We were staying in a modern basement apartment in a section of the city just west of the Citadel. The streets nearby were lined with colorful row-houses, some with a harbor-side feel and others with more Victorian flair.
Knowing the weather was supposed to be iffy the next couple of days, we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous
conditions when we arrived and take a little bike tour around the city. We first headed up the
short, STEEP street on Citadel Hill. There have been four different
fortifications, often referred to as Fort George (honoring King George III),
atop the hill since 1749 when the city was founded, but the most recent was
completed in 1856, and is officially called The Citadel.
We circled the fortress and then headed down the east side of the hill and out to the end of the peninsula to Point Pleasant Park. The air was considerably cooler out by the water, and we enjoyed the view looking out toward the Atlantic Ocean.
We followed the shoreline back through the park and returned to city streets. Our route took us back through Canadian National Railway's intermodal yard to meet the end of Halifax's wharf/boardwalk area, which is packed with restaurants and shops. The developers have done a nice job blending the newer structures along the boardwalk area with some of the older buildings along the harbor-front.
Our route spiraled up to the Angus MacDonald Bridge, which has a dedicated bikelane its full length across the harbor to the town of Dartmouth. Here is a shot I took from the bridge looking west:
We were a bit wiped out after climbing the hills back up to our apartment and slept well that night. The next day was gloomy and had a light rain falling most of the day. We did a bit of grocery shopping and checked out a gluten-free bakery for some treats for me. We went out for a walk in the evening and saw some of the city's wild Pride Day Parade, then checked out the cool, modern library building, which cantilevered out over the parade route.
Our evening stroll finished up in the skywalk, which is an enclosed pathway above the streets which interconnects the downtown hotels, businesses and shopping areas with the casino. Yes, we did stop in to try the slots (we are not table players), and no, we did not win or lose much.
It was gray the next morning, but dry, and the weather forecast mentioned rain later in the day. We put the bikes back in the car and drove
across the MacDonald bridge, then east a short distance to the town of Cole
Harbour, which is most famous for being the hometown of Pittsburgh Penguins
captain and three-time Stanley Cup winner, Sidney Crosby. However, we were less
interested in the hockey history than finding the parking area for the Salt
Marsh Trail.
The scenic trail was built on the roadbed of
the former Dartmouth Eastern Railway, later part of the Canadian National system,
which was built in 1912 primarily to move lumber and limestone from
Musquodoboit to Dartmouth harbor and Windsor Junction. The trail’s wonderful
crushed gravel surface runs across causeways through tidal marshes and through
fragrant pine forests along the coast.
The fog was thick when we started, and despite
our hopes that the forecast would be correct and conditions would improve, the
mist was consistently falling during our ride. The trail was still relatively dry,
and we were enjoying the ride, although we really missed out on any of the
wider scenic vistas because of the poor visibility.
Along the way we saw ducks and cormorants
diving for food in the water, an osprey make a poor landing attempt on a pine
treetop, plenty of gulls, plus a few more colorful birds like goldfinches and a
red-headed woodpecker. We probably would have seen more furry friends had the
weather not turned miserable, but we did catch a couple reddish squirrels and
chipmunks, and a field mouse nearly managed to get himself squished under my
front wheel!
The mist turned to a steadier shower, and we
decided to turn around, hoping that maybe the rain was more coastal. Sure
enough, it seemed that things were improving somewhat as we faced intermittent
mist while heading inland back to the van. We stopped to chat with a couple locals
who we overheard were looking for something to clear their glasses of moisture.
Sue offered a dry bandana that she was carrying in her jersey pocket, and we
took the opportunity to ask them a bit about return routes to the city, since
it was my original plan to ride the eight miles or so back to our apartment.
Roads we experienced along the route to Cole
Harbour were mostly of the four-lane variety with no real shoulder of which to
speak, and although I’m not particularly intimidated by passing cars/trucks, calmer traffic conditions are always welcome, particularly in foreign
territory and in rain, which was unfortunately starting up again. Other than
continuing down the trail, which meandered somewhat on its way back towards
Dartmouth, it seemed the quicker route would mostly involve the same course we had taken inbound.
The folks did direct me down the Heritage
Trail, which paralleled the road for a mile or so, and it was a lot of fun. The
crushed gravel surface wound through the forest with banked turns and little
rises and drops to get the adrenaline flowing. All too soon though, I was back
on the pavement with cars blowing by me – they were giving plenty of room,
however, and I was glad that I had my flashing tail light to make myself more
visible when the skies eventually opened up into a soaking rain.
As I began my crossing of the MacDonald
Bridge, I became aware of the crosswinds and how the water streaming off my
front wheel felt like someone was opening a faucet directly into my right shoe!
The rain let up just as I made the now-familiar righthand turn down on the
bicycling lane, which I was quite happy about, as I was hoping to be able to
clear my rims of moisture and have adequate braking power on the ramp’s steep
descent.
I enjoyed the hills up to our place on
Davison Street much better this time around, as I knew they were coming and
anticipated the climbs with the correct gearing. I forgot that Sue had
mentioned that she was making a quick market stop on the way back, so I was
initially a bit surprised not to see the van parked outside our apartment. I
was flying during my ride, but I certainly didn’t think I would “win” the
eight-mile trip.
I had thought about going inside to dry off and
clean the bike, but as time wore on I figured it would be a better idea to wait
outside for Sue's return. I didn’t want her to turn the corner, not see any
evidence of me or the bike and think that I hadn’t made it back safely.
Later that evening, we attended a
“Shakespeare By the Sea” production of Othello,
which was performed wonderfully within Point Pleasant Park. The multi-level
Cambridge Battery, an old military site, provided an effective set for the
play. I will tell anyone that cares how much I love Shakespeare’s work,
not that I’m a snooty-type who memorizes and quotes lines, nor do I pretend to
completely grasp the language. However, seeing the plays live, with the action
and the expression of the actors providing a context for the words, makes the
stories so much easier to understand and enjoy!
The drive back into the city would be one of
our last glimpses of urban life for quite a while – off to more secluded
surroundings around LaHave and Bush Island.
No comments :
Post a Comment