Flying against the sun...

Signal HillThe first and last sight as you enter and leave the harbour at St. John's I head out late on Friday from Comox on the red-eye to Toronto, and of course, catch a shift change leaving Fort Mac, the plane is packed. Luckily I remembered to book an aisle seat earlier in the morning. Flying on WestJet used to be fun, but they don't tell good jokes anymore, and it's becoming a bit like a Mexican bus. All that's missing are the chickens! After flying all night… I get into St. John’s at 7:30 am…

St. John's is sunny, a bit of a bite in the air. I can't sleep, so I head out along Water Street. The waterfront is in transition, it's kind of like a working man getting dressed up on a Sunday, lots of funky stores, but the street is littered with butts and Tim Horton's cups. The city hasn't made the transition to being a tourist centre, but they're trying. And the people are friendly, even the panhandlers. Lots of good music, I spend an hour listening to a guy plugged into a small battery-driven Peavey amp. He's up on a park bench offering the money he's collected to anyone who can name a song he can't play. He makes another $55.00 in the hour I'm there, and no one takes home his money!

The iconic east coast colours are everywhere, and I'm trying to capture that photo of the multicoloured houses up the many hills in downtown St. John's. I stop into a photo store, and the owner tells me that most of the pictures sold are Photoshopped, taking out the hydro lines, cars and pedestrians, but I'm up in the side streets until I find a few places.

Back to the hotel, still can't sleep. Kathy gets in at 1 am, so I decided to wait up for her. Off to dinner in the hotel, and try some of the local beer. I discover Quidi Vidi and Iceberg, the first of many along the way. I manage to stay up, Kathy arrives and we're done for the night. We've another day in St. John's before we board the Clipper Adventurer for our circumnavigation of Newfoundland.

St. John's by day...

 Flying East always seems easier, when you wake up at your usual time, it's 4.5 hours later, we're in Newfoundland! It's day two that gets you.......

A lazy day, we just walk around, exploring downtown St. John's. Discover that Newfoundland sense of humour, a store that sells a series of "Dump Harper" shirts. http://livingplanet.ca/.(remember this is 2012). I had to buy a few!! So how does that fit with a Province that votes Conservative both Federally and Provincially? We try and find an answer to that question while we're on the ship!

Fred's Music Duckworth Street holds a treasure, a record store, Fred's, with a very large catalogue of blues, jazz and East Coast music. I'm there when we return in 10 days. www.freds.nf.ca/

Kyla wants us to visit George Street, famous for its music and bars. It's pretty quiet on Saturday afternoon, we really enjoyed the former Catholic girl's school that now is a strip joint. And the party bus complete with drunk university students and two pole dancers that showed up while we walked by was a nice touch. Sunday morning the street was again littered with butts and Tim Horton's cups, but no bodies. (Maybe the butts and Timmy's cups are a tourism theme.) The music looks great, but we decide to find a quiet restaurant for dinner instead.

Back at the hotel, we're trying to figure out who else is on the trip, there's lots of LL Bean walking around the lobby. We find a nice restaurant on Water Street, another round of Quidi Vidi. I love that name! (http://www.quidividibrewery.ca/)

Pack up the next morning, and wait for the tour of St. John's.  This is Adventure Canada's way of keeping us off the ship until they're ready for us. Signal Hill is fogged in, but we get out anyway. Kathy starts a new trend and disappears up the stairs to the top of the tower. I can't get up the stairs with the backpack on! Off to Cape Spear, it's an old lighthouse and now a Provincial Park. A final stop in Petty Harbour, and I begin my quest for the iconic shot of boats tied up in the harbour. Most of the other folks on the bus head to the liquor store.

Finally arrive at the ship, get settled in, the cabin is small but comfy, and it's time for the lifeboat drill. First dinner on board, trying to figure out which fork to use with the salad. We head out of St. John's harbour later that evening, into rough seas, heading north to Fogo Island.

Petty Harbour

Photos:

Signal Hill protecting St. John's Harbour

Duckworth Street

Petty Harbour reflections