Days 29 and 30 - Celtic Music and Seafood Chowder!

Wednesday, July 10^th and Thursday, July 11^th

For the sake of “full disclosure” it is now Friday July 19^th that I sit and write this.  Norm and I are racking our brains trying to remember just what we did on these two days.  I hate writing the blog this way, but we have been pretty busy, and with no internet, so it didn't get done.

Bald Eagle spotted near the coast on the Cabot Trail
I love my zoom lens!  

One day we drove to West Mabou and hiked a couple of the trails that overlooked the ocean.  You probably are beginning to notice a pattern here.  We like ocean overlooks.  Well, overlooks of any kind.  The bad part about that preference is that you have to climb up there to, um, over-look!

  

As we started off on the trail we read all the common signs warning us of coyotes in the area.  How to react should we see them.

- Stand tall and “look big”.
- Make noise. This is the hard part. Norm doesn't talk much.

-  Don’t run, whatever you do,

- Don’t look them in the eye ( how to you keep an eye on them if you can’t look them in the eye? ) -     and whatever you do, don't turn your back on them.

- Just back away.  

- And then the last bit of advice they give you is just a little unnerving.  “ If they attack, use whatever is available to defend yourself.”  

Oh, my!  We brought our bear spray - that should work, providing the wind is not blowing at us, and a small jacknife in case I need to poke him in the eye. ( that's a joke ) I still prefer the “knock your spouse out with a rock and let them feast on him while you run the other way “ method sounding the best.

We're not sure what this is, but
it is the biggest "dog"print we have ever seen!

We survived without any coyote attacks  and had a very nice walk up and down some good sized hills of which we picked the highest to enjoy our picnic on.

Gaelic is actually still taught in schools here,
a lot of the signs are in both Gaelic and English

We can’t remember what we did after that, senior moments.  If it was not for this blog, we probably would not remember any of this trip before we reached home! ( But the credit card bills always tend to remind you, don't they ).

The next day was a dreary morning after torrential rain during the night.  We drove down to Judique to the Celtic Interpretive Center and enjoyed a pleasant bowl of seafood chowder ( I have had about 6 on this trip ) and watched some very talented young woman play the fiddle and dance.  It is just amazing how they stomp their feet to the beat of the music. Now this is not the usual foot tapping most musicians do, this is where one foot may be stomping on the heel, then the toe, while the other may perform an alternate beat using just the toe!  As the tempo increases, the tapping gets faster and faster until the player is out of breath and sweaty with the exertion.  I don’t know how they do it.  PLUS,by the way, they are playing a VERY complicated fast-fingered melody with the fiddle at the same time!  WOW!

As we headed back, I dragged Norm into a few local craft shops on our travels, but we still did not buy anything.

Friday, July 12^th 2013

Today we headed up the beautiful coast to Cape Breton Highlands National Park to camp for the next 10 days.  I am so excited!  The weather forecast for the week ahead should be beautiful.  It was a beautiful drive with breathtaking scenery.  Tall, rugged cliffs, wind-swept beaches, and tiny, weather beaten houses standing guard against the sea.

Campsite #95 Cheticamp Campground
Cape Breton Highlands National Park

We set up in our wonderful campsite we had reserved 3 months before, then watched the orientation video in the Visitors Center and planned our next week of adventures; hiking, biking and a long day of driving in the car seeing the rest of the island.

Days 27 and 28 - Beggining our Cape Breton Island journey

Monday July 8th, 2013

When you plan a vacation, often one region or city sounds more exciting than others.  On this trip, Cape Breton Island followed by the Fundy Coast are the most intriguing regions for us.

Lonely Planet describes Cape Breton Island as “one of the most scenic destinations in the world”.  When we drove the perimeter of this island last year, the rain was driving and the wind whipping.  We often could not see past the hood of the car. 

This year, we made sure to get more than a glimpse of this glorious place.  We booked 10 days in Cape Breton National Park in Cheticamp, NS to make sure of it.  Surely there would be a day or two in there with blue skies and no fog.

The view from a two minute walk from our campsite
at Sunset Sands RV Park in Port Hood, NS

Today we will drive 3 ½ hours to Cape Breton’s Gaelic region, about an hour south of the Park.   We reserved a spot in the community owned Sunset Sands RV Park in Port Hood for 4 nights , which is situated next to a beautiful beach with breathtaking sunsets. The sites are…well… ok I guess.  The campers are not right on top of each other and if you ignore the screaming kids, it is fine.  What makes for an entirely different experience is getting to know your traveling neighbors, and spending time sharing itineraries,, experiences, and cultural backgrounds with them.

I realize most RV'ers have one foot in the grave,
but this is convenience!  ( Sunset Sands RV Park )

It was time, unfortunately, to refuel.  We try to give our business to the small, independent service stations whenever we can find one where the gas pumps are accessible to the RV with the car attached. 

After finding  such a place, we pulled up to the pumps and  the young  attendant’s  eyes popped out of his head!  He quickly ran over to provide his “full service “, and as the amount increased past the $200 mark he started to giggle.  I was really happy for the guy, after all, he might be able to make payroll this week, but we didn't share in his glee.  When it stopped at $280 he was gushing all over us, and insisted we keep the pen we signed the charge receipt with! He had never had such a big sale, he said!  I joked with him and asked if the special this week was “spend $280 get a pen?“  He laughed, still all smiles and said “yeah”.  I am sure our great big gas guzzling rig will be the topic of conversation at his dinner table tonight.

We were at a fish market and saw these incredibly rare lobsters!
Wikipedia states that one in two million are blue, and that
one in 100 million are true albino ( lacking color pigments ) this
one does have a slight blue pigmentation though.  

Tuesday, July 9^th

The Canadian Rail Trail runs again through Port Hood so we just had to ride another section of it.  It’s trails are so well groomed, and the grades are slight due to their original design as a railroad track.  What is not to love? 

When we first arrived at the trail, we were faced with a BIG decision.  Go right, or go left.  The folks in the office had said to go right, yet she had never actually been on the trail.  A man at the trailhead, who sounded like he was very familiar with both sections, preferred the left for the fantastic views, but we would have to ride about 6 miles to see them.  We took his advice and happily started off to the left. 

Even though the incline is slight, it does require peddling all the way. No big deal ( for the first 6 miles ) then we started to wonder where the view was.  Yes, the woods and wildflowers that flanked each side of the path were pretty, but mile after mile even the most avid horticulturist would get bored.  Mile 9. Still no view. 

If you ever wondered if bicycling could possibly be considered “ resting “ for a bad ankle, the answer is NO.  It definitely  is not. My ankle was sore, and I knew we had to ride all the way back.   Norman went ahead to see if the beautiful "view" was just around the next bend, and found a trestle bridge with a little river to look at about ½ mile up.

We sat on the bridge for quite a while and had our lunch, as I took a little nap, dreading the long and boring ride home.

Ohhh...  can I rest a little longer? 

What we found amazing, was that in our 11 miles of peddling, we only saw one couple.  This place was deserted. As you can see in the picture, we were not too concerned with on coming traffic.

  So….. when nature called, I felt pretty safe in using the “ facilities “ on the edge of the road. ( After all, poison ivy could be lurking in the underbrush.)  Low and behold!  You guessed it!  Around the corner charged a motorcycle!  I am not sure who was more embarrassed, but I am still laughing about it. I never knew I could pull a pair of pants up that quickly! 

Cross Canada Rail Trail. 
 Port Hood to Mabou section
Pretty good picture considering I was peddling while taking this!

We relaxed for a couple of hours, and cleaned up to go to the The Red Shoe Pub, in Mabou.  It is well known for its live Celtic music, food, dancing and it's fun atmosphere. It disappointingly was a quiet evening, but we enjoyed the uplifting music of the piano music and the accompanying accordion player.

I understand the weekends are hopping with various types of music from Cape Breton Island. I would have loved to hear a spoon solo. My grandfather taught me to

play the spoons.

                                                  We then crossed the street to witness a Ceilidh ( pronounced kay-lee) which is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing.  They are still popular in the rural parts of Ireland and Scotland,( and of course, in Cape Breton Island.)

There were two fiddle players and a man on an electric piano that played various jigs.  We quickly learned that precise foot-tapping is an integral part of playing this music.

Musical gathering or " ceilidh " at the town
Community Center

While we were waiting to be served dinner across the street, Norm struck up a conversation with a young fellow who was from the area.  Turns out he was the guest fiddler tonight at the Ceilidh.  He had told Norm that he plays piano every night at a pub in Cheticamp, which is our next stop.  Maybe we'll see him again.

We were pretty tired, and for some reason we both found that all the songs they played sounded nearly the same, so we snuck out during intermission. 

It was a long, but wonderful day.

Day 26 - Hike along Prospect Cove, NS

Sunday, July 7^th 2013

We woke to brilliant sunshine, so today is all about hiking!  We had read about this obscure hike located in Prospect Cove, about a 45 minute drive away.  Norman found somewhere on that magical World Wide Web the perfect parking place on a private cul-de-sac. 

Hike along the shore of Prospect Cove, Nova Scotia

We arrived at the same time as a group of locals did, and they asked how in the world did we know of this “secret” place.

 Nothing is safe anymore.  In fact, I have an interesting story:  When we had a house on Cape Cod, it was on a very obscure road.  When we noticed a man in a truck  parked out front, we asked why he was there.  He said “ On the internet, it gives the directions to park here, cut through your yard, down your stairs to the lake to fish. See? “  Needless to say, we were flabbergasted! ( Needless to say, we immediately put in a security system.)  NOTHING is safe or “secret” anymore. Scary, isn't it?

I am following Norm, but I don't think this is the trail!

So back to the hike.  We tromped through mud and forest for the first ½ mile or so, then the trail opened up to a spectacular site!  Rocks, water, and a fishing boat!  We opted to walk along the shore line, hopping rock to rock, glad that our balance has not yet escaped us in our “old age”. It was about 90 plus degrees this day, but there was an incredibly cool breeze right on the water.

Other than a couple of other people we passed along the way, we enjoyed this part of the planet by ourselves. 

I KNOW this isn't the trail.  This is pretty tricky.
The drop was much bigger than this appears.  Really.

We ate our picnic lunch and decided we better head back, but the thought of hopping more ankle stressing rocks was no longer appealing. 

 We decided to take this small path back that surely was only used by small animals.  This trail was something else.  The brush was so thick you could not see where your feet were stepping, and sometimes you lost the person ahead of you.  We didn't think to bring a machete!

Now where's he going?  This is not a trail at all!
Boy, this" trail " is getting quite interesting.  

Unfortunately, as we hiked inland we lost any breeze, so the temperature soared. 

Now, I would not say we were actually “lost”, because we knew where the ocean was, and where our car was relative to the ocean. Heading back toward the water and the rocks was always an alternative, but I have got to tell you, we were on paths that no doubt could only have been used by rabbits or even mice!

 It was rather fun in a masochistic sort of way. 

 We brought plenty of water and food, so I wasn't too worried. Norm never worries about anything, and frankly, that just plain worries me!

 

When our sense of direction finally brought us to the main trail about 500 yards of the car, I must say, we were relieved. ( well, I was )  I stepped on this nice, level path, and instantly felt a searing pain shoot up my ankle and leg! Oh, my gosh! It hurt about as much as anything I have ever felt before.  I thought for sure I somehow freakishly sustained a horrible sprain! How could I have done that? I just stepped on level ground. 

 After about 5 minutes the pain subsided enough to put a little weight on it, hobble, then miraculously my ankle felt good enough to walk with just a little limp, although it still hurt quite a bit.  Probably rest would be in order.  I guess walking on rough rocks for hours on these old ankles used to flat concrete is best done  in moderation.  ( whatever that is ). 

Walking a lot on these rocks would stress the ankles
of an Olympian ice skater

Days 24 and 25 Still enjoying Halifax and area

This map shows our route from June 25 to July 8th

Friday, July 5^th

Today we played a par 3 golf course that was nearby and then did something very, very, strange. We did nothing.  It was a glorious afternoon so we dragged out the lounge chairs and RELAXED!!!  It was great. We need to do this more often.!  Another side of vacationing!

 After dinner we dragged out the brochures and decided where to go next, and made reservations.

Saturday, July 6^th

Saturday’s mean “ Farmers Markets” here in Atlantic Provinces.  They are very different from those in Florida that I have been to.  We chose to return to the Halifax waterfront where they host a large weekly market made up of almost 250 vendors.  Here is where they are hiding all the healthy foods.  Several farms touting that their beef is Grass Fed, and that their pork products were from pigs that were once happy, running around outside being pigs, eating only the best of whatever happy pigs eat.  Tomorrow night perhaps we will see how different a once euphoric pig tastes.  ( we wonder how happy it is now? )

Farmers Market in Halifax
All sorts of tasty looking breads and pastries to torture the soul

There were also some very nice crafts and a ton of different homemade breads, fresh vegetables, pastries that looked really really good, as well as a tremendous amount of gluten free homemade foods.  We sampled as we walked around, and had a very nice time.

Norm having a toast with Alexander Keith

Norm went to the Alexander Keith Brewery tour, and I took advantage of the time to try to find some nice shops to browse in. Alone.  Norm got to sample a couple of different beers, and I spent the entire time in only one store that had beautiful jewelry made from local artisans.  Unfortunately, the only one I loved was more money than I wanted to spend on a bauble.

Gluten Free Pizza to die for!

We met up and hunted for more shops, but after trudging up and down these “ San Francisco “ type hills we gave up and stopped for lunch. 

We found this pizza shop that made the most fantastic gluten free pizza on this planet! The crust was made by a local vendor we met at the Farmers Market.  Boy, I wish this stuff was available at home. Or better yet, I wish I knew how to make it myself!

Look at me! I am eating pizza like a "normal" person!
And it does not taste like cardboard at all

We were pretty tired by this time, but I really wanted to find some bear spray for our planned hikes in Cape Breton Highlands.  I would hate to get between mommy bear and her cub!  I heard it is equally effective to just wallop your walking mate with a rock if threatened by a bear. Then run in the other direction! But then who would empty the sewer tanks and drive the RV home?

Day 23 Peggy's Cove and the Tattoo

Thursday, the 4^th of July 2013

What lighthouse? 

After setting the alarm clock for the first time, we headed out the door at 7:15 to go to the famous Peggy’s Cove.   This rural community is located about 26 miles southwest of downtown Halifax, and comprises several small fishing villages located around this particular peninsula in St. Margaret’s Bay. This is another “must see” here in Nova Scotia,  which is most known for Peggy’s Point Lighthouse . 

When we left, it was a very beautiful sunny day, but as we approached Peggy’s Cove, the fog became increasingly thick.  By the time we reached the coast, we had a hard time finding the road, let alone a lighthouse!  We think we were the only ones there, but hey, it was so foggy perhaps we weren't.

Fog started to lift
Ahhhh..... THERE'S the lighthouse! 

Alison enjoying the day

One of several little coves in " Peggy's Cove"

After taking a ton of photos of the various densities of fog, we went to breakfast at a restaurant right there on the lighthouse property, hoping the sun would work it's magic by revealing a wondrous sight.  The restaurant  was very overpriced and the food very bland, but at least it was convenient.

The Sun! The Sun! Hallelujah!

The sun broke through as bus load after bus load of people arrived.  Within minutes the place was swarming with people, like an army of ants on an important mission.

What, were the buses waiting down the road for the fog to lift?

We took about 50 more  pictures ( don't you love digital cameras? ) and then hiked for a few hours on a beautiful, rugged trail we were told about that hugged the coast.

A beautiful view from our hike near Peggy's Cove
Out here, there are NO PEOPLE!

  A late picnic  lunch consisted of leftover lobster sandwiches on the rocks of another beautiful cove!  What can be better than this?  Vistas look so different in the sun.

The Royal International Tattoo in Halifax

That evening,Norm and I arranged to meet two other couples from our campground for dinner at the Bluenose II restaurant, and then we all headed to see the "Tattoo", which is defined as " a show of military exercises as a form of entertainment. " Well, tattoos of modern day go way beyond that!

Some of the more than 2000 performers

The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo is unique from any other Tattoo in the world because it is more theatrical in nature with a healthy mixture of military and civilian performers.   It is said that it generates tens of millions in economic impact annually for the Province of Nova Scotia.

These talented young people from British Columbia were playing a
 jaunty song with one hand playing the ukulele in one hand, and
the other hand playing someone else's! Incredible!

The show was 2 ½ hours of really fast paced scenes lasting 3-6 minutes each.  The Citadel Band and Pipes were representing the US, there were Highland dancers, Irish Dancers ( I am not sure the difference, but I intend to find out soon ) the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a German motorcycle precision team that rode around in a pyramid with pyrotechnics that were incredible, acrobatic acts, modern music, and probably 50 more.

The Canadians did a tribute to the Sandy Hook, Newtown, Ct. victims that was sung by the sweetest children's chorus while projecting a picture of each person that lost their life that tragic day . Now, I have to tell you, that really made me cry. Big time. All the performers participated in a huge finale.  It was a tremendous show.

Days 21 and 22 Lunenburg and the RV Repair Facility

Tuesday, July 2^nd 2013

A group of colorful shops in Lunenburg

The forecast was still poor, but we decided Lunenburg NS might best be seen in the rain, anyway. 

Lunenburg harbor on a damp and dreary day

Being from the North shore of Massachusetts, and Norm having spent most of his life with a second home on Cape Cod, small, quaint fishing villages are not very different from those we have grown to take for granted.  Lunenburg was on every tourist's “ must see” list, so we felt we “must see”

.Lunenburg was, indeed, a very pretty, quaint fishing village, with some very nice shops lining the few main streets.  We wandered in and out of them ,leaving puddles of water from our raincoats in our wake.  It was a warm rain, so it was pleasant anyway.

We had a nice lunch, then traveled the coastal road back.  The heavy rain was intermittent, and I took quite a few pictures of the fishing coves that we could see through the rain and the fog.

Canisters of Liquid Gold

In one of the shops we stopped in, we spotted a display in the corner of stainless steel canisters with small spouts on the end. And sample cups and spoons.  Hmmmm. "Liquid Gold " the sign read. Now we are really intrigued.

 We asked the young lad behind the counter what this was all about, and he came right over and very patiently educated us on the  nuances of Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegars.

 First he started explaining the health benefits of olive oils.  Now I was really interested. Besides boosting your immune system, we learned, researchers have found it to help with heart disease, oxidative stress, blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.

I knew it was good for you, but not THIS good.



Their oils came fresh from the traditional Mediterranean countries as well as Chile, Argentina and California.

Olive Oil we discovered, is similar to a fine wine.  Which region it is grown in, and how it is processed affects it taste.   We sampled many and found they truly did taste differently. Some imparted an "after taste " that others didn't.  We never knew!

Their balsamic vinegars came in all sorts of flavors. Espresso, chocolate, Sicilian lemon, acai, pomegranate, strawberry, etc.  You could even sample combinations of your choosing, then buy a bottle and create your own special flavored oil and/or vinegar. A culinary smorgasbord!

Did we buy any?  No.  I am not sure why, perhaps because we were in the RV and thought we may not use it all, or because storing the tall bottles would be a problem, or maybe because it was raining? Quite frankly, after trying all those oily samples with a spoon, I was pretty grossed out.  The real reason is probably because we were just too cheap.  As I write this, I am really regretting that we didn't try a creation of our own.

For those that care to know, there is also a much larger store called Liquid Gold Tasting Bar and All Things Olive in Halifax that has 40 different types of oils, and the bonus of crusty bread to sample it with.

The rain a mere "mist",  we found this very inviting
spot in a nearby cove

Wednesday, July 3^rd 2013

Today we had an appointment to finally get the TV antenna replaced. It will be good to see what is going on in the world.  We have not watched the news for weeks.   Most of the other problems had mysteriously

Gotta get that shine back!

resolved themselves with the exception of the thermostat for the heat and air-conditioning, but we think we can live with it until we get home.

Nothing is more nerve wracking that going to a strange automotive repair place in a strange town or country.  This is our " house" and our "car" for heaven's sake, you don't want someone to mess it up! Not to mention charge an arm and a leg for the privilage. What is really scary is when you arrive at said strange place, you find that they messed up the appointment date, and the reason they never answered any of your 6 calls trying to confirm, is because almost all their technicians quit! Oh yes, of course we have a technician for you, not to worry.  Hah!  Why didn't THIS guy quit?  Was it because he was fired from all his previous jobs and he knew he would never get another?  

It appeared the serviceman knew what he was doing, but since he was working on the roof, we need a really good rain to be sure.  There was no TV reception there, so we have to wait to see if that works as well. They conveniently told us to wait a couple of days before we raise the antenna. ( maybe they wanted us well out of town )

After we left there with high hopes and a dent in our wallet, we went back to Woodhaven Campground and set back up at a much better location that they had promised us. 

Now this is a nice site here at Woodhaven RV Campground
in Halifax.  One of the best in the place.  Site #C7

We then raced to load the bicycles on the car and went into Halifax to bike a section of the Cross Canada Rail Trail. We were so pleased to see that the bike carrier (with the addition of a tarp underneath ) kept the bikes dry and rust free in all the rain.  It was so wonderful to be back on our bikes!

 This trail was beautifully maintained with crushed gravel and wide enough for two bikes. As it wound its way through the woods twisting and turning, we found ourselves going up and down a lot of hills which was a good workout for us Floridians.    We did about 8 miles, which is a good start. 

We found the local Costco and stocked up on a few things. There is quite a difference in inventory between the Costco in the States and Canada.  We found very few Organic products here.  Darn! We were told it is because Canada has no certifications regarding “organic” so it has little significance here.

Days 19 and 20 Halifax, Nova Scotia

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Today we left the Lobster Capital of the World behind, and headed to Halifax.  Here is there is so much available to do in the next  8 days.

The sky is merely overcast, which we are grateful for.  After 3 ½ hour drive, and a stop to gather armfuls of tourist brochures, we arrived at Woodhaven Campground in Hammond Plains, NS about 25 minutes outside of Halifax.   Boy, could they have wedged these campers in here more closely?  I don’t think so. At least on our site.  It is a holiday weekend, and it being Sunday, even though we reserved this back in April,  we were blessed with the only open site left, so it was the worst. 

The people in the office were extremely accommodating, though.  They gave us some options of other sites that will open up during the week that we could move to.  They have a constant flow of Caravan Tour companies, so the best sites seem to go to them, and that's okay with us.  Good Business. 

Wowie!!  Now THAT'S a lobster!

The BEST part, was that the gentleman in the office, perhaps the owner, will sell and cook you a lobster and deliver it to your site!!  Gee, he only had one left, and it was a 5 ½ pounder!  Oh, gee, what a shame. Yeah, right.  So for $30.00, we enjoyed the biggest lobster Norm had ever had. ( I had a 9 pound'er when I was pregnant with Laura 36 years ago ).  It was amazingly tender, but not a huge amount of flavor unfortunately.  We left the gigantic tail to make sandwiches. Now we LOVE this place!

After dinner I took advantage of the Laundromat a few feet from our door, and did 4 of my 5 loads at a cost of about $15.00.  If I had a wish, it would be to have a washer/dryer in the RV.  The only problem is that it would probably cost at least another $100,000.00  to purchase said RV. That's an expensive washer/dryer.

Monday, July 1^st  Canada Day

Hey, it’s Canada Day ( our equivalent for the 4^th of July ) and when I peer out the door, I feel such a heavy mist upon my face, that you could almost drink it.  The forecast is for on and off for continued rain for the next couple of days.  We need to make a decision, after all, it’s Canada Day, and there are all sorts of events downtown in Halifax.  A Parade!  Fireworks! Free entrance to museums!  But do we want to wait for a parade in the rain?  Norman say’s “ no way “.  I, on the other hand, might think it Is worth it. 

The minutes, then an hour ticked by.  I am annoying Norm like a hyperactive child wanting to go out and play. After checking all sorts of weather information sites, a little after 9 AM we finally make a decision what to do!  I spring into action like a tightly wound coil, grabbing every possible item we might need.  Outerwear, cameras, snacks and anything else I can drag into the car and off we go to Halifax, rain or shine. We are prepared for anything! Yeah! 

Ariel shot of The Citadel fortress, Halifax, NS

We surprisingly found a parking spot near the Citadel and happily discovered that the parade was heading in our direction!  As the marching bands came down the hill playing a wonderful march, it did not take me 15 seconds before I started to cry.  I don’t know why I do this when I see a parade!  It is so frustrating and then very hard to take pictures through my tears - besides, I feel like an idiot.  ( click on the parade picture above to watch a small tear-jerking video )

Folks in period costumes pulled cannons to be fired

After the very short parade, we trudged up the hill to take in the sights and sounds of The Citadel, Canada’s most visited National Historic Site.  It sits high on George Street, commanding a defensively strategic location with  views of the city.  This star-shaped fortress represented the pinnacle of defensive military technology, although thankfully was never tested by an attack. 

After witnessing the daily noon-time cannon blast, it started to rain in earnest.  We peeked over the tall fortress walls and we were really disappointed of the views.  The city below was either under construction with many massive cranes, and had too many of the city's industrial buildings.  Or perhaps it was the heavy rain that made it look less glamorous.  

Could not resist this picture!  

 Norm and I strolled downtown for lunch and to see the sights.  There were various street performers entertaining around the waterfront celebrating Canada Day. We visited the architecturally historical section of Halifax after first enjoying Cows Ice Cream.  I have been dreaming of this particular delight since I first tasted it in British Colombia 3 years ago, and it was as good as I remembered!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Good grief!  This guy
is stuffing fire down his pants!

Making fresh waffle cones at Cow's Ice Cream

We had a very late dinner and hit the sack to the much too familiar sounds of rain on the roof.