We weren't sure what all we'd find along the Halifax waterfront
but we knew it would be interesting and we picked a pretty morning to do it.
The weather was beautiful -- bright sun, lots of
billowy white clouds, a little breeze, and temps in the low 70s F.
We left the campground about 9:15 AM and drove downtown to the waterfront.
First on our agenda was a visit to the popular
Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market at the former Pier 20
building:
The market is open daily in the summer but reportedly has the most
vendors from Friday-Sunday.
We found a parking spot nearby and spent about an hour
wandering around inside the large building, filled with displays from
over 150 vendors:
There was quite a crowd inside -- it was a Saturday,
traditionally the busiest day --
and we had to wait in line at a few of the booths to purchase what we
wanted.
We had a great time looking at all the locally grown fresh fruits and
veggies, flowers and herbs, meats, seafood, baked goods, and various
kinds of ethnic foods to eat. We got some bread and cookies from one
vendor and fresh corn, two kinds of green beans, and tomatoes from
another.
We chose some African food for an early lunch. We shared a yummy chicken
kabob and a sampler of eight or nine different vegetable and meat
dishes, then went to another vendor for a disappointing
strawberry-rhubarb turnover that had no fruit inside.
When we were done eating we walked several blocks along the waterfront
boardwalk:
"Emigrant"
sculpture by Armando Barbon
The Port of Halifax is a deep, natural, ice-free harbor that has played
an important role in the history and economic development of eastern
Canada. It's on an international shipping route and is a popular
destination for large cruise ships from all over the world. We didn't
see any cruise ships in port today but they might have been docked
farther up the harbor where we didn't walk.
It was very interesting to see all the watercraft. Here are photos of
some that caught my eye:
What's everyone looking at, up high??
This is what everyone was looking at -- workers
hanging from the high masts!
The CSS Acadia
Above and below: the HMCS Sackville was
commissioned in 1941 and served
in WWII. It is a naval memorial that is open
for pubic tours now.
The Mar
-
and a very large "super-yacht" owned by the CEO of Carnival Cruises,
the Sirona III. I didn't take a picture of it because someone was polishing
its shiny hardware on deck when we passed by. If you want to see what it looks
like, do a quick web search.
I went into the Halifax visitors' center, which is right along the
waterfront, to get more information about the area:
There were several musicians in the farmers' market and along the
waterfront. Jim gave some money to one of them that he particularly
liked. This pair was just outside the Maritime Museum:
There were lots of folks walking along the waterfront, enjoying the
great scenery and weather.
I was tempted to join this group doing yoga in such a beautiful setting:
We sat on a bench in the shade for a little while and soon a retired couple
asked if they could sit next to us.
Sure! It was easy to talk with them. They live in St. John, New Brunswick and
are in Halifax for a wedding this afternoon. They gave us lots of information
about things to do and see in St. John, talked about the recent rough
winter in the Maritimes, etc.
We've heard and read that Atlantic Canadians are very friendly and we've
found that so far.
We passed several small food shacks, including this one for poutine, a
very popular dish in Canada:
We first encountered poutine when we went through northwestern Canada
two years ago on our way to Alaska. Even McDonald's has it. We didn't
try it then, and we didn't try it now! It pretty much turns our stomachs
just to think about it, let alone to look at it. I think you have to
grow up eating something like that to enjoy it.
Maybe we should just
try it, then judge it, eh? I'm sure there are some foods we're used to
eating that would gross out folks from other countries.
So what is poutine, anyway? It's a dish that originated in
Quebec. The basic combination of French fries, a light brown gravy-like
substance, and cheese curds has many variations. Even the version with
bacon didn't appeal to Jim today when we passed the little shop in the
photo above. (Jim loves bacon.)
Poutine aside, we thoroughly enjoyed our walk along the harbor today.
It's a must-do if you visit Halifax.
ENVIRONMENTAL PRIDE
We drove by the Citadel and the public gardens on the way back home.
I'll show photos from there in the next entry.
I just love all the flowers in bloom around the Maritimes. Lilies,
hydrangeas, and other flowers grow to be very large because of the long
summer daylight hours this far
north. There are bulbous rose hips on numerous rose bushes in the
cities/towns (next photo), and many yards are beautifully landscaped.
I've noticed very little trash along the roadsides in the Maritimes and
most houses/yards are very well-kept. We observed the same thing through
Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon when we drove to Alaska two
years ago.
Canadian residents obviously care about their surroundings. It's too bad
so many Americans think littering is acceptable.
Next entry: a busy day visiting some other Halifax
landmarks -- the Old Town Clock (1803), the beautiful Halifax Public
Gardens, the historic Old Burying Ground (1749-1844) & other cemeteries,
Pleasant Point Park, Prince of Wales Tower National Historic Site (1796),
and the tower at The Dingle (Sir Sandford Fleming Park)
Happy trails,
Sue
"Runtrails & Company" - Sue Norwood, Jim O'Neil,
Cody the ultra Lab, and Casey-pup
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© 2014 Sue Norwood and Jim O'Neil
