A Slow Start to Spring in St. John's

[TAZ4ate0]

Awesome photography. Awesome, interesting, and colorful place.

edit: Oh, and I want to add a thank you for including some history and facts of the area. By doing so, you've answered the questions I would have had.

[SignalHillHiker]

Thanks. The history is fun - and unexpected. There are just so many little tidbits that are hilarious, or surprising, or interesting.

Just off the top of my head, three Americans might find interesting:

• A great many Newfoundland families moved here after first settling in Boston. Enough that, certainly, a sizeable percentage of our population today can trace its roots through that American city back to Ireland and the United Kingdom.
• All flights between Europe and North America used to have to stop in Newfoundland to refuel. We have towns of just a few thousand in Newfoundland that still have airports large enough to land the space shuttle. And these towns - Stephenville, for example (where Christina Aguilera's mother is from, and where her parents met) - have hosted performances by Frank Sinatra, been visited by Marilyn Monroe, etc. Anyone who crossed the Atlantic prior to the invention of modern aircraft visited them.
• A funny one: Like the United Kingdom, Newfoundlanders used to drive on the left side of the road. As part of the process of preparing to join Canada, we switched to the right side of the road. At midnight. On New Years Eve. No joke. And, to make it even more hilarious: only half the island made the switch at first. You'd be driving down the highway and, a few hours outside of St. John's, have to switch over to the other side of the road.

[Ayreonaut]

Nice stuff, as always. Today has sure turned out to be lovely as well. Hopefully it stays this time, seeing as I'm finally finished for the year tomorrow morning.

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

But snow, I hate. Real rain, I hate. Most of the rain we get here is much closer to mist, which I mind less.

I love real rain (big drops so loud you have to yell inside the house, with thunder/lightning cracking the sky) and hate this misty bs we get, haha. It gets me wet without raining, and the accompanying wind chills me to the bone more than any prairie winter ever has.

[SignalHillHiker]

Well, you're from Calgary, so I don't doubt it. If you were from Winnipeg and found it colder here, I'd call BS. Because -30C is hell of a lot colder than 0C, no matter how misty it is .

[Ayreonaut]

I walked around Yorkton, SK in -58 windchill and I've been colder here.

[SignalHillHiker]

Then I don't believe you. I've been in -15C in Winnipeg and never felt as cold before in my life.

[pallo]

beautiful photos, what camera did you use?

St John's has my ideal weather, I could really see myself living there

[KevinFromTexas]

What a pretty place. Those first photos of the steep street makes it look really slippery. That would be spooky on a bike with that view ahead of you.

[SignalHillHiker]

Thanks, all!

Kevin: that area of the city is called The Battery. There's an Inner Battery, Middle Battery, and Outer Battery. There's really only one street that passes through them - and the rest of the homes are linked on pedestrian-only trails.

Here's what it's like hiking in that neighbourhood:

• Video Link

Originally Posted by pallo

beautiful photos, what camera did you use?

St John's has my ideal weather, I could really see myself living there

Thanks! I use a Canon EOS Rebel T3i.

[Ayreonaut]

Spring didn't stay...

Seriously, eff this crap!

[SignalHillHiker]

Yes, everyone. This morning, we had more snow.

Now it's melted again - but it is still very cold and the wind is SSSOOO annoyingly constant and strong. I was cursing at it just walking to the grocery.

[SignalHillHiker]

April 12, 2013

It snowed last night and again this morning. Then it turned into this weird sort of misty slush that seemed as though it was defying the laws of physics simply by being airborne. Then the clouds finally cleared away in a gale of impossibly strong, biting cold wind.







And here is an ad featuring the lighthouses at Cape Spear (background):

• Video Link

[toyota74]

This thread is delicious....great photography and great looking place I have to say.I would love to have such deep snow...anyways good stuff out of you kid.

[SignalHillHiker]

Thank you.

April 13, 2013

It is 0C and mostly cloudy - but the people of St. John's have collectively said, "**** it, we'll take it." Everyone is out hiking, jogging, walking around. Even in shorts!

I could not live in this house. I'd be afraid I'd wake up half-way to Ireland. It is far too close to the water to be safe. Even moderate storm surges in this neighbourhood have destroyed houses significantly higher up the hillside.



Two new restaurants being constructed on a tiny strip of available land between the street and the harbour. It'll be interesting once finished.



Fortis Place, one of the two new office towers under construction. Fortis is the St. John's company. It is, by far, the biggest one to have started here that didn't move its head office elsewhere. Bowring's is the only other big one that even comes to mind for me.



351, the other tower under construction.



A view of the Downtown West End from a gritty (but still tourist-oriented) walking trail through the industrial portion of the docks. The building in the foreground is the old railway museum (we gave up our railway when we joined Canada. They were supposed to build a four-lane highway across the island instead. They never did. It's two-lanes only in most places).



The iconic Kimberly Row. These three houses are the ones most often used to represent St. John's in tourist-related imagery.

[SignalHillHiker]

April 13, 2013

I (and hundreds of others) went to Cape Spear late this afternoon to hike the trails and admire the waves. It was spectacular.

The waves were slightly larger than usual.



The families at the upper right will give you a sense of scale:



It wasn't really windy so these waves are from a storm much farther offshore.



Looking back toward St. John's. You can see Cabot Tower at the upper right, and Fort Amherst at the lower centre.



We haven't killed any tourists yet this year. They seem to be learning.



The PUFFSSHH sound was amazing.



I'm still amazed our ancestors were ever able to scale the cliffs, let alone build a city on them.



I hiked to the top of a communications tower trail in Shea Heights, overlooking the city.

[ErickMontreal]

Those are serious quality pictures, St Johns seems just great and unique !

[SignalHillHiker]

Thank you!

*****

A video of the waves today.

• Video Link

[Danny]

Amazing waves! Thanks for the new pictures and videos. I really enjoy watching that spectacular coastline and fierce ocean. Thanks again for the updates. St. John´s and surroundings are spectacular.

Congrats and greetings from Madrid, Spain!

[SignalHillHiker]

April 25, 2013

Freshly returned from Boston, I couldn't wait to get out and take some pictures at home today.

























Maybe it's flying to Boston?

[SignalHillHiker]

April 25, 2013

Jeddy1989 and I went out for a photo run tonight. Joint effort.