Halifax

The sun was out, the temps were higher and we were in Halifax on Monday. We knew that this cruise would have a wide range of temperatures, so we brought layers in an attempt to dress correctly. We actually packed with less clothing than we have in past trips, partly because one of our loyalty benefits with Princess is complimentary onboard laundry. So far, we have been cold in ports and John has really been cold when we reenter the ship. The ship uses a luggage scanner and metal detector, just like an airport does. Colleen walks through with her coat on and waits while John takes everything out of his pockets, and puts his coat into the luggage scanner. Because of his pacemaker/defibrillator he is unable to walk through the scanner. With the freezing wind howling, he holds his arms out like a scarecrow and submits to a ‘frisking’ by security. Brrrrrrrrr!

We walked more in Halifax than in any of the other posts this trip. The weather was better for walking in comfort (no need to lean into the wind and rain/snow) and it was a bit more like a city than a by the wayside port. It had some nice churches, nice shops, a really ‘cute’ tugboat (Theodore Too) and friendly residents. Nothing stands out, but Halifax was a good experience.

Our dinner table consists of three other couples, one from Cape Cod, one from Southern California and one quiet couple that are from Colorado. They are all in their 70’s and 80’s so we are the ‘kids’ at the table. All of them are very well traveled and we are gleaning lots of data about possible future trips from them. Travel, books and grandchildren dominate the conversations, although a bit of politics came up last night. We all agree that we are tired of the election and will be glad have the media fixated on Hilton, Lohan and Spears once again.

While in Montreal, our hotel TV picked up stations from Vermont, just a short distance away. When not watching the screen, it was just like being home. A female governor, taxes, spending, deficits and sex offenders. On the ship, news comes from CNN and BBC, both of which give news from more of an international slant. We see lots of coverage of the problems in other parts of the world and it gives us a perspective that we are not the only/most important/most newsworthy nation on the planet. It’s a nice change and, of course, we don’t see many political ads, which is a Godsend in itself. It’s a good time to be at sea!