I See Dead People

Unknown child who drowned on the Titanic

(Steve)

Grizzly, yes. However, our visit to the cemetary where 120 who died on the Titanic are buried was a sobering but interesting experience.  I’m getting ahead of myself because this was our last visit on a day-long tour of sites in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the nearby area.  Last, but the most impactful.  The Titanic sank April 15, 1912. The alert went out and three ships from Halifax traveled 700 miles in the North Atlantic to provide aid and/or recover bodies. The mission was to aid the affluent first class passengers like the Guggenheims and the Astors. However, the crew of the rescue boats also made a point of saving the bodies of theTitanic crew and third class passengers.  Halifax embraced the survivors and arranged for burial of the dead. The White Star Line contributed the funds for memorials. Our guide told stories of several of the dead. All in all it was a moving visit. You couldn’t help but imagine what they went through - particularly when standing right over where they lay.

 

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I’ll let Pam write about our other stops but I need to speak of Halifax. The city and its people are mightily impressive. It is multicultural. We probably heard eight or ten different languages in the few hours we were traveling. The city seems to welcome and celebrate pluralism. The streets and roads are free of debris. Everything is modern but the city and its people celebrate the 300 years it has been perched on the edge of the Atlantic. Water is the unifying factor - shipping, fishing, and naval bases crowd the ocean shoreline. Inland, hundreds of lakes - beautiful lakes - support residences with docks, and boats, and small businesses.  And then there is the pride. The people here strive to preserve the city’s history while making room for controlled growth that doesn’t threaten public spaces or historic sites. We drove by festivals and gardens filled with the locals. Those we spoke with in the past couple days were eager to tell us where to go and what to see. To the last they have been kind and open. Halifax is turning out to be a surprising and wonderful place.

(Pam) This morning we boarded a bus and drove about 40 minutes to a small village called Peggy’s Cove.  Because of its historical importance, there are strict laws regarding development and population.  As a result, it has changed little since the 1700s when it was founded.  Its lighthouse is one of the  most photographed in the world.  It sits atop wave-worn granite rocks.  Such a wild and beautiful spot.  We enjoyed a short stroll to the lighthouse and then Steve and I slipped away to visit a pewter shop.  One of the women who works there asked if we would like to see how pewter was made, and of course we said yes.  She took us to a corner of the gallery, put on gloves and caps for her shoes, and then showed us the process for making items made of pewter.  While we stood there, she showed us how to take an ingot of pewter, melt it to liquid, and pour it into a mold carved into material similar to tire rubber.  The pewter hardens quickly and is then sanded to a smooth surface.  It was cool to get this private lesson.  While we were there, we bought a dragonfly pin made of pewter.  We then joined the rest of the caravan for a lunch at a busy restaurant with a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean.  

Peggy’s Cove

Making pewter

Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse 

From there, we drove around Halifax and visited the Citadel, which is the fort that has protected Halifax since the 1700s.  We watched the changing of the guard, then had one of the young corporals, dressed in his kilt, give us a tour.  He shared lots of information about life at the fort, and about the strategies in place that were employed to keep the fort safe, as well as what potential enemies might have tried to get into the fort. He showed us the system of flags still used to show who is in port and from where ships are visiting. It was very informative and our guide was quite charming.  

Our citadel guide 

Changing of the guards 

Where the gunpowder was kept

The ‘trench’ was one of the barriers used to keep out the enemies

As Steve mentioned, we also visited one of the three cemeteries where many of the Titanic passengers and crew were buried.  After having seen the movie, it’s been hard for me to imagine anything other than what Hollywood provided for us.  It was quite sobering to see the actual graves and hear some of the stories of the actual people who lost their lives.  It was not touristy at all, however our guide did tell us that the site has been visited more since the release of the film.  The first picture Steve posted is a headstone that initially had no name on it.  It was only after a family who suspected that the child had been an ancestor of theirs, asked that DNA testing be done to determine if that was indeed the case.  Turns out it was.  Nine other graves had also been exhumed so that they also could be definitively identified.  

We got home from today’s tour about 5:30.  We were too pooped to cook or go out, so it was sandwiches for dinner.  Tomorrow is an even longer day, so we will head to bed soon.  I have just loved our time here so far and am looking forward to tomorrow’s adventure.