Halifax!

Today is day 2 of the NCRC. However after two sessions, making friends (possibly) with one person, and just barely missing an awkward "the only person sitting at a table by themselves" moment at lunch yesterday, I decided to throw a fuck you at the conference today, and just wander around Halifax by myself.

I started the day by skipping the conference-provided breakfast and sleeping in, then strolling over to the nearest Tim's to have a late breakfast/lunch (a delicious creamy sundried tomato soup). Afterwards I made my way over to the Halifax citadel (classified as a National Historic site... exciting!). However, upon learning AFTER I climbed the enormous incline right to the top of the hill, that entrance into the citadel cost $11.70, I ended up just walking around the perimeter of the citadel, taking a couple of pictures before I descended into downtown Halifax.
Downtown Halifax is interesting. It's got history in this weird dirty cracked out way, plus looking down from some of the higher streets you can also see the ocean. It's got your hipster bars, abandoned buildings, historic buildings and the board walk all within the same area.
I took a stroll along the boardwalk... taking in the ocean breeze, along with a couple of photos, before giving up trying to fight against the wind and discovering JWD books.

Upon entry, JWD books is a complete disaster, books in waist-high piles in the middle of aisles, lining the walls, shelves of books covering the entire interior. Boxes upon boxes of books stacked precariously on top of each other, and high-backed chairs, easy chairs, rocking chairs tucked away in corners, at the end of aisles, surrounded by piles of books. I easily lost 2 hours in there.
A sign upon entry warned those who entered that although the place looked like a giant yard sale with no rhyme or reason to the way books were arranged, that indeed there was a complicated organization system in place, and that any book taken from it's proper place would need to be returned, if not purchased. I spent a good 45 minutes just wandering from room to room, floor to floor, overwhelmed.

Eventually I remembered that I had always wanted to read Nausee by Sartre, and embarked on a mission to find it. Despite having the cheaper (aged and ultimately better) copy snatched from me, after I put it down to climb my way over a wayward stack of books to get at one from the window, I managed to leave the place with 2 books. Nausee (although $3 more expensive than the original copy I wanted, and with highlighting in it) and "Time is Soft Here" which is a book about a journalist's journey to Paris and his discovery of Shakespeare & Co., coincidentally a bookstore kind of like JWD's.

After emerging from the (apparently) organized chaos of JWD's I continued on my way, intent to find a store I stumbled upon my first day exploring the city on Sunday, Black Market. However, I got distracted by a cafe and the promise of a hot mug of tea, so I spent an hour sitting at a cafe (which name escapes me at the moment) digging my heels into Nausee, and making the decision to skip out on the Gala Dinner provided by the conference tonight and the show (on a boat!) and looking for somewhere to have lobster for dinner.

After a delicious mug of Mango Peach white tea (highly recommended!) I made my way to Black Market, where I picked up an anklet and a pair of wooden tunnels to replace the metal ones I've had in my ears forever, before making my way to Economy Shoe Shop, which despite the name is a bar/restaurant.

At this point the clouds covering the sun for most of the day had conceded to rain, but Shoe Shop had a covered patio, so I sat outside reading Nausee as I consumed my delicious lobster flambe and pint of Strongbow.

Whatever doubts I had about skipping out on the social benefits of attending the Gala Dinner and the boat show melted away as I enjoyed my dinner in solitude. It's funny the comfort that a book can create when forced into solitude, acting as both a shield and a security blanket.
Tomorrow I booked a tour to Peggy's Cove. The weather is supposed to be clear and warm, so I'm pretty stoked on that, although it means another conference day not attended. In terms of sessions, the only one remotely interesting is a DJ workshop, teaching the basics of working turn tables, but depending on my mood, I may not show up. However, I will probably attend the screening of Agricola in the evening.

Today was pretty great. It makes me excited for many more adventures in Europe in a couple of weeks,