Big Day Downtown #4: Pick a Card, Any Card (Part 2)

So, you already read about my "inspirational" experience, now it's time to recount what I chose for "social" and "dramatic".

For me, socializing usually involves great food and drinks. I love to go out for snacks and cocktails with friends and family whenever possible. However, since I was trying to push the envelope a bit for BDDT, I didn't want to just go out to eat. I wanted to do something a little different.

I have been hearing a lot of great things about Local Tasting Tours, so decided this would be a great "social" outing. Owner Emily Forrest runs several tours, but considering our theme we chose the Sunday afternoon "Downtown Halifax Food Tour". Well, we met up with Emily outside the Seaport Farmer's Market and it turns out we were the only ones who booked that day! Ergo? Private food tour! Just me, the boy and Emily. I was excited - this meant we could really get up-close with the tastings and ask whatever questions we wanted! Huzzah!

We sampled organic greens and baguette at Selwood Green/Norbert's in the market, rum cake at Rum Runners, chocolate at Sugah, olive oil, spices and New York-style bagels at the old brewery market, corn chowder and biscuits at Chives, shwarma at Mezza Lebanese Kitchen, spicy salsa at Burrito Jax and an iced chai latte at World Tea House!

Needless to say I was stuffed by the end of this tour! I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the samplings - some were quite large! And everything tasted really fresh. We went back after and bought a Garrison Brew Bar (dark chocolate with Garrison brewing malts - yum!) at Sugah, two rum cakes (whiskey for me, traditional rum for him) plus a pint glass at Rum Runners.

I was impressed with Emily's local food knowledge and organization - you can tell she prepares a lot before a tour and has taken time to develop relationships with each vendor. They were all ready for us at every place we stopped, and some even gave us the VIP treatment, including Chives - who opened their doors JUST for us (they weren't opening for dinner for a couple of hours!). At World Tea House, Phil, the owner, not only made our drinks personally but he also sat down with us to talk about his business and answer questions. During the tour, Emily stopped periodically to talk a little about the history of the street, and the specific business we were visiting next, so we were filling our brains as well as our bellies! Definitely recommended!

After finishing our tour, I headed down the hill to Little Mysteries on Barrington St for the "dramatic" part of my BDDT - a personal tarot card reading! I have visited psychics before (one in particular, Edna Aker, is quite incredible - seriously, look her up), but I've never had a tarot reading done. I thought this would be a fun and different dramatic experience, and less regretful than dying my hair orange.

I was paired with Amanda, who was very warm and open. She let me ask all the questions I wanted and took time to explain each card's meaning and how it related to what I wanted to know. My cards basically said that I am in a good place in my life at the moment, I have resolved a lot of issues and past hurts, and although I am not quite where I want to be, I am embracing opportunities to connect with my passions. The energy is there for new opportunities to come along, she said. She warned me against neglecting relationships with loved ones, feeling guilty for not being able to do everything, and internalizing emotions or acting out of emotion. She also saw new people entering my family and an emotional upheaval of some kind in the near future, but indicated that I have the tools to be able to deal with this, I just need to use them.

All in all, it was a neat experience! I enjoyed browsing the store as well - it's not as intimidating as you might think for a spiritual novice. The staff are really friendly and helpful and you can buy a lot more than spell books - they carry beautiful jewelry and great books and products (candles, balms, etc) that promote natural healing, stress relief and generally bringing positive energy and mindfulness to your life. There is something for everyone here, not just wiccans!

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So, that is all for my inspirational, social and dramatic Big Day Downtown! Guess what?! You can have the chance to enjoy your own Big Day because the Downtown Halifax Business Commission is giving away $100 Visa cards every day for three weeks! Check out the details here.

Thank you SO much DHBC for allowing me to explore downtown again this year!!

Hidden Gems: Halifax Urban Greenway

Check out my past Hidden Gems posts here and here.  
*All photos in this post by me*

Since the weather has become sunnier and warmer, I have been making an effort to get outside on my lunch break to go for a walk, or even just sit and read a book. The shot of fresh air and sunshine is a great midday pick-me-up (essential for good mental health, imho)!

However, working in the middle of a busy section of the city, on a busy University campus can make it tough to find a quiet, peaceful and green area to take my break in. The good news is I recently discovered such a spot just around the corner from the building I work in.

The Halifax Urban Greenway is a roadside, multi-use trail bordered completely on one side by big, beautiful green trees. It closely follows the Canadian National Railway line that circumvents the city, serving as a reminder of past industry. (Note: I didn't take any photos of the actual walkway because they were doing construction on the road at the time and I didn't want ugly, dirty trucks and orange neon vests ruining the beautiful scenery of the photos! But you can view photos of the walkway in various seasons and stages here).

There is only a one-km section currently completed, but this is only Phase 1. The long-term vision is for the greenway to extend from the Fairview cemetery in the West End all the way to Point Pleasant Park in the far south end. I couldn't find any information regarding when the next Phase is expected to begin construction, but I am looking forward to it.

I hope they add more spots, such as the one featured in my photos (on the corner of South Street and Beaufort Avenue), for people to sit and read or have a snack along the way - it's a great place for people to go for a peaceful and scenic break.

The trees provide a wonderfully shady canopy

The idea behind the Greenway appears to be to provide a green space and a place for citizens to get outside and get some exercise in the centre of the city. It is also a way to naturally and scenically connect various major destinations, such as Universities, main driving routes, parks and water access points. The Halifax Urban Greenway Association (HUGA) was set up to work with HRM to plan and develop this slice of nature. You can 'like' the HUG (aww) on Facebook here.

One of my fav Halifax features - the big, beautiful trees

  Work in the area? Come down and check out this Hidden Gem on YOUR lunch break sometime.

Where do YOU take your lunch breaks? Any hidden gems you would like to share?

When you take a path, the path takes you

Found here

"Being a Canadian in Europe is a lot like being Welsh in North America: no one really cares. It's not that they hold it against you. If anything, they have a vaguely positive image, a sort of benign lack of interest, as it were. 'Canadian? That's terrific.'" - Beyond Belfast

This is my most recent read. I really enjoy reading travel books, but I was particularly attracted to this one because it involved a walking trip (walking/hiking are major hobbies of mine) and the author is Canadian. His writing style sounded similar to Bill Bryson (my favourite), which only added to the appeal.

I was not disappointed!

The book documents the author's attempt to walk the entire "Ulster Way", which is (at the time he walked it anyway) the longest waymarked trail in the British Isles - 560 miles!

This book is very funny - Will Ferguson has a dry, sarcastic wit that I found really entertaining. On the other hand, many of his passages are quite poignant and emotional. His descriptions of the landscape are lovely:

"This sloppy trail skirted the edges of several small ponds among the trees, with cattails standing in their own reflections. In one pond, the sudden leap of a fish breaking the surface sent long, slow ripples circling outward; a perfect haiku moment."

He writes a lot about the civil unrest that has existed in Northern Ireland for decades, and how he experienced this first-hand as a visitor. He writes about countless clashes between Protestants and Catholics and the culture that has sprung up around this rivalry. I had no idea the issues were that complex so it certainly provided insight into the country and its people.

There is an underlying storyline regarding his grandfather, who emigrated from Belfast to North America as a young boy and was an orphan. Ferguson spends part of his trip tracking various branches of his family tree to try to unlock the mystery of where exactly his grandfather (and therefore, he) came from. I actually wish this personal part of the story was discussed more indepthly, but what was discussed added a nice dimension to the book and made it about more than a physical walk on a tangible trail.

This would be a really cool trip to do sometime! According to my research, the trail has changed a lot since Ferguson hiked it in early 2000 - the website calls it the "new" ulster way and sets the total length as 625 miles, split into "quality" sections and "link" sections for more manageable walking. I have always been a walker, but have gotten more into it since I started dating the boy because we both really like to hike together. That combined with the fact that I have always wanted to visit Ireland, and most likely have some family heritage there myself, means that I have added this trip to my list of "to-do's".

Who knows - maybe this time next year, I will be able to say I followed in my new favourite authors footsteps.

"May the winds o' the heather be lashin' the Mournes afore the devil shakes yer sausage"