Newfoundland - Whales, icebergs and fabulous scenery
Next on the list was Cape Spear Lighthouse, Newfoundland’s oldest surviving lighthouse. This site is as far east as you can get on the continent - straight across the Atlantic is County Clare. This location is perfect for whale watching in season – middle of May to September.
After lunch we visited a quaint fishing village called Quidi Vidi and after strolling around the village we ended up in the Quidi Vidi Brewery - Newfoundland’s largest craft brewery and finished the day with a cold iceberg beer. Exhausted we returned to our hotel for dinner – The Sheraton Hotel was our kind host for the trip. It is in a central location and was perfect for us. We all remarked on how comfortable the beds were. The hotel staff could not have done more for us, always helpful and friendly.
Day 2 day started with a trip to the Irish Loop situated on the Avalon Peninsula named for its Irish history spanning 400 years. Newfoundland has a real affinity with Ireland as so many of its citizens are of Irish descent. It was strange to hear people speaking in Wexford and Waterford accents even though they had never visited Ireland, and hearing Irish traditional music playing in pubs.
One of the stops on the loop was at Ferryland where we had a Lighthouse Picnic – a Canadian signature experience. On the walk to the lighthouse we were surrounded by the sea on both sides of the path. We took in the magnificent scenery and listened to the sound of the seabirds as we enjoyed our delicious picnic. The Newman wine vaults was our next stop. It tells the story of a 300-year connection between wine produced in Portugal, aged in the cool climate of Newfoundland and sipped by England’s aristocracy for generations. Our final stop was The Rooms – Newfoundland’s largest public cultural space. It is the place where history, heritage and the arts all come together.
St Johns has many scenic spots such as Conception Bay where we walked along the beach. We had tea and scones in a local heritage house while being told stories of local folklore and the fairies. After visiting the picturesque town of Brigus we went partridge berry picking at Jugglers Cove and later the hotel chef made jam for us from the berries. The afternoon was finished with a traditional Newfoundland music session accompanied by toutons – a local scone-like treat. One of the unusual percussion instruments they used was the ugly stick - a broom handle with a mop head, a boot and various rings along the stick.
Our final day was spent on a fishing trip which departed from Quidi Vidi village. The friendly crew helped us to reel in our cod as it was surprisingly heavy. Amazingly we all managed to catch at least one fish. On our return to the harbour our catch was cooked in front of us – you couldn’t eat fresher! The afternoon was spent in a very Irish style pub listening to traditional Irish music before leaving for the airport for the late flight home.
St John’s is ideal for those who love the outdoors as it has over 300km of walking trails. The summer months are the time to come to see the whales and the icebergs that come down from Greenland.