Day 5 (3/5): Life on the Rock
After days chasing down bus schedules on my Metrobus app, today's first stop was across the street, up the stairs, and across the street again to The Rooms. (Consider the Cultural Center combined with the Clay Center, minus the performing arts hall.)
I was engrossed in the second-floor presentation of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment's activities during WWI - as they were at the time independent of, but fighting with, Britain - fighting at Gallipoli and then losing some 700 troops on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Moving upstairs to lighter fare, it was tales of local tails and skeletons, local portraitures, and local artists, but then took a hard right on the fourth floor with paintings of animal necropsies. (C'mon, guys - I realize it's art, but right next to the restaurant? "Yep.")
After dashing my gift-shop purchases down the hill to the house, I walked out to Government House, home of Lieutenant Governor Judy Foote, the queen's representative in N&L. While she was out and about in the province, she apparently left her dog at home upstairs, as the tour guide and I could hear it bark several times while we were downstairs.
It was then a windy trek up Signal Hill to GeoCentre, a museum dedicated to the geology and sciences of N&L. Much like the Fluvariumy, the GeoCentre was built into its surroundings, allowing half-billion-year-old rock to be put on display.
After a quick stop-off at Tim Hortons to warm me and the phone up, it was on to Cochrane St UC's observance of Shrove Tuesday - i.e., Mardi Gras with pancakes instead of alcohol. Sitting across from me was Patricia, 60 years in N&L but still an Oxford English speaker, eager to show me off to David and Carol (our seatmates) and anyone else who walked by. She even offered me a quick tour of the sanctuary before offering to drive me to the nearby-to-the-house Sobey's to pick up some grocery items. What a grand soul she was.
Now, to pack for the journey inland....
(PS: The radio station listed below - as well as three others in the province - preceded confederation into Canada, so they kept their VO** call letters.)
I was engrossed in the second-floor presentation of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment's activities during WWI - as they were at the time independent of, but fighting with, Britain - fighting at Gallipoli and then losing some 700 troops on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Moving upstairs to lighter fare, it was tales of local tails and skeletons, local portraitures, and local artists, but then took a hard right on the fourth floor with paintings of animal necropsies. (C'mon, guys - I realize it's art, but right next to the restaurant? "Yep.")
After dashing my gift-shop purchases down the hill to the house, I walked out to Government House, home of Lieutenant Governor Judy Foote, the queen's representative in N&L. While she was out and about in the province, she apparently left her dog at home upstairs, as the tour guide and I could hear it bark several times while we were downstairs.
It was then a windy trek up Signal Hill to GeoCentre, a museum dedicated to the geology and sciences of N&L. Much like the Fluvariumy, the GeoCentre was built into its surroundings, allowing half-billion-year-old rock to be put on display.
After a quick stop-off at Tim Hortons to warm me and the phone up, it was on to Cochrane St UC's observance of Shrove Tuesday - i.e., Mardi Gras with pancakes instead of alcohol. Sitting across from me was Patricia, 60 years in N&L but still an Oxford English speaker, eager to show me off to David and Carol (our seatmates) and anyone else who walked by. She even offered me a quick tour of the sanctuary before offering to drive me to the nearby-to-the-house Sobey's to pick up some grocery items. What a grand soul she was.
Now, to pack for the journey inland....
(PS: The radio station listed below - as well as three others in the province - preceded confederation into Canada, so they kept their VO** call letters.)