Honeymooning in Halifax

We just got back from our delayed honeymoon. We left last week for Halifax. It's a city I've been to before - but Dave hadn't - and it's lovely. To summarize, we had a great time - I ate so much fish that my mercury level is likely near killing me (but I don't regret a moment of it...). We decided before going that we weren't going to do much in the way of scheduling. I had a few ideas about what would be good to do - I thought Dave should see the city's keystone military installation (he digs that stuff) - and he wanted to drive to the coast - so that's what we did...

The first day we drove up St. Margaret's harbor to Peggy's Cove - it's touristy - but for good reason. It has a lighthouse that's now a post office, and these rocky cliffs that are amazing... In all, a really good time.
- Here, I've trapped Dave in a real Lobster trap that we found lying around. Apparently, only 40 people actually live in the cove - and apparently there is some lobster stuff going on, but mostly, it was just picturesque and lovely.

I'm pleased at the photos - because a cruise ship had dropped off busloads of people into the cove - so it was crowded when we were there - but we managed to finagle ourselves around anyway...





After we'd seen what we wanted at Peggy's Cove, we drove around St. Margaret's Bay - We found some lovely things - like this old relic. I love the shape and texture, but feared if I tried to bring it home, it wouldn't make it through customs - so I just took a few photos like this one:

Other cool things we did that day - involved trying to take our own photos of ourselves... As you can see, we did quite miserably - and since I was the one holding the camera - you can guess whose face got all of the lens!!!!
We finally managed this one - I think it's not too bad, all considering...
So one of the places we stopped - or more to the point, I made Dave stop - was this little jewellry (Canadian spelling, eh?) shop - run by this couple who made all their own wares. As I was paying for my copper and turquoise bracelets (that I allegedly bought for my sisters, but am going to keep because I like them so much), the owner and I got into a lovely conversation about the harbor. He told me all kinds of stories about the coves along the bay - like one that sounds like a fairy tale - and will be in the future... but not now, because this guy Max is still alive... And in true good story fashion, the tale begins with a sordid tryst between Max and a prostitute... He fell so madly in love with her that he promised if she married him, he'd build her a castle. She aquiesced - and good to his word, he indeed built the castle. It began as a shack that he just kept building onto - until now - it stands as a real live castle. The prostitute was then known as "Queenie."

The man at the jewelery story then said, "Well, Queenie died a few years ago. Max married her best friend - the woman who sold them all the antiques for their castle... and now the place has a new queen... one who got all her antiques back!"

He showed me where the castle was and how to get there - but I have no photos... sorry about that.

Before I left (by now, Dave had fallen asleep in the car), the man, cove by cove, told me of some things I could do. "Here, in Wolfville, is the absolute best food I've ever had anywhere in the whole world! It's off Highway 14, and it's called the Tempest... Like Shakespeare."

Now this got my attention. How is it possible to find the best food in the whole world? Is it by recommendation? It certainly isn't by watching Chef Ramsay on TV... so I ran to the car, and said, "Dave! We're going to eat at the best place in the WORLD!" He wasn't too enthusiastic about this, as one who was just awakened in the car, but sort of humored me. The bummer was - we couldn't find the place on the way home... And it left me wondering, "What makes the best food in the world so darn good?" I was infinitely curious, and more than a little sad when we couldn't find Wolfville...

My sadness didn't last too long - as we walked the harbor that evening - and it was lovely:


The next day we shopped downtown - without my camera... It was sort of liberating. Highlights include walking up this gargantuan hill - and stopping at a music store - so Dave could show me a Seagull Guitar - very nice - and Maybe someday I'll get one...
The next day we drove north to a previously unpremeditated town called Windsor. As it turns out, it is the birthplace of HOCKEY - so it's just one more place I can scratch off my list of "Hey, I'd never thought of going here, but cool..." The kookiest thing? on our way out of town, we saw a sign for ... hold your breath... Wait for it... WOLFVILLE - home of the best restaurant in the WORLD!!!! - here it is - and I can attest, it's lovely and very good:

As it turns out, Wolfville is a nice town, complete with its own curling team and music store....:
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I have to mention - that while in Windsor, the birthplace of hockey, we discovered the greatest little music store, where we purchased a rock'nroll ukelele (yes... a uke) - that I will later post photos of... We couldn't help it. The guy was so enthused about the instrument that he threw in a chord book for free, and asked me all sorts of questions about what it's like living so close to the Martin Guitar factory... What a hoot.

On our last day, we went to the Citadel, where Dave experienced his Harrowning History of Halifax Heaven. Here are the photos. If you want to know about the history of the fort, you should really ask him - he's the expert.