Newfoundland & Labrador - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island - page 348

Signal Hill National Historic Site HISTORIC SITE
( 709-772-5367; www.pc.gc.ca/signalhill ) The city's most famous landmark offers a glori-
ous view, though there's much more to see. The tiny castle atop the hill is Cabot Tower (
8:30am-5pm Apr-Nov) , built in 1900 to honor both John Cabot's 1497 arrival
Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. In midsummer, soldiers dressed as the 19th-century
Royal Newfoundland Company perform a tattoo ( www.rnchs.ca/tattoo ; admission $5;
11am & 3pm Wed-Thu, Sat & Sun Jul & Aug) and fire cannons.
An interpretive center (adult/child $3.90/1.90; 10am-6pm May-Oct) features displays
on the site's history. The last North American battle of the Seven Years' War took place
here in 1762, and Britain's victory ended France's renewed aspirations for control of
eastern North America. The tattoo takes place next to the center at O'Flaherty Field.
You can see cannons and the remains of the late-18th-century British battery at
Queen's Battery & Barracks further up the hill. Inside Cabot Tower, educational dis-
plays relay how Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi received the first wireless transat-
lantic message from Cornwall, England at the site in 1901. An amateur radio society op-
erates a station in the tower in July and August.
Signal Hill also offers guided tours around the grounds, Thursday lunches where you
eat like an 18th-century soldier (complete with rum pairings) and sunset concerts. Check
the website's 'Activities' section for details and costs.
An awesome way to return to downtown is along the North Head Trail (1.7km) which
connects Cabot Tower with the harborfront Battery neighborhood. The walk departs from
the tower's parking lot and traces the cliffs, imparting tremendous sea views and some-
times whale spouts. The trailhead isn't marked; look for it right before you enter the lot.
It's the path leading furthest to the right. Because much of the trail runs along the bluff's
sheer edge, this walk is not something to attempt in icy, foggy or dark conditions. Free
maps are available at Cabot Tower.
The site sits 1.5km from downtown, up Signal Hill Rd.
TEA TOMB
All around the Anglican Cathedral of St John the Baptist you'll see signs for 'tea in
the crypt.' Sound spooky? It is a bit when you first arrive at the church's basement,
what with all the women in flowery dresses and sensible shoes flurrying to and fro.
But give it a chance, and high tea ( $9; 2:30-4pm Mon-Fri Jul & Aug ) here becomes more
than home-baked cookies and mini-scones. It's a chance to chat with the older
generation about jam recipes, tips for summer holidays and the way things used to