Tranquil is a word that comes to mind when we think back at our trip to Newfoundland. At times it feels like you’re the only person for miles, the only sounds are the crashing of the dark blue water against the jagged cliffs, and the howling wind that blows through the tall grass. While we have always heard stories about the beauty of Canada’s east coast, it wasn’t until we hiked Bordeaux Trail and Father Troy’s Trail we were able to see first hand.
In-between the rainy days (and there were a lot of them) we lucked out on our way to downtown St. John’s as we experienced the beauty that is “Jellybean Row Street.” Tightly nestled together along some very steep hills, these colourful wooden houses have become symbolic to Newfoundland. The variety of colour adds vibrancy to the street as each uniquely painted home reflects the owners individuality and originality. As the sun vanished behind the downtown buildings, the St. John’s harbour came alive with reflections from boats of all sizes.
We took a stroll along some adorable shops, our favourite being the “Newfoundland Chocolate Company,” as we can appreciate good packaging when we see it. The Row House Bars were our absolute favourites, based on the Jellybean Row Street, each chocolate bar was a different flavour. We ended up buying one of each (yes that’s 16 bars of chocolate), for family and friends, and of course some for ourselves! Another cute idea they had were chocolates with Newfoundland sayings on them, such as… “I dies at you” = translation being “you’re funny,” along with several others like, “Arse on Dat,” and “Whadda Ya At?” While the chocolate is to die for, our absolute favourite thing about Newfoundland has to be the people, who are funny and kind with no effort. We came across several friendly locals that went above and beyond to make sure we were either safe, having the best time possible, or enlightening us about the beautiful land they call home.
