Day 116 - Thanksgiving Preparation, St. John's Cathedral

To get out of the rain I checked out the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. The oldest Parish in Canada, this church has plenty of treasures hidden within and a rich history. I arrived Saturday morning to congregation volunteers preparing the church for Thanksgiving service. The ladies and gentlemen of the church took turns showing me around while I snapped photos.

Day 115 - Cape Spear

After our conference finished I hitched a ride out to Cape Spear. It was so windy and raining so hard I barely made it out of the car.

Day 114 - Row houses along hillside

The City of St. John's offers many colourful wooden row houses built along the hillside.

Day 113 - Quidi Vidi

Quidi Vidi is a small fishing village that offers a pretty walk around and chance to check out the Quidi Vidi Brewing Company.

Day 112 - Yard Art, Junk or Protest?

Some houses in St. John's display such odd decorating choices you have to wonder: is it art? Or junk? Is the occupant extending a middle finger in some manner of protest?

Day 111 - Outer Battery, St. John's

I had a great week in St. John's although the weather was miserable. Breaks in hard rain and fog were rare. On my arrival day I managed to check out the Outer Battery and the initial part of the Northhead Trail. This walk reveals houses carved into the steep slopes of Signal Hill, unique folk yard art and people hanging out their windows, sipping coffee, watching tourists pass. I heard the city provides funding to local residents to compensate for the flow of tourists crawling over their property though I have no confirmation of this. Some properties are well kept, others are in disrepair and still others are downright whimsical. Regardless, walking along Fort Waldegrave Path and Battery Road for the first time is a surreal experience you will not soon forget.

Day 110 - Northumberland Links Day 2

Although it rained most of the day elsewhere in NS it was relatively dry at Northumberland Links. This is the old boat on the par 3 fourth hole, their signature hole.

Day 109 - Northumberland Links day 1

I had a nice weekend golfing at Northumberland Links outside Pugwash. We stayed at Cambra Sands in Malagash, which has really nice (newish) cottages. Sun, golf and cold beer... a fantastic Saturday.

Day 108 - Apples in fence

Day 107 - Java Blend coffee roaster

The thing I like about locally owned businesses is that they are always happy to open their doors and share their business story; pride of ownership shines through. Java Blend is a a locally owned coffee roaster/cafe on North Street dedicated to excellence in coffee. When I asked manager James Dikaios (pictured) how long he has worked in the coffee business he shrugged his shoulders and said "I've been hanging around this place since I was a kid". James showed me their roaster, gave me his take on what makes a good cup of java, and let me sample his signature espresso. They use a blend for their espresso called the "K2 Signature." It is described on their site as "possessing a balance of creamy, honeyed body and fine acidity in the finish."