Hurrah, we have clothes!

You have survived the long flight from Sydney to Los Angeles. Well done! Better still immigration and customs at LA airport were a dream and the personnel were smiling. We were impressed. 

Next was the four hour wait for the Toronto flight, but I did get you a chocolate milk and the long walk from Terminal 1 to 6 loosened those stiff legs. Now the Toronto arrival was interesting. Because of COVID ( yes, you still need a mask), planes are much slower to disembark here. They only let 50 people off at a time so this means planes sit on the tarmac waiting their turn ( up to four hours in some peak times) for a spot. We were lucky because our wait was 20 minutes. This explains Air Canada cancelling so many of our flights and rescheduling them. 

Finally after overnighting in Toronto, we caught the plane to Halifax. Yes it was a 3.30am start but you had time for a coffee and snack from Tim Horton’s, no maple glazed donuts but the muffin was excellent.

Halifax airport…bag conveyor……it moves….will our luggage have made it…..yes there’s my bag! I’m okay! We wait and then….hurrah Mike’s made it too. We had booked them through from LA.

I expect you thought you could have a nap. Sorry ,no time for that! You need to explore the city. We head uphill ( did I mention Halifax is quite hilly) to the Clock tower and Citadel. The clock tower was built in 1803 and still keeps excellent time.

Boom! Is that thunder? No it is the noon cannon being fired at the Citadel. The Citadel is a modified star shaped fortress built the hill…..this was added too and expanded . It was built as a part of a defence for the port against the French. It has been rebuilt 4 times to adapt to the demands of environment and war technology. The last ,and present , building was of brick and stone with a dry moat. It was last used in World War 2 for training, planning and holding prisoners of war. Presently it holds a Canadian Army Museum, in the single mens barracks and is open for tourists to explore.

Did you find the fact that some men enlisted in the army so they , and their children , could be educated interesting? Queen Victoria certainly had some innovative ideas and instructed that all regiments should have access to education. Wives of the soldiers could earn money working in the school, washing , cooking , sewing or running the stores for the garrison. I wonder if they got to keep the money?

During the WW1 a Norwegian ship and a French munitions ship collided in The Narrows of Halifax Harbour. The resulting explosion of 2950 tonnes of munitions flattened the northern part of the city killing nearly 1800 people. 9000 were injured and 6000 were made homeless. When the suburb was rebuilt, it was styled on an English garden village. The houses are wooden ,like most homes in Canada ,but you have sections of just one style and then another of a different design. Painted different colours , they are known locally as ‘salt box houses’and have a small roadside garden in front. Some are now rundown but still look picturesque from afar don’t you think?

Well I don’t know about you , but I need something to eat and a rest. Tomorrow we will explore the waterfront and perhaps get you that maple glazed donut,