![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
This is a long entry, so go grab a bite to eat. I'm going to detail the majority of my trip to Halifax. ^_^
The idea behind all this was that it was my sister's Birthday on Saturday, and we decided (back in February) that we were going to surprise her and arrive unannounced at her front doorstep. Well, not totally unannounced. We told Seanna (pronoucned "Shawna") that we were sending a Purolator Package that should arrive sometime between 4 and 6 on Friday.
The plane trip over there was fun. I hadn't been on a plane since my trip to Italy, and that was maybe 10 years ago. This makes my second use of a plane to get somewhere. I dunno if you've noticed, but I can't stand sunlight - I wear sunglasses all the time or I squint. So, when we reached cruising altitude above the clouds, well... oww, my eyes!
We rented a car for the weekend and headed into town. The wide open spaces there reminded me of Nippising - tons of rocks and trees, and a couple of houses every couple of kilometers. The speed limit on the highway is 110 km/h!
In-town, it's mostly straight, but due to the design of Halifax (a citadel atop the hill in Halifax), a lot of roads are curved a LOT, and the incline on some roads is incredible.
When we finally arrived at Seanna's place, she was stunned (videoclip). Almost immediately she started crying because we were in Halifax to surprise her! We gave her her birthday gifts (which was a webcam of her own), as well as her Bear in the Big Blue House Bear (from Xmas). Mom and Dad gave her some perfume and a bit of money (as they always do).
Seanna was planning this big party on Saturday, and for some odd reason there were two beer kegs in the house. Apparently they were lifted from somewhere... I don't know where, honestly. The discussion about keeping them in the freezer to get them cold was debated for a long time (wouldn't a keg explode if kept in the freezer?).
We tried going to the Halifax Citadel, but it was closed. I was later told that if you've seen the outside, you've pretty much seen it. There's apparently not much to see inside. :P
After returning back to our hotel and relaxing for a touch, we went and picked up Seanna again and went to the Harbour for dinner. As it was the Easter Weekend, a lot of stuff was closed, sadly v_v - I didn't manage to try crab or lobster out there... however I did have this pasta dish with these incredible chunks of lobster in it... I was completely stunned by the size of the lobster bits. ^_^
One of the funniest things that Seanna talks about is her roommates at the house. The son of the owner of the house, Gilbo, lives there, and wanted to be a rickshaw for the summer. Seanna reminded him that he needs to think about shoes for rickshawing. And he hadn't thought about it at all O.o That kid definitely does not think about things sometimes :P
After dinner, we pretty much all returned to our places and crashed. I watched a few hours of TV (something I haven't done for ages)!
Saturday, we went to the Marketplace - it was cramped, but got a couple of cool items, including a package of honeycomb... I love honeycomb. Mmm.
We went to a Costco (these things are everywhere!) and I managed to get the new Harry Potter DVD and the 3 Miyazaki movies (Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Castle in the Sky), as well as buy a cake for Seanna. It seems that they didn't charge me for all 4 DVDs, tho ^_^ I can't really go back now... I don't even have a card... I'll just call it luck :)
Seanna and Mom had to go shopping, so they dropped me and Dad off at the Casino (which is easy walking distance from the hotel... that's dangerous!) - I lost about $100, Dad was much worse off. I was thinking to go back later and give BlackJack and Roulette a try... I only wished those games cost less than $5 a play, though o.o
Then, there was the party. It was a smash success. The two kegs were gone within a few hours, there were kegstands, and maybe about 50 people in the house. Amazingly enough, the police weren't called, which, according to my sis, happens every time they have a party.
When I left (around 1:30pm... yes, I'm a lightweight) I noticed that all the intersections with lights were flashing ... turns out that after midnight in Hamilton, they just power off the light systems everywhere so you don't have to wait for the light to change! Very cool! I guess it's not too busy in "downtown" Halifax at night. (I say "downtown" as it was actually the northern section of the city.)
On Sunday, we went to Peggy's Cove to see the SwissAir flight 111 memorial. It was very quiet and somber. I saw the Atlantic Ocean :) (The idea behind this monument is that the two rocks, if you stand between them, point to two sites - the left one points to the neighbouring city across the way that saw where the crash was, and the other rock points out to where the plane landed.)
We had Brunch @ "Your Father's Mustache"... because of the trip to Peggy's Cove (winding, up-and-down roads), both me and Mom were feeling downright sick... but after a good meal (egg & ham croissant, mmm) we were good. ^_^
Being our last day, we just drove around Halifax, stopped at an inlet (got some empty mussel shells) and just looked around. At the harbour there was lots of motorcycles. I'd drive one if I knew how. (Apparently my Uncle Gerry knows how... Must talk with him ^_^)
Around 3:30pm we went and dropped off Seanna, which resulted in a teary goodbye from Mom & Dad (as it is every time!)... the trip to the airport was very quiet... if either of them talked you heard the wavering in their voice and the OTHER would start weeping :P
We arrived at the airport at 4pm... our flight wasn't until 8:30pm o_O ... God that was a boring 4 hours. Even with the tiny arcade...
We finally left at 8:45 - there was a slight delay (on the flight from Toronto to Halifax, a passenger got lost and they let him board), plus it was hot in the cabin - the Air Conditioning / Engine Starter had failed. This also meant the plane had to get a boost to get off the ground! Amazingly enough, everyone onboard (Pilot included) wasn't worried.
Halfway there, the Pilot told us of a thunderstorm in Toronto, effectively closing Pearson International Airport. They slowed down in hopes that things would clear before they arrived. It was fine when we arrived... still raining, just not thunderstorms.
My parents were basket cases after we left Seanna around 3:30. It wasn't until after we got off the ground that I realized where I was and where I had been, and I felt a bit saddened. But it was a great trip and I really enjoyed it!
And finally... when you think we've finally landed and taxied to the exit...
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are approximately 50 feet away from the bridge, if you would please stay seated until we come to a complete stop"... (and then was repeated in French!)
Here's an interesting little fact about Halifax: Nova Scotia doesn't require license plates to be on the front of cars. I thought that was very odd.
I would love to do that again... I really enjoyed the time over in Halifax. Seanna, like my Dad, couldn't go anywhere in Halifax without meeting someone she knew, and so it was great to see that little community out there. I miss her already. ^_^
The idea behind all this was that it was my sister's Birthday on Saturday, and we decided (back in February) that we were going to surprise her and arrive unannounced at her front doorstep. Well, not totally unannounced. We told Seanna (pronoucned "Shawna") that we were sending a Purolator Package that should arrive sometime between 4 and 6 on Friday.
The plane trip over there was fun. I hadn't been on a plane since my trip to Italy, and that was maybe 10 years ago. This makes my second use of a plane to get somewhere. I dunno if you've noticed, but I can't stand sunlight - I wear sunglasses all the time or I squint. So, when we reached cruising altitude above the clouds, well... oww, my eyes!
We rented a car for the weekend and headed into town. The wide open spaces there reminded me of Nippising - tons of rocks and trees, and a couple of houses every couple of kilometers. The speed limit on the highway is 110 km/h!
In-town, it's mostly straight, but due to the design of Halifax (a citadel atop the hill in Halifax), a lot of roads are curved a LOT, and the incline on some roads is incredible.
When we finally arrived at Seanna's place, she was stunned (videoclip). Almost immediately she started crying because we were in Halifax to surprise her! We gave her her birthday gifts (which was a webcam of her own), as well as her Bear in the Big Blue House Bear (from Xmas). Mom and Dad gave her some perfume and a bit of money (as they always do).
Seanna was planning this big party on Saturday, and for some odd reason there were two beer kegs in the house. Apparently they were lifted from somewhere... I don't know where, honestly. The discussion about keeping them in the freezer to get them cold was debated for a long time (wouldn't a keg explode if kept in the freezer?).
We tried going to the Halifax Citadel, but it was closed. I was later told that if you've seen the outside, you've pretty much seen it. There's apparently not much to see inside. :P
After returning back to our hotel and relaxing for a touch, we went and picked up Seanna again and went to the Harbour for dinner. As it was the Easter Weekend, a lot of stuff was closed, sadly v_v - I didn't manage to try crab or lobster out there... however I did have this pasta dish with these incredible chunks of lobster in it... I was completely stunned by the size of the lobster bits. ^_^
One of the funniest things that Seanna talks about is her roommates at the house. The son of the owner of the house, Gilbo, lives there, and wanted to be a rickshaw for the summer. Seanna reminded him that he needs to think about shoes for rickshawing. And he hadn't thought about it at all O.o That kid definitely does not think about things sometimes :P
After dinner, we pretty much all returned to our places and crashed. I watched a few hours of TV (something I haven't done for ages)!
Saturday, we went to the Marketplace - it was cramped, but got a couple of cool items, including a package of honeycomb... I love honeycomb. Mmm.
We went to a Costco (these things are everywhere!) and I managed to get the new Harry Potter DVD and the 3 Miyazaki movies (Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Castle in the Sky), as well as buy a cake for Seanna. It seems that they didn't charge me for all 4 DVDs, tho ^_^ I can't really go back now... I don't even have a card... I'll just call it luck :)
Seanna and Mom had to go shopping, so they dropped me and Dad off at the Casino (which is easy walking distance from the hotel... that's dangerous!) - I lost about $100, Dad was much worse off. I was thinking to go back later and give BlackJack and Roulette a try... I only wished those games cost less than $5 a play, though o.o
Then, there was the party. It was a smash success. The two kegs were gone within a few hours, there were kegstands, and maybe about 50 people in the house. Amazingly enough, the police weren't called, which, according to my sis, happens every time they have a party.When I left (around 1:30pm... yes, I'm a lightweight) I noticed that all the intersections with lights were flashing ... turns out that after midnight in Hamilton, they just power off the light systems everywhere so you don't have to wait for the light to change! Very cool! I guess it's not too busy in "downtown" Halifax at night. (I say "downtown" as it was actually the northern section of the city.)
On Sunday, we went to Peggy's Cove to see the SwissAir flight 111 memorial. It was very quiet and somber. I saw the Atlantic Ocean :) (The idea behind this monument is that the two rocks, if you stand between them, point to two sites - the left one points to the neighbouring city across the way that saw where the crash was, and the other rock points out to where the plane landed.)We had Brunch @ "Your Father's Mustache"... because of the trip to Peggy's Cove (winding, up-and-down roads), both me and Mom were feeling downright sick... but after a good meal (egg & ham croissant, mmm) we were good. ^_^
Being our last day, we just drove around Halifax, stopped at an inlet (got some empty mussel shells) and just looked around. At the harbour there was lots of motorcycles. I'd drive one if I knew how. (Apparently my Uncle Gerry knows how... Must talk with him ^_^)
Around 3:30pm we went and dropped off Seanna, which resulted in a teary goodbye from Mom & Dad (as it is every time!)... the trip to the airport was very quiet... if either of them talked you heard the wavering in their voice and the OTHER would start weeping :P
We arrived at the airport at 4pm... our flight wasn't until 8:30pm o_O ... God that was a boring 4 hours. Even with the tiny arcade...
We finally left at 8:45 - there was a slight delay (on the flight from Toronto to Halifax, a passenger got lost and they let him board), plus it was hot in the cabin - the Air Conditioning / Engine Starter had failed. This also meant the plane had to get a boost to get off the ground! Amazingly enough, everyone onboard (Pilot included) wasn't worried.
Halfway there, the Pilot told us of a thunderstorm in Toronto, effectively closing Pearson International Airport. They slowed down in hopes that things would clear before they arrived. It was fine when we arrived... still raining, just not thunderstorms.
My parents were basket cases after we left Seanna around 3:30. It wasn't until after we got off the ground that I realized where I was and where I had been, and I felt a bit saddened. But it was a great trip and I really enjoyed it!
And finally... when you think we've finally landed and taxied to the exit...
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are approximately 50 feet away from the bridge, if you would please stay seated until we come to a complete stop"... (and then was repeated in French!)
Here's an interesting little fact about Halifax: Nova Scotia doesn't require license plates to be on the front of cars. I thought that was very odd.I would love to do that again... I really enjoyed the time over in Halifax. Seanna, like my Dad, couldn't go anywhere in Halifax without meeting someone she knew, and so it was great to see that little community out there. I miss her already. ^_^
no subject
Re:
no subject
no subject
crazy no licence plates in front of the car ^^;