This past week, I went to Newfoundland (NL) for the very first time. Despite living close to it (provincially), I never really had an excuse to go, nor did I really have the time. It wasn’t until a friend of mine (Sarah) said she needed someone to go with her to a wedding that I ended up throwing my hat in the ring and taking the trip. And what a week! I haven’t done this many activities in such a short amount of time ever I don’t think. So let’s talk about a few of those.

The first actual day we had in NL was Canada day, and there were lots of activites going on in the house come the evening. Outside of good company and a lovely homecooked meal, there was a bonfire (see below) that we toasted smores on, as well as the most intense (and only) game of bocce ball I’ve ever played (also see below). Unfortunately the youth team lost, but I reckon with a bit more practice we’ll be on our way to beating the older crowd.

A day or two after, we went out to see some sights. We ended up going to a buncha places, including Cape Spear (the most eastern point in North America), as well as some other historic spots (see below).

Another day or so later, we ended up at Bell Island to see both the iron ore mines, as well as get some of Dick’s famous fish n chips. I thought the mine was super cool; in science, you’re often removed from where your materials come from, but I’m glad I got to get some appreciation from how materials are taken from the earth. The fish n chips were very good, though I still cannot tell the difference between cod and haddock (which is sacrilege in NL). While I didn’t get photos of my food, I did take a nice shot while on Bell Island.

A bit later on in the week, I was indoctrinated as a Newfoundlander by being “screeched in.” It was one of the most over the top ceremonies I’ve ever been too. I had to kiss a cod, eat some screech (a type of rum) fried balogna, and take a full shot of screech. People say the shot is rough, but after kissing the cod it was probably the easiest part of the experience. Mine even came with a fun little certificate, showing that no matter how poorly I say “by”, I can still say it with relative impunity.

The next major highlight was getting to go to a natural wildlife reserve. This is where most of my photos came from. Sarah and myself went on a cloudier day, hopeful to see more animals than on a hot one. And we ended up seeing a ton! My favourite was the fox - he seemed so peaceful taking what I assume was his daily nap.

We finally went to Chance Cove for the beforementioned wedding - but before that, apparently capelin (a type of small fish) will wash up on shore during the summer. Needless to say, I had to catch one by hand.

Lastly, the wedding itself. I didn’t know many family there, but a party’s a party and many a good time was had. Lots of dancing, drinking and conversations were had. I also got a photo with Sarah’s father Brad in front of the sign he made for the wedding. I think it’s one of the few nice photos that I have of myself, so I like this one quite a lot.

Overall I had a great time while in NL. Met a lot of new people, saw a bunch of new things, and finally travelled to the last Atlantic province in Canada. Next stop: BC!