Sunday, August 2, 2009

Day 4/5 - Halifax

On Day 4 we visited the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. This is where many Titanic artifacts are displayed because the recovery effort went out from Halifax. Even more graphic, the Halifax explosion of 1917 is documented here. A booming town went overnight to a near-desert landscape. The museum well documented the absolute dependence on the sea that Halifax had in its early days, and how it so completely shaped the culture.

For some reason we didn't take any photos inside this museum. But one of the things we really liked about it is that they have what they call "visible storage". Things that they have many of are on display in glass cases but not part of a curated exhibit per se. The alternative, which is used by many U.S. museums, is that things are locked away until they can be part of a curated exhibit, which means that the "people" who "own" them (yes, the taxpayers) rarely get to see them.



The day was pretty miserably rainy, but here are some street photos of Halifax. It is a colorful place, even in the rain. The hair salon was intriguing! I wonder how long the paint job will last with all the rain they get in Nova Scotia! Because we had just been at
the Museum with fish, this bus and Smart car made us laugh.

The big fish is about to eat the little fish!

Later that afternoon the girls toured St. Mary's University, also in
Halifax. Very nice small school. One of the things that was new to us is that everything at the University is connected by tunnels or passages. In the middle of winter, the students wear shorts to class because they never have to go outside!

On Day 5, we visited the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum near Halifax airport. It was small but packed with artifacts. We had the place almost to ourselves and it was very nice.

They had some very pretty airplanes, and some very interesting stories. We're so used to our U.S. museums that keep the tourist so far back from any artifacts. This was almost like being part of the family to look at the treasures!

Later that day the girls toured Dalhousie University. It was a very neat place - a huge campus with lots to offer!

And off to Lunenburg, where we hear there is sunshine!
/kw

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