Photos of the Harbour, Too Polite Canadians

These photos were mostly taken through my hotel window, but I am very happy with the new camera/phone!.  What a beautiful place.  The air smells amazing.  The mound of stuff to the bottom right is salt.  They have huge piles all along the docks, getting ready for winter and also I suspect to take it out to the oil platforms these ships service.

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The hotel I am staying in is on this interesting street

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which turns out to possibly be the oldest named street in St. John’s:

Before the Great Fire, it was the home to several woodworking and furniture factories, such as the Newfoundland Woodworking Factory and the Empire Woodworking Factory, and while it’s said that the factories and their piles of wood chips gave the Hill O’Chips its name, the true origins may never be known as it is quite possibly the oldest street name in the City.

Never officially named by the City of St. John’s, it may have been originally known as Biskin Hill, but the name changed to Chip Hill and it was known as Hill O’Chips by the late 1700’s, when Water Street was still known as The Lower Path. Historically speaking, Hill O’Chips may have been the place where Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed Newfoundland in 1583, but there is no real evidence to support this fact. A former resident of the Hill was Thomas McGrath, a blacksmith who had his house and forge on the hill. McGrath went on to form the super-fun Total Abstinence & Benefit Society and had some wild founder’s meetings at the back of his blacksmith forge. The Hill may have also been a pathway to the London Tavern, where all sorts of fancy people hung out back in the day. http://thescope.ca/bestofstjohns/best-street-name

And here is the view down the hill, this lovely morning:

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And as to the too polite Canadians, when I was getting off the elevator to come back to my room after my morning walk, two gentlemen were waiting to get on, and I am not sure who said sorry first, it might well have been me.  And then they proceeded to say, sorry, sorry, you first, and then sorry again, sometimes at the same time.  I think it was about eight sorries and one you first, and no other words were spoken.  Ah, so not Toronto, where I had the strange good fortune to meet a fellow who had a show on the Food Network

as I elbowed some youths out of our way so we could get off the subway.

This is more like it.  These kind of Canadians:

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Have a nice day …

 

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20 Responses to Photos of the Harbour, Too Polite Canadians

  1. Pete Maravich says:

    I have always enjoyed traveling and meeting new and fine folk…gives one hope. Thank you for sharing. 1st!..bagels,bacon and fresh local eggs for breakfast, bourbon( later) in lieu of statin pharma’s. Love to all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5La_ZOXY0U

  2. Pete Maravich says:

    bucking the system with absolutely no fear of double moderation reprecussions..for Xty.

  3. Pete Maravich says:

    bucking the system with absolutely no fear of double moderation and repercussion ..for Xty. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRO30tzGVtA

  4. Pete Maravich says:

    for someone that I hope to see. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiPqeeMfmfA

  5. Pete Maravich says:
  6. Pete Maravich says:

    dunno., just a tune that i want to hear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9BRia7J9P4

  7. Pete Maravich says:

    for Woodpecker, EO ,Xty and me. maybe RaRaRas? lets hope so. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOZ1mCRBxn4

  8. xty says:

    Why doesn’t this moderation system function? This is me, but trying to comment without being logged in, to experience all the frustration.

  9. xty says:

    So now I should be approved? But it never seems to work. Hmnn lets see.

  10. xty says:

    Seems to be a problem with wordpress and askimet the spam filter plugin. I will see what I can do, but I think if you are willing I can register people and then it might stop. I am going to try to register myself as xtyb and a different email.

  11. Xty B says:

    Will this get moderated?

  12. xty says:

    And the answer was yes, even though I was logged in. Back to the drawing board.

  13. Xty B says:

    A unique and boring problem, apparently. Still searching for an answer.

  14. Pete Maravich says:

    ahh. good morning. waked and… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_-Nc_mMXyA one man gathers what another man spills…Woodpecker can fix it, after he kisses a fish..whatever that means.

  15. Pete Maravich says:

    just keeping that moderator on her toes with some obscure Neil. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4ED-VOxwYs

  16. Pete Maravich says:

    snatched a juke for the place..hi EO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aRhqVWUPPs

  17. Dryocopus pileatus says:

    traditionally, the fish kissed is a cod.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_Screech

  18. Dryocopus pileatus says:

    here is a visual illustration of a typical “screech in” ceremony…

  19. Pete Maravich says:

    the Woodpecker..back in whoville? miss ya..birds! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLnXLmPuzDY

  20. EO says:

    Howdy boys (and girl). Just checking in. Nice pics Xty, keep em coming.

Comments are closed.