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I went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada June 24-July 2 to visit my friend Peter. We attended the Nova Scotia International Tattoo, the world's largest military marching (and gymnastics) spectacle, with six countries invited. I didn't get pictures of it, but I did get pics of the parade the next day. There's also pics of the Citadel, the harbor, the Public Gardens, a tower, and various pics of me. Not photographed were the Canada Day fireworks, the lively provincial casino, the bars/clubs, or the YMCA where I stayed at.
Nova Scotia is a penninsula some 300 miles east of Maine, an hour ahead of the Eastern time zone. Halifax's population (including Dartmouth and two other neighboring cities) is 250,000 (same as Spokane, WA + Missoula, MT). It was founded in the mid-1700s, looks like Boston, has always been a strategic naval center (hence the Tattoo), the US Marines stop there on their regular tour, and it's Canada's version of Ellis Island (the main immigration gateway). Although most Americans don't know Halifax exists ("You mean there's something east of Montreal?"), and most Canadians poo-poo it as useless (and a sinkhole for their taxes), I found it quite interesting. Especially because of the "funnel effect": as the largest city on Canada's east coast (but still quite small), it has seen a lot of miltary, trade and recreational activity funnelled over a very small area during the past few centuries. I wouldn't mind living in a similar city on the east coast of the US, that had all these things concentrated in such a compact area, but such a city as far as I know doesn't exist.