Wednesday, July 5th, part 2 - We had four nights in St. John's, so 3 full days to enjoy the change from the smaller out-ports and countryside, which we love. Walked our feet off, as Pippy Park is a wonderful city facility, right in the middle of St. John's. If one is ambitious enough, or dumb enough, you can walk to most points of interest. That we did, logging many kilometers. Our main route to the center of the city was along the Rennie River, a beautiful stream that flows through the park, on for about 6 kilometers and into the harbour. It has a terrific trail, with waterfalls, backyard gardens, sports facilities along the way, and bordered by abundant areas of Queen Anne's lace and flowering mountain ash trees. And I mean abundant, with fields of them. The third vegetation of interest in the gardens we passed: rhododendrons, all kinds of them. Why can't we grow them like that, Gail wondered!?

Too much to tell about St. John's! The Rooms is a beautiful museum that was our first priority, as it had been closed due to a burst pipe three years ago, so we hadn't been able to get in. We wanted to see the area devoted to the Newfoundland Regiment in the First World War. It was well worth it, with excellent displays, lots of biographical details about men and women of note who were participants in the action, and loads of artifacts. The province's pride rests to a large extent on the contribution made in both wars, as it really put Newfoundland on the map with respect to its strategic location and the strength and skills of its people.

There was also an interesting area depicting the natural elements of the island, and the history of the native people. When discussing the disappearance of the Beothuk, it fell short of a clear statement as to why they are no longer, mentioning only European disease and settlement. But aside from that, it was well done. The big surprise was on the fourth floor, where the Art Gallery has an extensive display the work of Gerald Squires, who we hadn't heard of. He died only two years ago, but produced a massive volume of work, often provocative, but also capturing the essence of Newfoundland. He covered a wide range of themes and subjects, some religious, some stark depictions of the landscapes of the province, some the people. Look him up...he was truly one of Canada's great artists, and we don't know anything about him.

We ended the day on George Street in O'Reilly's tavern, havin' a beer and some french fries, listening to a local singer who did a lot of Irish material. Daughter-in-law Sharon would have enjoyed him. Back to camp on the bus, which worked out really well. So good to be located in a city where you can access points of interest without having to drive the rig. Works as long as the feet and legs hold out.

Breakfast time. We have to leave Louisbourg this morning to head up to the Cape Breton National Park, as we'll be meeting the kids there tomorrow. Handover is soon to happen. So I'll leave for now, and try to finish St. John's later.

More later. Stay tuned.