Pinkies and Haunted Houses

So we made it through the Halifax portion of the trip and are now in a small inn in Pictou NS.  While our first full day in Halifax was awesome, yesterday was a little rough going.  To start, we were tired, but the weather was also quite crap.  Cold and windy and occasionally wet.  We did our best to have fun but I think we spent most of our "fun" rations on Wednesday.

We woke up very casually and left the house around 11 or so.  Our first stop was the Halifax Citadel.  Built atop the highest hill in the city, massive, and shaped like a star, this was the main fort and biggest line of defense for the city, and Canada in general.  The history nerd in me was totally blown away by this place.  Several rooms in the fort were open and many were restored to represent their purposes way back when, whether for use as guard rooms, mess halls, classrooms, accounting offices, and even the brig.  Historical interpreters illuminated the history and, in the middle of the fort, there were military drills and a noon-time firing of the cannon, as well as a bagpiper.  In other rooms of the fort were museums that told the history of the fort, Halifax, and the military in general.  I very much enjoyed myself there.

Obviously we did not take this photo but this is the Citadel from above and should give a good idea of how it's laid out.  

This piper was pipin'

One of the mess halls.  Dig that stovepipe.

Krissy got the big gun.

So does Hans.

We aren't sure if these guys are on staff here or if they are part of an ROTC but they were doing drills the whole time we were there.  There were times when we had to move fast in order to dodge them.

The entrance of the Citadel, from the inside.

This is the Citadel clock tower, which sits out front of the fort.  We were hoping to go inside but it was not open.  The path that leads to this is steeeep.  I guess I should get prepared, since St. John's is all hills.

That was it for the touristy stuff that day.  The next order of business was to go see the new Trailer Park Boys movie in the theater.  We first drove across the bridge to Dartmouth, because we thought there was an afternoon showing over there but we were wrong so we then had to cross back, thus totally wasting two loonies.

Oh, for those of you not in the know (most of ya), a Loonie is a $1 coin, called such because it usually has a loon on one side, though like our coins there are always commemorative editions that come out every now and then.  The (classy looking) $2 coin is called a Toonie, as in a mash between two and loonie.  Also, a couple years back Canada did the wise thing and they abolished the penny.  Still it is quite easy to wind up with a pocket full of change pretty quickly.  Anyway, there is your Canadian Money Lesson for today.

So anyway, we made it to the theater and had the whole place to ourselves.  I really enjoyed the film.  It probably came the closest to feeling like a long version of the TV show and really has me psyched for the new season.  The theater wound up being in the heart of Halifax sprawl so we spent the evening in that area, getting a little taste of home before we head back out into quieter areas.  We got some shopping done and had dinner at that greatest of Halifax staples, King Of Donair.  Headed back to the house and slept.

The house where we stayed was okay but kinda weird since we were totally in someone's house but not really interacting with him.  When we did, he was extremely friendly, but he was not quite down for hanging out or anything.  Which is cool I guess but hanging out would have been cooler I think.  Whatever.  It was a cheap place to crash for a couple of nights.

This morning we got up pretty early and started making our way to Pictou.  We were pretty tired all day as well but we made it.  Again the weather is grey, cold, and occasionally damp.  We got here pretty early so we popped into Pictou Island Provincial Park but it was way too cold to stay long, let alone walk to the island.  Which is bummer because I bet there are some awesome trails on that island and we could both deal with a trail right about now.  But, at 45 degrees and super windy, that was not to be.

The beach at the park.  At the far end of the beach you can see part of the sandbar that leads to Pictou Island.

Krissy coming in to the cold.

Someone hit the cold wall on this beach.  We were not long for this stop.

From there we checked into the inn and then went in to town where we walked around for a while.  There really isn't much to this place.  Whether it's fallen on hard times or if it is simply not in season, I don't know, but there is still quite a bit of charm in its few short blocks.

Our first stop was Mrs. MacGregor's Shortbreads and Tea Room.  I could not help but compose a whimsical, uber-Brit song about this place, the kind of song that would easily fit on any 1967-68 English psychedelic album.  Apparently they just this month served shortbread to Charles and Camilla when they visited Nova Scotia.  And apparently they enjoyed it.  Which is understandable.  Because it is delicious.

Krissy sure does enjoy her tea.

Hans knows his tearoom etiquette.

A perfect warm lunch for a chilly day.

After that we walked around the town for a bit before coming across a laundromat so we took that opportunity to get some clothes washed.  We grabbed some food to make in our room and came back and we've been chillin' out ever since.

This is a replica of the Hector, one of the main ships that brought in immigrants from Scotland.  While Nova Scotia translates to New Scotland, and is pretty well Scottish from tip to tip, Pictou calls itself the "Birthplace Of New Scotland".  There is a museum at the ship but we didn't stop.  We should have and we might tomorrow.

Along the waterfront in Pictou.

Lots of old Scottish architecture in this town.

This house sits at the top of a very tall and steep hill in Pictou.  I would totally spend the night here to inherit a fortune or solve a mystery with Scooby and the gang.  Or, you know, just live here.

That's about it for now.  Tomorrow we head up to North Sydney for the night before hitting the ferry to Newfoundland on Sunday morning.  We plan on driving up the coast.  There are fossils that will be seen along the way before we cross into Cape Breton Island.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us.

Oh yeah, on our way here, we passed though the geographic midway point between the North Pole and the Equator.