Tuesday – September 5, 2017
HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY to our granddaughter HAN!!!
I noticed something different and unique for the first time this morning: the sun was shining directly onto our balcony and into our cabin! We were finally heading south and since we’re on the port side, the rising sun was right there beyond the beautiful Atlantic Ocean.
The captain had announced we would arrive just outside St. John’s about nine o’clock and he would pick up the harbor pilot. So we got ready, had breakfast, and went out to the forward area on the deck six so we could watch the Rotterdam enter St. John’s harbor The sun was shining and there was a 28 knot stiff breeze and it was a glorious 59 degrees! So far we’ve traveled 8,297 nautical miles. Amazing!!
The ship turned westward. The Atlantic Ocean was behind us and the rocky shore of Newfoundland was in front of us. The rocks reminded me of Greenland, or Iceland. Comparison wasn’t difficult. I could barely make out the tiny opening between the rocks which was the entrance to the harbor. The captain said the harbor was only about 100 meters wide. I wondered about the dimensions of the ship and someone said the Rotterdam was about 33 meters wide. Hmmmm…
On the right, high above the ship was Signal Hill with Cabot Tower perched on top. Walkways with people hiking lined the cliff below Cabot Tower and the rocky hill dropped into the water. There was a short light above the water and a marker below it to starboard.
Below is a photo of brightly painted houses built on the rocks along the inlet, below Signal Hill.
To port, there was a small lighthouse and ancillary buildings built into the cliff. Below the lighthouse there were military bunkers with huge “guns” pointing in our direction. It was a reminder of the role that St. John’s played during World War Two as a strategic military base for the Allied forces.
In front of us was a tall green channel marker sticking out of the water. Yes it was narrow. The harbor entrance was very confined. Unbelievably limited. The ship proceeded very slowly into the constricted space. It was an exciting entrance into St. John’s Newfoundland. (The photo below is looking back, out into the Atlantic from inside the harbor. It’s a great naturally “protected harbor.”)
After we passed through the narrow opening, the harbor opened to reveal the city of St John’s. The ship continued to the commercial port and easily “parked” at a dock in the center of the city. It’s fun to watch the gigantic ship slowly move sideways and come alongside the dock.
We were finally in The Republic of Doyle!! :-) I’ll explain. There was a Canadian television program which aired for about six years finally ending in 2014. It was about the antics of a family of private detectives, named “Doyle,” and it took place in St. John’s Newfoundland. The photography was gorgeous and every episode highlighted the beauty of St. John’s with ariel photos. In the summer – on sunny days. The characters were quirky and funny and the plot was silly but the program was very entertaining. Apparently, it was a big hit in Canada. Jeff and I watched every episode of the Republic of Doyle and I wanted to see some of the specific places.
Below is a photo of a ship which services the offshore oil rigs off Canada. There were several of these near our ship, loading up.
We booked a short excursion called “Highlights of St. John’s and The Rooms.” We boarded a lovely new tour bus with about 50 other passengers and drove up Signal Hill to see the fantastic view. The guide said it was the most amazing view we will ever see and I could almost agree with her. The 360 degree view was spectacular!!
We continued on the bus with a quickie tour of St. John’s more interesting sights, eh. It’s a lovely city, eh?. There were many brightly painted houses built on the hills rising out of the harbor. The guide commented that the hilly streets of St. John’s makes San Francisco look flat. Eh?
The guide pointed out the house that was used as the exterior of the Doyle family house on the television show:
And the “Duke” of McMurdo’s Lane which served as the watering hole for Jake Doyle and his friends & enemies:
The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, finished in 1855, was built on top of the highest hill and has an imposing view of St. John’s.
The bus drove up the hill, passing the cathedral, and dropped us off across the street at The Rooms. This is a huge complex of museums and cultural centers and restaurants built around a glass enclosure with a commanding view of St. John’s.
We walked around, enjoyed the live music, peeked at the museums which told about the history of Newfoundland and the immigrants who fished and mined and developed the region.
We ate a late lunch of fresh fish at a really good restaurant overlooking the harbor. We were fortunate to have a table at the edge of the view. That’s the M.S. Rotterdam in the harbor below The Rooms:
Afterwards, we walked down the very steep street back to the waterfront and our ship. After 36 days living aboard the Rotterdam, it felt like “home.” We were lucky to have glorious weather today and we had fun exploring ‘The Republic of Doyle.’ In a couple of days we’ll be chugging into Boston harbor and we’ll really be “HOME.” Almost….