Everything else about the Westin is hedged around with "buts", sadly. This was one of the classic old railway hotels of the Canadian National Railway back in the day when hotels used mainly single beds. The rooms might kindly be described as "cozy". Fine for one person, it would be verging on crowded with two, and would be like the ship's cabin in A Night at the Opera with four! With a queen bed there's enough space to move around. A king bed would be cramped, and I don't even want to imagine two doubles. The air conditioning unit worked, after a fashion, once you manipulated an elderly thermostat on the wall and an even more elderly speed control on the actual under-window unit. That said, every aspect of the furnishings and fittings is fully up the chain's high standards And the view of the harbour from my room was splendid. I had a swim in the indoor pool and it was all beautifully fitted and maintained -- but tiny. Only 10 strokes from 1 end to the other, much like many modern economy chain hotels.
I did pay extra for the view, and also got a CAA members' rate with the optional add-on for breakfast. That was a terrific investment, as I got a splendid buffet breakfast, even including an omelette station, and only had to leave a tip.
But the Westin is expensive. No getting away from that. So after breakfast I hiked up to the north end of downtown and picked up a pre-arranged car rental at the Avis office. Back at the hotel, I did a quick change into shorts as it was uncommonly hot as well as sunny. Then I checked out and off I went down to the waterfront. One of my favourite things to do in Halifax is take the cruise across the harbour and back on the Dartmouth ferry -- $2.50 each way and lots to watch during the 10-minute crossing.
Post lunch, a nice walk along the shore in Point Pleasant Park and then went to check into my new home for the next two nights -- the Best Western Chocolate Lake. First stay here, although I have often visited the Chocolate Lake Beach in past summers for swimming -- and there it is, in the view from my room.
It boggles my mind to see all kinds of people swimming in the lake already -- seems far too early in the season for me! By now the clouds were rolling in, and an hour after I arrived it was raining. Good time for a nap. Then off downtown to one of my favourite "big splurge" restaurants -- McKelvie's Delishes Fishes Dishes. Yes, that is the actual name! It's right down in the waterfront district, and like all the restaurants there it runs to price. So stick to one glass of wine, skip the appetizer, and it becomes more manageable. Service here has always been good and was so again tonight. They do a nightly fresh-fish platter which always includes 1/2 lobster thermidor, with three other fish items added on. Tonight it came with a pair of gigantic tempura shrimp, four Digby scallops and another fine fillet of haddock. Two different salsas came with the scallops and the fish, and there was a good selection of veggies and rice. And it was terrific!
There's a moment driving downtown that always gets me in a way I don't pretend to understand. I'm driving east along Sackville Street, up and over the south shoulder of Citadel Hill, and as I come over the crest and see the street running steeply down to the water in front of me, I always think, "Wow, it's good to be home again." Why, I don't know. I've never lived in Halifax, and no one in my ancestry ever has for more than a few months, as far as I know. But Halifax always feels like home to me.
The Best Western launched my morning with a good swim in the (larger) indoor pool, and a very good buffet breakfast, which I ate on the broad sunny deck outside the dining room, overlooking the lake. Great way to start the day! I then drove down to Peggy's Cove. I've been there five or six times before, but it has never been sunny like today (always either clouds or fog!). So lots of pictures there, of course.
The famous cove itself:
The Fishermen's Memorial:
The coastal rock formations, worn by sea and ice:
An overview of the village, something you don't see when it's foggy (!) :
Okay, I guess I had better include one more selfie with the famous lighthouse in the background!
Nice too that the place wasn't too crowded. That is, until I settled in for a coffee and snack, and the tour buses started pulling in -- five of them in as many minutes and two were big articulated coaches with probably 80-90 seats each. Peggy's Cove was instantly packed to the gills with tourists. I didn't figure it out till later in the afternoon, when I saw a big Cunard liner sailing out of Halifax Harbour. Of course, shore tour time for the cruise passengers!
I then circled north and around the city and down through Dartmouth to Eastern Passage where I had lunch at a great restaurant called Boondocks. My partner Massi and I ate there together 4 years ago this week, and loved it. Well, the restaurant has changed hands, and Massi died at Christmas, but the scallops were still wonderful. Another great meal out on the deck, poised between beautiful sunshine, broad tidal beach, great food, and bitter-sweet memories.
I then headed back to base, had another swim and a nap, and drove downtown for my last dinner before heading home. I'd never been to The Lower Deck before and didn't know what to expect. It's a pair of pubs in a very old building in the Historic Properties on the waterfront.
Downstairs is The Lower Deck proper, and upstairs is The Beer Market. There's also now a branch in a suburban mall. Contrary to expectation, all three have different menus. I went up to The Beer Market and had a seafood platter they can serve me in heaven: grilled scallops, shrimps, and salmon along with panfried haddock, rice pilaf and veggies. Add in two pints of the seasonal special beer from Alexander Keith's and I am stuffed! Marked down for a very definite return date!
And now, sadly, time to start packing up for my flight back to Toronto tomorrow. Too short of a trip in one way, but I do need to get back to real life before I gain any more weight from all the wonderful seafood!
I have lived there, so it is slightly different, but it felt like home to me the very first time I visited too. I wouldn't be surprised if, somewhere in our family history, we did have ancestors who had really formative experiences there. After all, all of Ma's family came from PEI. It wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility. That, or it is just a really wonderful town.
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