Finally, in Halifax NS

I don't get to Halifax as often as I would like.  It has been one of my favourite places since I first visited back in 2008.  Checking back all my visits have been in January so my knowledge of the Maritimes and in general and Halifax in particular is mediated by the cold.  Now I like the cold and Halifax passes my test for a reasonable temperature, namely that you can wear a pullover without overheating.  I also love the clear skies you get in this climate and both the opening and closing pictures of this post (from the roof of my hotel) illustrate the point. 

I think the other reason I like it, is the same reason I like New Zealand, Wales and other small places, that are far from small in terms of their impact.  My friend and fellow Welshman (who now lives in Canada) Iwan sent me the following quote from Wynford Vaughan-Thomas:  You know, Wales is perfect. It is just the right size for one man to come to know in a lifetime.  It reminded me at the age of 60 walking around Wales, there will not be one section of that walk where I do not have a memory.  Tightly-coupled societies have their upsides and downsides, but the upside is they can often innovate faster.  Nova Scotia were one of the early adopters of SenseMaker® as were the Welsh Audit Office (and we have made and will make more connections there).  They have done pioneering work to understand the attitudes of public servants (I have meetings on that project later) as well as capturing the stories of women subject to violence.