Cape Spear, Newfoundland

This is the most eastern point in North America. This area has been designated a Canadian National Historic Site.

 

Visitor's Center. The entrance to St. John's Harbor is in the background. You can just barely see Cabot's Tower on the 3rd hill when you click on the photo twice.

 

Original Cape Spear Lighthouse - 1836

 

Modern Cape Spear Lighthouse - 1955

 

Local flora

Newfoundland Countryside

We had the opportunity to visit another protected fishermen's harbor. This village was built around the fishing industry. The narrow entrance protects the harbor from rough storms at sea.

 

 

 

ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND

One of the best viewpoints near St. John's is Signal Hill, so called since it was here that the first wireless transmission from Europe was received at this point in 1901 by Marconi.

 

Looking down at the battery. Numerous trails are attractions in the Signal Hill area. They range in difficulty. It is best to study the routes before attempting to walk the trails.

 

In the distance is the most important building in St. John's from an architectural standpoint, the Basilica of St. John the Baptist. It is now a Canadian National Historic Site. They were having a funeral when we arrived at the Basilica, or I believe we might have spent more time there.

 

CABOT TOWER. Built in 1897. It has been a National Historic Site since 1958.

 

A naval vessel is approaching the narrow entrance to the St. John's Harbor.

St John's Harbor Entrance

I thoroughly enjoy web cams of the places I have visited. Signal Hill is off to the left of this web cam image. The Pilot of this harbor must be very busy!

 

ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND

I underestimated St. John's. I have known a lot of people who had visited Newfoundland over the years. Some were oceanographers, visiting the coastline. Others headed inland to do some fishing. I had thought (incorrectly) of St. John's as a small, quiet, fishing town, still living in the last century. St. John's is the oldest English-founded city in North America. This modern city is spread over a large area and has an urban population of more than 151,000 inhabitants.

 

 

As we stood on Signal Hill on the outskirts of the city, we were able to look back at the expanse of sprawling St. John's, Newfoundland. The ship in the harbor is the Ocean Princess. We were told that during severe storms all ships nearby at sea are invited into the harbor to provide a safe haven. When many ships seek shelter there, the harbor is so full that it is possible to walk from one ship to another. (I have placed the St. John's Harbor Web Cam on the right side bar of this blog, so we can check the harbor when the weather gets bad.)

 

To the left of this photo one can see how narrow the entrance to the harbor is. For a better view of the harbor entrance, click on the St. John's Harbor Web Cam link above. Note: You can see the harbor entrance better during the daytime.

Welcoming Committee

Where could we be, but NEWFOUNDLAND. St. John's to be exact. This handsome Newfie was waiting to greet us. I asked if I could have a hug. The response was "Sure!" What a armful of thick fur that was!

 

Goodbye to Greenland, For Now

 

We will return in 13 days.....

More "Stone and Man" Rock Carvings

It is easy to miss some of the carvings. They blend in so well with their surroundings. (Just a note to those who were responsible for all the graffiti in the first two carvings shown here--I could not post the pictures reflecting the damage you had done to the carvings. It took me quite awhile to remove most of the graffiti in the photos. These works of art do not deserve to be damaged in such a way.)

 

 

 

 

Qaqortoq, "Stone and Man"

Aka Hoegh, one of Greenland's leading artists, came up with the idea of creating a series of rock carvings in Qaqortoq. In 1993 and 1994, 18 Nordic artists carved more than 30 rock carvings, using native art ideas. Here are just a few of the rock carvings.

 

 

 

Scenes, Qaqortoq, Greenland

 

I saw this cemetery while standing on an opposite hill. Not wanting to walk that far, I engaged the telephoto lense.

 

How perfectly nautical--one anchor, one ship (the Saga RUBY).

 

This is where I was standing when I spotted the cemetery...straight ahead.

 

No icebergs in the harbor today.

Qaqortoq, Interesting Buildings Around Town

 

 

 

 

Scenes Around Town, Qaqortoq

 

The central square and fountain. This is a popular meeting place in town.

 

 

 

Transportation From the Ship

Cruise ships lay anchor in the harbor and send shuttles to shore. This was a beautiful day to visit Qaqortoq. When there are serious storms in the area, the cruise ships cannot access the harbor. The Ocean Princess is a smaller ship (approximately 700 passengers), so the shuttle trips went quite smoothly. There are roads in town, but they don't go very far, so cruise passengers spend the time walking around town.