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| Signal Hill |
We have wrapped up our adventures in Newfoundland by spending the last four days in St, John. It is both the largest city and the capitol of the province. A drive up Signal Hill gave a spectacular view below of St. John and The Narrows which is the entrance to the harbor. The name Jelly Bean Row is appropriate for all St. John’s colorful buildings. Chabot Tower atop the hill was established in 1792 as a military lookout to signal the arrival of ships. Originally the French had control of Signal Hill until the British ceased an attack and took control of it later on The Hill was used primarily as a wireless transmitting station across the Atlantic for many years. Guglielmo Marconi was the signal operator first to hear the distress call from the Titanic 365 miles out at sea.
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| Cape Spear new modern lighthouse aides ships into St. John Harbor |
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| Signal Hill Outlook at St. John Harbor |
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| Meet Mercedes a Newfoundland Labrador |
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| Enjoying a hike atop Signal Hill in St. John |
In Quidi Vidi which is a small fishing village cove we had an authentic Newfoundland experience at one of the fishing sheds. Each of us took the chance to get screeched. Neither of us knew what it was about but now we are certified “Newfies”. Basically you swash a big mouthful of Newfoundland Screech Rum, hold it awhile, swallow it down, and then kiss the lips of a cod fish. The Newfoundlanders were generous enough to send us off afterwards with some fresh cod caught that morning. The cod was even cleaned into fillets as well
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| Oh Boy... Gotta love that Screech |
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| JR goes lip to lip with a cod fish |
Next a drive out to Cape Spear placed us at the most easterly point of land in North America. JR wanted to climb down the rocky cliffs to the Atlantic but it was far too dangerous. Thank goodness he reconsidered. We did have a lovely hike in the cool sea breeze climbing up the hillside to explore the cape’s two lighthouses. One of them built in 1836 happens to be the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland.
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| Cape Spear Lighthouse #1 |
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| Cape Spear Light House #2 The oldest in North America |
Visiting The Rooms , a provincial museum and art gallery set above the colorful Jelly Bean Row houses, St. John the Baptist Catholic Basilica and St. Andrews churches, shopping on Waterfront Street and enjoying bowls of Atlantic seafood chowder at one of the many Irish pubs along George Street Alley finished up our sightseeing in St. John.
On the hilltop above Placentia Bay to see the fortification at Castle Hill built in 1662 by the French as a stronghold against the British topped off our last historical site.
We catch the long sixteen hour ferry crossing overnight from Argentia, Nfld back to Sydney, Nova Scotia on Thursday, September 9th. Then we will be off exploring more of that beautiful maritime province once again for a few weeks.
