Ten years on from moving away from Halifax, it continues to be one of my favourite places in the world. Friends would say I speak frequently of Halifax and truly, it is hard not to. From favourite hangouts to the music scene, from strolling along the harbour to cheering on the Mooseheads in an arena I refuse to call by its now corporate name, there is a lot of Halifax in my blood and I really like it that way.

Returning to the city is always a treat, even if it doesn’t happen as frequently as I might like. But when it does, like the last time on account of work, I enjoy it especially when my wife joins me and we treat it as a return to our roots and where our relationship began more than twenty years ago. Shortly off the plane, there was no doubt about our plans for the first night, starting with a return to the water that we miss so much in this prairie chapter of our lives.

That walk along the water led directly to dinner at a favourite Halifax institution, the Bicycle Thief. This was our go to for birthdays and anniversaries and now, a decade removed from living a mere three blocks from here, it is the restaurant of night one of every return visit. Delicious cocktails, seafood feasting and the views out over the water made it feel like we had never left.

The weather on this trip was a touch on the less than hospitable side. Colleagues traveling from Saskatchewan for the conference suddenly understood why I always say I prefer a prairie winter. Slush falling from the sky driven by 90 km/hr winds was something they weren’t used to, and might be the only thing from Halifax that I honestly do not miss.

But even on a miserable evening where there is no way to keep the damp out of your bones no matter how many layers you wear, there is one way to eventually feel cozy and warm again…. the inside of a bar, sampling three cask ales made in Nova Scotia. The Stillwell Freehouse, new since we moved away, was a perfect start to an evening and is the kind of bar I wish existed in Saskatoon.

A short and quick walk from there through the evening’s weather was Studio East. We picked this place, also new since we moved, for their selection of amazing gluten free pub food.

Halifax did manage to occasionally shine during our visit as the clouds pulled off to the ocean one morning giving way to blue skies. We were lucky to have this view from our downtown hotel – a view I relished by pulling up a chair to the window each evening before going to bed.

A wonderful part of this trip was spending time with family outside the conference. One afternoon I made a beeline for the Dartmouth ferry to head across the harbour to meet my wife, my father, mother and brother-in-law, and my niece and nephew for lunch at Evan’s Seafood. This place is home to a truly great lobster roll and to the best gluten free fish and chips in Nova Scotia (and probably, the world). It is another “can’t miss” place on every trip back here.

And with what little time I had left in Halifax that wasn’t work related, I needed to just wander around a bit by myself. When I lived downtown, I loved just going out for a walk and soaking in some city energy. Walking between a couple of favourite haunts in downtown and the north end, I stopped to admire some gorgeous murals along Gottingen Street.

Those favourite places book-ending that walk? Stopping for a pint at Propeller Brewing one of my first craft beer true loves, then continuing onto Stillwell on Barrington Street; a place that was a home away from home and always had something new for me on tap to try. Gosh I miss these places and their delicious beer.

But most of all, I miss these folks and all the laughter we have when we get together.

Until next time.