East Coast near St. John's, Newfoundland

Although it was a foggy day, Paul and I took a drive to some of my favourite places just outside of St. John's - Flatrock, Pouch Cove and Portugal Cove, to name a few shown on this map. (I love these gloves that I bought in Pilley's island. They were very cozy warm on windy days.)



Flatrock area

Pouch Cove area

Portugal Cove area

What a nice house overlooking the water

We found the Wild Horses Pub in Portugal Cove and enjoyed a nice meal there while watching the Bell Island ferry makes it run, in the fog.

Irish Loop, Newfoundland

The Irish Loop is a scenic and historic drive (310 kms in total), which starts at St. John's and heads south on Route 10 into the heart of Irish Newfoundland.

Paul has always found the name "Witless Bay" interesting, hence this photo. The town was named for an English sea captain, John Whittle. After he passed away his family sailed back to England, leaving no Whittles behind. The town's people joked that the bay was "Whittle-less", and later shortened the town name to Witless Bay - a little Newfoundland humor.


The coastline along the drive is breathtaking and we stopped many times to "take it all in" and enjoy.

Ferryland is one of the oldest settlements in North America. Used as a migratory fishing station in the 15th century and officially founded in 1621.

The Ferryland Lighthouse has stood since 1870. The 10-15 minute walk from the parking lot to the lighthouse is well worth it, if only for the view.

Another great thing about the lighthouse is the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful picnic lunch from Ferryland Lighthouse Picnics. For a reasonable price they provide a picnic blanket and lunch, to enjoy the fantastic ocean view. It is a great idea and very popular so it is suggested you make a reservation so you are not disappointed.

As we drove through the Fermeuse area, we saw seven wind turbines.

Trepassey - the French word trepasses, meaning "departed" and it is believed that it acquired this name due to the many ship wrecks off its coast.

Trepassey Battery at Powell's Point - the gun battery was established during the American Revolutionary War and was used in the War of 1812.

St. Vincent's - this area is known for its scenery, large variety of birds, whale watching, trails and caribou.

Cape Spear, Newfoundland

Cape Shear is the most easterly point of land in North America.

Most Newfoundlanders know it as possibly the most windy point in Newfoundland, although during our visit, the wind was tolerable.



Built in 1835, the Cape Spear Lighthouse is the oldest existing lighthouse in Newfoundland. It was a marine beacon from 1836 to 1955 and now a museum.

The present modernised facility.

Two gun emplacements were constructed and underground passages and barracks were built during World War II. Most of the installations were demolished after the war, but the gun emplacements still exist.

This is a view of the city of St. John's and Cabot Tower on Signal Hill taken from Cape Spear.

The rugged coastline and the Atlantic ocean at Cape Spear

There are lots of hiking trails and spectacular scenery here at Cape Spear.

Time to Give Thanks...

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving
with family and friends

St. John's, Newfoundland

The city of St. John's is the oldest European settlement in North America, founded in 1497 and located on the eastern edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

St. John's is a mixture of wooden row houses, imposing churches, trees, and walking trails. There are also modern buildings, industries and culture. George Street is the focal point of nightlife in the city, offering everything from traditional Newfoundland music to the latest rock music. This is a city that is lively and vibrant.

Here is a view of the city and the narrows taken from Signal Hill.

Signal Hill was the reception of the first transatlantic wireless message by Guglielmo Marconi in 1901, as well as the site of harbour defences for St. John's from the 18th century to the Second World War.

Cabot Tower on Signal Hill.

View of the Narrows (Fort Amherst & lighthouse at right)

Fort Amherst, originally built in the 1770's and the lighthouse originally built in 1810, located on southside of St. John's harbour.

The Battery lies under the slopes of Signal Hill and sits on the entrance to the harbour. The area is noted for its steep slopes, colourful houses, and its importance as a battery for the defence of St. John's harbour in both World Wars.

Picturesque Quidi Vidi (pronounced Kiddy Viddy), originally built by the French in 1793, is a historic fishing village. Two charms of the village are the antique shop and the old pub. It also houses Newfoundland's largest microbrewery, the Quidi Vidi Brewery.

This is a view of the ocean from the walking train near Quid Vidi village.

Brightly-coloured houses painted in a variety of colors, sit along street in the downtown core of St. John's. Many of the houses are Victorian heritage homes and are known as Jellybean Row.

Because of their popularity, Jellybean Row is now the hottest new thing in home decor. They have inspired a collection series of wall hangings, as well as paint colors.

Newfoundland is not only memorable for its brightly-colored houses and fish stages, but also for its interesting place names, etc. Here is a sign found on an Inn in downtown St. John's.

Bonavista, Newfoundland

During our recent trip to Newfoundland, Paul and I spent 2 days in the Bonavista area.

Cape Bonavista Lighthouse and shoreline

Bonavista has been a fishing town since the 1500's and now also a service town for the area.

Fisherman Statue at the Ryan Premises, a local museum

So much coastline to enjoy

Dungeon Provincial Park

Enjoying the sunset

Since our visit to the Bonavista area, Hurricane Igor has devastated many of the communities and it will be many months before normal life is restored.

Thoughts and prayers go out to all those Newfoundlanders.