Our last full day in Newfoundland was spent in St. John’s. We woke to overcast skies and some thunder, but by 10:00 the sun came out for the day. We headed for Signal Hill National Historic Site. There is a new Visitor Centre (at least new in the sense that it wasn’t there when Susan and I were here in 2001). The Signal Hill Tattoo do a re-enactment of garrison life in the late 1790’s. We didn’t stick around to watch the show ($5/head). It looked like the soldiers were waiting for the bus.
These guys were studying their cheat notes before the show.
Cabot Tower at the top of Signal Hill. It was completed in 1900 and in 1901 Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic wireless message.
Angela listening to what Marconi heard, sort of, it was out of order.
On top of the tower the winds were strong, like everywhere else in Newfoundland.
Claudia holding the door for people.
Gillian standing guard.
Even though the hill was busy, if you wait long enough you can still get a photo of the tower without any tourists in the frame.
Some of the re-enactment.
Claudia atop the Queens Battery canons.
A colourful view of downtown St John’s. The Basilica of St John the Baptist is in the top right.
The girls on the canon.
Angela checking for canon balls.
In front of St John’s.
From Signal Hill it was on to Cape Spear National Historic Site.
There were some fin whales off the coast.
Cape Spear is the most easterly point in North America. The girls have now been to the far east of Canada and the far south (Pelee Island).
Once again the day’s weather forecast was right on.
Claudia atop one of the WWII coastal defence gun battery.
Angela surrendering.
This lighthouse was built in 1955 to replace the original lighthouse.
They have restored the original lighthouse built in 1836. This was the second lighthouse to be built in Newfoundland.
Claudia holding the lighthouse.
From Cape Spear it was back to downtown St John’s to walk around.
St John’s colourful houses.
Being a Sunday we attempted to go to church. We walked up the hill to The Basilica of St John the Baptist, unfortunately the doors were locked. The church was constructed in 1841.
So we sat on the steps and enjoyed the view.
The Gower Street United Church. It was completed in 1896.
The Masonic Temple built in 1894.
The court house on Duckworth St. It was built between 1899-1901, it also housed the public gallows.
Some of the colourful exteriors of the stores along Duckworth St.
Another mermaid near a chocolate store. The one in Twillingate was also beside a chocolate store.
Colourful and hilly.
Claudia resting outside one of the stores while the others were shopping.
Gill’s unders the Gill’s Cove sign.
The girls with a Newfoundland dog statue.
When the girls were younger, they would make boobie traps on the beach, we came across this store on Water St.
One of the stairways going from Duckworth down to Water streets.
We enjoyed the walk around downtown.
Our drive today. A. Hotel B. Signal hill C. Cape Spear D. Downtown, St John’s
