Cruise Day 3 - Halifax NS – Prince Charles – The Titannic Museum and Graveyard.

Lulu Moonlighting as ship librarian

Prince Charles and Camilla

J Dawson buried here

So far – the busiest day was Monday in Halifax, Nova Scotia. To speed the day up – we were awakened by the porter with our breakfast in bed. Every night you can leave a checklist on your doorknob of everything you want. Eggs – bacon – ham – toast – tea – coffee – Danish – cereal – fruit – anything you could think of us – arrived – on the house.

 

Halifax was going to be busy. Rumors had it that Prince Charles and Camilla would be there. We got off the boat and scurried toward city hall. We were on a back street and all of a sudden a cop halted us. He said nothing but I had the camera ready. All of a sudden a large motorcade came flying down the hill missing us by about 10 feet. It was Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. They were going to city hall to put a wreath on the war memorial and be welcomed by Canada – Nova Scotia – and Halifax. We watched the whole ceremony from about 50 feet away.

 

After the ceremony – the Maritime Museum was just down the hill. We had come to see the relics from the Titanic. We weren’t disappointed. After that – the museum host called a cab for us and we visited the Fairview Cemetery where 150 Titanic passengers are buried. We expected the ride to take 20 minutes- but in 6 minutes we were there. We had the cab wait and we went to the gravesites. We leached onto another group’s guide and enjoyed some of the lore. The cab dropped us off at the farmer’s market on the pier where we sampled some of the local ware.   As we left, Charles’ and Camilla’s motorcade was a block down the street again, having just visited the farmer’s market too!  I purchased a large jug of cider forgetting that the ship crew confiscated any booze. Lulu ran ahead – but to my surprise they did not take my two quarts of cider. I am drinking it as I type along with a little Canadian Club booty.

 

We just learned that they do not confiscate your booze – they charge you an $18 corking fee to drink it on the boat. Highway robbery.

 

We are on the high seas again – this time cruising over the famous Grand Banks – some of the betst fishing grounds in the world. This area is directly on the line between New York and England. It was the busiest ocean highway for hundreds of years. Halifax is the closest North American major port to Europe. They are also proud of their second largest natural port in the world. Both Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart stopped here for their final fueling spots on their famous non-stop flights.

 

Tomorrow is an exciting day. Sydney – Nova Scotia – is/was the center of the coal industry in Canada. We have rented a car to go tour a mine that extends out under the ocean. Welsh – Irish – and Scot miners came from Europe to work here – just like back in Tamaqua. Then we go on to Prince Edward Island and Quebec.