A Little Halifax Wandering

This will be a short post as our plans took a sudden change here in lovely Halifax, home to one of the deepest and largest natural, ice-free harbors in the world.  We didn't get to see much in the morning as we sailed since it was foggy, but the wooded shores were beautiful as we sailed away in the evening.

First order of business in the morning was to Uber to church with Laura and Bob.  It was a large, friendly and very diverse ward in Halifax.

It was really nice to be able to attend a Sacrament Meeting in person.

After church we headed back to port to change and grab a quick lunch before heading out again for our tour.

Halifax is a mix of old and new, I always enjoy the charm of buildings that have been around for a while.

And then we come to our Segway tour that wasn't.  The plan was a two-hour city tour but after watching the safety video and getting some basic training on the Segway we decided to opt out since neither of us was really comfortable on them.  It didn't help that the guide/instructor wasn't very encouraging when we didn't immediately catch on how to shift balance to go forward or stop.  We figured we'd come this far on the cruise without a mishap and this close to the end we didn't want to chance an accident.  So we sent Mark, Jane, LeaAnn, Chuck and Steve on their way, telling them to be careful.  And they had a great time.

Since we didn't go on tour we went to get donuts at Tim Hortons, always a treat.  When we arrived they didn't have Aubrey's favorite and mine, Honey Crullers, so I settled for some Tim Bits (donut holes, birthday cake flavor is best).  Next thing I know there's suddenly a tray of crullers in the display so of course I had to go get one for. me and one for Karl.

We wandered the waterfront as we made our way back to Serenade.  There are so many things to see along the way it's no wonder it's the most visited attraction in Nova Scotia.

It was just unfortunate we were so full of donuts we didn't have room for some

of Canada's best ice cream.  Jane and Mark had been eating some earlier and said it was delicious.  They have flavors like Fluff 'n Udder, Cowconut Cream Pie, and Moonicorn.  Next time in Canada I'll have to find some!

Lots of kiddos were enjoying this fun sea themed playground.

Georges Island sits out in Halifax Harbor with a lighthouse that has been there since 1917, replacing the first one on the site built in 1876.

The HMCS Sackville, which saw a lot of action in WW2, has been refurbished as a naval museum in the harbor.  It' a pretty little ship.

Just a fun boardwalk decoration.

Tide was lower as we walked back to our ship, peeking into shops, checking out what people were eating in the many restaurants along the way.

One of the fun things about the boardwalk was that there were colorful Adirondack chairs, benches, and rocking chairs available at different spots along the waterfront to sit in for watching people as they passed, or the boats in the harbor.

One more selfie with Serenade.

A closer view of the Georges Island Lighthouse.

One of the many memorials along the boardwalk was this one called The Immigrant.

I liked the little thought expressed here, "The pain of separation he overcame, with faith and hope his heart aflame...."  I've no doubt that was the feeling of most immigrants.

Just outside the cruise terminal was a statue of Samuel Cunard, a native of Halifax and the founder of the Cunard Line.  He was a pioneer in creating a fleet of steam powered ships to replace sailing ships.  The faster delivery of mail and goods forever changed commerce between the Old and New Worlds, plus his transatlantic steamers were the beginnings of the second oldest cruise line in the world.  It was fun to think that we were were at a spot where cruising began and wonder what Sir Samuel would think of our journey today.