It’s an exciting weekend in Nova Scotia with the return of tall ships to our shores. The program for this year’s Tall Ships 2012 is diverse, and I dare say there is something for everyone’s taste in food, fun, and entertainment. While the ships are in Halifax, I’ll be wandering among them and posting daily updates about what I see and do.

I’ll also be blogging for Taste of Nova Scotia from the Food Fare by the Sea, showcasing the best Nova Scotia culinary experiences. To answer your question, I’m going to eat my way through it, one booth at a time. I’ve already had a lot of great eats and treats, with more to come in the next few days.

Tall Ships 2012 kicked off on Thursday, July 19 with sunshine, blue sky, and tons of people walking on the waterfront. Thursday also saw one of our regular visits from Carnival Glory. To say the waterfront was hopping with activity is an understatement.

My first order of business was picking up my very first media pass at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Not only was it a pivotal moment for the blog, it gave me the opportunity to get a frightening glimpse of the MMA’s new exhibit about pirates. Timely! Arrrgh!

Most of the ships were docked when I went out to check out the early action, and visitors speaking countless languages wandered about. I watched the crew finish up the docking of the HMS Bounty, hanging around on some nautical rope-net.

Some of the best moments involved watching folks pose for pictures with pirates and historical reenactors.

Tall Ships 2012 is great for getting to know more about our heritage, but sometimes the simple pleasure of looking at pretty boats is enough for me.

One of the treats for me was seeing Larinda restored and back on the water. If you step into your time machine, you may recall Larinda was the ship sunk in the Harbour when Halifax was battered by Hurricane Juan back in 2003. Also, she may have the best figurehead on the seas. 

In addition to the ships, this is a great time to take advantage of Nova Scotian cultural institutions. Like bagpipers.

Or Canadian ones, like Mounties in Red Serge.

Since Tall Ships 2012 coincides with the commemoration of the War of1812, there are lots of soldiers and sailors on hand, mingling with the crowd, posing for pictures, and answering questions about the war and Halifax’s role in it.

This particular image was a highlight for me. I can’t tell if the kid is yawning or photobombing me, but the end result is fantastic.

The harbour itself was busier than usual with lots of ships, yachts, fishing trawlers, and small watercraft taking in the ships from the water. I saw my new friend the Tall Ship Silva sailing past Georges Island, flying the pirate flag.

However, on Day 1, I was most jealous of these sea kayakers.

By the by, the weather is going to be outstanding for the entire event. If you’re visiting from outside of Canada, you know what to do.

The opinion presented within this post is my own, and I would like to thank the Waterfront Development Corporation Limited  for inviting me to participate in Tall Ships 2012 and providing a media pass for the event. Any time I receive a discount or complimentary service in my capacity as a travel blogger, I disclose it.