Downtown St John's

Wed July 4 - This was our day to explore downtown St John's.
First stop was Quidi Vidi (pronounced Kiddy Viddy). This is a small picturesque fishing village to the east of downtown. This sheltered inlet and strategic location made it ideal for military activities since the 1700's. There are many historic structures in this area. One of the oldest is the Mallard cottage, now a restaurant. The Quidi Vidi craft brewery is also housed in an old warehouse.

Next stop, downtown. We walked along the 2 main business streets, Duckworth & Water, dropping into many of the unique stores.
Just up the hill we found many fine examples of Jelly Bean houses. Colorfully painted row houses. Apparently there are by-laws dictating how they shall be painted. For example, no two houses in the same block can be the same color.

Little Red Dog was most excited about visiting the tribute to some distant relatives. The Newfoundland and closely related smaller Labrador.

We also visited the tribute depicting Mile 0 of Terry Fox's epic run. This is where he dipped his prosthetic leg into the Atlantic Ocean before starting his run across Canada to raise awareness to cancer. A very moving statue.

Walking along Water St, we saw a men's wear store with hats in the window. So, we dropped in and I found a jaunty new summer hat for Boballoonie.

And of course, after a stressful day of sightseeing and shopping we had to sample some of the local craft brews on a lovely rooftop patio. 

After supper we went to The Rooms - Newfoundland and Labrador's largest public cultural space. It contains archives, art gallery and museum. The Rooms is built high above St John's with a spectacular view of the city and harbour.
There is an outstanding display of Newfoundland involvement in the wars and a photo booth area.