Transkripce podcastu

What are we going to do while we wait for Alex to finish his bagpiping lesson?  How about we go exploring?  We don’t have to pick him up until 5 o’clock. 

Great idea. You’re right.  I think a little adventure would be perfect.  Would you like to take a look around town? 

I’d love to.  We never walk around this part of town. 

I know.  We usually spend more time on the other side of the harbor. 

Look, Mom!  I can see the playground next to the museum where we like to go.  The one near the wave sculpture.  Over there – across the water. 

Good eye! It’s only a couple hundred meters away as the crow flies, but it seems much further when we have to drive all the way to the bridge and then all the way back again.  

And look – there is Citadel Hill with the clock tower. 

Yes – where we go sledding sometimes. And do you see that old dome with the Canadian flag on top? 

Yes, what is that? 

That’s the old post office.  It’s a beautiful old building. It’s hard to see some of the historic buildings now that the city is growing bigger and more modern, but when you are walking around the heart of downtown, Halifax still has a special character and there are some beautiful old buildings still standing. 

Oh…do you see all the trees over there, on the south end of town?   

Yes.  I know what that is.  It is Point Pleasant Park! Next to the container pier. 

The container pier.  That’s right. You loved watching the containers when you were a little baby. Do you know that Queen Victoria leased the park to the City of Halifax in 1866 for just one shilling per year?  That is definitely the cheapest rent in the city!  Shillings don’t even exist anymore, but one shilling would be less than 10 cents today. That’s a steal for 75 hectares! 

I don’t know of anything that costs less than 10 cents! 

Hmm…I have an idea – let’s go to the candy shop and see if they still have candies for less than 10 cents.  That’s the only thing I can think of that might cost a dime or a nickel.  We don’t even have pennies anymore. When I was your age, I could buy a piece of gum for 2 cents and a sour candy for a nickel. 

Oh – I always get those coins confused – a penny is one cent, I know that, but – a nickel is…? 

5 cents. 

Right, which makes a dime 10 cents, because a quarter is 25 cents.  That one is easy to remember, because it is a quarter of a dollar and a dollar has a hundred cents.  I just find it funny that a nickel is bigger than a dime, even though it is worth less. 

You should speak to someone at the Royal Canadian Mint and tell them that it doesn’t make sense – or at least ask them why a dime is so small, but I suspect nothing will change tradition now. 

{giggle} 

Look – there’s the candy shop, but I don’t see anybody inside. It doesn’t look like it’s open. 

Oh no, it is closed. Look – there’s a sign – “closed for inventory – opening tomorrow at 9 am”.  

Aww.  And I would really like something sweet to eat now. 

Hmm…I have an even better idea.  We still have about an hour before we have to pick up Alex.  That gives us just enough time to hop on the ferry, sail across to the other side of the harbour and have an ice cream on the waterfront. 

Then we can catch the next ferry back to Dartmouth and still pick Alex up on time!  Good plan Mom – let’s go.  But, what if the ice cream shop is closed too? 

I know for a fact that it is open until 8 pm today.   

Great.  Thank you, Mom.  This really is a great adventure.  Can I have something to drink too?  A hot chocolate maybe?  With whipped cream?  And maybe a piece of cake to go with my ice cream? Maybe they have ice cream cake! 

Hmm.  Ice cream cake and hot chocolate.  The best of both worlds.  Hmm. A piece of ice cream cake would be nice. Let’s see when we get there. 

Okay. 

Can I tell you something? 

What? 

I’m glad we have a little extra time to spend together.  Girls only!   

The girls only adventure!  We should do this every week! 

[laugh] We’ll have to speak to your brothers about that.  We don’t want them to get too jealous! 

Oh, I’m sure they won’t mind.  

[giggle]