I woke up to a semi-mauzy (cloud/ foggy) day and was mug-up (having a cup of tea) when Theresa got up. She is really into the culture here as she looked at me and said "Whadda y'at?" ("What's up?"). This is our first full day of adventure in St. John's and we want to make it a memorable one.  
 
We decided to venture to Brigus about 80 km from St. John's. Brigus is a small fishing community located on Conception Bay. It's a lovely town, with the quaintness often found in European villages. The name “Brigus” is derived from “Brickhouse,” an old English town, pronounced with an accent only found in this part of North America. The town's well-kept old-style architecture, rustic stone walls, lush, green gardens and winding narrow lanes are reflective of its English, Irish and Welsh heritage.  
It is believed that the community was initially settled in 1624 when the Spracklin family purchased half of the harbour from John Guy. The town has survived being almost completely burned down twice by the French. Brigus, like most Newfoundland towns, was a very resilient town.   The Hawthorne Cottage was the Brigus home of Captain Robert Bartlett. Captain Bob commanded more than twenty expeditions to the Arctic region. Many of these voyages were devoted to advancing scientific knowledge of the North. No matter how far north he sailed, Captain Bob seldom returned to his home in New York City without docking in Brigus for a few days. Here he enjoyed time with friends and family at Hawthorne Cottage. Hawthorne Cottage came into the Bartlett family through Bob’s mother, Mary Leamon Bartlett. It was built in 1830 by her grandfather, Brigus merchant John Leamon. The house was moved three years later from its original site in Cochranedale 10 kilometres (six miles) to its current location. The cottage combines features of Newfoundland vernacular architecture enhanced by picturesque architectural details. The architecture of Hawthorne has been recognized by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada as typifying the refined lifestyle of Newfoundland outport merchant families of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Brigus Tunnel was hand blasted in the summer of 1860 by the Cornish miner, John Hoskins, in order to provide unhindered access to Abram Bartlett’s Wharf. It was constructed using steel spikes and black gun powder. Holes formed by steel spikes driven into solid rock and filled with black gun powder was the method employed in the blasting stage of construction. The tunnel represented an early engineering feat which took about four months to complete. Some of the steel spikes used in the building of the tunnel are on display at Ye Olde Stone Barn Museum (which was closed while we were there). The tunnel measures approximately 80 feet long, 8 1/2 feet high and 8 feet wide. By this time we were gut foundered b'y (really hungry) so we had lunch at the only cafe in Brigus. We thought we'd get some fantastic home cooked meals but the offerings were sparse - soups and sandwiches - but the prices were high. We ended up,paying about $40 for 2 soups, 2 sandwiches, 2 soft drinks and a dessert. Mind you I'm told the dessert was some shockin good (delicious). 
 
Jutting out into the cold and violent North Atlantic, Cape Spear is the most easterly point of North America. This was our next stop. Originally named “Cabo da Esperança” by Portuguese sailors, then “Cap d’Espoir” by the French, and eventually Cape Spear by the English, this point of land has been an important navigational aid from the earliest days of Newfoundland’s exploration to the present. Built in 1836, Cape Spear features Newfoundland’s oldest surviving lighthouse, which is based on a square two story building with the tower and light in the middle. The Cape Spear Lighthouse represents the unique architecture of lighthouse construction during this era. The structure consists of a stone light tower surrounded by the lightkeeper's residence. In 1955 a new lighthouse tower was built on the site using the active light from the original lighthouse. As it stands now the lighthouse has been restored to its 1839 appearance and is set up to show how a mid-nineteenth century lighthouse keeper and his family would have lived. Generations of the Cantwell family of lightkeepers resided at Cape Spear for over 150 years and worked tirelessly to maintain a light so vital to mariners. Inside the restored lighthouse one discovers the true life of a 19th-century lighthouse keeper.  

Cape Spear’s location near the convoy routes of the Second World War made it a strategic point in the Battle of the Atlantic. To provide protection for convoys from German submarines a battery and garrison was stationed at Cape Spear featuring bunkers, underground passages, and two 10-inch guns. Today this outpost is no longer used by any military and the remains of the bunker stand as a reminder of the impact of the war. Along with its history Cape Spear is an excellent place to see seabirds, icebergs, ships, and whales in the spring and summer months. Sightings have included dolphins, humpback whales, and even on rare occasions orca whales. We, however, saw none of these. We did, however, have our breath taken away while watching my nephew, Kyle, risking life and limb on the stone outcrops excited to be taking breathtaking pictures in gale force winds. We were hoping that if he did stumble he would sprout wings and we would, then, have seen some kind of seabird. Along with opportunities to see wildlife on the sea and land the East Coast Hiking Trail passes through Cape Spear, offering access to some of the island’s best hiking trails. This was truly a spectacular visit. And to make it even more unbelievable I just happened to bump into a neighbour from the cottage!  

Then in it was back to the hotel to refresh and out for an authentic Newfoundland dinner. Kyle chose lobster and Theresa and I has cod tongues as an appetizer and a pan fried cod dinner.