Days 7 and 8 of our Newfoundland Vacation
Saturday August 28th and Sunday August 29th, 2021
Jeromy was our tour guide for these last two days, he impressed us with his knowledge of the area, its history and points of interest. We ended our time in Newfoundland feeling we had seen everything we wanted to see and more. Thank you Jeromy for making this trip so special. We love you!
Cape Spear
View of the Cape Spear
Tourist Centre
This Cape Spear Lighthouse was built in 1836
and used until 1955 when a new lighthouse
tower was built nearby. I understand it was the second lighthouse built in Newfoundland and the oldest surviving.
Jeromy and Allan standing at the most Easterly point in Canada.
The plaque on a rock indicating the Most Easterly Point in Canada
This and the two pictures below are views of St. Johns
from the hill to Cape Spear.
We visited Fort Amherst next, .
It is located on the south side of the narrows of St. John's Harbour. It was built to defend Britain's claim to Newfoundland
and its rich fishing grounds in the 1770s. You can see from a distance the remains of the WWII battery complex that consists of many rooms, stairways, old artillery guns. At the time we were there, they were not open to the public
This picture of Fort Amherst was taken when we were there a week earlier, looking down from Signal Hill .
A tour boat leaving St. John's Harbour.
A little water fall along the path.
The original lighthouse at Fort Amherst was the first built in Newfoundland in ca 1810. The present day lighthouse is the third lighthouse on the site and was built in 1951.
More information on Fort Amherst at this site:
https://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/fort-amherst--chain-rock
Quidi Vidi
Quidi Vidi was a must stop for lunch because of the Quidi Vidi Brewery and the deep fried fish and chips. We were not disappointed! Just look at those smiles.
Quidi Vidi which was settled in the early 16th century, is another one of those harbours that no one knows how it got its name.
A lobster trap and a pile of winter's wood, or would it be drift wood perhaps?
These rock covers are knit and sold, some are in quilt patterns too. They would make a cute addition to your yard or gardens. The tag on these says" Who Knit Ya?" The tag is probably giving the name of the crafter's business however, it is a Newfoundlander saying which translates into "Who are your parents?" or "Who raised you?".
This picture and the few below are of the same area from different angles.
Take a few minutes to watch this video on Quidi Vidi if you wish.
The pictures below are of a few of the many
Jelly Bean Houses in St. John's
According to folklore, in the early days, when sailors returning from the sea's fishing grounds on clear or foggy days, would be able to look up and see their brightly coloured homes on the hills of St John's. This is quite possibly true, because their Irish ancestors had the same practice in Ireland.
The term Jelly Bean Row, which referred to a group of brightly coloured houses, actually originated in Quidi Vidi. In the 1970's the city of St. John's felt there was a need to revitalize the downtown of St. John's for business and tourism. To make this happen they encouraged people to paint their wooden houses in bright colours, the idea caught on and it is current practice today.
The owners of Templeton's hardware store stumbled across some paint colours from 50 years prior, since then the St. John's Heritage Foundation has worked in conjunction with paint companies and developed an expanded colour palette which plays a significant role in the revitalization of the old downtown residential neighbourhoods.
Screeching In
I signed the three of us up for a Screeching-in at Christian's Pub on George Street - Oh man you would have thought I had asked them to cut off their right arm. Both Allan and Jeromy were not happy with me, however I managed to shame them into attending with me.
Newfoundland Screech is a rum and it
is used in the Screech In Ceremony which is an optional (not for Allan or Jeromy 😉) ceremony performed on non-Newfoundlanders, (known to Newfoundlanders as a "come from away" or "mainlander".
Our ceremony started with a taste of Newfoundland Steak (bologna), a short recitation, kissing a (frozen) cod fish, a shot of screech rum and a certificate.
The ceremony was a lot of fun, there were about 25 - 30 people in attendance.
We were each asked our name and where we were from. When Jeromy said he was from the Manitoulin Island there was a shout of hoorays from about 6 in the group, they did the same for Allan and I. We found out after the ceremony they were from Owen Sound and area and knew the Manitoulin well. Small world sometimes.
The cod was in a face mask due to COVID times and we
held up our napkin in front of our mouths as we each
kissed the frozen cod.
Jeromy enjoyed being screeched in and was happy he was a part of it. Allan on the other hand didn't comment. I could tell he was wondering what I was going to talk him into next.
See, Jeromy was proud of his certificate, look at that smile.
Following the Screech-In ceremony Jeromy took us out to celebrate. We went to a sushi restaurant, "Sushi Island" on Water Street where BellaBot the robot waits tables. Sushi Island is the first restaurant to provide contactless tableside delivery during the COVID outbreak. Weird but interesting, it is a novelty and will likely catch on in other restaurants soon.
More about BellaBot here:
The customer orders from a tablet screen on their table and BellaBot delivers - no human contact. Times are changing folks.
We spent time at The Rooms which is a provincial modern art gallery and museum. It holds the largest collection of Newfoundland's culture and history.
Hey, more puffins!
Good information on the Barrens of Newfoundland, I would have liked to have had this information at the beginning of our road trip around the Avalon Peninsula.
Jeromy shares Allan's interest in history.
This and the picture below are views from the observation deck of the Rooms.
St. John's Haunted Hike was lots of fun
and very interesting for sure.
We had an interesting 90 minutes on the St. John's Haunted Hike with about 20 other frightened souls. The Haunted Story Teller guided us along dark streets, narrow alleys and uneven stairs telling many frightening stories, old and new. The hike began at the gate of the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist at 9:00 p.m.
One of the stories we heard was of Christine Snow, the last woman hanged in St. John's for the murder of her husband, in 1834 and still haunts the old court house to this day.
The night was perfect for the Haunted Hike and the stories that came with it. There was a wind blowing and it was very dark with a slight mist and rain, perfectly planned I am sure.
Jeromy and I were sure we saw a ghost but soon found that it was a real person standing on her deck. That gave us goosebumps and made the hair stand up on the back of our necks.
The Haunted Trail concluded our adventures in Newfoundland, we said our good byes to Jeromy and prepared for our flight home which left St. John's at 5:00 am Monday morning.
The whole time from Sudbury on Saturday August 21st and back again to Sudbury Monday August 30th, 2021 was
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
We are leaving for Mexico mid October, so watch for upcoming posts from that trip. Until then take care, stay safe and keep smiling.😁
