Friday, July 25

Tour bus picked up at the campground and we had a city tour. Saint Johns is on a beautiful protected harbor with only a narrow entrance. The channel and the harbor are deep, now the largest cruise ships visit. It was originally a fishing village with the catch heading to England. Newfoundlanders are very proud of the heritage and independence. They were the last colony to leave England and join Canada. They have chosen to have their own time zone, one half hour off the rest of the maritimes. The city if full of old churches and beautiful houses, once belonging to the sea captains. Around the harbor to the east is Cape Spear. This is the furtherest East point in the North American contintent. The light house is still in service. Across the harbor entrance from Cape Spear is Signal Hill. Named because this is the point where the women would come to see if it was their husband on the inbound ship. There is a three story building with a fantastic viewpoint of the entire area. This is the building where Marconi received the first wireless signal from England, way back in 1901. The Newfoundlanders speak the old England sayings and even have their own dictionary.