So, after much planning and deception (without any explanatory remarks about the 4.5 hour flight from Toronto to Halifax), Penny and I finally got to Halifax late Thursday afternoon to surprise Andrew. Linda and Rick Creese picked us up at the airport (many, many thanks) and drove us to the Radisson hotel downtown (nice place!). We had arranged with Alison to meet at "Jane's On The Commons", a lovely restaurant not far from where Ali and Andrew live. We would get there first, Ali would walk over with And, and, surprise!, there we would be. Andrew knew nothing of the plans.All went exactly as planned and Andrew was quite confused for a moment. We had a lovely dinner and Andrew's dessert came with a token candle. Great food, gabbing and fun!
After dinner, we all walked to And & Ali's place (which I had never seen). Presents were opened, more babbling and hugging was undertaken and we all had a wonderful time. A & A and Buster all look very well and comfortably at home in their not-quite-so recently-moved-into digs.
Now I can imagine them at home being cozy and doing crosswords, playing music or whatever. Then Penny and I walked back to the hotel - quite late Thursday night.
Friday morning came with the usual Halifax sunshine. Our hotel suite looked out toward the harbour and George's Island, so I took several experimental pictures. Penny and I spent most of Friday just walking all around Halifax from about Scotia Square and Historic Properties to Spring Garden Road and the Public Gardens, and down to Terminal Road and the big Super Store near the train station and everywhere in through there.
Barrington, Argyle, South Park, Birmingham, Lower Water ...Halifax has changed since I saw it last about 8 to 10 years ago. Many really interesting restaurants and pubs have been added, some new buildings (and vacant lots trying to get through the development approval process), lots of new and changed stores (with the focus moving from Barrington toward Argyle and Spring Garden Road). And whole areas are exactly the same as they were. The city looks really good for the most part: well kept, alive and thriving. There was even some clearing in the afternoon.
Friday night we went bowling with Andrew and some of his friends.What a hoot! I have not bowled since before we left the area some 23 years ago. And the bifocals do not help one bit.
Andrew is quite good and really gets into the game. We had a super time with the whole gang (pictured here - except for me).
On Saturday, clearing and COLD, we had lunch and hung out with Frank Davis. No pictures. Frank has an apartment up Spring Garden Road, so we met near there for lunch and went on a short tour around the Dresden Row area. Frank has not changed a bit; still jokes and carries on like crazy. We had a great visit and hope to see him and daughter Sara in Toronto sometime in January. Lots of time was spent looking at current pictures of kids and grand kids. And the sun finally did make a grand entrance late in the day. And we went to the Farmers' Market sometime in the morning.
Saturday night we went out with Linda and Rick to "Saege", a lovely restaurant up Spring Garden very near where Frank lives. What a grand evening being silly and well fed and chatting just as though we had been hanging out like this every weekend for the past 18 years or so that they have lived in Nova Scotia (this time). We came back to our hotel and continued into the night.Sunday we all relaxed. And & Ali, Linda & Rick and we all had brunch at a pub down the street, chatting and giggling until it was time to head back to the airport and Toronto. We eventually got home Sunday evening to start working through all the little piles of "gotta do this now" things that seem to grow when one is away.
A super trip!
