This is the second blog post detailing the rest of what I saw and experienced in Halifax. There were still so many interesting neighbourhoods, restaurants, views, and locations I want to tell you about, so I will tell you about them below.
I visited Africville Park north of Downtown Halifax. Africville is the community of African Nova Scotians who first settled here in the 19th century. There has been persecution and neglect from the local government throughout the decades. I felt personally compelled to visit Africville after reading about this community during previous research work, and I am glad I did. I did not get to visit the museum, as the staff closed the museum when I got there, but I got to see some monuments and read plaques about life in the community. Africville is an important chapter in Black Canadian History.
I went to go watch the Copa America semi-final between Canada and Argentina at The Pint on Argyle Street, which was reasonably full with Canada supporters, but full with noise cheering on the Canadian national team. Unfortunately, Canada lost the match 2-0.
I took a stroll along Argyle Street on a late night. I think this is the street with all the bars and nightclubs as patio lights lit up the street and there was quite the lively crowd drinking and chatting the night away.
I had myself a beer flight at The Garrison Brewing Company. It was a decent spot to chill out but the stools were so uncomfortable.
I did not take any pictures of this, but I also went to Compass Distillers to try out some samples of gin and aquavit. I mostly did this to help me figure out which bottles I wanted to buy at the duty free to take home.
I had some lunch at the Chain Yard Urban Cidery with (of course) more alcohol. The food was quite good and the bartender was an absolute delight.
Agricola Street was the centre of another neighbourhood in Halifax with its own character which did not feel at all like I was walking through one of the many neighbourhoods in and around Downtown Toronto.
I was in Halifax and a football fan, so I had to visit the Halifax Wanderers team store and buy a scarf. There were not any home games while I was here, but I got to look at the stadium. The stadium itself looked so temporary, but at least all four sides of the pitch had bleacher seating. I hope the team gets a more permanent facility in the future.
I took the Halifax ferry to Dartmouth to seek out a restaurant for dinner. The views from the boat were good going to Dartmouth but I had a feeling that the views were going to be even better going back to Halifax.
My dinner spot was a restaurant called “The Canteen” and this restaurant was my food highlight of the entire trip. The City of Dartmouth itself was empty, but this restaurant was bustling and full of patrons, so I had a feeling this food was going to be excellent.
I had the pan-seared haddock with veggies and butter, and this was one of the best meals I have had in recent memory. The haddock was so tender, the kale was so crunchy, and it was all consumed by buttery goodness. The crème brûlée I had for dessert was excellent as well.
I walked around Dartmouth for a bit, and the city did not seem too bad; it is nowhere near as bad as walking around Downtown Oshawa. The city was quite clean and had this sleepy kind of vibe. I think that nothing really happens here and all the nightly action happens in Halifax.
The day turned into night, and I took the ferry back to Halifax. The water below had the reflection of the shimmering buildings. This was the view that I wanted to see, and it was glorious. It did not have the same wonder as gazing upon the Toronto skyline at night while taking the ferry back from the Toronto islands, but the view was awesome regardless. I was exploring a brand-new city, how exciting is that?
I went to Casino Nova Scotia to check it out and see what the vibe was like. The casino was not particularly impressive, and everyone surrounded the one low-stakes roulette table. I walked out of the casino, and as I was waiting for my ride, I was watching a drunk man get manhandled and arrested by about four or five police officers. I looked outside the window of my ride as I watched the police officers pin this belligerent man down on the police car. What a scene.
The next morning, on recommendation from the staff from The Canteen last night, I walked to a breakfast spot called “Robie St Station” and ordered the potato pancake with salmon, yogurt, and home fries. This meal was very good, and it was a shame to see the restaurant close after this summer.
This concludes my trip to Nova Scotia. As for the duty free, I ended up getting a bottle of Bluenose Rum from Ironworks Distilleries, and a bottle of vodka from Coldstream Clear Distillery. I am so glad that I went on this solo trip to Nova Scotia. This was healing for my soul. My solo trip got me thinking about other solo trips I want to do in the Maritimes. Maybe a trip to St. John’s or Prince Edward Island will be in the cards in the future? Anyways, here are some more pictures and videos from the Nova Scotia trip. The next trip will be in the Dominican Republic (again) for some much-needed R&R.
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