In late spring, I felt an indescribable pull toward the Rock. Looking back, I realize now that I had reached a crossroads in my life and I needed to spend some time at a place where I could regroup, refresh, and revitalize myself. I was a new retiree and I needed direction and downtime; so I cashed in my air miles and booked a trip to Newfoundland.
My first excursion was to Cape Spear, the most-easterly point in North America. I learned that over 600,000 visitors come each year and many of them arrive early in the morning to be the first in all of North America to see the rising sun of a new day.
The next stop was at Signal Hill, a national historic site which rises 160 metres above the narrow approach to the harbour.
From the top, I was rewarded with a million-dollar view of the city and the slate blue waters of the Atlantic. Later in the week, I took advantage of a couple of boat tours and decided to see these sites by water. As we sailed by hill-hugging houses and soaring cliffs, we also encountered humpback whales and a few puffins.
I noted the "Newfoundland" accent, as well as echoes of Irish, Scottish, and even Shakespearean English in many of the local voices. One thing is certain: they are a province of story-tellers.
On two of my touring days, I was fortunate to have Blair Raymond from McCarthy's Party as our guide. He claimed not to have an accent, but was very comfortable slipping into a Newfoundland or Irish brogue as he described the history and anecdotes that make this area so unique.
I quickly found out that there isn't a rock, cliff, tree, or cove without a legend attached. I had a similar experience at The Rooms. The effervescent Debbie Evans gave us a very spirited and informative tour of this $50-million, state-of-the-art cultural facility dedicated to the history of the province. With more than 7,000 works, it houses a museum, art gallery and archives.
And Loyola O'Brien of O'Brien's Whale and Bird Tours provided us with an impassioned discourse on the fisheries industry and whale watching.
His family is considered the first family of Newfoundland adventure tourism. They were the first to offer boat tours on the waters off Bay Bulls, home to the world's largest feeding population of humpback whales.
Throughout my stay, I was able to savour the delectable Canadian and international cuisine of the many restaurants and cafes of the area. I could stick to fish and chips (a local favourite) and the usual seafood fare, or be more adventurous and try their cod tongues, figgy duff, schrunchions, and fish and brewse. Or, I could have a large salad and one of their signature desserts; I was impressed by the wide assortment of crepes, custards, and cheesecakes.
Most of all, I enjoyed just breathing in that fantastic, fresh air and finding quiet spots where I could sit and watch the ocean waves crash against ancient shores, or simply watch boats approaching the harbour. With enough coastline to span Canada four times over, it is safe to say there is no shortage of breathing room.
I finally understood why Travel and Leisure Magazine had listed Newfoundland and Labrador as one of the "20 Trips to Change Your World." There were no earth-shattering discoveries or epiphanies; it was more a change of perspective and a willingness to see things differently.
IF YOU GO
Newfoundland food
Cod Tongues: The fleshy tongues of the codfish are lightly
battered and fried until golden.
Scrunchions: refers to small pieces of pork rind fried until
crispy. They are used as flavourings over fish and potatoes.
Fish and brewse (pronounced like the word bruise): Consists
of codfish and hard bread.
Figgy duff: A traditional bag pudding. It contains butter, flour,
sugar and raisins and is boiled in a bag.
Newfoundland Expressions
Birch broom in the fits -- refers to a person's messy hair.
Crooked as sin -- refers to a person who is very bad-tempered
and cranky.
Long may your big jib draw -- a wish for smooth sailing
and longevity.
She's gone bye she's gone -- refers to anything that is
broken or used up.
A fine mug up -- a cup of tea and a snack between main
meals.
Ya foolish gommel -- refers to a silly or foolish person.
Cookin' up a scoff -- preparing a large traditional cooked
meal.
Saucy as a crackie -- refers to a person who is snappy or
nasty.
Good day on clothes -- a good day to put clothes on the
line to dry.
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