A full sleep meant an appetite and the solution was pancakes with blueberries! Delicious! There were two new guests at our table too. One had been hiking a trail in Newfoundland for six days.
While my wife went to ‘The Outfitters’ store to hunt for hiking shoes, which she forgot in our front foyer at home, I went to pick up the rental car. They gave me a black Nissan Rogue and the transaction was smooth. I headed back to the B&B as Natalie was finishing her purchase and was going there too. The weather was particularly foggy today.
Our first destination together was Saint John’s Basilica, which was the largest church in North America when it was built in 1855. Queen Victoria granted permission for crown land to be used for its construction in a space enclosed during one day by a fence. Now it is just the second largest in Canada. Although I was impressed by its large open space inside without needing support pillars, as seen in many European cathedrals, the decor wasn’t particularly new or interesting. It reminded me of what I had seen in Catholic churches growing up in Moncton NB.
Next, we walked a very short distance (across the street) to get to ‘The Rooms’. It is a museum dedicated to the history of Newfoundland and Labrador and has interesting shapes outside and in. Heading up to the fourth floor, we wanted to eat first in the cafe, as the menu was interesting. What wasn’t interesting were the many people outside the cafe. We inquired with the wait staff and were told it would be an hour and forty-five-minute wait to get in. Turns out many others had the same idea to check out the museum on this foggy day.
Luckily there was an Italian restaurant just a ten-minute walk away…Piatto Pizzeria and Enoteca. We each ordered a 9” pizza with salad which is the regular lunch special. I got the Tutta Ciccia pizza and caprese salad while my wife got the Greca pizza and Barbabietola Arrostita salad. We each got a glass of wine and finished the meal with Illy cappuccinos. Yum. Back to ’The Rooms’.
During our nearly two hours walk through the museum I was impressed by the art, artifacts, and anthropological information which told the story of this province through time. The way everything was organized made sense and drew you in. The most interesting items to me were the symbols drawn by the last known Beothuk First Nation person and a birchbark map made by the Mik’maw in the early 1800’s. We finished at 440pm and headed downtown to see the Duke.
At the Duke of Duckworth, we had the opportunity to rest, have a drink, and take notes about our day amidst the noise of people, video gaming machines, and sports channels talking more about sports than showing any (even as our Canadian athletes are winning medals at the Commonwealth Games).
Just before leaving we decided to have supper at ‘Grotto’. In this trendy basement “apex of the curve” establishment we started with oysters. I ordered the house made pappardelle pasta with moose meat and wild mushrooms while my wife ordered the Osso Bucco. Switching halfway through it allowed us to try both scrumptious dishes. For dessert I ordered the espresso creme brûlée.
With full bellies and sated minds, we walked back to our B&B to shower, rest, write our draft emails, and call it a night. 7.7km walked and 61 flights climbed.
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