Halifax off season

The Halliburton is made up of three historic townhouses which have now been turned into a boutique hotel, one of the few in Halifax. It is named after a former Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, and at one time in the buildings' history, it was used for the Dalhousie University Law School. Entering the hotel, you can still see it was a townhouse which makes you feel more like you are in someone's home, instead of a hotel. The umbrella stand with umbrellas for the guests to use adds to that impression.

The Halliburton is located towards the edge of the downtown area of Halifax near lots of restaurants but not right on one of the major roads which makes it quieter. Everything in the downtown is within easy walking distance. The Halliburton is also within easy walking distance of Dalhousie University.

The Halliburton has charm and character. For the price of a room in a large chain hotel, we had a one bedroom suite (C$150). The suite was very comfortable and clean. The room had a lot of charm as it maintains its 19th-century theme with its antique furniture and working fireplace. Having a one bedroom meant two closets, a large armoire in the bedroom, and a comfortable queen-sized bed. A sofa bed and coffee table were in the sitting room, with an antique writing desk and chair. There was a kitchenette near the door with a stocked mini bar. The bathroom was not large but it was adequate.

We faced the street on the ground floor and across the street was a condominium. It meant that occupants of the condos could look into our room so we had to remember to draw the drapes. We found the room very quiet and had a great sleep each night.

I understand that the furnishings in the rooms vary quite a bit from room to room. We found ours had more than enough space for our four night stay.

The staff were very pleasant and helpful with information and service. Because there are less than 30 rooms, they get to know you right away. On our first night, we sat in the library where we were able to order drinks and look at guide books trying to plan our visit. The staff was very congenial offering information and suggestions.

The continental breakfast, which was included, was very good with a lot of variety ranging from eggs to cereal and toast with a great variety of beverages.

The hotel also includes a restaurant, Stories, which specializes in local game. I had an excellent meal there.

They also offer free internet access, but when we were there the computer was not working. Since I was on vacation, this was not a problem. Internet was also available in the room had I brought a computer.

For anyone who is interested in getting away from a chain hotel, this is an excellent option.

We had dinner at Fid. At first we couldn’t find the front door. There’s a sign that says Courtyard and points to a side door, but not the name of the restaurant. Once you go in that side door, there are entrances to a number of stores and restaurants. One of them is Fid.Apparently, a fid is a nautical instrument to splice rope. The restaurant is not large. The decor is minimal, modern, but has a warm feel. The atmosphere is intimate.The restaurant describes itself as French Asian. The chef owner likes to mix different textures and flavours using fresh local ingredients. We had a mushroom tart, chicken breast with potato gnocchi, fois gras, beef tenderloin, fish cakes and seared salmon. Desserts were pudding, ice-cream and a crème brulée that was one of the best I have ever tasted. Presentation was beautiful and each dish had a slight twist combining different spices with familiar food. The food was very good.The service was very discreet but efficient and knowledgeable. The maitre d', Monica, has a beautiful French accent which adds to the charm of the place.Dinner is served Tuesday to Sunday and lunch, Wednesday to Friday. Check their website www.fidcuisine.ca to see their current menus.We had a wonderful meal at Fid and would eat there again, particularly if we were looking for a romantic evening in a charming spot.

No matter where you are in Halifax, you cannot miss seeing the Citadel. Just look up the hill. The ramparts and fortification dominate the skyline.The star shaped Halifax Citadel was originally built by the British as fortification for Halifax, particularly, for protection of the navy in Halifax Harbour. Turned out the Citadel never saw any action, and since 1951, it has been a national historic site and run by Parks Canada. The granite walls and fortification have undergone extensive stabilization and restoration. During tourist season, the Citadel is a place where Canadians learn about their past and can appreciate through first-hand experience the realities of the 19th century as Canada was becoming a nation. There are guided tours and recreation of a 19th century Highland regiment stationed at the Citadel. There is also a library, shop and coffee bar.Unfortunately, during the off season, none of these things are happening. Only the firing of the noon gun happens each day (and is heard throughout the city) and the clock tower clock keeps ticking. However, the Citadel is still open so that a winter visitor can go in, wander around to see what the interior yard looks like (it is pretty barren) and climb the ramparts and get a 360 degree view from the top of the hill.Since I like getting a good view from high places when I go traveling, I decided to make the effort to go to the Citadel. There are two main ways to get there. Up a winding road, which can be done in a car, or on foot up the stairs which go past the clock tower. I decided to look at the clock tower close up so opted for the stairs.I discovered, in addition to getting a good view, a visit on foot to the Citadel was a good way to work off some calories. There are a lot of steps to get to the top. And the climbing does not stop. Once inside the Citadel, you need to climb some much shorter stairways to get to the top of the ramparts. From the ramparts you get a good view of Halifax, the harbour and across to the neighbouring city of Dartmouth.While a visit during the summer months would have been a lot more informative and entertaining, I would still recommend a visit to the Citadel for the views. Neither the shop nor coffee bar is open during the off season, so after you walk down from the Citadel and have developed a thirst, you can stop for a drink and a snack at the many restaurants and pubs at the foot of the hill.

Some of the world's finest crystal can be found in Halifax. Nova Scotian Crystal is located just off the boardwalk of Halifax harbour. We were strolling the boardwalk and decided to take a look. It turned out to be one of those happy impulse decisions to discover how fascinating it is to watch crystal being blown.Halifax is the only place in North America where traditional Irish crystal is made. One of the original owners, who still works at Nova Scotian crystal, is from Ireland and learned the craft of crystal blowing at the famous Waterford Crystal glassworks. He, and two others, started Nova Scotian Crystal and are now passing the craft on to their sons and other Canadians.You learn all of this from the shop assistants at Nova Scotian Crystal. When you go to the shop, you can watch the process of crystal blowing as the team of glass blowers take the molten glass, roll it, blow it and mould it. In another area of the shop, you can observe the intricate art of cutting the crystal. Those making the crystal are too busy to talk much, but the shop has a number of staff very knowledgeable about what is going on and willing to spend time with you to explain the history of the shop and the process of crystal making. We spent well over an hour observing.The shop sells what they craft. Beautiful paper weights, bowls, specialty glasses, stemware, vases, plates and candle holders are for sale. Or if you want a one of a kind item, that can be arranged also. The items are not cheap. One Scotch glass can be over $100. But the patterns which evoke the local area are unique to Nova Scotian Crystal. Some item from Nova Scotian Crystal makes the perfect souvenir and can be shipped back home for you if you don't want to carry it. We left with a glass and a paperweight and are still enjoying them.

We decided on a Friday night to rent a car and drive to Lunenburg the next day, stopping along the way as time permitted. I was to get the car and be ready to leave when my husband was finished with his business. Saturday morning, I visited two rental spots but they didn’t have any cars available that day. Luckily, Halifax has a lot of car rental places. I ended up on the telephone calling six places before I found a car which I could pick up just after noon. Next time, we’ll have to make these decisions to rent a car a little earlier.We drove away from the hotel by 1pm. We drove past the Halifax Public Gardens, which are closed in the winter months, and along Quinpool Road which has a number of stores and restaurants. We did not have a lot of time so we could not drive as far as Peggy’s Cove which claims to have the world's most photographed lighthouse. Following the map and directions I got from the car rental place, we headed to Mahone Bay along route 3 leaving Halifax. We passed by some very small villages and quickly found ourselves in the country with few houses to be seen. Somehow we failed to make the turn to highway 103 and ended up at a water treatment facility. The road to the water treatment facility was as big as the highway and newer. How were we to know it wasn't the highway?We eventually got ourselves onto 103 and were in Mahone Bay about 2:00 in the afternoon. The highway signs are frequent making the journey easy to navigate. The small village and bay at Mahone are very picturesque. We stopped for fish and chips at a pub called the Mug and Anchor and looked out the windows to admire the picturesque bay with the three churches sitting in a row. After a quick walk around, we drove to Lunenburg. When we got to Lunenburg, I was surprised to see a tour bus there since everything I read said the tours ended after October 31. Lunenburg is a very charming village and must be lively during tourist season. There are a lot of art galleries, craft shops and antiques stores. The light poles all have colourful handicraft sea creatures hanging from them. The harbour has a small boardwalk and quite a number of restaurants. The Bluenose is sometimes docked at Lunenburg, but not when we were there. We looked at some of the old houses, which have plaques explaining their historical significance, but we were getting cold and time was running out if we wanted to get back to Halifax for dinner. We were back to Halifax shortly after 5:00pm when it is getting dark.Our afternoon jaunt was a pleasant way to see the ocean and the villages outside of Halifax and despite the limited time we had, we were certainly glad we made the effort.