Published: 04.07.2018
After spending several weeks in Vancouver unsuccessfully searching for an affordable car that would survive a 7000 km road trip across Canada, I had to change my plans. So instead of driving, I flew to Halifax.
I can't really say why I chose Halifax. For me, summer is simply associated with water and the sea, and since Halifax is one of the few larger cities here, it kind of came down to that. However, the first impression was not really positive.
I immediately liked Vancouver. Even though there are many tall buildings in downtown, they are all modern and 'beautiful', and most importantly, they are all spaced out and not crowded together. There are also only a few construction sites (although I only realized this just now).
In Halifax, my first impression was more like: Okay, 70s high-rises in ugly concrete panel construction, crowded together, with a construction site in between. There is construction going on everywhere, and since all the container traffic from the port drives through the city center, there is always traffic chaos :/
So I arrived with this impression, and that's why I decided to go to the waterfront on the first morning, so that the second impression would be better. And it was! What I already liked in Vancouver is that there are always waterfront promenades here. The entire waterfront in Halifax is a long footpath where you can stroll along the water. Starting at the Seaport Terminal, where the train station is, the cruise ship terminal, and the farmers market, you can walk past many restaurants, bars, a beer garden, many small food stalls, a bike rental, souvenir shops, etc., eat ice cream, and enjoy the beautiful weather. Of course, provided that it's not too stormy, because the wind is quite strong here on most days. You have a nice view of the waterfront from the two ferries that connect the Halifax side with the Dartmouth side.