3) we stayed at the YYZ Sheraton before flying out; 4) with Air Canada
We started our Newfoundland adventure in the province`s capital – St. John`s, which remains the oldest settlement with `city` status in all of North America. John Cabot was the first European to sail into the harbour on June 24, 1497. We took up residence in the Hotel Newfoundland – once a Fairmont hotel – now branded as a Sheraton. While the hotel is dated, they have completed a reno of the lobby and the new bar and restaurant are gorgeous (all done in walnut). There is a lovely atrium awash with greenery that I would have no problem throwing a party in and a wee little Club Lounge that served us appetizers in the evening (good chicken wings) and breakfast each morning during our stay.
5) our corner suite at the Hotel Newfoundland; 6) we instantly turned those 2 chairs around so we could sit and look out on the harbour
7) the government needs to learn how to spell Sheraton on the elevator license!; 8) the Club Lounge (this makes it look bigger than it actually was)
9) the very funky bar in the lobby; 10) moi in the room with Signal Hill in the background
The city is a rabbit warren of streets with many quaint homes all painted a different colour. We were told this was because fishermen bought paint for their boats and used the same paint to do their homes as well. I enjoyed St. John`s for its quaintness and for being a good jumping off point to tour the Avalon Peninsula. Really, and being kind, once you`ve visited `The Rooms` (St. John`s museum cum art gallery), climbed Signal Hill and done your obligatory visit to Lottie`s Place for their famous white russians ($5.95 each), you`re done.
11) moi at the Rooms; 12) brown trout at the Fluvarium
13 & 14) dinner at Velma’s place … including cod tongues and scrunchions
15 & 16) sushi (including an interesting seared tuna sushi at Sun Sushi on Duckworth Street
17 & 18) rated the best place to eat in St. John’s by TripAdvisor – Shalimar, we would agree, was excellent
19) me being Atlas at the Fluvarium; 20) this kitty followed alongside us as though it were a dog all the way home one night after dinner
21) Cabot Tower on Signal Hill; 22) the interpretation centre just down from the Tower
23) G looks as though he jumped from the tower in this action shot eh; 24) me listening to the original message Marconi heard way back when (to be honest, it just sounded like static to me)
25) this is where we British did in the French in North America; 26) the view from the top of the Tower of St. John’s Harbour is worth the climb up
27) looking across to Fort Amherst … you can see how narrow the “Narrows” actually is into the harbour
28 & 29) the wonky final flight of stairs to the outdoor observation nook at Cabot Tower
Using the city as a start, we visited Cape Spear and Trinity and Bonaventure Bays. The trip up to Pouch (pronounced
`pooch`) Cove is very, very pretty – the road winding up alongside the rough Atlantic.
30) G goes for the water at Middle Cove Beach on the way up to Pouch Cove
31) Cape Spear; 32) the WW II gun encampments at Cape Spear
33) G jumps at the end of one of the tunnels at Cape Spear; 34) the original lighthouse
35) we just had to visit this place!; 36) on the road out of Witless Bay you cross this barren and bizarre landscape – moonlike in many ways
37-40) this series shows me triumphantly discovering the lens cap from my Nikon after it was inadvertently left on the hood of the car … we drove back and found it!
41 & 42) we saw this ad in the St. John’s newspaper and just had to visit the town called Dildo!
43) here is your Dildo (I’m actually at a loss what to say!)
44) this is known as Jellybean Row in St. John’s
45) sit seagull, sit; 46) in the village of Quidi Vidi is brewed Newfoundland’s local beer
47) the green building is the brewery and you can tour it; 48) my white russian at Lottie’s Place … let me tell you, there was a fascinating mix of locales (even at 5pm) in this landmark bar
49 & 50) we awoke one morning to see the Silver Whisper cruise ship enter the harbour
51) the Silver Whisper crosses the Narrows
52 & 53) later that evening out she went
54) she was heading across the Atlantic to Ireland
55) G begins the hike to Cabot Tower; 56) lots of interesting homes along the way
57) looking back to the city from Jellybean Row
58) here we are right at the Narrows where people sit and watch the ships come and go
59) ships like this one
60 & 61) leaving Jellybean Row behind you inch along the rock face heading to the Tower
62) view on route; 63) it is VERY narrow in places and you’ve no idea from this picture just how steep that drop off to G’s right actually is
64 & 65) luckily the National Parks organization has laid some boardwalks and stairs on route
66) you round the end of the cliffs past the Narrows and then up, up, up you go; 67) the Cabot Tower lies way up ahead
68) nice views along the way like this one of Fort Amherst (foreground) and Cape Spear in the far distance
69) G climbs the last few steps; 70) a view from the top looking down to Fort Amherst
71) me with two of Newfoundland’s most famous dog breeds … can you name the two breeds? I’ll buy a drink for the first person with the right answer… next time I’m in your city
AppsScraps 
Received iceberg in St. John’s~ that’s very interesting! I wonder if it’s the one that sank the Titanic~ hahaha
Nice trip photos! The hike was quite exciting up that steep hill! Was that the Newfoundland dog?