VanRamblings arrived in Annapolis Royal late on a splendid, star-filled Friday evening, proceeded ‘home’ to sit in Corinne’s kitchen and partake of a glass of milk and warming gingerbread cookies, after which we proceeded to bed.
Upon arising at 7:30 a.m. this morning, we looked out our window and filmed the video above, an early morning perspective of the Annapolis River, overlooking the village of Granville Ferry (pop: 106). After experiencing the oppressive humidity and heat of Halifax, VanRamblings was pleased to feel the strong cooling breeze, keeping the heat of the sun in perspective.
At the moment, we’re sitting in The Internet Cafe, given that Rogers’ iPhone tethering has failed to work in Annapolis Royal (which may limit our posting in the days to come). We’re attempting to sign Corinne up to Bell Aliant, and create a wireless network (which, it would appear, VanRamblings will not be able to avail ourselves of prior to our departure on August 16th) for our beloved hostess. In the meantime, on a limited basis, VanRamblings is able to avail itself of the wireless network at the town library (we sit outside on a bench under a tree … romantic, yes, but a tad inconvenient).
Peaceful, serene and transformative, once again, VanRamblings in Annapolis Royal has proved to be a friend-filled, quietening experience. The Farmers’ Market this morning (we purchased fresh-baked croissants, after which we proceeded home for breakfast) was utterly fabulous, as usual, as we were greeted by friends we’ve made while staying in Annapolis Royal, in the past.
We’ll try to post a Farmers’ Market video later today (over at the library).
All posts by Raymond Tomlin
Day 4, Maritimes Vacation: Making Our Way to Annapolis Royal
Much of the day this muggy Friday, August 6th, will be spent preparing for the next leg of our Maritimes ’60th birthday celebration’ journey. Yes, VanRamblings will engage in the prosaic tasks of doing laundry, packing our bags, purchasing a bus ticket on Acadian Bus Lines, retrieving our bags from Howe Hall in the afternoon and lugging them to the bus depot (we’d take a taxi, but we’re cheap), finding a place for breakfast and a very late lunch (seems that the dining hall closed, as of Thursday afternoon), and bidding Halifax a fond farewell. We may even find some time in the course of our day to take the Dartmouth ferry, and do a bit of sightseeing.
VanRamblings has enjoyed the first part of our journey which, much to the chagrin of some of our closer correspondents, has proved to be a particularly laid back introduction to our Maritime summer vacation. You see, we’ve traveled to Halifax many times previously, so haven’t necessarily felt the need this time around to do the expected ‘touristy thing’. We’ve simply sat back and observed (this is what comes from possessing an undergraduate degree in sociology; who knows, there may be a monograph arising from all that we experience ‘observing’, as we are embraced by our Maritime hosts).
Continue reading Day 4, Maritimes Vacation: Making Our Way to Annapolis Royal
Halifax on a rainy day in early August, as the day progresses
VanRamblings decided to play tourist on our first full day in Halifax.
Wearing our waterproof jacket, we headed up leafy Coburg Road for the 15-minute stroll to Spring Garden Road, and downtown Halifax. We did some window shopping, took in the Public Garden, wandered the streets (along with a myriad other ‘tourists’), and at 4 p.m. headed over to the Empire Park Lane theatre for a screening of Christopher Nolan’s Inception.
Following the screening of Inception (suffice to say that we were not enthralled), VanRamblings sauntered down to the Halifax waterfront …
Continue reading Halifax on a rainy day in early August, as the day progresses
A rainy day in Halifax, outside Howe Hall at Dalhousie University
On VanRamblings’ first full day in Halifax, we awoke to a Maritimes torrential downpour. We took one look outside, and decided to head to the dining hall for breakfast, first fortifying ourselves with a glass of fresh-
squeezed orange juice and a warming cup of Dalhousie Fair Trade organic hot java (don’t you just love universities for being socially progressive?).
Upon entering the dining hall, we were greeted by a sea of young faces, mostly young women whose native language is French, and who are residing at Dalhousie as part of a cross Canada cultural exchange programme. Otherwise, there are families, visiting professors, and people such as ourselves who appreciate a ‘good deal’. Breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, baked ham, French toast and all the fixings, fresh fruit, croissants and bagels, various coffees and a variety of fresh juices. We had a bit of everything (all for $7.50!), this being our main meal of the day.
Over the years, VanRamblings has found, when traveling, that the best accommodation (and food) deals may be found at universities across the globe. For our stay in Halifax, at Howe Hall, we are paying the august sum of $43 a night, tax included. For this we get a relatively spacious dorm room (with en suite sink and vanity, and the requisite room ‘storage’), Internet access, an on site dining hall, fresh bedding and towels daily, coin-operated laundry facilities, and a central location with ready access to downtown Halifax, involving a pleasant 15-minute stroll from the university campus to Spring Garden Road, the main street of downtown Halifax.
For a future vacation, VanRamblings is looking to travel to Montreal, where we’ll stay at McGill university. A dorm room at Royal Victoria College goes for as little as $25 a night. An RVC dorm room looks pretty deluxe.
VanRamblings will spend this Wednesday decompressing from life in the big city, reading, exploring Halifax (even if it is raining), and may even catch a movie or two, at either the Empire Park Lane or Oxford theatre, or both.