Journey from City Life to Maritime Charm: A Toronto to Nova Scotia Adventure

Flying from Toronto to Halifax

While waiting to board our flight Matt got an email from the last hotel....bugger, I had left my Samsun pods. I didn't even use them so dont know how I managed to leave them. Even more annoying as Matts the one who normally misplaces things. Luckily, we are back in town again on the 12th so arrange to collect them. Someone is going to have to loose the smug smile of satisfaction as my blooper.

We travelled from Toronto to Halifax via Flair which unknown to us is the equivalent of Ryanair in the UK. They charge for everything !! When checking in we didn't pay $20 each to allocate pour own seats and despite there being lots of available seats together it automatically put us apart by several rows.....online punishment for not paying lol. I got an window seat at least which did mean I got to see the landscape as we flew into Halifax. The trees are just turning so magical to see from above.

Meeting the Locals: A Helpful Taxi Driver

Arriving in Halifax, your first impression of the city is often shaped by the individuals encountered and we had a memorable interaction with a friendly taxi driver whose warmth and local knowledge greatly enriched the journey. As the taxi pulled away from the airport, the driver immediately struck up a conversation, luckily for Matthew he was a fan of English football. He went on to give us lots of tips and info on places to go and things to do. We had always used Uber before and find very little interaction with drivers, this was nice for a change. Plus he offered to beat Uber price which he did.

Exploring Coastal Wonders: Lunenburg Mahone and Peggy's Cove

We thought we had done with cars for a while but on recommendation from the taxi driver we decided to hire a car again. Jeep Cross Trail (better drive than Grand Cherokee). We took the main highway down to Lunenburg and then meandered back along the coastal road. I don't know how many times we turned a corner and said "wow" - from Route 66, Highway 1 this is the best and my favourite stretch of road in my opinion.

The picturesque views of Mahone Bay unfold, characterized by its inviting waters and charming islands and we came during the renowned Scarecrow Festival. The whole Bay becomes a vibrant tapestry of creativity as locals showcase their artistic skills in a delightful celebration of the harvest season. Each scarecrow, ranging from humorous to intricate, reflects the community spirit and joy associated with this beautiful coastal region. We met Queen Lizzie and King Charles, Elvis and Forrest Gump as well as so many others - totally brilliant and excellent way to spend an afternoon.

Also, (based on taxi drivers tip) had lunch here at Oh My Cod - the queues obviously told us that it was good. Matt had lobster and I had cod. This is the first place where we have found brown malt vinegar available so I drenched my food with the stuff.

The coast road doesn't always hug the coast but you can do it yourself most of the time, we had fun just taking a turning towards the sea and only a few of them were dead ends but we did get to nosey at some magnificent ocean from properties and day dream away to ourselves picking out our favourites.

No visit to this region would be complete without a stop at Peggy’s Cove, a quintessential representation of Nova Scotia’s coastal allure. The rugged landscapes, marked by smooth granite rock formations, provide an ideal backdrop for the iconic lighthouse. Photographers and nature lovers flock to this breath taking location. We did notice a convoy of 6 packed coaches as we left so luckily we did this before the hoards arrived.

Today, we took this hire car back this morning and spent the day wandering around Halifax itself. We started at the Northern end of the waterfront and worked our way all around the tip before Ubering back to our place (after about 13000 steps). Lots to see and do. Rain had threatened all day but we missed it thankfully. The walk was really good we started downtown on the waterfront where there is plenty to see and lots of memorials to their naval involvement. It was interesting to see their part of the WW2 Atlantic convoys after visiting the Liverpool museum which was heavily involved in this. Also read about how we, the British, dealt with the Acadians which was a nasty bit of our history I wasn't aware of. There were lighter bits we loved the double sunbeds and double deck chairs. We then walked through the industrial part of the harbour and finished in Pleasant Park which was a great walk along the coast and then through the woods but to town. We finished with a late lunch in a lovely pub called The Narrows.

Overall, Nova Scotia has surprised me. Halifax is bigger than I imagined and probably the biggest surprise of the trip so far, we were both looking forward to it but the town exceeded our expectations by far. The coastal area is just stunning and will be leaving a little piece of my heart here.