Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Lately, our weather has been ‘strange’ to say the least, it’s like summer one day and a winter blizzard the next. Today we seem to be having a hurricane passing through Nova Scotia. But, as they say here, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes!”.

In case you missed it, we are announcing our newest Freestyle Tour: "300,000 Tulips in Springtime & Ottawa", and here are the details:

For this trip, we’ll journey to our nation’s capital, Ottawa, to experience
one of the most amazing events in Canada. The Canadian Tulip Festival is
an annual 18 day festival that begins in early May. This festival is noted
for it’s almost non-stop activity and it’s International Pavilion at Major’s
Hill Park where 25 countries share their food, crafts, culture and entertainment
throughout the 18 days of the festival. And let’s not forget about the
flowers, there are more than 300,000 tulips planted by the National Capital
Commission at their Commissioners Park at Dow’s Lake and at Parliament Hill
where the Gifts of Tulips were first planted in 1945. We’ll spend three
nights in Ottawa at a downtown hotel that is close to everything, and from which
we will take in as many of the sights and scenes as possible during this Ottawa
extravaganza!

On day one we’ll travel to Grand Falls, New Brunswick. Known for it’s waterfalls on the Saint John River, the river rapidly descends approximately 75 feet as it rushes over a series of rock ledges. Grand Falls is a world-renowned potato farming community. Potatoes are processed into french fries mainly for McCain Foods, the largest french fry company in Canada and the world.

Day two finds us in Granby, Quebec, but not before touring through some of the most scenic landscape in Canada. Granby is one of the Eastern Township communities that had strong ties to the United Empire Loyalists, Yankees and New England, a fact which is reflected in the architecture of the older buildings. This strong English influence is being lost as the region is now predominantly French speaking.

On day three, we’ll by-pass the city of Montreal as best as we can as we make our way to Ottawa for a three night stay. We’ll be visiting Commissioners Park at Dow’s Lake and Garden of the Provinces. This patriotic park is a four acre site along Confederation Boulevard in Ottawa and is the epitome of all that is Canadian. A graceful green space accessible to all, the Garden of the Provinces and Territories is decorated with the flower emblem and Coat of Arms of each of the ten provinces and three territories of Canada. The focal points of this park are two beautiful fountains, their unique design a representation of the five Great Lakes and Canada’s vast forests. Located directly across from Library and Archives Canada, this park is shielded by lush trees which makes it a beautiful and relaxing stop to inspire visitors with an appreciation for our country’s unity. Dramatic lighting highlights the proud emblems after dusk.

During the Canadian Tulip Festival, visitors can also enjoy a beautiful backdrop of bright flowers. No visit to the Tulip Festival would be complete without visits to both Major’s Hill Park, which is home to the International Pavilion, and Parliament Hill where it all began more than 64 years ago.

On day six, we take our leave of Ottawa and tour through the Quebec countryside. Our destination today is the city of Trois-Rivières, west of Quebec City.

On day seven, we’ll cross the Saint Lawrence River to the south bank and continue east via Route 20. Once again, we’ll be staying in New Brunswick.

For day eight, we’ll be travelling through New Brunswick and, if time permits, we’ll stop at Magnetic Hill near Moncton.

After that, it’s a quick two hours via the Trans-Canada Highway to Halifax and home.

I believe this will be an exciting trip.

Halifax Shore Excursions

We thought this might also be a good time to review the Halifax Shore Excursions and give you some helpful insights based on some recent difficulties experienced:

· When booking a private excursion, be aware of who, what and where:
· Who will you be meeting at the dock?
· What time will you be meeting? Is it based on Halifax time or ship’s time?
· Where are you going to meet Blue Diamond Tours?

Blue Diamond Tours stands immediately outside the security area by the ship’s departure ramp holding a diamond shaped blue sign with white lettering labelled “Blue Diamond Tours”. It is hard to miss. Other providers usually have hand-lettered signs with clients names or identifying symbols.

· If you have made arrangements to meet at 10:00 am, please do not worry if your guide is not there at 8:45 am. Most guides try and be ‘on-station’ approximately an hour before they are due to start a tour, but this is not always possible.

· If your excursion is scheduled for a specific period of time, for example 3.0 hours +/-, please do not try and extend it for another two hours. If you wish to extend your tour, please let your guide know as soon as possible, and if possible, your guide will try to accommodate your request. However, please note that extending your tour will increase the cost.

· Review the details of your tour before it is finalized. Make sure you are certain as to what is and is not included in your tour, as well as the itinerary and destination(s). In order to avoid disappointment, if you are travelling as part of a group it is important to ensure all members are fully appraised of the tour details. For example, if a member of your group has always wanted to see the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove, they may be disappointed to find out mid-tour that it is not part of the itinerary and cannot be added at the last moment.

· If meals are not included in your excursion, but you would like to stop for a meal break, make certain the necessary time for this is built into your overall total tour time. Providers only allot the amount of time for a tour that is scheduled in advance.

Vehicles and guides are also scheduled in advance and may have other engagements which preclude them from being able to extend a tour to include an unscheduled meal break. It is also good to note that 12:00 pm is usually the busiest time for lunch, and therefore this tends to be when service at restaurants is slowest.

· While working as a ‘freelance guide’ for cruise ships, I have noticed many people do not take the time to find out the specifics of what is included in the tour they have arranged to take. For example, a few years ago one gentleman on a tour was very upset to learn half-way through the tour that we were not going to Peggy’s Cove. However, he had purchased a tour of Historic Halifax only. Another time, a person was dismayed to discover during a tour to Peggy’s Cove that it did not include a lobster dinner nor the time necessary to enjoy one on their own, even though this was clearly noted in the tour description. It is very important you know exactly what your tour includes and exactly where you will be going.

· "The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” A truism to remember. A fair guide to shore excursion pricing is to compare w hat your ship is charging for excursions similar to what you are seeking. Ships have a long list of requirements and standards to which their excursion providers must adhere in order to provide tours for their passengers. However, it is important to note that ships have the advantage of numbers in the sense that with larger groups, costs can be allocated over many participants. A private excursion does not have this advantage, and so you should expect to pay slightly more for a private tour with smaller group sizes.

· Check out Blue Diamond Tour’s 2009 Halifax Shore Excursions. We have detailed ten Halifax Shore Excursions packages which are available for booking as is or, if you prefer, you could ask Blue Diamond Tours to develop a customized itinerary for your group using sites from various tours.

To summarize in closing, there are two items:

1. Details for the Freestyle Tour Series of trips can be viewed here.

2. Be sure to read the previous article. It is an AOL article on the value of a BLUE DIAMOND, which are very rare and valuable.

Enjoy the remaining days of 2008. We know 2009 is going to be an interesting and special year.

Cheers and all the best,

Bob

Famous Blue Diamond Sells for Record Price of $24.3 million

Source: The Canadian Press
Posted: 12/10/08 4:06PM

LONDON - A rare blue diamond handed down through generations of German royalty sold for a record-breaking $24.3 million US at auction Wednesday in London, Christie's said.
The Wittelsbach Diamond, a 35.56-carat cushion-shaped gem, has often had its colour and clarity compared to the famed Hope Diamond, now on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

The Wittelsbach Diamond, a 35.56 carat cushion-shaped gem, has often had its colour and clarity compared to the famed Hope Diamond, now on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. The rare gem was snapped up by billionaire diamond-dealer Laurence Graff for about 16.4 million pounds ($24.3 million), including buyer's premium, Christie's spokeswoman Alexandra Kindermann said.

The rare gem was snapped up by billionaire diamond-dealer Laurence Graff, Christie's spokeswoman Alexandra Kindermann said.
Kindermann said the price - nearly double its pre-sale estimate - was the most ever paid for a diamond at auction, beating the $16.5 million commanded by a 100-carat diamond at a Swiss auction in 1995.
Christie's said the diamond was purchased by King Philip IV of Spain in 1664 and included in the dowry for his teenage daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa. Although she died relatively young, the diamond remained with her husband, Leopold I of Austria, and passed through a succession of heirs.

The gem got the Wittelsbach name after 1722, when Leopold's granddaughter married Charles of Bavaria, a member of the Wittelsbach family.

"Der Blaue Wittelsbacher," as it was then known, made its way through a succession of Bavarian rulers - Maximilian IV Joseph von Wittelsbach, Bavaria's first king, included the diamond in his royal crown.

The diamond made its last state appearance in 1918 in the aftermath of the First World War. It was offered for auction in 1931, but failed to sell and vanished from the public eye. "What happened to it after 1931 is a little mysterious - there's been lots of speculation," Christie's spokeswoman Hannah Schmidt said. "But what exactly happened is unknown."

The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia Do It Yourself Cruise Ship Excursion, well not really.

PLEASE BE AWARE all MEMBERS OF SERVING SENIORS BELIEVE that The Serving Seniors Social ( second annual ) Saturday, November 15, 2008, at the Holiday Inn, Dartmouth, WAS an overwhelming success with more than 300 local seniors in attendance during the day.
Blue Diamond had numerous inquiries and distributed over 300 flyers on our up-coming 2009 season, the out-bound trips primarily from Halifax. One thing that we were telling folks about " if there is place you want to visit Blue Diamond will make a tour to your desired place -- all you need do is get 5 others to go with you!!"

***** NEW ****** Shore Excursion HALIFAX ***************** send a e-mail get all the info --- it is our all new shore excursion --- EXTENDED
This is new too for our Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia Cruise Ship Excursion

Shore Excursion A:

A is a brief orientation tour of historic Halifax. Once we depart from the cruise dock, we’ll drive along the roadways along Halifax Harbour where we will pass numerous historic sites including the naval dockyard, cable ship & ferry wharfs, both Harbour bridges, and the site of the 1917 Halifax Explosion. We’ll also pass the Titanic cemeteries and learn of the Halifax connection to the 1912 tragedy. We’ll see the Northwest Arm which is the non-commercial part of Halifax Harbour and then make our way into central Halifax for our drive around the Halifax Citadel. Then it’s on to the Public Gardens and adjacent Victoria Park. As we head south, we will pass the famous “church built in a single day“ and drive by the ritzy residential mansions of south-end Halifax before our return to dockside.

This trip is fully narrated by your guide and will take an estimated 75 to 90 minutes to complete.
It is not a shore excursion as such, but if travel to Ottawa, Canada's Capital, is of interest, e-mail us and ask for details about TULIP TIME in OTTAWA early May 2009
The snows came early this year, for our Halifax Cruise Excursion area, we saw snow on November 22 but happy to say, it has mostly disappeared, via rain, fog and mild day time temperatures.
Be sure to check our web-site www.BlueDiamondTours.com for up-dates and what is new for 2009 in the Halifax Shore Excursion and/or the The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia DIY Cruise Ship Excursion, where DIY stands for DO IT YOURSELF.

The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia Do It Yourself Cruise Ship Excursion, well not really.

The Serving Seniors Social ( second annual ) Saturday, November 15, 2008, at the Holiday Inn, Dartmouth, was an overwhelming success with more than 300 local seniors in attendance during the day.
It was a fun-filled, action packed, informative outing enjoyed by all. We learned about the roots of Nova Scotia Democracy 250 years old, a session on the proper way to go about recycling, Judy Savoy had 'em "rolling in the floor".
Bill and Ian, used skits to present the concept of being alert to the numerous forms of fraud we have to always aware and wary of their various guises, they are with the ABC's of Fraud. Now, if only they could get Blue Diamond's money back.
Later on Nesrine ( a certified seniors fitness leader from the YMCA ) helped keep everyone awake after lunch with a series of exercises " while sitting " not sure how the snap-shots turned out but the audience appreciated this session; I did too since the luncheon was very tasty. I like many others needed this physical activity to keep " the sleepy's at bay". It worked.
Yes, they were up and dancing shortly after The Swell Guys & Donna took the stage. Fun to watch, to listen to and on Saturday fun to dance to as well. Their songs ranged from pop, to classic rock and swing, Tin Pan Alley to today's familiar hits. They were a big hit with this Serving Seniors Social crowd.
Can't hear, people are mumbling more ? It might not be them, it might be you. Serving Senior's Dr. Dave made a presentation on " Hearing Loss ", "lots of "food for thought" and questioners at the end too.
The afternoon drew to a close with storyteller Clare Dugas. Humm! True or not true ? Have to say ? !
The prizes were awarded and we had happy winners. A great day.
There were 30 booths ( tables ) to the Trade Show, members and non-members, displaying their products and services. Blue Diamond had numerous inquiries and distributed over 300 flyers on our up-coming 2009 season, the out-bound trips primarily from Halifax. One thing that we were telling folks about " if there is place you want to visit Blue Diamond will make a tour to your desired place -- all you need do is get 5 others to go with you!!"
I am happy to say we have an additional 100 people added to our mailing list.
The Serving Seniors Social ( # 3) will be in November 2009 -------------- Look for IT !!!
Last note -- the snaps-shots are on my website here
Till next time Bob

November 3, 2008

Hello:

November 3, 2008, saw Mike O'Prey ( my regular driver for shore excursions ) and I on our last cruise ship excursion, for the Airporter 2008,Inc., for the 2008 cruise excursion season. The sun was shining brightly for the most part, but it was very cool, especially in the wind. Our guests greeted us warmly ( all 22 of them ) and their happy attitude truly made our day and kept Mike & I warm in spite of the chilly November temperature. Oh yes, it was windy too!
The tour was for the Princess Cruise Line ( Sea Princess, 777 passengers ) and included historical Halifax, a one hour visit to the Halifax Citadel and a walk through the Public Gardens.

As this was our last tour for the season, I did my regular " tour & talk " in the Citadel's "ditch" ( no it is not a moat ), my show and tell outlines just how this fortress was a weapon of mass destruction a-la-1825. I always preceed this "down in the ditch" segment by pointing out the powder magazine, cafe, gift shop, washrooms, and museums etc., for those who do not want to walk down the sallyport to the ditch.

Our gardens walk, we had high winds, low temperature, few flowers ( the gardens will be closing in a few days and the gardeners are getting everything ready for the spring ) and lots of ducks looking for a hand-out. As always, the true beauty of this shines through in spite of anything.

Following this last excursion, Ann & I headed out for Maine, Ann's Vacation really and our anniversary month (44 years Nov 21). Briefly, we visited Belfast for two days and the Portland area for another two before we were home-ward bound. Weather-wise we had warm ( in the 60's ) weather with sun for two days and rain for the last two.

A heads-up for 2009, with input from both my daughter Karen and driver Mike Blue Diamond will be offering some innovative and exciting excursions for 2009. Look for announcements in the coming months.

Soon I expect new snap-shots to be posted with subjects randing fron Oreo cows, to beaches in fog and sun and much more - be sure to look for them soon.
Till next
Cheers
Bob

The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova ScotiaDIY Cruise Ship Excursion

Halifax Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in the world - Sydney Australia is the largest. Halifax is the closest large harbour to Europe and is ice-free year round. This is home to Blue Diamond Tours and to our The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova ScotiaDIY Cruise Ship Excursion

Lately, we've had all kinds of fun " showing off --- Halifax " to many differing groups -- the Kovacic entended " family" from California -- the Ziemer's of Philadelphia - Slattery's of Arizona - the Securtek folks from western Canada -- and numerous Princess Cruise Lines passengers from as they say " all over ". And a fun time is what we try to do --- mix a little fibbin' with some history and facts and keep a light humorous touch on it all . . . and no exams at the end.
With our small groups, we can avoid most of the cruise ships tour groups - get there when they ain't - we strive to have you see " the site " - as pure and natural as is possible -- the other day with the Kovacics we were able to arrive at Peggy's Cove when most of the big ship's tours had left ( between the morning and afternoon ship's Peggy's Cove tours ) - and the same thing applied to the Ziemer family/group when we visited the Titanic Cemetery -- no other " large " group was there, just four people.
We have made lunch reservations for groups wishing to experience dining at Peggy's Cove but have "re-discovered " - great lunches at both Tea and Treasures at Indian Harbour, outside Peggy's Cove and the Trellis Cafe at Hubbards - on Saint Margaret's Bay. These two mentioned are not very large - so the ship's tours can not experience the " real food -- that is real and good food to be had " at smaller establishments - another advantage of The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia DIY Cruise Ship Excursion . .
With our smaller groups we tend to " show off --- areas of Halifax that are very very seldom shown - more residential areas - especially in south end Halifax and generally two exceptional residential places of unique design - we at www.BlueDiamondTours.com call this the plus factor with our Shore Excursions - Halifax we just plain add more into your tour of our home town -- we like to boast -- we know Halifax best.
When seeking information on Halifax Shore Excursions -- try as best you can
· know what you'd like to do
· know your physical limits
· tell how much time -- sometimes I find folks looking at their watches -- they've had enough
· know what your fellows in your group want too
· want lunch - or just a snack or just coffee - tell us - we will work it in to the itinerary
· have a budget ( be aware smaller groups have to spread fixed costs over a fewer number )
· the cheapest is generally not the best ( they have to cut corners ( costs ) somewhere )
As I told the Kovacic group -- no tour is the same even if it covers the same general areas -- you and your group is unique -- we tailor our tours - to you and yours.
And, yes we do indeed love showing off --- Halifax --- I truly do !
Till next time
Bob
PS Look for our latest Travelogues on our web-site www.BlueDiamondTours.com

The Great Scarecrow Festival & Antique Fair

{Another "Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia" and "DIY Cruise Ship Excursion"}

Saturday October 4. Our grandson Justin (age 6) wanted some Free Family Fun in Halifax with his Nana and "Bobbob" (that's me!). Ann said Scarecrows was the answer.
More specifically “The Great Scarecrow Festival & Antique Fair” held from October 3 – 5 in Mahone Bay. It’s their most famous Fall festival, now in its 12th year.

After getting Justin at his home, we drove directly to Mahone Bay via Route 103. The quickest and most direct route to Mahone Bay. The day was great! Sunshine a few clouds and quite mild (warm is not the exact term). Mahone Bay was crowded with cars, motorcycles, motorhomes and lots of people enjoying this festival.

We found a parking spot off the main drag. We enjoyed hot-dogs from the Lion's Club and then we walked and walked and walked some more up and down the streets of Mahone Bay. Justin told me he could walk 195 miles.

The type, quality and subject of the scarecrows varied greatly. You could tell many people and organizations spend a great deal of time, effort and money to turn-out first-class works of art we spent about 2.5 hours exploring the festival. We didn’t walk 195 miles. Justin was more than content to rest with Nana while I took time to get some shots of a site showing the Great Canadian Political Debate - called the Spin Debate!!

Halifax Shore Excursions

Inquiries continue to come in daily, the cruise ship " season " is at it's mid-point, one day Thursday October 2, saw four ships in Halifax, and our tourism shore providers were overwhelmed. But, in truth, it is all part of what we like to call The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia - DIY Cruise Ship Excursion.

At Blue Diamond Tours we were busy showing off Halifax to a variety of different groups of people - the Arline-Slattery Group from Arizona - a group of Catholics from the USA the Baluyut Family Group (thank you Suxanne Borte of Europeexpress.com) - a family group from the New York City region and Joyce Austin's JA Friendship Group from Troy, Alabama plus four separate groups from the Princess Cruise Lines (for Atlantic Cruise Ship Services and TayMac Tours both of Halifax), many of these visitors were from either Australia or Europe.

On Thursday and Friday (October 2 and 3) we had the distinct pleasure of again showing off -- Halifax, including Peggy's Cove to the dealer convention of Securtek.com (a SaskTel company) many attendees were from western Canada and were first time visitors to Halifax.

Again on Friday, October 2, Blue Diamond Tours was at it again showing off Halifax to Mary & Bob Ziemer and friends from Philidelphia - I called it the best of Halifax & Peggy's in 5.5 hours. It was a very good time to show off Halifax. Kyle, the so-called hurricane plus an un-named storm, kicked up the surf at Peggy's Cove for Joyce Austin's tour, Zeimer folks and Securtek group as well. They took some great photos and all also saw Peggy's Cove Swimmin' Hole. No surf or waves there - just a pure, natural, off the ocean, pool of wave-free swimmin' water.

To help with those thinking about a private Halifax Shore Excursion and those seeking quotes from Shore Excursion providers contact Blue Diamond Tours. To help you make the most from your time in Halifax always keep in mind our famous DO IT YOURSELF Cruise Ship Excursion but IF NOT then it is very helpful if you have a good idea of what you and yours:

• would like to see while in port - places - sites - things you would like to do


• the amount of time you wish to " tour "


• the number in your group (any disabilities people have - the need to eat at certain specific times)


• and if possible your budget


• Our mini- van seats six persons comfortably and seven " in a pinch " - really good friends


• For groups of eight to thirteen - we use a full sized 15 passenger van supplying both driver and guide


• For groups 14 to 22 persons we use a mini-bus seating a maximum of 24 - driver and guide


• for more than 22 persons we charter a motorcoach - seating 45 to 54 depending on the number in your group

As group size increases, the cost of a vehicle increases as well. You should note that Blue Diamond Tours uses a combination of a driver PLUS a guide on all its Halifax Shore Excursions except for its mini-van series. Be aware - not all companies do this!

• Historic Core Halifax and Peggy's Cove - generally will take about 4 to 5 hours to complete


• Full Halifax and Peggy's Cove - generally will take more than six hours - depending on just what is included


• to Lunenburg/ Mahone Bay - Halifax drive-thro - approximately 5.5 to 6.5 hours - depends on route taken, traffic and amount of time spent in Mahone Bay and Lunenburg.


• include Peggy's Cove in the above and time could be 7 hours


• Halifax, Peggy's & St Margaret's Bay to Hubbards (and having lunch) - generally will take up to six hours


• Halifax to Fundy Tidal area - will take up to six hours
  
  

The Gold Coast

Hello!

On Saturday, September 20, 2008 and that last Saturday of summer, Ann & I decided to explore part of the Gold Coast of Nova Scotia - at least, we call it the Gold Coast but really is either the Eastern Shore or The Marine Drive by Tourism Nova Scotia --- all part of our The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova ScotiaDIY Cruise Ship Excursion.

We left our home in Clayton Park in west-end Halifax and crossed the MacKay Bridge and made out way to Martinique Beach -- following along the road for East Petpeswick ( the tidal flats are extremely well known for clamming - great clams come from here. We did a number of snapshots of this great beach - at 3 miles long it is Nova Scotia's longest sand beach --- our snap-shots show what we call Little Martinique and others showing "Big Martinique.

Back-tracking we made our way to the Jeddore/Oyster Pond area ( Route 7 ) crossing the Salmon River Bridge -- more about this spot in a minute, arriving at the Fisherman's Life Museum and more snap-shots for The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia DIY Cruise Ship Excursion.

Following our time at the Fisherman's Life Museum we started our return journey to home. We had to stop for snaps-shots of all the fun taking place at the Pirates of Jeddore Festival at Salmon River Bridge ( http://www.novascotiapirates.ca/ ).

Our last snap-shot shoot was of the Musquodoboit River --- from Highway # 7's bridge across the river --- yes it is a good fishing river.

Our time was short, the weather was sunny for the most part and as Ann remarked it was " warm enough " and there was a mild breeze. The scenery was great - few cars on the roads -- and people were enjoying - "the last days of summer ".

Look for the snap-shots on the web.

Til next time
Bob

On the Halifax-Dartmouth Ferry

WOW a double WOW -- it was sunny today Wednesday, September 17, 2008 --- Ann & I took advantage to do part of the Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia DIY Cruise Ship Excursion the Harbour Cruise portion -- The Halifax-Dartmouth Ferry which is the oldest continously operated salt-water feery in North America - from 1752!! And I discovered something new ---- I did not know this --- and it means our Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia DIY Cruise Ship Excursion is cheaper than even I thought --- if you tell the " fare taker" you are coming back on the same ferry -- she/he will give you a transfer to use for the Dartmouth return -- saving you two dollars per person!! That is good news, isn't it!!
I was able to snap a number of snap-shots on the way over and back -- these will be up on the web-site fairly soon.

We ended our little excursion by stopping in at Perk's for coffee and a muffin. The cruise portion took a littlle over 40 minutes in all --- but truly great scenery.

LOOK for the snap-shots . Mostly it was "the SUN" was shining ---- WOW!

Till next time!
Bob.

Private Cruiseship Excursions

Hello Again from Nova Scotia and YOUR The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia DIY Cruise Ship Excursion

Today is the 9th of September and from the "crack of dawn" the Sun was shinning -- WOW -- it seems we hardly ever see it any more; this day it was big, bright and beautiful and so was our day. Joanne Spears and her extended family from Homestead Florida visiting from the NCL Spirit - a colourful ship to say the least ( see the snapshots . . . ! ) had us take them on a private ship excursion - with a request to try and keep away from other tours --- three ships in port on the 9th.


Today the 9th and for our The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova ScotiaDIY Cruise Ship Excursion we had chartered a vehicle from Cabana Charters - one of our preferred suppliers. Our driver was Jason Heath ( at the end of the day he received kudos from Joanne for his skillful driving -- yes he is a careful, prudent driver -- just what Blue Diamond Tours asks for and gets for our various outings.


Our first stop of the day was Mahone Bay ( we were way ahead of the crowd - most of the day ) and later Lunenburg -- and we all got to see the Bluenose II come in to it's home port dock - near the Fisherman's Museum ( see the snapshots ).


Next it was off to Chester - a drive through - tour along Route 3 -- Saint Margaret's Bay for the most part - to Peggy's Cove ( yes we did arrive at the correct time - very few and I do mean very few passengers from the 3 ships in port were around during our stop - we achieved our goal - to see Peggy's Cove without crowds around !)

While I was waiting ( it was a 40 minute stop-over ) Boastcard ( http://www.boastcard.com/ ) gave me a sample of their unique card. For those seeking a business opportunity contact them directly !!!


Following our various encounters at Peggy's Cove - we drove to the White's Lake area ( Route 333 ) on our way to historic Halifax and our return to Joanne's ship the NCL Spirit .
And . . . . for a change the sun was shinning all day . . .


On a different note for YOUR The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova ScotiaDIY Cruise Ship Excursion check out http://www.southmaitlandns.com/ " Terrific Tidal Bore Viewing " - we can take you to this very interesting and historic area of Nova Scotia on your Free Family Fun in Halifax -DIY Cruise Ship Excursion !!!!!


Check out the snaps & the Boastcard

More . . . . The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia

WOW !! Thursday September 4th was a sunny day - warm and at times was even somewhat " hot " .

I, ( Blue Diamond Tours ) hosted the Webber family ( New Jersey residents ) from the Enchantment of the Seas cruise ship. This was the ship's first visit to Nova Scotia.

The Webbers and I met ( Pier 20 ) in the Cruise Pavillion lobby ( what a "zoo" ) and walked a short distance to our vehicle and immediately headed out to the Lunenburg area of Nova Scotia.
Our first stop was Mahone Bay ( famous for its THREE CHURCHES ) many photos were taken of both the churches and the harbour still filled with sail and motor boats at their moorings. I might add Mahone Bay is also noted fot its free and clean public washrooms.

On to Lunenburg itself - that is a world heritage site via United Nations , the fishing capital of the world, ( self proclaimed and rightly so ! ) home port of both sailing schooners BLUENOSE ( 1 & II ) and the home of the unique residential architectual feature the Lunenburg "Bump"!! We toured the town, the Lunenburg Academy - St John's Church ( world famous for it being almost completely destroyed by fire on Halloween 2001 - and has been fully restored - in way by the world community ). Finally, a "walk-around " of the downtown harbour-front completed our stop. Again, Lunenburg too does have an ultra-clean free public washroom.

With any tour, and too with our The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova ScotiaDIY Cruise Ship Excursion ----- free, clean and handy public washrooms are important to our guests!!
It was to Chester for a drive thro-tour ( the old fishing port ((1700's)) current - summer resort area for Halifax and one time summer home resort playground for/to weathly families from Boston, New York, Philidelphia and Baltimore . . .

We toured Route 3 along Saint Margaret's Bay ( and Route 333 ) to Peggy's Cove ( and yes they did view the old swimming hole (( for the snap-shots see Blue Diamond's web-site Travelogues -- Peggy's Cove --- June 26 ---- http://www.bluediamondtours.com/ )). Time was spent around the Peggy's Lighthouse too ( not to certain whether they took advantage of the Million Dollar investment opportunity -- your investment is less than $ 3.00 -- that is correct - less than $ 3.00 in total -- need to know more ? -- e-mail at Bobbluediamond@AOL.com . .

It was time to return to olde Halifax - the Citadel, Public Gardens, Grand Parade, Sackville Landing, Province House, the ferry dock and . . . . . more !!

The Webber's chose to walk back to their ship Enchantment of the Seas using the Harbour Walk which is prominately featured in our The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia DIY Cruise Ship Excursion.

This outing lasted 6.5 hours -- and is another successful Halifax Nova Scotia Shore Excursion conducted by Blue Diamond Tours!!!

Addition to Blue Diamond's "The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia - DIY Cruise Ship Excursion"

One aspect that wasn't in our original offering was F.R.E.D. now Fred can make getting around in the "core of the olde city of Halifax " very easy. And , for some, Fred will offer the ultimate in touring in Halifax, especially if the weather is not ideal. Fred's route will fit in very well with our " the Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax Nova Scotia - DIY Cruise Ship Excursion " . Shortly, we will have snapshots of the area where Fred operates. For now, the following is the information directly from the Fred web-site, for your convenience. Thank you to the Downtown Halifax Business Commission!!

Brought to you by the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, Fred (free rides everywhere downtown) is Halifax's FREE shuttle service operating in the downtown area during the summer months.

When does Fred Operate?

For the 2008 season, Fred will begin service Saturday, July 5th, until Friday, October 24th 2008.

The service will run 7 days a week from 10:30 a.m. until 5:03 p.m.

What is the route?

Only services specially marked stops, on a 40 minute frequency.

• Pier 21 Museum Entrance .
• Marginal Rd .
• Lower Water St .
• Water Street Terminal .
• Water St . Marriott Harbourfront Hotel .
• Casino driveway to stop .
• Upper Water Street .
• Barrington St .
• Spring Garden Rd .
• Brunswick St .
• Sackville St .
• Citadel Hill .
• Sackville St .
• South Park St .
• Spring Garden Rd .
• Barrington St .
• Hollis St .
• Terminal Rd .
• Marginal Rd .
• Pier 21 Museum entrance.

If you have any questions about this service, please contact the Downtown Halifax Business Commission at #423-6658, or visit their website at http://www.downtownhalifax.ns.ca/

Happy Birthday Ann!

To celebrate Ann's birthday, July 26, I took her to dinner at the Rope Loft in Chester, N.S. Her nephew, Tom Connors is their new chef, and new is the menu too.

We drove, to and from, along Route 3, ( the old road ) that winds along Saint Margaret's Bay. It is a great scenic drive.

On a different note: ( from Andrew Fleming's - Atlantic Canada Trivia - " Songstress Rita MacNeil once had three separate albums on Australian top 40 charts at the same time. "

Nova Scotia's official berry is the blueberry ( low bush ) - Oxford, Nova Scotia says it is the Blueberry Capital of Canada.

The Halifax Public Gardens represent a long-standing horticultural tradition in the city. Even before the end of the eighteenth century, gardens formed part of the environment of the newly settled Haligonians.

Although these early gardens have not survived, the traditional British interest in horticulture was not lost during the rapid development of nineteenth century Halifax. In 1836 the newly formed Nova Scotia Horticultural Society set out to create a public garden. The Society's garden would provide a pleasant recreational area and add to the amenities of the town; the display of specimen plants would spark the intellectual interest of the citizens, and the erection of statues and monuments would engender civic and national pride.

The city of Halifax, in the 1860's acquired the Gardens, and have developed and maintained a magnificent Victorian public garden which has been preserved almost intact. The citizens of Halifax have cause to be grateful to those people whose vision and skill contributed to the creation and preservation of the Public Gardens.

This is leading up to my newest photo-essay about our magnificent Public Gardens. Today July 29, it is hot and especially it is sunny -- just right for taking snap-shots of both the Public Gardens and Victoria Park just across Spring Garden Road from "the Gardens "

And good news, for the followers of The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia: DIY Cruise Ship Excursion the Gardens and Victoria Park are with-in walking distance of the Cruise-Ship Pavillion. Even better, both are on MetroTransit Bus # 1 route.

Just a gentle reminder, Autumn ( September & October ) will see almost 100 cruise ships visit Halifax -- tour days will become unavailable very quickly from now on . . . . . . but then The Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax, Nova Scotia DIY Cruise Ship Excursion can never be booked out!!!!

Family Fun in Halifax Continued - DIY Cruise Ship Excursion

Saturday July 5, saw Ann and I entertaining our grandson Justin, he is five years old ( six in September ). We decided on a day on the South Shore, in a way following the Old Route 3.

After getting Justin from his home we drove to Tantallon to stop at Tim Horton's to get sandwiches and drinks. Opps, not good, Tom D's Tim's outlet was very very very bizy --- too bizy for me. We did our shopping at the SuperStore nearby.
So the price of gasoline is high ? You'd never know it -- while at the SuperStore more than a dozen 45 foot motorhomes hawling cars passed by on their way to Peggy's Cove: quite a parade of wealth!

Our first stop was Cleveland's Beach where we spent about two hours, playing in the sand and surf, and where we saw the Saint Margaret's Bay Bathing Beauties (see the photo! ). I told Ann about this outing being on the web as Family Fun in Halifax ---- no way said she! This isn't Halifax (technically it is)and your friends from a cruise ship can't walk to here (Cleveland Beach) well no I guess - how about Family Fun in Nova Scotia ??

After the sandwiches, drinks, and lots of sand on Justin (oh yes! I broke his sand pail to top off this stop!!!) we headed to Graves Island Provincial Park near Chester, NS for some more R&R (see the photos). A church group plus a number of families were taking advantage of this wonderful park of the south shore.
Family Fun continued with our stop at the Chester Lido Pool. Justin and I ventured out onto the public Pier - two young gals told us the water was warm. The two sneakers floating just out from the wharf, belonged to their young male friend, and was not making any attempt to recover them -- no concern on his part about his loss!

Lunenburg was our next stop on our Family Fun in Nova Scotia - Justin's Adventure.
Ice cream was the command. The weather all day was just great, sunny, very warm. Except at the beach where the shore breezes kept a touch of or hint of cool.
After ice cream it was out on the docks to see the boats - Justin's artistic poses on the wharfs - (see photos) and then homeward bound but . . . not before a stop at McDonald's to refuel!

It was a great day and one easily duplicated or improved because you can make it your own "Family Fun Day in Halifax (Nova Scotia) ---- DIY Cruise Ship Excursion !!

Cheers
Bob

Peggys Cove Swimming Hole

Peggys Cove is 43 kilometres southwest of downtown Halifax and comprises one of the numerous small fishing communities located around the perimeter of the Chebucto Peninsula.

The community is named after the cove of the same name. Peggy is a nickname for Margaret, and the village may have taken its name from St. Margarets Bay upon which it is situated. Local folklore has several alternative origins for the name. Some people claim Peggy was an early settler. Others say she was a young survivor from a shipwreck who remembered nothing of her life before her rescue; not even her name but was given the name Peggy by the family who adopted her.

FAMILY FUN in Nova Scotia

Ann and I again experience again the joys of travellin' the backroads, staying off "the big freeways" on Saturday June 21, 2008 - the first day of Summer. We had lunch in Truro, really I think it is Lower Truro: The Pallister, great food and a great view of the Salmon River and the ( this is my name for it ) Tidal Boring Park; there was a large crowd in the park sitting along "the old Acadian dykes" waiting for the tidal bore to arrive. I felt like yelling "Run for your lives, the wall of water will get you!". In reality, the wall of water might be, and I stress might be, as high as 6 inches -- if you are lucky! Which is why, I call it Tidal Boring.

Ann gift shopped browsed, at the Pallister Gift Shop and still later at the Masstown Market near Debert. Where we acquired fresh veggies, milk, bread, bacon, eggs and pork chops BUT most importantly I bought (no Ann bought nothing, she shop-browsed) Bathroom Book of Atlantic Canada Trivia by Andrew Fleming. And he tells us:

Fly Girl
The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic began her journey in Saint John. Famed Aviator Amelia Earhart set off from Saint John, in her single-engine Lockheed Vega on the morning of May 20, 1932, bound for Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. She intended to duplicate Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic and land in Paris. Instead, strong head winds and mechanical problems forced her to land in a pasture near Derry in Northern Ireland.

Currently, here in Halifax - Hilary Swank and Richard Gere are here filming a biopic about this history making flight . . . .
kinda of a strange twist to our ( Ann & I )'s backroad adventure of today.

If you've been following the bizarre news -- a group of High School teenage girls in Gloucester MA - making a "baby making pact" -- reminds me of a couple of things:
my maternal Grandmother was from Bay Bulls, Nfld (just outside of St John's) had a saying "You can't put an old head on young shoulders" while young and youth do stand for excitement, enthusiasm, energy, embracing new ideas and more --- it also stands for stupid too -- the young do dumb and stupid things -- ie old head ; young shoulders don't mix.

Speaking of babies this brings me to Ervin & Ethelda Myers and their 13 daughters whose former residence is now the Fisherman's Life Museum in Jeddore N.S. It's a very small house, just how did they raise such a large family?

BUT Andrew Fleming in his book Bathroom Book of Atlantic Canada Trivia tells us:

World Record Family
The world record for having the biggest family is held by Captain Wilson Kettle (1860- 1963) of Port Aux Basques, Nfld. When he died at age 102, the fertile fisherman left behind a family of 13 children by two wives, 65 grandchildren, 201 great-grandchildren and 305 great-great-grandchildren sprung from his loins, leaving a grand total of 582 living descendants.

Stay tuned ....... Peggy's Cove and swimming. Most will say the two don't mix. Don't believe it! Story and snapshots to come.

DIY Daytrips Halifax - Almost Free
Actually got "free-er" a friend, Michelle Sears, pointed out on the return ferry ride from Dartmouth, ask for a transfer (each person) and this will get you on the first leg of your bus tour, the # 2 - # 4 or # 1 without an additional charge. Thus your DIY Free Shore Excursion in Halifax just got even cheaper!

All the best
Bob
www.BlueDiamondTours.com

Spring Fling ‘08: Classic New England

The Spring Fling ‘08: Classic New England trip was a huge success. Beautiful weather. Great scenery. And amazing memories.

Take a look on at the photos here: Spring Fling ‘08: Classic New England

Just released: Almost Free Family Fun in Halifax DIY Cruise Ship Excursion!

The "Do it Yourself-Shore Excurison"

Yes, 2008 is expected to be a very busy cruise ship season in Halifax with more than 125 ship visits booked into this historic harbour. For you, a cruise ship passenger, it means that shore tour providers will be in short supply on many days due to early bookings and therefore unavailable to help you.

Now, you could contact Blue Diamond Tours - but we too may be unavailable.

So here is a “free” (read: low cost) DIY Shore Excursion or “Be Your Own Guide” day-trip in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Read the Itinerary Here