St. John's NL

It was not a great day but we decided to venture into St. John’s to see the sites and check out the surrounding areas. It was also Sunday which is and is not the best day. With just over 500,000 people in all of Newfoundland and Labrador, most of those individuals live in the city of St. John’s (105,000). We parked near the St. John’s Courthouse and started walking towards the famous George Street. The Courthouse looks almost the same today as when it was built in 1901. The difference being where the steps are today was the public gallows back in the day. The last public hanging in Newfoundland was on this site in 1835.

The Courthouse

The streets of St. John’s are very narrow with lots of hills. They were built way back in the horse and buggy day with no method to their madness. A perfect example is George Street. This street which is on the side of a hill, and slopes downward, and should only be for pedestrians, and seems to be the go to place for nightlife, is one way thank goodness.

Refurbished old houses on old streets

Typical downtown streets and shops

George Street

George Street...it's all about a good time here

We walked around for an hour or so on many of the downtown streets then decided to move on since there was more to see. Our next stop while still in St. John’s was the small community of Quidi Vidi. This sheltered harbour or gut as they call it was first settled in 1675. It remains much the same today with houses crunched up against the rocky hills.

Quidi Vidi Gut

Harbour entrance is only 25' across

No taking the car to work here

One of the main draws for this small village is the Quidi Vidi Brewery. It is here they make the famous Iceberg beer that I so love. Of course we were not going to pass up a chance to do their tasting tour. The brewery makes 7 different kinds of beer. Some I liked others were terrible, in my opinion. The iceberg beer is their best seller and yes it is made from 100% iceberg water. 

The one and only home of Quidi Vidi Brewery

Seven different beer

Before leaving the city we had to climb our way up to the top of Signal Hill to get a view of St. John’s harbour.

St. John's Harbour

Because Signal Hill rises above the harbour it became an obvious strategic location for a signaling station and fortification site dating back as far as 1704. Signal Hill was also the reception point of the first transatlantic wireless signal by Marconi in 1901. Cabot Tower was built in 1897 to commemorate 400 years since John Cabot discovered Newfoundland and Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Cabot Tower is iconic to St. John’s since it can be seen virtually from anywhere in the city and surrounding area.

Cabot Tower

Cabot Tower stands out like a pimple

As noted in the above picture we are no longer in the city but have driven to the most easterly point of land in North America…Cape Spear. Not sure what Susan was looking for but there’s no land out there for kilometers. Maybe she saw a whale or two since they are feeding now.

What she looking at?

Nothing but water

Cape Spear Lighthouse was designated a National Historic Site because of its age and architecture. The original lighthouse was built in 1835 and continued to operate until 1955. A new lighthouse was built in 1955 and continues to operate today guiding mariners into the St. John’s harbour.

Out with the old...

...in with the new 

A new threat during World War II threatened the shipment off supplies from St. John’s Harbour, German U-boats. Consequently, in 1940 the Canadian and American Joint Board of Defense decided to defend the harbour by installing two 10 foot disappearing guns. All that remains today are the underground bunkers and 10 foot barrels. Fort Cape Spear never saw action but remained manned until 1945.

Underground bunkers...from a scary time

All that remains of the
Disappearing Guns

Mounted Disappearing
Gun

What we thought was going to be a St. John’s cloudy, rainy, dismal day turned out to be a very hot and sunny one. Before coming to Newfoundland many people warned us about the weather. Well I think the weather gods have been with us so far. Maybe they could of helped a little in Labrador. Do ya think!