Mooses and music in Nova Scotia

The elderly man a couple of seats away from me in the concert hall obviously doesn’t like the smell of the perfume of the woman beside him. I, wearing good stuff, try to help, responding kindly: "Move next to me, or perhaps there’s an empty seat at the back?"

I don’t understand his glare as he fumbles past on his way out. Having arrived the day before, how can I know that perfume, including after-shave, is banned in public buildings in Halifax? But then, they say that North Americans eat so many chemicals they’re allergic to most things.

Payback, of course, comes later. At a reception for the orchestra by the gracious Lt Governor, I am introduced to the sufferer, a sponsor. "We’ve met," he says, as I smile and run for the bar.

I wonder if he’s worked out that I’m the conductor’s wife? Bernhard Gueller, my husband, is music director of Symphony Nova Scotia and MD-designate of the Nuremburg Symphony Orchestra. He also works elsewhere in Europe, North America and South Africa, our other home.

Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia, centre of the three maritime provinces of Atlantic Canada. It’s a pretty town, drawing people like Ed Burns and Tom Selleck to make films here. Much of 'The Shipping News' was filmed in the area, while the Titanic — the real one — went down not too far away. But unlike its winter climate, its residents are mostly warm and friendly (unless bothered by perfume or cigarette smoke). And there’s a lively cultural mix of French (Acadian), Scottish, Inuit and more.

There’s more music here in a city of half a million than in many others ten times the size. There is also much evidence of the laws that regulate the lives of its residents. Smoking is banned in all public places, including the outdoor campus of Dalhousie University. There are even signs to ask smokers, when they go on to the pavement to smoke, not to drop their stompies on the street.

The tall ships in summer bring the rich tourists and the famous, followed by cruise ships like the Queen Mary 2. Author Michael Ondantje owns an island an hour away, with a citadel and its own noon gun.

Mind the moose
We plan a trip beyond the city. "Be here before nightfall," Charlie McLean tells us on the phone. "You might bump into moose on the road and you don’t want to do that."

'Here' is Dingwall, one of the myriad of small fishing coves that cover the coast of Cape Breton, the island beauty across the causeway from mainland Nova Scotia. Charlie is the co-owner of the coastal resort, The Markland.

It’s a romantic spot, with its own Celtic and chamber music series in summer. The Markland’s cuisine is a treat — chef Willum’s bouillabaisse with local shark, scallops and mussels is legendary. But I’m tempted to go down to the Dingwall dock to buy lobster to cook outside our log cabin.

Even though it’s off-season, the romance lingers as we catch up with a pod of pilot whales in the bay while steering the fishing boat back to port. Later the moon torches a path across the sea and the stars light up the sky in the manner of nights on the Orange River.

The autumn colours of Cape Breton — green to yellow to rust to red and brown — are widely celebrated. There’s even a music festival, Celtic Colours, timed for the autumnal splendour. Or you can experience it while ambling along some of the luscious trails that traverse the island.

Succulent seafood
On the way back to Halifax, without spotting a moose, we stop for lobster sandwiches — the best takeaway I’ve ever had! Lobster is in no short supply here. We also take lunch on the shore in Cheticamp, devouring a platter of the succulent shellfish with butter for dripping for just R110. Restaurants, they tell us, hold lobsters in tanks so you just about always have fresh lobster. And most places have a pot on the stove of seafood chowder with scallops, cod, halibut, salmon or any fish or seafood that takes their fancy.

Wine is so expensive that you take what you can. South Africa is not well represented in the government-run liquor stores in Halifax, but our wines there are among the cheapest. Not good for our image, since the competition is too strong — you’ll pay about R60 for a very ordinary South African white blend and R5 more for an excellent Australian Chardonnay. On the local wine side, the city is close to Jost wines — so you might want to try Jost Icewine, the 1999 Canadian Wine of the Year.

Life in Nova Scotia is centred around the water

Canada has fewer issues than we do in South Africa — there is no crime, no rugby, little cricket, low mortgages, low or no inflation, good public transport (in Halifax anyway) and people are tolerant of all religions. But there’s always ice hockey and The Weather.

Summer comes and goes on 30 August or thereabouts. One Halifax autumn saw a hurricane tumble through, upturning trees and causing havoc. Last year the tail end of one of the Caribbean monsters churned up Cape Breton, forcing the Queen Mary II to make a detour. February, though, brought a blizzard leaving snow overnight of nearly a metre. The city looked like Greenland, with white peaks and icebergs in the water.

But you can always stay in and watch TV. Or not. Despite the fact that there are about 60 channels on cable (which most people have), there are few worth watching. Digital cable is the only option if you want to see ad-free movies, otherwise expect to have your concentration broken every few minutes by some inane advert. Even if filmed to the overture to Tannhauser, I still won’t buy that toilet cleaner!

Best and worst of both worlds

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From the Sept/Oct 2005 issue of Good Taste magazine.

In the supermarkets, the choice is bewildering, as is the staggering size of the slabs of cheese on the shelves. Here, just about everything is 50 percent more than in South Africa and has tax added on the top, at the till, a concept that gets me every time. It truly is a continent that boasts the best and the worst of the world.

I walk into Tim Hortons, the coffee shop of Canada, and order a cappuccino. "What kind?" the barista asks, reeling off the options … French vanilla, English toffee…

"Just an ordinary one," I whisper. "No such thing," he laughs, as I slink out. And they didn’t even have espresso.

Heading to Halifax?

• Find out more from www.halifaxinfo.com or novascotia.com