Not a rest day
Somehow Denise's plans to have an easy day today just didn't work. We were going from the time we walked out of the B&B after breakfast until almost 5 o'clock. We sat for a little bit before heading out for some food, but I think we both need an early to sleep night.
One of the things on my list of "must haves" from this trip is a new photo or two of me. There was a nice spot on top of Signal Hill, but it was really really windy. Denise thought I might go flying over the edge, so I staying in my safer than "on the edge" spot. Maybe tomorrow.
Our first wander of the day was to Signal Hill. We started up the road, then switched to a trail as soon as it meandered away from the road. Up and up and up... oh! what a nice view from the top! We even climbed up Cabot Tower. Don't worry, there were very narrow winding stairs inside. We made a big circle instead of reversing direction on the way down. We bounced down a trail that stayed kind of close to the water. I say kind of because it was still up high, not down at water level. A good part of the trail was wooden stairs and boardwalks - with a few dirt paths between the wooden sections. One of the dirt paths even had some chain hung from the rocks. Luckily there really wasn't much exposure there. If there had been it might have taken me a while to convince Denise that it was wide enough for her to safely walk down. You know she doesn't like exposure, don't you?
The last little bit on the way down danced through some houses built on the edge, almost hanging on the side of the rocky outcroppings. The road led to the St. John's waterfront. We walked there for a bit, stopping to sit on a dock, watching the ducks, listening to a lunchtime concert. We walked along the water for a bit, then Denise looked at her watch and decided we'd better head to our next wandering spot.
When she was reading about St. John's before our trip she found that there is a botanical garden at the university. The Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden was a good spot for a mid-afternoon walk. The gardens are a mix of planted gardens and trails through areas with native wildflowers. Denise would happily add it to her list of oft-visited gardens if it was a bit closer to home!
I convinced her to sit still for an hour between our return from the gardens and when we headed out for some food. Dinner, and then... no, we didn't stop yet. Denise wanted to walk along the waterfront again. She chatted with a couple of people sharing the same locations with us, and she took some photos of the late day light.
It was a good day, good but tiring!
Tomorrow we head to Terra Nova National Park, ending the day in Eastport.
For now... I think it's time to sleep!--- Rover
