Thursday September 15

Somewhere in Halifax. The fog is thick, it looks a cold and murky day out there, and after a brief interlude of internet necessities, we pick ourselves up and off we go. And off comes the rain coat, then the scarf, then the sweater. Any more comes off and we get arrested, or frighten Rock stars, and believe me, I am good at that.

We go to see a broken window in St. Pauls Church. It was broken during the explosion, and each subsequent replacement has broken into the same profile of one of the early rectors. I had read about it in a novel, and needed to see this. We then climb the matterhorn. We take a short cut to avoid the stairs, and end up climbing the hill twice, and during said climb, with ragged breathing and high pitches wheezes of “I am fine” I get shot with a cannon, and jump down the hill. Twelve noon every day there is a ceremonial firing of the Citidel’s cannon. I was there at noon. Good thing I like artillery and loud noises. After that, a fife and drum unit, and bag pipes serenaded us to the summit. Found out we could have taken a taxi. We fight three tour buses filled with tourists to see the guard in his kilt. I am dragged away and pulled down hill, still clawing at the grass to see my kilted dream boat, but as I am old, foreign and dressed like a pirate, it was a good decision by people wiser than me to take me to a converted morgue for lunch. LOVE a morgue. The Five Fishermen is said to be the morgue for the Titanic victims, and the Explosion victims a few years later. Didn’t see any ghosts during lunch, disappointedly, but had a lovely local cider with my meal. We Then hit the mall, and I finally get the hair brush of my dreams.

Sweaty people everywhere the fog and humidity is so oppressive.

Sponging off the dirt of the day and toweling on the face of the night; we leave the car and walk back up the Alps. To the Venue. We have to go up stairs then down stairs to get to our seats, we are also stamped again. What is it this Tour that the venues insist on marking us? I think they are using special ink and are tracing our every move.

The Concert was politely well received. A youngish Baby boomer crowd, forties to sixties in age, with two lovely couples in the front romantically dancing to ILS and NIWS. Much better than the female duos dancing to TOSOL the past two nights. I had been beginning to think that there was another side to life in New England. There still may be, but no one was investigating it in Halifax.

Stand out songs

TDWMA Scorching achingly beautiful guitar solo

ILS bit of a mistake at the start that no one noticed

NIWS All the notes were sung proper and the high ones were hit on the first try.

Driftwood, one good crack.