As we left Portugal Cove South, traveling the Irish Loop, to head up to St. John’s, we drove thru many small villages with “biscuit box” homes.
They are very square, usually two stories, with no additional “gingerbread” trim. Very plain and functional.
Our first stop was the village of Renews, the harbor town which in 1620, the 180 ton Mayflower stopped at for supplies on its voyage to Plymouth Rock.
By this time, Renews had become known as the “English shore” of Newfoundland.
Another interesting tidbit of information regarding Renews is that the Irish were originally forbidden by law to practice the Roman Catholic faith. Therefore secret services were held at Mass Rock where a replica of Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto stands.
The grotto was built by volunteer labor and is a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes. Blessed by Pope John Paul II, it is the largest religious grotto east of Montreal.
We continued to drive thru very picturesque small villages, each having something worth stopping to see.
We traveled thru Ferryland, where one of the first English settlements in North America was founded in 1621 by Lord Baltimore, and Witless Bay where you can hop a tour boat and within minutes you’re in a world of natural wonders. You can see humpback whales, millions of seabirds and spectacular icebergs all at the same time. Unfortunately, most of this happens in late spring and early summer, so we elected not to take the tour.
We arrived in St. John’s around noon and drove to C. A. Pippy RV Park where we had reservations for four nights. Here you can experience the joys of camping surrounded by nature while having the conveniences of St. John’s urban life within just miles. St. John’s is the capital city of Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada’s easternmost province. The city’s population is 100,646 – the largest in the province which has a total population of 505,469. If the province of Newfoundland/Labrador was in the U.S., it would rank as the fourth largest in size, behind Alaska, Texas, and California.
One of our first experiences in St. John’s was to visit the Crypt Tea Room where afternoon tea,
which includes a variety of delectable homemade scones, tea biscuits, tarts, cookies and jams, is served in the Cathedral Tea Room of the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
It was $8.00 per person and you were allowed as many of the delicious pastries as you could eat.
We enjoyed a very delightful afternoon and afterwards headed upstairs to the Cathedral
where we had a most interesting tour of one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in North America.
The Cathedral was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and the cornerstone was laid in 1847. 
The Great Fire of 1892, St. John’s third major fire of the century, destroyed the Cathedral along with the rectory, the church orphanage, and the school which stood nearby. When the city blaze began, the Bishop of the church convinced all the townspeople that the church would be safe since it was made of stone. Townspeople stored household goods and treasures in the church for safekeeping. Unfortunately, as the town burned and the air became hotter, the lead in the stained glass windows melted, allowing the glass to fall out and the flames to jump inside the church, destroying most everything. In the Cathedral’s southeast corner is the Sacristy, which contains the Cathedral’s oldest stained glass window, the tripartite Resurrection Window, which was the only stained glass to survive the fire. The interesting side note about this window is that as you look at the very top, you see a picture of the Phoenix arising from the ashes, yet this window was created in 1887, five years prior to the fire.
The High Altar of the Cathedral has a base of beautifully carved English brown oak, while the top, a single three inch thick slab measuring nine feet by three, is red Belgian marble. The Reredos, behind the High Altar was donated in 1923 by the family of the church’s fourth bishop
. It is carved from white freestones and contains eleven pieces of statuary, with Christ in the center and two angels at each end. The statuary includes the patron saints of the British Isles: Andrew, David, George, and Patrick, with St. Michael the Archangel and St. Theodore of Tarsus, an Archbishop of Canterbury. 
The Bishop’s Throne, Canons’ Stalls, Choir Stalls, and all other woodwork in the Chancel, plus the Eagle Lectern, 
were designed by Gilbert Scott and built of oak by Harry Hems of Exeter, England.
A small museum is housed in one room of the Cathedral and the church boasts of having its own ghost. And if you don’t believe it, you can see it for yourself. One of the pictures hanging in the museum room is that of seven construction workers who helped rebuild the Cathedral in 1905. The legend has that one of the workers fell to his death while working on the construction; however, if you look closely at the picture of the workers at the completion of the building, you can see the seven men and the faint image of the worker who died, on the far left.
The Gargoyle above the door in the South Transept was donated by the Diocese of Bristol,
England, in 1967. This gargoyle was formerly on a tower of St. Augustine’s Cathedral, Bristol around the 12th century, making this the oldest stone work in the Cathedral.
After leaving the Cathedral, we decided to do a walking tour of our own of the city.
A scarcity of land near the all-important waterfront and the economy and speed of constructing homes one on the other, accounts in part for the predominance of row housing in the old city core. But individual embellishment, such as everyone’s choice of colors, makes for a distinct character and a visual treat. These row homes have aptly been named “jellybean row”. 
Later in the evening, we decided to join the St. John’s Haunted Hike.
We joined the Reverend for a guided ghostly tour through the historic and haunted streets of old St. John’s, beginning at 9:00 p.m. at the foot of the steps of the Cathedral.
We listened to tales of murder, intrigue, duels to the death, false love, prostitution, torture and more! With the fog drifting in off the Atlantic, we descended into the dark underbelly of St. John’s, through the alleyways, following a cloaked and eerie figure,
who knew the most sinister of places. An hour and 45 minutes later, we were two pooped puppies!
Everyone had told us we couldn’t miss being “screeched in” while we were in Newfoundland. This is a ceremony that once completed, entitles first-time visitors to become honorary Newfoundlanders or “Newfies”. We were directed to Christian’s Pub which is the oldest bar on George Street. Located in the center of historic downtown St. John’s, George Street is the premiere entertainment district in the province, with live music
from jazz and blues to rock coming out of the pubs on each side of the three block street
. Menus are varied at the restaurants that also inhabit this space and you can eat anything from a hamburger to cod’s tongues.
Anyway, back to the “Screeching In” ceremony. We went to Christian’s after 11:00 p.m. because nothing starts prior to that time. ( We’re normally in bed by that time not roaming the streets, but when in Rome-----------). We signed up for the ceremony and in about an hour, met Keith,
the man who would perform the “screeching”. There were about 16 of us and after watching Keith sing several New Foundland songs and do an Irish jig or two, 
we began the ceremony with each of us having to repeat a Newfoundland saying: “Long may your big jib draw the ol’ cocky!” Once each of us finally mastered the correct brogue, and believe me it took a while since none of us could understand what Keith was saying, we were drawn into a circle and each of us had to take turns kissing a huge frozen cod (fish) on its lips.
After this we were given 2 oz. of Newfoundland Screech Rum and had to down it in one gulp. It is reputed to be 94% over proof! 
I have to admit, it took my breath away and for just an instant, I forgot about kissing a fish!! The look on George's face said it all !!! Next we kneeled, put on a sou’wester ( a yellow plastic rainhat), 
and were knighted by Keith and his canoe paddle, as honorary Newfies. 
We even received a certificate for verification. 
By this time, we were beat and decided to head towards the trailer. Our first half day in St. John’s had definitely been different than any of our trip thus far.
On a sad note, we received a call from Martha, George’s sister, on August 20th that our dear friend and brother-in-law, Red had passed away. We were able to get a flight out of St. John’s (the only place in Newfoundland with a commercial airport) and the RV park was very gracious in allowing us to park our truck and trailer there. The manager and one of her assistants agreed to take McKenzie home with them and kept her safe and secure for us for the ten days we were back in Texas. We spent several days with Martha and a few with Jan’s parents before we flew back to St. John’s. We knew many of you had met or at least heard about Red and we wanted to share this information with you. We know his spirit is still keeping up with us and we can just imagine the story he is telling up there about us kissing a dead, frozen fish!!!!
They are very square, usually two stories, with no additional “gingerbread” trim. Very plain and functional.Our first stop was the village of Renews, the harbor town which in 1620, the 180 ton Mayflower stopped at for supplies on its voyage to Plymouth Rock.
By this time, Renews had become known as the “English shore” of Newfoundland.Another interesting tidbit of information regarding Renews is that the Irish were originally forbidden by law to practice the Roman Catholic faith. Therefore secret services were held at Mass Rock where a replica of Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto stands.
The grotto was built by volunteer labor and is a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes. Blessed by Pope John Paul II, it is the largest religious grotto east of Montreal.We continued to drive thru very picturesque small villages, each having something worth stopping to see.
We traveled thru Ferryland, where one of the first English settlements in North America was founded in 1621 by Lord Baltimore, and Witless Bay where you can hop a tour boat and within minutes you’re in a world of natural wonders. You can see humpback whales, millions of seabirds and spectacular icebergs all at the same time. Unfortunately, most of this happens in late spring and early summer, so we elected not to take the tour.We arrived in St. John’s around noon and drove to C. A. Pippy RV Park where we had reservations for four nights. Here you can experience the joys of camping surrounded by nature while having the conveniences of St. John’s urban life within just miles. St. John’s is the capital city of Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada’s easternmost province. The city’s population is 100,646 – the largest in the province which has a total population of 505,469. If the province of Newfoundland/Labrador was in the U.S., it would rank as the fourth largest in size, behind Alaska, Texas, and California.
One of our first experiences in St. John’s was to visit the Crypt Tea Room where afternoon tea,
which includes a variety of delectable homemade scones, tea biscuits, tarts, cookies and jams, is served in the Cathedral Tea Room of the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. It was $8.00 per person and you were allowed as many of the delicious pastries as you could eat. We enjoyed a very delightful afternoon and afterwards headed upstairs to the Cathedral where we had a most interesting tour of one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in North America. The Cathedral was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and the cornerstone was laid in 1847. The Great Fire of 1892, St. John’s third major fire of the century, destroyed the Cathedral along with the rectory, the church orphanage, and the school which stood nearby. When the city blaze began, the Bishop of the church convinced all the townspeople that the church would be safe since it was made of stone. Townspeople stored household goods and treasures in the church for safekeeping. Unfortunately, as the town burned and the air became hotter, the lead in the stained glass windows melted, allowing the glass to fall out and the flames to jump inside the church, destroying most everything. In the Cathedral’s southeast corner is the Sacristy, which contains the Cathedral’s oldest stained glass window, the tripartite Resurrection Window, which was the only stained glass to survive the fire. The interesting side note about this window is that as you look at the very top, you see a picture of the Phoenix arising from the ashes, yet this window was created in 1887, five years prior to the fire.The High Altar of the Cathedral has a base of beautifully carved English brown oak, while the top, a single three inch thick slab measuring nine feet by three, is red Belgian marble. The Reredos, behind the High Altar was donated in 1923 by the family of the church’s fourth bishop
. It is carved from white freestones and contains eleven pieces of statuary, with Christ in the center and two angels at each end. The statuary includes the patron saints of the British Isles: Andrew, David, George, and Patrick, with St. Michael the Archangel and St. Theodore of Tarsus, an Archbishop of Canterbury. The Bishop’s Throne, Canons’ Stalls, Choir Stalls, and all other woodwork in the Chancel, plus the Eagle Lectern, were designed by Gilbert Scott and built of oak by Harry Hems of Exeter, England.A small museum is housed in one room of the Cathedral and the church boasts of having its own ghost. And if you don’t believe it, you can see it for yourself. One of the pictures hanging in the museum room is that of seven construction workers who helped rebuild the Cathedral in 1905. The legend has that one of the workers fell to his death while working on the construction; however, if you look closely at the picture of the workers at the completion of the building, you can see the seven men and the faint image of the worker who died, on the far left.
The Gargoyle above the door in the South Transept was donated by the Diocese of Bristol,
England, in 1967. This gargoyle was formerly on a tower of St. Augustine’s Cathedral, Bristol around the 12th century, making this the oldest stone work in the Cathedral.After leaving the Cathedral, we decided to do a walking tour of our own of the city.
A scarcity of land near the all-important waterfront and the economy and speed of constructing homes one on the other, accounts in part for the predominance of row housing in the old city core. But individual embellishment, such as everyone’s choice of colors, makes for a distinct character and a visual treat. These row homes have aptly been named “jellybean row”. Later in the evening, we decided to join the St. John’s Haunted Hike.
We joined the Reverend for a guided ghostly tour through the historic and haunted streets of old St. John’s, beginning at 9:00 p.m. at the foot of the steps of the Cathedral. We listened to tales of murder, intrigue, duels to the death, false love, prostitution, torture and more! With the fog drifting in off the Atlantic, we descended into the dark underbelly of St. John’s, through the alleyways, following a cloaked and eerie figure, who knew the most sinister of places. An hour and 45 minutes later, we were two pooped puppies!Everyone had told us we couldn’t miss being “screeched in” while we were in Newfoundland. This is a ceremony that once completed, entitles first-time visitors to become honorary Newfoundlanders or “Newfies”. We were directed to Christian’s Pub which is the oldest bar on George Street. Located in the center of historic downtown St. John’s, George Street is the premiere entertainment district in the province, with live music
from jazz and blues to rock coming out of the pubs on each side of the three block street. Menus are varied at the restaurants that also inhabit this space and you can eat anything from a hamburger to cod’s tongues.Anyway, back to the “Screeching In” ceremony. We went to Christian’s after 11:00 p.m. because nothing starts prior to that time. ( We’re normally in bed by that time not roaming the streets, but when in Rome-----------). We signed up for the ceremony and in about an hour, met Keith,
the man who would perform the “screeching”. There were about 16 of us and after watching Keith sing several New Foundland songs and do an Irish jig or two, we began the ceremony with each of us having to repeat a Newfoundland saying: “Long may your big jib draw the ol’ cocky!” Once each of us finally mastered the correct brogue, and believe me it took a while since none of us could understand what Keith was saying, we were drawn into a circle and each of us had to take turns kissing a huge frozen cod (fish) on its lips. After this we were given 2 oz. of Newfoundland Screech Rum and had to down it in one gulp. It is reputed to be 94% over proof! I have to admit, it took my breath away and for just an instant, I forgot about kissing a fish!! The look on George's face said it all !!! Next we kneeled, put on a sou’wester ( a yellow plastic rainhat), and were knighted by Keith and his canoe paddle, as honorary Newfies. We even received a certificate for verification. By this time, we were beat and decided to head towards the trailer. Our first half day in St. John’s had definitely been different than any of our trip thus far.On a sad note, we received a call from Martha, George’s sister, on August 20th that our dear friend and brother-in-law, Red had passed away. We were able to get a flight out of St. John’s (the only place in Newfoundland with a commercial airport) and the RV park was very gracious in allowing us to park our truck and trailer there. The manager and one of her assistants agreed to take McKenzie home with them and kept her safe and secure for us for the ten days we were back in Texas. We spent several days with Martha and a few with Jan’s parents before we flew back to St. John’s. We knew many of you had met or at least heard about Red and we wanted to share this information with you. We know his spirit is still keeping up with us and we can just imagine the story he is telling up there about us kissing a dead, frozen fish!!!!
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