Halifax — October 23, 2012

Just three months after my trip to Germany and France, I was traveling again, this time to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Ever since my cousin started university there (in 2008) I've had the idea that it would be a good idea to see the city while he was there so he could show me around, or at least point me in the right directions, maybe including some spots that are not part of the standard tourist itinerary and maybe showing his university. Unfortunately, that was not to be: he never responded to my Facebook posts, a FB message, or an e-mail. I've noticed since these attempts, that he almost never responds to anything on FB, so I think he just has so much coming at him from his 1424 friends that he doesn't even notice a lot of it.

The airport limo came for me at 5:20 a.m. for an 8:00 flight — way too early, but it's the latest they offered for my flight time. The flight was uneventful. As I waited for the bus into the city, about 20 miles away, a Haligonian who was also waiting pointed out on my map some of the major tourist attractions, which was helpful. The bus makes a stop in both directions about halfway between the airport and downtown, at a place called Fall River. Leaving the stop, the driver headed back to the airport, and when we stayed on the bus, he asked where we were going. We told him what had happened, and he took us to the city without stopping again at Fall River.

I had decided to get around the city by walking: it looked fairly compact on maps. That's why I didn't rent a car at the airport. I think that was a good decision, but I hadn't realized that Halifax slopes sharply up from the waterfront to the middle of the peninsula. Pulling my small suitcase and carrying the attache case with my books uphill for a half mile from the bus stop to my hotel was kind of tedious. I got to the hotel about 12:30. Earliest check-in time was 3:00, so I left my luggage and headed out. After lunch a traveling musician who was panhandling because he had been robbed told me that the best beer he had ever had was a Halifax brew called Garrison.

It occurred to me that the best way to spend the time until I could check in was to go to the university, about a mile away. Perhaps I'd run into my cousin, and if not, it would be worth seeing anyway — saving the full days to follow for the downtown area. If any of you know Halifax, I went form the hotel along Quinpool Road, then Oxford St., and back via University Ave. and Robie St. (I never did run into my cousin during my time in Halifax.)

Harvard St., a residential street off Quinpool Rd.

Flagpole at University of King's College.

The upper flag is that of the University, lower left is Nova Scotia.

The main building on the UKC quadrangle.

Three other sides are architecturally similar. The fourth is a lower (yellow stucco, as I recall) library building. The adjacent campus of Dalhousie University has similar stone buildings, maybe on a slightly larger scale.

I got back to the hotel about 4:15 and checked into the room shown below, with views to the north and north northwest.

More detail is visible if you click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Having walked enough, I took a taxi to the waterfront where I had a very expensive dinner at a steakhouse called "Cut." They dry age their steaks for 35 to 45 days and sell it by the ounce (with minimum of 10 ounces). Certain 16 oz. cuts are $100. I chose 11 ounces of a cheaper one, and it was only about $50. But there were the appetizer, sides, and beverages, bringing the total to about $90 before tax and tip. Well, it was a good meal, and I'm glad I went there; but I don't want to make a habit of spending that much for dinner.

Afterwards, I strolled along the waterfront for a bit, then headed back (uphill) to the hotel. There was a young panhandler sitting outside a Starbucks. I'd guess he was about 16 or 17 years old. I gave him a two dollar coin. I wish I had asked what had caused him to be on the street, just to give him the encouragement of a sympathetic word or two.