Trailing Off

Walking north of the city, there are all sorts of trails that wind up and around and over and past Signal Hill, itself the top of a trail. North Head, Ladies Lookout, Sugarloaf, Quidi Vidi Lake. We did a little of each and a lot of some, and were rewarded with bracing winds and fabulous views.

First stop was the Battery. If anyone were to ask you why someone planned a series of gun emplacements in this place, then their either have never been here or are idiots. At the top of the hill overlooking this narrow entrance to St. John's harbour, one can see anything approaching from the Atlantic Ocean for miles, as well las the whole of the harbour. 

Cabot's tower at the top pf Signal Hill, with the Battery slightly lower and to the right

Not that it could have been much fun for the young men manning and living in this place, exposed to everything Mother Nature could fling at it. Today, the biting wind pushed us around and we stayed clear of the sheer cliffs. I can't imagine what it must have been like with added rain, sleet, fog and/or snow. And the chance of landslides, of which there have been a few.

It saw lots of action though, from 17th century raids right through the second World War.

At the top of Signal Hill there is a unique reminder of British influence. Almost a folly. It is known as Cabot Tower, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the John Cabot's landing on Newfoundland in 1497 as well as Queen Victoria's 60th year on the throne, 1897.

The hill was originally known by the prosaic name of The Lookout, and was changed to Signal Hill after successful flagmasting that finished the seven years war in Britain's favour over the French, but became synonymous with another kind of signalling (more about that later)

Ladies' lookout was to Cuckold's Cove, a rare harbour for fishers that was not at the bottom of sheer cliffs as everywhere else around here is.

Looking towards Cuckold's Cove from Ladies' Lookout (wonder where those names came from!)

Oddly enough, the only thing open was a gist shop in Cabot Tower and a chocolate cafe with toilets along the way, favoured by a large contigent of senior travelers in a bus.

Opting over beer over a long line for chocolate (for the first time EVER) we followed the path to Quidi Vidi, Suitably fortified we followed a short bit of  Sugarloaf trail, which promised a hair-raising 9 km of cliff hugging excitement, but as there was no way of returning from the endpoint and it was already 3pm, we decided to save the rest of that trail for another time.

Cobwebs blown, we felt ready for a cuppa instead.