Halifax, Nova Scotia

Cruise 032, originally uploaded by quimerizar.

Monday, October 15

I got up early again and headed to the gym just in time to witness the ship pulling into the dock at Halifax, Nova Scotia which was pretty cool for me to see. I was excited because I have never been to this part of Canada - on the east coast. And, actually, I never really thought I would ever go. I mean, with all the hubbub about Europe, Asia and South America, who really wants to go visit the country next door that is so much like the one you currently live in... unless it just falls into your lap, like it did for me. Today was the only day that I attended formal breakfast dining and had it with Gloria, Ron and my dad. It was definitely better than the cafeteria style of the Windjammer Cafe.

Halifax was fun - we wandered around downtown mostly and Gloria served as our Tour Guide. She had read up a little on things before we left. We went to the Public Gardens and the Citadel.

Later we got a recommendation to go to eat at the Five Fisherman - which was a very very good restaurant. I was recently talking to a friend of mine from Canada and as soon as I told him where we ate he got excited and said that it was the place he likes in Halifax too. So, the place definitely has a reputation and we were all pleasantly suprised at how good the food was. We had a nice bottle of wine called Jost made locally and only served at this particular restaurant. I wanted to order Hot Rum and Cider (because it was listed as a favorite drink of the area in one of the tourist things I had read) but no place around there seemed to have heard of it.

On the way back to the ship, the guys shopped for Cuban cigars. We also stopped at a museum along the way. The museum stands out in my mind - not because we actually went in to see what they had, but because of their signs. They had signs that depicted picture by picture how to walk down stairs and also how to open doors. It was probably the strangest thing I have ever seen.

Later that evening, after our usual dinner in the dining room, we spent some time at the champagne bar. Denise and I both showed our coin tricks to the group and entertained ourselves. After the champagne bar, we found ourselves yet again at the Schooner Piano Bar along with our new friends Jocelyn, Maureen and Angela from the UK.