Last week we ate at Smitty’s in Halifax after church, and I forgot Ezra’s sippy cup there, so I came back the next day to pick it up and used the opportunity to walk around Halifax a bit, visiting the Public Gardens and Central Library.

The Gardens were smaller than I expected, really just about the size of a large square city block, but still a decent urban oasis with views that nicely hid the city setting.

The Victorian history of the space is well in evidence, and I would not have felt out of place walking about while wearing a waistcoat and monocle.

Nearby, just down Spring Garden Road, is the new Halifax Central Library, recently finished in 2014, with architecture highly evocative of a haphazard stack of books.

The cantilevered top floor has lovely views of the city and harbour — as well as the full science fiction/fantasy section.

As always, I’m gathering photos related to our new Canadian life here in the Halifax photo album.