state of revitalization with lots of study montage complete with power access. Sailboats were floating by by the hundreds! The whole harbor was full of boating activity. We spent 3-4 hours walking around the waterfront and found a rather large grocery store where we could purchase toothpaste and some other necessities. By the time we got back to the ship our feet were tired and we were ready for dinner. The movie onboard was the true story of Maude, a handicapped woman who became a noted and famous painter from Nova Scotia. We noticed a beautiful sign dedicated to her when we went ashore. We had seen the film before and remembered it to be heart wrenching. That evening the entertainment was called Postmodern Jukebox. They take new songs and transform them into a different version with a flare for a bygone sound that sometimes is interesting but too often for us does nothing for the ears!!
We skipped the big show and just wandered around the ship taking in a little of BB Kinfs All Stars before hitting the hay .
The next morning we had a 6 person tour to the Unesco Workd Heritage Site of Lunenburg about 45 minutes from Halifax and also Mahone Bay. It was a quiet Sunday for our tour and our driver said we were lucky. We were out early so we avoided the big buses and other tourists. Our driver was an elderly fellow who grew up in the area and was a descendent if some of the earliest of settlers coming from Europe. He provided a wealth of knowledge and history for us. When we arrived in Lunenburg he took us through several of the historic streets and then gave us about two hours to stroll on our own. The town is built around Mahone Bay on a hillside. It’s a lovely quaint port with a quiet serene feel to it. Property is spendy as folks all want to summer here with a few of the ocean. Can you blame them? A few of us bought souvenirs and some stopped for a local beer. Others looked for the perfect photo to capture the unique spirit of the area. The area around Halifax plants 200 trees here per year because the 2003 hurricane , Juan , hit and took out 1 million trees.
Our driver told us on the way home that Halifax is the largest ice free port and the closest shipping port to Europe for Canada.
2/3 of the people here work in military and the shipping industry. Half of all the people in the province live in Halifax!
So our last port on this Voyage of the Vikings and we haven’t seen or done it all. As some say, a cruise is a sampler; a little of this and that from which you determines what you want to see more of. Can one ever see enough icebergs, whales, seals, or beautiful vast scenery? I think not .... but I’m ready to head home. I’ve enjoyed it all and not a regret but it’s time to get back to reality. We tuck ourselves in after a lengthier stay in Halifax than we thought. We will head toward Boston with one more sea day. That sea day will mean packing up and saying our good byes to all those happy people that made our trip enjoyable. And one last time we adjust our clocks!
Thanks for taking the time to follow our adventures. A little post script for this blog; it took us almost 5 days to get back to hot Arizona with our camper after flying back into Spokane, WA. Loaded with lots of dirty clothes and tired bodies we were so glad to pull into 3167 N Summer St! We are unpacked and the camper safely stored till 2020! We have a few weeks to get caught up on chores of the home till the suitcases drag us to the Mediterranean for a 24 day cruise and transatlantic crossing. I guess deadlines get us up and moving preparing to be gone again. We will spend several days in New York State before our night flight to Rome where we will board the Nieuw Statendam for more adventures with friends of ours as the celebrate their 50th anniversary. We feel honored we can join them! Come along with us and follow our next adventure!!
On the boardwalk the famous painter Maud Lewis and one of her prints.
Beautiful Halifax harbor
These look yummy!!
Lunenburg cuteness!
Lunenburg harbor area..
The area over the door was called “ the bump” and all the old historic homes had them. It was said you could go to the bump and look out each side to see what was going on up or down the street!!
Mahone Bay
Beautiful flowers everywhere
Many homes were being restored to their original beauty.
Look inviting?
Poor photo of this fish but all the street signs were a different kind of sea critter!! On the post would be the name of the fish or street.
Original homes had these plaques on them telling whobuilt it and what the owner did!
More flowers
The old harbor.
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