Day 14: Exploring Halifax

Day 14 was spent exploring Halifax. First we went to Peggy's Cove, one of the most photographed locations in Canada. It was a dreary day, but it was spectacular nonetheless. A lighthouse on the rocks overlooks the crashing ocean. I can just imagine what it looks like on a crystal clear day!!! Peggy's Cove is also a tragic site - that of the crash of Swissair Flight 111. A memorial can be found nearby so that the victims of the crash can be remembered.

Next we visited Pier 21, a very interesting attraction named one of Canada's Wonders. Over 1,000,000 immigrants landed in Canada between 1935 and 1971, and my dad, Nonno to the kids, was one of them. I remember him telling me stories about coming to Canada by himself in 1960, uncertain, with just a suitcase and a watch his dad had given him. It was a special place for me to visit, and I thought about my dad the whole time!!!

The very port Nonno entered Canada!

Finally in Halifax, we visited the Citadel that is perched high on a hill overlooking the Halifax Harbour. It was established by the British in the 1700's to defend against the French. The kids had a great time exploring and meeting some of the period characters.

Late in the afternoon, we left Halifax for Antigonish, sight of the annual Highland games, since it is on the way to Cape Breton. Little did we know that the Highland games were on this weekend and that all the hotel rooms were booked. We stopped for a quick bite and continued on to Sydney, Nova Scotia, which is where I am writing this entry. It is about midnight AST and everyone is asleep. We plan to stay here a couple of nights. Tomorrow, we will visit Louisbourg and possibly a coal mine, then Monday we will be on the spectacular Cabot Trail around the Cape Breton Highlands - I've heard it is beautiful there! Until then...

Days 12 and 13: From Vieux, to New, to Nouvelle

Having finally arrived in Halifax at about 6:30 AST, I can finally take a few moments to update our blog.

Yesteday morning was a wet one in Quebec City and we debated whether or not to move on and pop back in to QC on the way back, but we opted to risk the weather and stay in town. Fortunate for us, the rain slowed to a drizzle and we enjoyed walking the streets of old Quebec. We first visited the Plains of Abraham now a park with walkways, just outside the walls of Old Quebec. We then took a short walk to Vieux Quebec where, like Montreal, we all enjoyed walking the streets, looking into shops, and admiring the old architecture. It's a beautiful area! As promised, we stopped at a small cafe and allowed Jake to have a coffee. He chose a cappuccino, like Dad. everyone else had bowls of hot chocolate and freshly baked croissants. How French :-) Needless to say, Jake had a sudden boost in energy level after his drink. Everyone was happy to explore the town, but at about 1 p.m., we had to leave so we could make it in to Fredericton, New Brunswick, at a decent hour. We arrived there at about 7:30 p.m., found a hotel, which I have to admit was pretty disappointing,and had a quick bite to eat at Pizza Hut. Since we were to head off to Moncton, Hopewell Rocks, and Halifax early in the morning, we decided to do some quick exploring in Fredericton. It was fairly late, and the town was curiously quiet and empty. Perhaps we were exploring the wrong area??? Carrie thought it was "spooky", so we decided to leave, but not before I snapped a few photos. One of the Fredericton City Hall is posted below.

Day 13 began with a quick breakfast, then off we were to Moncton. Once we got there, we had to visit this "Magnetic Hill" we've been reading about. Supposedly, people claim being parked at the bottom of hills, then having their cars or wagons roll backwards UP THE HILL. Well, it actually does happen, but not because of magnetism or magic, but an optical illusion. Still neat stuff, and the kids wanted to try it a few times...so we did. From Moncton, we were off to Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy, home of the highest tides in the world, and some very cool and interesting rock formations that reveal themselves at low tide. We planned our visit so that we would be at the Rocks at low tide. The kids had a great time exploring, and despite the signs telling everyone to stay clear of the mud flats, Jake and Sam still managed to get their feet stuck in the mud :-) At high tide, the Hopewell Rocks simply look like islands in the water. We really enjoyed our visit here!

Back to Moncton, then on the highway to Halifax, about 2.5 hours south. It was a very busy day and we were happy to settle in for the night at the Holiday Inn Express - Bedford on a rainy, foggy night. Hopefully the weather will improve tomorrow?!?

Dad takes a time-lapse photo of the Pont de Quebec (left) and the Pierre Laporte bridge (right)


Art being sold in an alley


Jake sips his cappuccino


Sam likes his hot cholocate


So do Mom and Kate


Magnetic Hill directions


Hopewell Rocks at low tide


Jake and Sam find a cave


Mom and Kate


City Hall in quiet Fredericton

Day 11: Vive le Quebec!!!

Today, we spent the day exploring Montreal, particularly old Montreal, or Vieux Montreal. It was a beautiful day to walk through the cobblestone streets and see the old buildings. You could easily just spend the day walking up and down the streets admiring the architecture and history. The kids enjoyed visiting the boutiques, riding a horse-drawn carriage, eating some real poutine, and visiting some of the historic cathedrals. And just to prove that it is indeed a small world, I ran into the parents of two of my former students. Art and Lynn Juillet are wonderful parents to Alix and Erik, and it was neat to meet up with someone we knew. Enjoy your stay, Art and Lynn!

As we left Montreal at about 3 p.m. for Quebec City, the weather started to turn. By the time we arrived in QC a little over 2 hours later, the skies had clouded and a thunder and lightning storm began. We booked at room at the Best Western Hotel L'Aristrocrate, and then ventured into the old part of the city, the only walled city in North America north of Mexico. Since it was raining, we stayed to our vehicle, but we look forward to doing further exploring tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon, depending on how things go, we may drive all the way to Fredericton, New Brunswick to begin our tour of the Martimes. Stay tuned!

A neat corner in Old Montreal

Our Carriage ride




Architecture


Enjoying lunch in Montreal

Poutine

Jake and Sam hanging out in Vieux Montreal

Notre-Dame de Bon Secours Chapel

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Montreal

The Streets of Old Quebec


Part of the wall that surrounds Old Quebec

What dad drinks to stay alert during a long drive

Day 10: To the Nation's capital...and beyond!

It was an early rise and shine this morning in Deep River, but we were treated to a spectacular sunrise over the Ottawa River, particularly as some fog drifted in.

After saying goodbye to our gracious and generous hosts, Wynn and Bob, we left for Ottawa at 7:00 a.m., and arrived there at about 9:30 a.m., just in time to see the changing of the guard, a ceremony that takes place on Parliament Hill everyday at about 9:45. It was quite elaborate.

Of course, after seeing all the guards, we decided to try a few hats on ourselves!

At 11:30, we went on a very interesting tour of the Parliament buildings. It was very interesting, and the building itself is amazing. Security was tight, just like we were getting on a flight. Below is a picture of the kids on top of the "Peace tower", the tallest part of the building. The promenade is just below the face of the clock on the tower.

We heard that the RCMP and their horses were just behind West Block building so we went over to take a look. Kate loved the huge, beautiful horse she found. We found out that the RCMP officer dedicates 3 years to working with the horses, that they usually have no special training beforehand, and they have to take care of all the duties of caring and touring with the horses, even cleaning the stalls!!!

As we toured around the city, we came upon a huge War Memorial, and home to the Unknown Soldier. His grave is guarded by two guards who stand watch, not moving an inch. I admire their ability to stay completely still, even in the heat!

Following our stay in Ottawa, we made the two-hour journey to Montreal where we proceded to get lost :-) After orienting ourselves, we settled in for the night at the Holiday Inn Express on Rene Levesque East. Great room. The kids are tired, so we will be off to explore Montreal in the morning before heading off to Quebec City, then New Brunswick, then...we'll see.