From the Public Gardens we made our way up the hill to the Citadel.  It is a star shaped fort that has been restored to its glory during the period from 1869 to 1871.  The 78th Highlanders were in garrison at the time so it is now populated with “soldiers” in traditional Scottish dress.  They conduct tours and provide “color”.

There were several museums inside the fort.  One was a military museum that spanned multiple wars including World War II.  I especially like this lamp.

From there we walked down the hill, much easier than up, and looked for someplace to sit down and have a beverage.  It was hot.  Very hot.  We found a Starbucks and air conditioning and eventually I was ready to continue the tour.

We discovered that they make crystal in Nova Scotia.  We saw several crystal shops and even came across these glass blowers.

We had a decent lunch with some good beer and hit the Maritime Museum.  I learned that Halifax played an important role in the Titanic’s history.  Four ships were dispatched from Halifax in April, 1912, with a minister, an undertaker, a cargo of ice, coffins and canvas bags aboard.  In total they found 328 bodies.  Of those recovered 209 were brought to land and the rest were buried at sea.  Fifty-nine bodies were shipped by train to their families and the rest were buried in three different cemeteries in Halifax.  Religious services were held for all.  There were several recovered artifacts on view at the Maritime Museum.

Detail from the grand staircase on the Titanic

Titanic Deck Chair

The next day we rented a car and drove down the coast.  Noah had decided we needed to immerse ourselves in French so we only listened to French radio.  He understood nothing, and I caught bits and pieces.  But the music was eclectic enough to keep us both happy.

We started out trying to find all the lighthouses and the map promised us many.  Turned out either they weren’t there or we couldn’t find them.  We found a few but only one we were at all impressed with.

The countryside, however, was spectacular.