Halifax, Nova Scotia

We disembarked the Viking Sun at Pier 21 on the Halifax waterfront.  This historic pier greeted 1.5 million immigrants to Canada between 1928 and 1971.  (It's Canada's version of Ellis Island.)  The glass building on the right was previously a movie studio which filmed several scenes for the "Titanic" including the final one where the character Rose Dawson Calvert dropped the necklace back into the ocean.  

From Halifax we drove 60 miles along the coast to Old Town Lunenburg where its entire 48 blocks are a protected UNESCO world Heritage Site.  Most of the old town buildings date back to the early 1800s, some as far back as 1754, when the British took control of the region and systematically dismantled the French culture that had dominated the area for 100 years.  The British recruited "Foreign Protestants" (usually farmers) from Germany and Switzerland with the promise of land and provisions.  Once they arrived, they realized that the land and weather would not support agriculture and turned to fishing and shipbuilding.

The Germanic "Foreign Protestants" with their strong work ethic became very successful at fishing and developed Lunenburg into the largest shipbuilding center of the world. Their shipbuilding craftsmanship spilled over into many unique building features on their houses. 

One such building feature unique to the region is the Lunenburg bump featured in the Victorian home above.  To allow light into the attic, a five-sided dormer was constructed.

The 2nd oldest Protestant Church in Canada is the St. John's Anglican Church (1754).  It has been restored to its original likeness after being damaged by a fire in 2001. 

Because it is a UNESCO Heritage Site, archived photographic and architectural data was available making possible an accurate restoration.  During the reconstruction, a mystery emerged concerning numerous stars painted within the Church. This garnered the interest of international media and astronomers who determined the star scene conveys the night-sky on the first Christmas (some 2 millennia ago) as seen from Lunenburg. (Note the ceiling near the cross.)

"In Cod We Trust."  The weather vane on the steeple of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Lunenburg reminds us of the importance of the fishing industry here. 

Bluenose II was moored at the dock.  It is a replica of the original fishing and racing gaff rig schooner built here in 1921.  The celebrated ship became a provincial icon for Nova Scotia and an important Canadian symbol in the 1930s.  It has adorned the Canadian 10-cent coin for over 80 years. Nicknamed the "Queen of the North Atlantic", she was lost off the coast of Haiti in 1946. The replica was built in 1963. The name Bluenose originated as a nickname for Nova Scotians from as early as the late 18th century.

Returning to Halifax, we drove through the resort town of Mahone Bay, another old shipbuilding town.  Every October, the homeowners and business decorate the town for Halloween.

Prizes are awarded for the best displays.

On weekends, the traffic is bumper-to-bumper with visitors enjoying the event.

The town's iconic landmarks are the "Three Church Steeples" on Main Street.

As we prepare to embark the Viking Sun and sail for Boston,  we view one last time the Georges Island Lighthouse built in 1917.