The Crossing - Day 14 - Landfall!

September 18

We did another "art tour" today. This time we did the midship stairwell.

Still Life with Lillies I & II, by Ellen Gunn (USA)

A Holiday's Tale, by Renzo Andreon (Italy)

Afternoon Etude, Sonata, & Apres L'Etude, by Yunessi (Iran)

Sometimes I like pictures better when there are two or three of them together, as is the case with the three above.

Lunch with friends

In the afternoon we sat on our balcony in our shorts. It was so pleasant that we didn't want to move.

We were about an hour late arriving at Halifax. saailing in in the evening is quite different. Often we are asleep for a morning sail in. This time we were able to enjoy the whole experience. AAfter days of seeing no other ships and only one airplane and a few birds, things changed very suddenly. We saw land, we approached the harbour (in Canada it's a harbour), we began to see buildings on the land, and a lighthouse. Suddenly the water around us was filled with small boats, sailboats, a sloop, a schooner, a small tanker.

The Celebrity Summit leaves as we arrive

Although it was after 7 pm, it was still light. The sky was startng to turn a pretty color. The air was very warm. As we neared the dock we went back out to our balcony to see what we could see. So did everyone else. There was a party atmosphere. 

Some people were really ready to set foot on land again. I could have easily spent another week or two at sea.

As we got closer we realized that our ship was being piped in. Halifax has a very strong Scottish heritage. A lone piper and a drummer stood on the dock as the ship arrived. When they finished each song they received enthusiastic applause from all the people on the balconies. It made our arrival in Halifax very special.

The ship's officers and the pilot can be seen in the bridge as we dock

A lot of people went ashore after clearance was received around 8 pm. I think most of them wanted to use the free wi-fi in the terminal. 

We stayed onboard and went to the comedy show starring Steve Bruner. He was supposed to get on the ship in Newfoundland. He had to fly to Halifax, taking an indirect route. He couldn't get on the ship until some time after 8 and his first show was at 8:45. 

We really enjoyed his show. It was based on his observations of people. He was very funny and he showed that it is possible to put on a great show without demeaning any individual or group and without being offensive.