The ship pulled into port at 8 am and we overlooked the downtown area of this city. With a population of about 110,000, this city was much larger than St. Anthony.
We left the ship after 9 am and decided to do a GPSMyCity walking tour.
Lots of interesting looking buildings. Not much was open this early. We took a little detour off of the tour and walked to the Quidi Vidi (pronounced kiddy vidi by the locals) neighborhood. About a 40 minute walk up and down some steep hills and next to the Quidi Vidi lake. When we arrived we saw an area in front of a harbour with food trucks and picnic tables. The harbor is known as the gut. Probably because fish are cleaned next to it and the guts are thrown into it.
We saw a craft brewery and decided it is never too early to do some sampling. We waited at the entrance for the hostess. There she came down a huge flight of stairs and took us up and seated us. She must be exhausted at the end of the day from doing that flight so many times.
The brewery was empty but quickly filled with ship people. We decided to order lunch. When I ordered the fish and chips the waitress asked if I would like the fries covered in gravy. Huh? Was my response. “A Newfoundland favorite”, said the waitress. “Much like Thanksgiving Day stuffing”. This I have to try, I thought. When she brought the dish, the fish was huge. The fries were extra crispy and covered with beef gravy and sprinkled generously with stuffing. The stuffing is made from breadcrumbs, onion, butter, and dried savory. Wow! What a discovery. They were delicious. The fish became side dish and the fries the meal. I would come back for this. Do a search for Newfoundland fries.
We finished lunch and caught back up to the spots on the tour we started. The jelly bean row house were next. Mid to late 1800s.
The commissary at house was on the tour but wasn’t very exciting.
The Basilica of St. John the Baptist. This is considered the mother church of Roman Catholicism in Newfoundland. Completed in 1855, this is the second largest church in all of Canada. The largest is St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal.
It was after 2 pm and the ship was just a few blocks downhill from the church. All aboard was 4:30. There was plenty of time to see the last place on the tour. It was less than one half mile from the church and we decided to visit George Street. The description was that George Street was a lively destination renowned for its thriving bar and pub scene. This small street, spanning only two blocks, is a haven for nightlife enthusiasts and food lovers.
We past more interesting buildings on our way.
When we turned the corner onto George Street, I was taken back to Dublin, Ireland. The street where the Temple Bar is. Live music and Irish pubs all along the street.
We sat across from this stage and listened for a while. We were lucky enough to arrive here during the George Street festival. We thought about taking a drive here and visit next year. 2100 miles from home and rough country to navigate along with a long ferry ride to get to Newfoundland Island. Probably won’t happen.
We stopped in a local brewery for a drink. We sat next to a local gentleman who told us that how George St. had nothing on it when he was a kid. One gentleman opened a restaurant and it did well. Then he opened another and another. Others decided this was a good location and George Street was reborn.
We headed back to the ship. About an 8.5 mile day and we were tired.
The evening entertainment was a ventriloquist Mike Robinson who was from Nova Scotia. We have seen him before. He does put on a good show but we know from experience that show will be the same. We passed on the show and relaxed in our room.