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Published: March 9th 2019
Notwithstanding the three-hours time difference, Deirdre and I were shockingly late in getting started this morning. We finished our breakfast at Cora’s at about 10:30. Yesterday we booked a tour to
Peggy’s Coveat 1:00 for this afternoon. We had about two hours to wander.
Our immediate goal was the Library, which Ann and I had visited in 2014 - because all library people are magnetically attracted to libraries. Unlike Calgary’s new curvaceous Library, the
Halifax Library (opened in 2014) is all angles. The arresting aspect is that the top floor juts over the plaza in front. I admired the patio chairs and tables, which I don’t recall from last time; they are comfortable looking wire forms in bright orange and green. We couldn’t try them out because it had been raining. The fog was thick enough to feel like we were walking through a light shower.
Inside, the Library was vibrant. Lots of people were coming and going. Behind the checkouts was a new artwork – hundreds of paperback-book-sized paintings displayed across the whole wall; it was named
Library Cards.
We walked up to each floor in turn. All the conversation-study pods were in use, actual words muffled by
Sailing ships
Romance of the pastinsulation in two thick walls, even though the other two sides were open – neat trick. There seemed to be even more comfortable chairs for reading than the last time I visited, and many people were reading. As before, every chair was taken on the top floor – something definitely attractive about sitting in the glass-enclosed box jutting out into space.
We walked down and out into the foggy pleasant air. We walked along the streets to the waterfront, to enjoy the boardwalk. Our enjoyment didn’t last long because there was a big development underway, imposing detours on pedestrians and constricting lanes for vehicles. Later we learned that
Queen’s Marque will be a complex of condos, restaurants, etc.
After a few missteps, we found Murphy’s (the tour company) and asked about the pickup location for the bus - in front of the
Maritime Museum, exactly where Grey Line tours also departs. By this time, we needed a cup of tea, and a Tim Horton’s was conveniently nearby (of course). Because the tea was so hot (boiling water is hotter at sea level), we decided to walk to the pickup location to drink it and to be in good time.
Village near Peggy's Cove
Quaint houses and lovely gardens A mad downpour assaulted us! As if a tap had been turned on, rain gushed in drenching proportions, forcing us under shelter. Before our umbrellas could be opened, the rain eased up into a shower, and by the time we had crossed the street, it stopped. This happened almost all day, every half hour or so!
By 12:45 we couldn’t see a Murphy’s bus, so I went into the Grey Line kiosk seeking information. The young woman cheerfully checked my receipt and issued tickets on the Grey Line bus rumbling at the curb. Wondering fruitlessly about the behind-the-scenes arrangements, we climbed on and found good seats. Soon the guide/driver welcomed us all to Halifax and the Peggy’s Cove tour; and, immediately his microphone headset stopped working. Half an hour later, and after an unexpected stop at the bus company’s office, he introduced a driver who came aboard. The guide continued, doing the commentary with a hand-held mike.
Our drive was full of mystery – or at least that’s how our guide tried to make us feel as we drove for an hour in a fog that allowed a couple hundred yards of visibility. Most of the terrain was
Fog at Peggy's Cove
Should be expected, I guess flat, covered in mixed forest, both deciduous and evergreen trees and variegated green undergrowth. The sea was nearby but invisible. Houses occasionally loomed out of the gloom, and we passed through one village. To keep us cheerful, the guide continued with a light-hearted patter that dispensed mild amounts of history and economics.
The fog did shroud the village of Peggy’s Cove in mysterious atmosphere. We descended from the bus to walk past gift and antique shops that looked enticing as havens from the mist and gusty breezes. However, with only an hour free, we wanted to devote our attention to the great attraction of the famous lighthouse and the crashing sea. Thoroughly warned not to walk on “black rocks” (covered with a thin layer of slime), we carefully walked up the path and out onto the rounded, pounded granite foundations of Peggy’s Point. The stubby, sturdy white lighthouse faded into the dull light. We did ritual photographs, then marvelled at the power of the waves smashing forever on the rocks. (Of course, there were a couple of people out on the black rocks, literally risking their lives.) With a little imagination, we could envisage what power a storm would
Peggy's Cove lighthouse
On a day it could have been needed (before GPS) wreak on the structure, which has been replaced many times. Later, our guide told us that in a winter storm the waves would wash over the lighthouse itself. Even just this grey weather undermined the abundant romantic pictures of the white lighthouse against bright blue skies and seas.
The bus took a different route back to Halifax, and thanks to a slight lifting of the clouds, we did see the coast line and the large and small beautiful houses that enjoyed wonderful unobstructed views.
Closer into town, our guide pointed out three red and white smokestacks that marked the location of the terrible
Halifax explosion of 1917 . (A French ship carrying munitions ran into a cargo ship, causing an explosion and fire that destroyed virtually all of central Halifax in a flash.) As compensation for the glitchy start to our tour, we were driven up to the
Citadel (the height and angle of which prevented further spread of the explosion) and along Brunswick Street which was lined with historic homes. I wanted to explore this area more on another day.
Our late return gave us just enough time to find the
Lord Nelson hotel and prepare for the opening reception for
View from the Citadel (1749)
Guardhouse overlooks modern Halifax the
Jane Austen Society (UK) conference in Halifax. One more sudden downpour almost destroyed the map as we were reading it. At the reception and dinner, we met several compatible Jane Austen fans, although more North Americans than British.
Too full of good food, Deirdre and I wanted to walk in the
Public Gardens, a formal Victorian garden, across the street. Unfortunately, it closed 30 minutes before sunset (whenever that was), so we could only walk around the perimeter. Unexpectedly we saw the Citadel again and walked along that. Surprisingly, that brought us to Brunswick Street, and we walked along that. To our astonishment, that led us to the Library. We couldn’t believe all these places were so close together.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Halifax
It sounds like the foggy weather added to the experience. A Jane Austen Society conference.... I'll bet that will be interesting. Eager to hear more.