Newfoundland Travel: St. Johns, Newfoundland

We had reconnoitered another spot about which we were told at Quidi Vidi Lake, on the East end of town. There are many RVs parked here anticipating next weeks regatta on the lake. All day two man sculls, 4+1s and 6+1s were practicing for next weeks contest. A hiking path winds around the lake and is a popular spot for the locals. St. John's is noted for its network of hiking trails. From the Quidi Vidi trail four other ones branch out into the rest of the city.

We took a walking tour of the Eastern Part of the city. This is where many of the rich people built their homes after the numerous fires in the 19th century, which leveled the lower dock portion of the city. Many of the homes are in the Queen Anne and late Empire Style, with later Victorian thrown in for good measure.

The tour took us to the Colonial House, which held the legislature and Supreme Court for the country of Newfoundland from 1850 to 1959. They moved to the Confederation building then. The building now houses the Provincial Archives.

We crossed the street and were invited to attend the garden party at the Government House, the home of the Lieutenant Governor of the Province. We were the delegation from the esteemed state of Illinois. The Royal Regiment of Foot and the 27th Company- 2nd Battalion Royal regiment of Artillery were present in style. The drum and fife corps was augmented by the royal provincial military band, which played during the party. Tea, lemonade and biscuits were served to all of the invited guests.

Thursday, July 31, 2003

Drove to Signal Hill, overlooking the harbor and the sea. We looked at the exhibits at the interpretation center, which traced the history of the area from before John Cabot through the battle of the Somme on July 1, 1917, where almost an entire generation of young Newfoundlanders were lost in one day.

At 11:00 was the tattoo, a 1795 reenactment of traditional military activities, performed by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment of Foot and the 27th Company – 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Artillery. Comprised of High School students the corps consists of drum and fife band, the Regiment of Foot and the artillery regiment. They demonstrate the purpose of marching drills which were used in actual combat, the firing of muskets from different formations, and the use of the howitzer and cannon in battle. The exercise was quite informative and entertaining.

Talking with the historian for the group after the performance we asked about the Germans and W.W.II. He said that it was a possibility. Many ships were sunk in the North Atlantic and bodies were washed ashore along the coast. Among the bodies, or parts of them, would have been a certain number of German sailors. Since their identities were unknown the citizens would hold services and give them a Christian burial. This is definitely a plausible explanation and still a marvelous example of Newfoundlander hospitality.

At 2:00 we were scheduled for a tour of Signal Hill. So we went to the Johnson GeoCenter, just down the hill. Constructed in the hill, the exhibits are underground revealing the actual rock of Signal Hill. Some of the oldest rocks in the world have been found in Labrador. One hands-on exhibit is of a rock almost 4 billion years old. We had to leave early because of our tour appointment, but returned later to finish the exhibits.

On Signal Hill, we met Billy, our ranger tour guide. Only two of us were in the tour, even though many other people were on the hill too. He showed us around the hill for over an hour and a half. Signal Hill was used for many purposes, barracks, hospital, prison, etc. Its primary use was for signaling the incoming ships into the harbor. The signal was relayed from Cape Spear, the Eastern most point in North America, by hoisting the ship’s colors. This was then observed by the merchants and townsfolk who readied themselves for the ship. In 1901 Marconi sent and received the first transatlantic wireless signal from Europe, a series of three dots. He used an aerial attached to a kite. The cable companies were not too pleased with his achievement, because they had just laid the transatlantic cable at great cost. How he did this was revealed twenty years later, bouncing the signal off the ionosphere. This changed communications forever and helped marine communications.

Queen Victoria laid the cornerstone for Cabot Tower in 1897, the 400th anniversary of his discovery. One other interesting fact is that the Basilica of St. John the Baptist towers line up with the narrows, the entrance to St. John’s harbor. By lining the masts to a series of lanterns from the tower, the ships were able to navigate the Narrows without incident. This was done until recent times, when the Narrows were dredged for easier access. During W.W.II a large net was hung across the narrows from Fort Amherst to Signal Hill to keep out the German U-boats and protect St. John’s shipping. The Germans, however, had hired many ship captains who sailed from Bell Island, a short distance away. They were familiar with the waters and dangers in the area. So they were able to circumvent the net.

Friday, August 1, 2003

Did some necessary laundry on Merry Meeting Street and other chores today. Merry Meeting Street is so named because it is at the top of the hill overlooking the harbor.  People would meet there to chat and watch for ships entering he harbor.

We are set to stay at Quidi Vidi Lake until next Thursday and watch the longest running sporting event in North America, the 185th consecutive St. John’s Royal Regatta. From dawn to dusk, the crews have been practicing. We are looking forward to the race.


In the evening, we walked to Bannerman Park, the site of the St. John’s Folk Festival, which began today and extends throughout the weekend. Also on tap this weekend is the George Street Festival, which runs through Tuesday night. The groups here have more of a rock rhythm.

Hi again for the third installment.

On Saturday, August 02, 2003 we took the walking tour of the old downtown of St. John’s Most of the original buildings have been destroyed because of massive fires in 1846 and 1892. The streets rise up from the harbor via a steep hill, typical of most port towns. At the top of the hill is Merry Meeting Street, where young people would congregate and yet keep a look out for any ships entering the harbor. Two of the many ships docked at the harbor today were a French luxurious cruise ship with a passenger list of only ninety people, whose itinerary was the Arctic circle and the naturalist sites there. The other ship was a Russian trawler in the harbor for engine repairs. They have been there over a month. Knowing how much the Newfoundlanders regard foreign factory ships destroying the Grand Banks fisheries, the ship might be there for many more months. The crew did not seem to be too displeased, sunning themselves on deck.

Walked down George Street, home of the George Street Music Festival. The street is a pub crawler’s paradise. Just about every establishment on the street is a pub, many with Celtic names. Food is also available, but nothing else, except entertainment at night. Went into the Anglican Cathedral, the exterior surviving the fire, but the interior being gutted. Their small museum has artifacts from the fire, including bent church keys, charred beams, and a mummified church mouse (really a rat). The services are of the High Church variety, with Matins held before Eucharist and Evensong (Vespers) daily and Solemn Vespers on Sunday. They have a photo in their museum of the crew who worked on the repairs of the Cathedral.  One of the men was killed during the project.  Mysteriously he appears as a translucent person the photo. You can see the rest of the background through him: a ghostly specter. Over 50 members of the Cathedral community who died in the World Wars are also honored with a plaque near the altar.

Drove through the English Gardens of Bowring Park. A wedding was in process that day. The park has many statuary, including a replica of Peter Pan and one dedicated to the Newfoundlander Fighting Man.  Cascades, and winding pathways make this a bucolic focal point for the community.

After naps we met up with our friends Andre and Pamela and drove to the George Street Festival. Most of the bands were run of the mill. The headliners were High Holy Days from Thunder Bay, ON and I Mother Earth, a local group making its name nationally. The crowd was sparse until I Mother Earth came on stage. From every direction people came into the square, at least five thousand strong. The lead singer was from St. John’s and it was home coming for the local hero. The music was heavy rock accompanied by a light show. The audience was really into the music, complete with mosh pit. The lead singer even entered the pit for one of his songs and was raised on high. He was in no fear of injury, because these were his friends.

After the concert, about 11:00 the 5,00 plus crammed into the many pubs along the street. The party continued. The festival will go on for three more nights. We plan to be there Tuesday night for the Kitchen Party.

Had Ice Cream at the famous Moo Moos .

Monday, August 04, 2003

We treated ourselves to Ches’s Famous Fi And Chi (fish and chips). The were good, but not as good as the Friendly Fisherman’s Café in Rose Blanche. (Fortunately not nearly so hearty a serving either.)

We visited the Quidi Vidi Brewery. A tour had just left. We got some labels for Don, our Master Brewer, of their products. At Christmas they produce a Mummers Ale, in which they put orange rinds, cloves and other spices into the mash, giving it a special flavor. A Mummer is a British tradition during the Twelve Days of Christmas, where people dress in costumes and are masked. They go from house to house to have their tankards filled after they entertain and the hosts try to guess their identities  In Philadelphia, PA the mummers parade is an annual event on News  Years Day.

Down the road is the Quidi Vidi Battery, built by the French, when they attacked St. John’s during the Seven Days War. It is very small, but adequately protects the cove to Quidi Vidi from an attack from the sea.

Hiked the Virginia River trail, two Kilometers each way. The trail parallels the Virginia River as it cascades down from the hill on which Fort Pepperrell was built in W.W.II for the Americans. Now it is called Pleasantville. A Texan designed the fort and left his imprint: the streets form the outline of a ten gallon hat and have names like Churchill and Roosevelt.

We headed for George Street. Tonight we were going to get Screeched, i.e..become honorary Newfoundlanders. Screech is what one does after drinking the dregs of the dark molasses rum in the olden days. After one month here we feel the blood of the island coursing through our veins. At Trapper John’s Museum and Pub we were properly screeched: drank screech (Newfoundland rum straight, kissed the puffin, or cod, and repeated the pledge.

Now we could enjoy the Kitchen Party. A Kitchen Party is a Newfoundland tradition where anything goes, just as in the kitchen at home.  Tonight was Newfoundland and Celtic night. Some of the groups were Banshee, six Royal Newfoundlander Policemen, and Celtae, where the men wore kilts and the girl fiddler wore slacks. She really started to get into the music half way through the set. Then came the Navigators, whom we had previously heard. The headliners were Shanneyganock, which had the audience going wild with their Newfie and Celtic songs and their upbeat tempos from the fiddler, drummer, bass and rhythm guitars, and squeeze box player. More people were at the Kitchen Party than at Saturday’s concert.

Wednesday, August 06, 2003

Today is a beautiful sunny day for the running of the 185th consecutive St. John’s Regatta. This is the only major festival held between a prison and a cemetery. The shells, i.e., boats, are the old British fixed-seat ones, unlike the Olympics shells where the sets move with the legs. There are twenty-three qualifying races, the men rowing a 2.450 kilometer course , turning around a buoy and then returning to the finish line. Most do it in under ten minutes. The women do ½ the course in under six minutes. This year OZFM, a local radio station woman’s crew won again. They set a new course record of  under 5:00 minutes. Newfoundland Power won the men’s competition.

The competition is not just about the racing. It is a festival. A minimum of 50,000 people congregated around the pond, visiting the concession booths, eating their way along the trail and waiting for the children to play on the different rides. The atmosphere was one of joy. Bands played, crowds stood or sat on the banks cheering on their favorite teams, tailgate parties were set up including jig dinners.  A jig dinner is like a New England Broiled dinner.  It comprises salted beef or pork and then different vegetables are thrown into the pot, making quite a stew.

Thursday, August 07, 2003

Woke up this morning and most of the parking lot was cleared, a different sight from yesterday. We will be moving on too, having enjoyed our stay at St. John’s. Will we return? The answer is, "Yes," someday, and this time in less than a 40 years.