On the day of my birthday, August 21st, in 2002, we left on vacation to the Maritime provinces in Eastern Canada. I had always heard of the wonderful hiking trails with awesome views along the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. I had always heard about Halifax as well, where Brian lived for a number of years. Our plan for this trip was to first visit Halifax, head north to Cape Breton, followed by a short stay in Prince Edward Island and finally spending some time in New Brunswick before returning home.

We wanted to reach Halifax as quickly as possible, so we decided to leave on the 21st late afternoon, drive to Montreal, stay overnight there and spend the entire following day on the road driving to Halifax. Everything was going according to our plans until we approached Montreal and I decided to check our hotel reservations for that first night. That is when I realized I had booked the hotel room for the wrong night. Ouch!

It was past 10:00 PM when we arrived at the Holiday Inn where we had our hotel reservation and explained our problem. Unfortunately they were fully booked and were not able to give us a room for that night. We cancelled our reservation for the next day and decided to drive to Québec City and spend the night over there.

When we approached Québec City, not being familiar with the roads around the city, we missed the exit and continued driving east. By the time we realized we had overshot the city, we did not feel like backtracking. Brian suggested we continue driving east and find a place to stay in Montmagny, approximately an hour east of Québec City.

It was close to 2:00 AM when we arrived to Montmagny. From the road, we saw signs for a few hotels in the area. The first hotel we stumbled on was the Hôtel Le Florimay. Brian stayed in the car while I went to the front desk to check if they had rooms available. It would have been a hilarious experience if I was not so tired, trying to communicate with the person at the front desk, who did not speak a single word in English. I'm still amazed that I did manage to get a room.

Our hotel room at the Hôtel Le Florimay in Montmagny, Québec.

I was pleasantly surprised when we saw our room. Later we learned that the hotel was just a few months old, so all the furniture was new. The rooms were modern and had a touch of elegance, without being ostentatious. And the rate was awesome. The next morning we were surprised again by the quality of the breakfast served by the hotel. It was very simple, with a small selection of items, but all with quality.

The second day of our trip went by almost without incidents. We lost an hour around Frederickton, but arrived in Halifax in the evening, as planned. We stayed with Brian's friend Gordon in Dartmouth. Halifax sits west of Halifax Harbour, while Dartmouth is on the east side of the harbour. Once two separate cities, they've been amalgamated a number of years ago. The two areas of the city are linked by two bridges: the older Angus L. Macdonald Bridge in downtown Halifax and the modern A. Murray Mackay Bridge, crossing The Narrows at the base of the Bedford Basin.

Sitting in front of Gordon's house in Dartmouth.

Gordon is a very nice guy who works in the fast food industry. I'm always fascinated with his stories from behind the scenes of our beloved fast food chains. Gordon and Brian have known each other for almost 20 years. Their friendship goes a long way back and they know each other pretty well. I was glad to have this opportunity to get to know Gordon a little bit better. For instance, I found out that Gordon has a talent for decorating; I loved how he decorated his place, a very calming, comfortable and relaxing place. I also found out that Gordon loves teddy bears; his place was teddy bear central! Well... I did mention that his place was comfy and relaxing, right? =^)

Gordon's relaxing deck in his backyard.

On our first day in Halifax, Brian quickly showed me the Halifax downtown core, before heading to Peggy's Cove. The Village of Peggy's Cove is "famed for its picturesque and typically East-coast profile, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic. Although this unique environment has been designated a preservation area, it is still an active fishing community" (excerpt from Explore Nova Scotia).

Peggy's Cove has two famous landmarks: first, the lighthouse perched atop the rocks by the Atlantic Ocean; second, the Memorial created by deGarthe to Nova Scotian fishermen.

A pensive Thom sitting on the granite rocks of Peggy's Cove.

Peggy's Cove graceful lighthouse is one of the most photographed sights in Canada. It stands atop the wave-worn granite rocks, a symbol of Nova Scotia's enduring bond with the sea. I had heard and read so much about Peggy's Cove that I feared I would not enjoy the place at all because I had such high expectations for what I would encounter. Once I got there, I understood that what makes Peggy's Cove special is not the lighthouse or the rocks, but the village with its colorful houses clinging to the rocks, the small harbour lined with piers, fish sheds and lobster traps, picturesque like so many fishing villages in the province.

Exploring Peggy's Cove.

Some interesting flora and fauna we found in Peggy's Cove.

Peggy's cove was the home of well-known marine artist and sculptor William E. deGarthe (1907-1983). Just above the harbour we find a 30 meter (90 feet) sculpture called the Memorial, carved into an outcropping of native granite rock, depicting 32 fishermen with their wives and children. The large angel in the sculpture is the original Peggy, sole survivor of a tragic 19th-century shipwreck, for whom the village was named.

deGarthe's Memorial to Nova Scotian fishermen.

My friend Guy had told me in advance that the lighthouse is now a post office. I thought it would be cool to send postcards from Peggy's Cove to family and friends, so I bought a bunch of them, found a nice picnic bench and wrote greetings to everybody. It is interesting how after we get used to typewriting, it is so tiring to handwrite. After Brian patiently waited for me to finish all postcards, we sent them from the lighthouse.

How many more postcards do I have to write?

I'm done!!! Time to send them.

After a pleasant afternoon in Peggy's Cove, we returned to Halifax, where Brian showed me the Halifax city center, beginning with the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, the Old Town Clock, the Halifax Public Gardens, the Harbourfront and finally Point Pleasant Park at the south end of the city.

It is very easy to visit all points of interest in downtown Halifax, since the city center is so compact. The Halifax Citadel National Historic Site is a star-shaped fortress overlooking the city, built between 1828 and 1856. At the base of Citadel Hill stands a Halifax landmark, the Old Town Clock, built in 1803 as a gift from Edward, the British Duke of Kent and then military comander, who had a passion for punctuality.

Climbing Citadel Hill, with the Old Town Clock in the background.

The Old Town Clock, with the Halifax Harbour in the background.

The harbourfront has gone through a revitalization project and now features a walkway with shops, cafés and restaurants, in addition to the existing Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the long-established Dartmouth Ferry.

The Halifax Public Gardens is an oasis in the middle of the busy city center, created in 1836 in 7 ha (17 acres) property adjacent to the Citadel, the Victorian gardens with duck ponds and fountains provide a peaceful retreat from the bustling streets surrounding it.

We finished the day with a stroll through Point Pleasant Park, located at the southern end of the city. Its 186 acres served for years as one of the foundations in the city's military defense. At present time visitors can find stone structures and ruins of early forts in this beautifully maintained park, with plenty of trails through its woods and along beaches.

At the Harbourfront Walkway, with the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge in the background.	Watching the Dartmouth Ferry leaving from the Halifax Harbourfront Walkway.
Taking a rest beneath town memorial to merchant seamen.	Seagull atop sculpture in the Halifax Public Gardens.
Halifax container terminal, viewed from Point Pleasant Park.	Walking down one of the many trails at Point Pleasant Park.

I was tired and hungy at this point, so we decided to head back to Gordon's place. He prepared a wonderful barbecue and salad, which we enjoyed outdoors in his tranquil backyard deck.