How to parallel park a really big boat!!

Now this requires skill!



Pretty awesome if you ask me!!

Who knew...

That Paradise could be found in Newfoundland...

Cycling to Walk

While at Cap Spear Newfoundland, we met Ramesh Ferris. He's ridden across Canada in a hand cycle which he powers with his arms. (Trust me you don't want to try arm wrestling this guy!)

He's raising funds and awareness to eradicate polio and support the rehabilitation of polio survivor in poor countries. He stared on April 12, 2008 in Vancouver and will officially complete his ride on October 1st, 2008 with a final ride from St. John's to Cape Spear! Check out his journey at www.cycletowalk.com and show him some support! Way to go Ramesh! It wonderful meeting you and your entourage! I took this shot while his buddy Chris set up his camera to take the perfect photo.


Ramesh and friends at Cape Spear

To the End of the Continent

It's day 7 for me on the rock, and a beautiful one it was. The sun was shining, the weather was warm..and there was no work to do! So off we went to Signal Hill.

A small boat was made to look smaller by the vastness of the ocean surrounding it.

a fishing vessel coming into St. John's Harbour

The midday sun on the water, made the ocean look like a multitude of tiny mirrors.


The goal of the day was to visit the eastern edge of the continent also known as Cape Spear! So I can now say I stood at the edge of the eastern most point of North America, pretty far up a cliff.

Cape Spear Historical Lighthouse

Cape Spear Lighthouse

Me overlooking the Atlantic..

Me at the edge of the continent!

An hour and a half later in Newfoundland

So I've been in St. John's Newfoundland now for 3 days. I'm not going to discuss the hotel..suffice it to say that the Treasury Management Association of Canada and the Real Estate people have a corner on every single hotel spot in the city. So if you don't like where you are..hotel's answer is basically...suck it up..at least your not sleeping outside! Total stranger drunk guy on the elevator who gave me his glow in the dark halo, perhaps he was just trying to offload a really tacky convention gift and joke's on me!


There are some great views and opportunity for awesome photos. Views from Signal Hill are amazing and the plan is to go back at dawn to get shots at sunrise...we'll see if that actually happens. It all sounds good in theory until the alarm goes off..then all bets are off. So until then..here's how I saw St. John's so far this week.


St. John's Harbour, Newfoundland


Atlantic Ocean..can you see Europe?


Fort Amherst, Newfoundland


Cliffs at Signal Hill, St John's Newfoundland


The edge of Canada
Cape Spear, Newfoundland (easternmost point in Canada)

Euphemisms for precipitation

Weather forecast looks pretty good for the week. Below is the Environment Canada Forecast for St. John's for the remainder of the week. I think the weather forecasters at Environment Canada have way too much time on their hands or enjoy their job a little too much. Notice how "scattered showers is less than 1mm of rain, and "a few showers" is close to 1mm of rain. What would the next category be? "a shower here and there" with a smidgen under 1mm of rain? ..wonder how I could get a job at Environment Canada coming up with euphemisms?

Long Term Forecast

	Tuesday Sep 23	Wednesday Sep 24	Thursday Sep 25	Friday Sep 26	Saturday Sep 27	Sunday Sep 28
Daytime Condition	Variable cloudiness	Scattered showers	Variable cloudiness	A few showers	Sunny	Sunny
P.O.P.	20%	40%	20%	60%	0%	0%
High	12°C	11°C	11°C	15°C	15°C	14°C
Low	6°C	7°C	6°C	7°C	12°C	12°C
Wind	W 15 km/h	NW 20 km/h	N 35 km/h	SW 25 km/h	W 30 km/h	N 15 km/h
24-Hour Rain	-	less than 1 mm	-	close to 1 mm	-	-

Updated:Monday Sep 22 2008,5:32 NST

We only slow down....

Is this really a bus "stop" if there's no stopping?

To St. John's I go....

Well before the crack of dawn this morning I headed off to Ottawa Airport to catch my flight, en route to St. John’s, Newfoundland. Eyes barely open after a less than restful 4 hours sleep, I sit here in the lounge waiting for my flight to be called..or the gate changed, whichever comes first.

It’s a two leg flight, first I fly to Toronto, then from Toronto to St. John’s. Now I know my math is a little fuzzy given the number of years since I took geometry, but I do recall something about the shortest line between two points is a direct line. But to fly 500kms west in order to backtrack over the same distance heading east is always a bit mind boggling to me.

I’m looking forward to this trip for 2 reasons. First, I’ll be leaving the Ottawa allergy season behind. It seems that whenever I leave town, I’m a normal, uncongested free breathing person. The minute I return I am a sniffling, sneezing, coughing and eyes watering allergy sufferer.

Second reason is that I’ve never been to St. John’s. I’ve been to Labrador, but never Newfoundland.

Random Observation:

Overheard on Air Canada “At Air Canada Safety is our top priority” this made me wonder…whose safety are they so concerned about, theirs or mine? Notice didn't state. "your safety" ….didn’t this announcement use to be “Your safety and COMFORT are our top priority”? …guess that went the way of the in flight meal and real cutlery.

And finally we arrived in St. John's..here are my first impressions the first from the hotel. No sunshine, so I'm withholding my judgment of the place!

St. John's Harbour, Newfoundland
View from the Hotel

Dreaming of sailing away...

Yeah, I could handle living on one of these..

Oh Canada

For the past 10 days or so I have not read a newspaper or watched tv, so I was oblivious to what was going on in the world. Today I was awakened to the fact that Canada is about to once again go through a painful election campaign. So far I've watched 1 hour of TV and seen 4 campaign commercials telling me how soft, warm and fuzzy Stevo is and how annoying each and every candidate seems to be. So I may turn off my tv, cancel my newspaper subscription until sometime in December, when both Canada and the US have made their choice known and moved on..cause in the end..it'll be more of the same.

For the first time I'm looking forward to Christmas commercials!

Today's destination...Halifax

Ok, for those of you a little confused and getting whiplash trying to keep track of where I am..here's a quick rundown. Yes..last week I was in Cape Cod and Boston. I got back to Ottawa on Saturday night, and on Sunday flew to Halifax. Cape Cod was vacation, Halifax is work.

Now, there are good things about traveling to Halifax for work.
1. I'm in Halifax for a week.
2. Allergies will hopefully disappear by tomorrow night.
3. Work this week will not involve a cubicle.
4. Nice Hotel with room service and valet parking.
5. I can see a lighthouse from my hotel window! (see below)


Georges Island Lighthouse, Halifax Harbour, NS

From the sea

Crowded Beach

Hyannis

Today I skipped the organized guided tour and stayed in Hyannis. I walked along the beach near the Hyannis Yacht Club and simply enjoyed the feel of sand through my toes.


Hyannis Yacht Club and Beach

Hyannis Yacht Club

Hyannis Yacht Club - private entrance

left behind by the surf

along the beach

Breakwater at edge of harbour

Here's a bit of irony. Check out those birds hanging out under the American Flag!
I do believe those are CANADIAN GEESE! Geographically Challenged Birds


Irony...Geographically challenged Geese

Cheers to Boston!

Our tour left Hyannis and took us to Boston for the day. Glad I was not at the wheel of the Coach. Drivers in this state are nuts! Our driver Dave managed to get us through the city, around tight corners, over hills and through swamps.. OK so I exaggerate a little, but he did manage to parallel park the bus ..you try it sometime. It's not as easy as he made it look. I'm impressed by anyone who can parallel park anything, let alone a big bright canary yellow bus between two other buses. Point is..'tis better to be passenger or pedestrian than a driver in Boston, unless of course you're Dave!

Spent some time walking around Boston , not nearly enough time, but some is better than none. The weather was sunny and it was very very hot!

Boston is the most interesting city I've ever visited. The architecture is amazing, the gardens and green space are plentiful and the views amazing.

First up was the famed Bull & Finch Pub on Beacon and Brimmer (it's the street front that appeared on Cheers). Didn't eat there, just walked by, gawked and took a picture! Yes folks I'm a typical tourist.


Bull and Finch Pub, Boston (Cheers!)

A few blocks away is a small cobblestone street called Acorn Street in the Beacon Hill neighbourhood. First there is irony. Acorn street is next to Cedar street and Chestnut street, but nowhere near Elm street, which is clear across the city in another neighbourhood.

Acorn street is very very narrow and the homes on this street were built in the 1820s. It is a tiny street that one might not notice, it's almost like an alley. I came across it somewhat by accident but found it extremely pretty and quaint. The entire neighbourhood has this feel except maybe for the Starbucks on the corner.


Acorn Street, Beacon Hill, Boston

We visited the Shipyards in Charlestown, Boston. I'm not sure if this house had any particular history, but it is extremely well maintained and made for an interesting photo. So many houses in Boston have this stately feel.


Estate house near the Shipyards

The most impressive part of Boston was the Commons and Botanical Garden. It is this luscious green space in the middle of the City with the skyline as a backdrop. There were people hanging out, having lunch, reading, playing music, painting..you name it, people were doing it.


People hanging out at Boston Commons


Skyline from the Duck pond in the Gardens


Another view of the Gardens

Here's me at the Kennedy Library and Museum with Boston Skyline as backdrop.


My visit to Boston was way to short and way to quick. I will return to see all those things that I missed....Not sure what we'll do tomorrow..

Whales off Cape Cod

This afternoon, we headed off Cape Cod, from Provincetown to whale watch. It was a brisk choppy day on the water, but the whales were in full form. It was a beautiful afternoon.





..and on our way home, I caught this view..the sun off the water was breathtaking.


A beautiful end to a beautiful day.