DAY NINE--HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA

"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by."
John Masefield

 

Enticed by a shore excursion entitled "Halifax Harbor by Premier Tall Ship", I immediately signed up the two of us for a "...true Nova Scotia sailing experience...on the historic tall ship Silva."  She's a 130 foot, three masted schooner built in 1939.  I don't know anything about schooners, but the closer I got, the more she looked like a fishing boat from "Deadliest Catch".  As the morning progressed, the slightly foggy, gray and windy day also seemed reminiscent of the nasty weather the "Deadliest Catch" is based upon.  I'm holding down my expectations.

Guests are invited to haul the lines on this journey, but I think I'll just take a few photos.

   The rigging is really quite cool and more than a little complicated to this landlubbers eye...but so graceful.

This extremely agile and good-looking fellow sets things up to both raise and lower the sails, as well as untuck and then tuck them back all nice and neat.  We had wind this morning so the sails cracked and popped as they were raised.  Expectation met.

Halifax Harbor is a large and fascinating body of water.  This is a small view of Georges Island which contains the ruins of Fort Charlotte, originally built for the Father Le Loutres War in 1749 and still in use during World War II when a German U-Boat (U1232) actually sank three ships near the entrance of the harbor in 13 minutes flat.  The fort is being restored now and should be available for tours in another year or so.  The largest man-made accidental explosion also took place in this harbor, wiping out a portion of Halifax itself.

The rains that threatened all morning finally let loose with a deluge, so we headed for the wheelhouse and a bit of traditional maritime music accompanied by lovely treats and hot coffee.

Halifax has an interesting skyline along the harbor.  They are absolutely fearless when it comes to mixing modern skyscrapers with traditional or historic low-rise buildings.  Somehow, just like Michelle Obama's J.Crew belts, it always works.

We're taking a look at Georges Island from the opposite side.  According to Wikipedia (who attribute it to the local fishermen), besides its two hundred plus year old history, Georges is known for a plethora of blueberries and black garter snakes.

We cruised on the Silva for two plus hours and had a wonderful time.  Our guide was never at a loss for words or information, we visited with cruise-mates we hadn't met yet, enjoyed our views, and simply absorbed the atmosphere.  The excursion was a good one...although sunny weather would have added a star or two to the experience.

That afternoon we visited the Canadian Museum of Immigration located very near our ship's dock.  I don't know why I thought the United States had the corner on immigration, but Canada received a million souls through Pier 21 in  the forty-plus years between 1928 and 1971.  The museum is nicely done with great imagination, high tech touches, and heart-rending stories balanced by those so touching they bring a tear of joy.

Halifax does deserve more than a day, but ours was a day well spent.  Next trip we'll visit the Citadel, Lunenburg, drive the Lighthouse Route and in Peggy's Cove visit  the graves of Titanic's victims.  In the meantime, we'll be thankful for the opportunities we had.