Trips

Fri., 8/30 - St. John’s Newfoundland - or Not

This morning the Zuiderdam approached St. John’s from the Atlantic Ocean. St. John's, NF is North America’s most easterly city, excluding Greenland. It is the place “where the sun rises first.” The entry to the city dock is through “The Narrows.” The pilot got on board, the captain lined up with the two green channel lights, and then did a quick 90° turn to starboard. The winds from “tropical depression, Aaron” were increasing, making our path through the narrow entry risky and the return back to the ocean at 10:30 PM even more questionable. Our captain is not one to take chances. His consultation with Seattle (home office), navigation, weather, and the pilot who knows the Narrows best, cancelled our port of call. So we headed south toward Halifax, through the gale winds from the south and then southeast.

So, today turned into an extra day at sea and, since we should arrive in Halifax at a dock by 2 PM, an extra half day in Halifax.

Sat., 8/31 - Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Zuiderdam arrived in Halifax at 2:15, but a problem with the gangway kept us on board a while longer. It was sunny and 78° and many of us dug out the shorts that we haven’t worn since Bar Harbor on July 31st! The sail here was rough, I think we sailed straight through another “low pressure gale.”

It is Labor Day weekend in Canada, as well as in the States, and the harbor is flooded with “Haligonians” as well as the 1600 people from our cruise ship. Marge and I walked along the harbor walk, got Wifi and emails, and enjoyed the sunshine. Near the large indoor farmers’ market there is a statue of Samuel Cunard, the Father of the Steamship (sorry, no photo). There are also statues of Canadian women’s contribution to the war effort - an elderly woman knitting, an African-Nova Scotian woman serving food, and a young girl collecting scrap metal in a wagon. Next to it is a statue commemorating Canadian emigrants. Tomorrow we have a walking tour in town.

Halifax Seaport terminal	Lighthouse across the channel
Monument to Women Volunteers	Monument commemorating the Emigrants
Sun., 9/1 - Halifax, Nova Scotia At 9 AM, fourteen of us began a city walking tour with an excellent guide. He spoke loud enough that we didn’t need “whisper” devices and he told lots of stories to make the history come alive. The tour started at the Immigration Pier adjacent to our ship’s pier. This center was Canada’s Ellis Island. Over one million immigrants entered here and many were put on trains to spread them out across the country. Canada is twice the size of the US in area but only has as many people/citizens as California. A half of a million soldiers also passed through here during WW2. Our guide explained about Tim Horton’s coffee shops. Horton was a hockey player who opened a coffee shop and then was killed in a car crash. The franchise grew. There are 79 Tim Horton’s in Halifax and 4,000 across Canada. A Belgian company just bought it for $11.3 billion. Canadians like to order a “double-double” which is a coffee with double cream and double sugar.
Typical architecture	An historic house
Government House	Only monument in North America dedicated to the Crimean War
Statue of Churchill	After an uphill walk, we arrived at the citadel (Fort George) that is the center of eight forts that protect the navy base and anchorage here. Bedford Basin held many (100) ships at dock or anchorage during WW2. Convoys left here trying to avoid the German U-boats to take supplies to Europe. We watched the changing of the guard by college student volunteers in kilt uniforms of the 78th brigade (many were girls) and had free time to walk the ramparts and browse the military museum - from WW1 to Afghanistan.
	From the walls
From the walls	Changing of the guard
Big gun	Bagpiper
Masts on the ramparts
Moat	Our guide also found places for us to sit as he told the history of the Explosion in Halifax in 1917 when two ships collided in the narrows between Bedford Basin and Halifax Harbor. The munitions ships exploded and leveled everything in Halifax and killed 2,000 people. Boston sent a train with doctors and nurses and supplies and saved many of the injured. Boston became their sister city. Halifax is the closest port to where the Titanic sank. So we heard about the recovery of bodies (many are buried in the city cemetery) as well as those who survived and were brought to Halifax.
Halifax City Hall	Sailing ship atop a building
HMCS Sackville - K181 HMCS Sackville is a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later served as a civilian research vessel. She is now a museum ship located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the last surviving Flower-class corvette. Wikipedia	Theodore Tugboat giving rides in the harbor
Coffee and donuts! After the tour,we stopped in and had a Tim Horton’s coffee ($1.41) and one donut ($1.19). It was wonderful to sit and rest and the food and donut were very tasty. (The cost sure beat out Starbucks!)	Bilingual
	Goodies!
Fruits	Vegetables
Bald eagle soaring over the waterfront - he must be lost	After lunch and a rest, I walked out to the beautiful Botanical Garden by myself and sat on a bench in the shade and read enjoying the absolutely beautiful weather.
Botanical Garden	Flower bed
Cactus garden	Model of the Titanic on the lake
Model of the HMCS Sackville - K181 - in the lake	Gazebo and flowers

Mon., 9/2 - At Sea

Our last day at sea. Gale went to a cooking show on pimento biscuits and fried pickles. It is the various techniques they use and the reasons behind their choices of ingredients that I find interesting. She also went to the last craft class and made a beaded, sterling silver, book mark. I sure have enjoyed the diversion these classes provided - and I won the daily raffle three times!

Then we packed! Our two suitcases go outside our door by midnight and the rest we will keep in our carry-on bags. At least it all fit back where it came from!

Tues., 9/3 - Boston to Chicago to Phoenix

Holland America transferred us to Logan airport and we flew on our United frequent flyer miles to Chicago and on to Phoenix, arriving at 9:30 PM - so we stayed overnight in a lovely hotel room at the Doubletree Suites at the airport. It was a long day but there were no problems.

Wed., 9/4 - Phoenix to Tucson

In the morning, we picked up a Thrifty car at the airport, drove home, unloaded the luggage, drove the Subaru and rental back to the Tucson airport, and then drove home. We do not plan to fly out of Phoenix again if we can help it.

It was a very educational cruise. We both enjoyed it and are anxious to go back to Iceland for a land tour in November.

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