I'd like to thank the Academy...

I can't believe I haven't updated this blog in over a month.  I hate looking at my favourite blogs and not seeing an update, and I try not to let that happen with S&G, but oh well...

Life is good... but busy!!!, which explains the lack of blogging.  Although I am not a teacher, I do work at a school and so the energy inevitably comes back to campus and my workload the moment the academic year starts again.  I love it though!  During the summer I am so bored, and although it's nice to have a break and have things quiet down a bit, I much prefer overwhelmingly busy to overwhelmingly bored.  Always.

Right now my plate is full of work associated with an event that takes place this Tuesday, so the end is in sight!  Things are in good shape so it's just a matter of working my butt off until Tuesday at around 10:00 pm, spending the rest of the week doing the follow-up on the event, and then... well, starting work on the next event, which takes place on November 6th.  And then when that's over, I'll work on the next event, which takes place on January 18th... and then I have a bit of a break.  Event-planning is hard... and I'm not even an event planner.  Oh well!

In other news, I have not been reading.  I really need to make time to read, but I always want to do something mindless when I'm not working.  I will try to get reading back into my life.

And the award for the most boring blog update goes to...


Currently reading: Nothing.
Posts to come: My thoughts on "Orange is the New Black"... eventually...

Montreal.

As you know, I used to travel by train a lot when I was living in Port Hope and regularly travelling to Toronto by VIA Rail.  I travel by train less so now because I have my beautiful car Hubble, but even still I travel once and a while for work.  Thankfully I was collecting VIA Preference points that entire time, and one day I decided to see how many I had.  Turns out I had enough for a free round trip to Montreal!!!  Since my girlfriend K. was still away in Halifax and I’ve been trying desperately to keep occupied while she’s away, I thought, why don’t I go to Montreal?  So I did.

**Sidenote: She's coming home tomorrow.  Woo hoo!!!

I’m lucky to have friends living all over the country/world, so I arranged to stay with my friend Katherine who moved to MTL in March of this year.  She graciously hosted me, so with my free accommodations and free travel I knew I could really have some fun in the city.

I left Toronto Friday morning and did my workday from the train.  I actually found my time on the train extremely productive .  I got a lot done and the time went by really quickly.  I arrived in Montreal at about 2:30 pm.

I went from the train station first to Café Trisip, a nearby cafe.  I killed about two hours there waiting for Katherine to meet me to give me her spare key.  

Cafe Trisip.

I got to her place around 5:00 pm, dropped my bags, freshened up, and then cabbed down to China Town (Rene Levesque & Saint Laurent) where I met my long-time bestie Rachel for some pre-concert pho at My Canh.  Rachel lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland normally, but she’s in Montreal for around five weeks for the Orchestre Francophonie festival (she plays the cello).  So cool!  Unfortunately she wasn’t performing that evening, but we got to watch a very casual concert in a park.  It was excellent!

Orchestre Francophonie in the park.

Some pretty building with significance I can't remember.

After the concert, Rachel and I headed north to meet up with Katherine for some drinks closer to Katherine’s neighbourhood.  We went to two bars, but I can only remember the name of the first: Big in Japan (bar, not restaurant; there's one of each).  Great name, and great spot; very classy, kinda old school speakeasy feel.  However, you can only have so many $10 gin cocktails, so we moved to a more casual spot (can't remember the name) with $5 drinks and hung out there for a while.  Then we parted ways with Rachel, and Katherine and I went back to her place for a late night chat, mostly focused on "Orange is the New Black" (I'll save that for another post).

Katherine & I.

(L to R) Katherine, Me!, Rachel

After a good sleep and a great shower, I was ready to take on Saturday with Katherine.  We started things off at Le Souvenir for brunch.  I had excellent huevos rancheros on their patio and tried not to get burned in the sun, and had more amazing chats with Katherine.  Then we wandered a bit, popping into a great store with trinkets and stuff for home... cooking accessories and the like.  I love those stores.  Then we went to Drawn & Quarterly, an amazing and hipstery bookstore in her neighbourhood.  So great!

Huevos Rancheros

Drawn & Quarterly

Then I believe we stopped at Katherine's place for a bit where I put on lots of sunscreen, changed into running shoes, and we headed off to conquer Mont Royal.  It was a decent walk to get to the mountain, first of all, and then the hike up it was substantial!  It was great though.  The paths were very small inclines, very shaded with a canopy of trees, and the conversation - once again - was fabulous.  I was winded a few times (namely, when we had to climb stairs instead of the slow incline), but it felt great, and man was it worth the view!  We even got all the way to the top where the cross is!!!

View from almost the top of Mont Royal.

The cross at the top.

The cross from the bottom.  Can you see it way up there in the distance?

After that great adventure we went home to shower and chill.  And then we went to dinner at Lola Rosa (a friend's suggestion; thank you, Facebook), a vegetarian restaurant not too far from Katherine's.  Her friend met up with us, too, and we had veggie nachos to share and then each got a hemp burger with a side salad and a few chickpea fries.  It was filling, but delicious, and the service was amazing.

After a long day and a lot of walking, we decided to take it easy on Saturday night, and so I introduced Katherine to "Portlandia".  Of course, she loved it.

Proof that Montreal is Canada's Portland: abandoned cassette tapes found on the way home from dinner.

We had a slightly earlier morning on Sunday and got an early start on exploring Old Montreal.  We started with brunch outside of Old Montreal, at Le Passe Compose.  That place was amazing!  Definitely more Francophone than I'd experienced thus far.  I can read simple French really well; I've still maintained a pretty solid vocabulary, which I'm grateful for.  But I think my verbal French is probably pretty weak, and my comprehension would be even worse.  I could say thank you and order my coffee and eggs Benny, but it doesn't go much further than that.  However, the food was excellent and good service, good conversation... you're getting the picture.

My salmon eggs Benny at Le Passe Compose.

Then we walked again and this time into Old Montreal.  It's so beautiful there; so old Europe, artsy, and it was a gorgeous, sunny day with lots of people out and about so it was a great place to be.  We browsed shops, walked the cobblestone, and that sat down on a park bench for a while just taking it all in.  We also had a quick (planned) encounter with my friend Jennifer; I had something of her's and so we had a quick exchange.  Always nice to see a familiar face.

An artist in Old Montreal.

Old Montreal.

Street performer.

More walking, more browsing, and then we headed back to Katherine's, stopping for a bite along the way at Burger de Ville.  I'm trying to eat healthier these days, but I couldn't fathom being in Montreal/Quebec and not having poutine.  So I did!

Need I say more?

And then it was back to Katherine's to pack up and ship out.  I cabbed to the train station, had a massive delay on the train, and then was home sweet home Sunday evening.

Thanks to friends & Montreal for such a great trip.  A bientot! 

Currently reading... Little Bets by Peter Sims (and the latest Toronto Life)

Posts to come... "Orange is the New Black" (obv)

Legit Jams (2013 Edition)

I did a series of "Legit Jams" back in July 2011 and to keep this blog light I decided to bring them back.

Starting with this obvious choice.  I know it's all over the airwaves, but it still makes me chair dance.




And then this: a total throwback to - I think - my summer of '09.




And then one of Icona Pop's amazing jams.  "I Love It" is absolutely unreal, but their whole album (self-titled) is amazing.  So here's "Top Rated".



BAM.

Cottages & Nephews (or 1 cottage and 1 nephew)

I can't even tell you how many times I've tried to write a new blog post and yet again I've got a bit of writer's block.  Maybe it's because so much has happened and it's hard to get it all down / articulate my feelings about all the wonderful things that are and have been happening.  However, I'm keen to update, so I'm going to start with two items and save more for posts later on.  So without further ado.....

(1) My 6 days in Muskoka

I only get so many vacation days each year so I usually save them up for a big trip I’m planning.  Next Spring I’m hoping to go to Finland (!!!), for example.  So when my parents rented a cottage in Muskoka this summer, I originally planned on just a weekend there… maybe one extra weekday thrown in to make it a long weekend… but one thing led to another and I ended up taking 3 vacation days and stayed at the cottage from Fri Jul 26 to Wed Jul 31.  I’m so glad I did.

Wellesley the cottage dog

View from the deck

It takes time to relax, and then once you do you need to enjoy it, and then you also need time to ramp yourself back up to feel ready (and maybe even excited) to go back to work and routine.  Going through all those motions is too hard in a weekend; doubling my time made it that much easier.

My favourite meal of the trip; UNBELIEVABLE ribs

One of the things I love about a cottage holiday is that you aren’t expected to do anything!  Unlike a vacation in Europe – where I’d feel guilty if I wasn’t out and about taking it all in – cottages are meant for pure relaxation.

So what did I do?  I relaxed.  I slept (9 hours every night), I sunned (with many, many sunscreen applications), I swam (just a dip in the lake almost every day), I read (finished Jane Hamilton’s The Book of Ruth and started Peter Sims’ Little Bets), I played cards, I chatted with my family, and I ate!  I ate chicken, sausages, ribs (my favourite of all the meats), and more chicken!  You may know I cook exclusively vegetarian at home, so it was pretty wild eating that much meat.  It was a holiday though and that totally added to the experience.

So, clearly, my 6 days at the cottage were divine.

(2) My new nephew

While I was at the cottage the hot topic was my sister as she was due to have a baby “any day now” at that point.  She lives two hours north of where we were in Muskoka, so I felt like at any point we’d get the call and spring to action, driving to Sudbury where she is.  It was all we could talk about and we were so excited for the baby’s arrival.

Unfortunately the baby didn’t arrive during my stay in Muskoka, but he arrived shortly after, just after midnight on Friday, August 2nd.  He and my sister were happy and healthy, and our family was all thrilled!  YAY!

I left on the morning of Saturday, August 3rd from Toronto to Sudbury to visit my sister and my new nephew, Teoman a.k.a. Teo (pronounced TAYO).  I spent about 24 hours with them plus my brother-in-law and his parents, and it was absolutely incredible.  In some ways it was surreal, seeing my younger sister with her baby!!!  In all ways she seemed totally natural, and seeing her with a baby seemed absolutely normal and right.  I always imagined that seeing my sisters become mothers would transform them instantly, and in the case of Ali – my sister – it was an instant transformation, but it wasn’t a jarring one.  She seemed exactly who she is, but then a mother also.  It’s hard to articulate, but it was beautiful to see.  We were talking to each other like nothing had changed, but everything had, but it was normal and beautiful.  I don’t know how else to put it!

I love my nephew!  He’s perfect, adorable, mellow (funny to say, but true), and generally amazing.  I got to hold him a lot and I was just totally taken away.  My mom says nothing helps you stay in the present moment like a baby, and I totally understand that now.

It was a wonderful experience; to see my sister and her new family, to hold a baby on his second day in the world, to help her out and be there for her… all of it!  I love Teo!!!

Currently reading... Little Bets by Peter Sims

Posts to come... my 48 hours in Montreal

"rc-5": The Unofficial Reading Challenge

Remember how I decided I wasn't going to do a reading challenge this year and then I realized that the reading challenges mattered?  Well, unofficially I still have a goal of reading 20 books this year, and I can't help but want to blog about it, so whether we call it rc-5 (Reading Challenge 5) or not, here goes...

"rc-5" (read 20 books in 2013)

1. Grace by Grace Coddington
2. The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
3. Onward by Howard Schultz
4. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris
5. Quiet by Susan Cain
6. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
7. The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
8. Please Sir, I Mean Ma'am by Marion Walker Garland

3 non-fiction, 5 fiction.  Here are some brief thoughts on all of them.

Grace: The memoir by Grace Coddington, Fashion Director of American Vogue.  I fell in love with Grace when I first watched "The September Issue", and then fell in love over and over again as I re-watched the doc.  Her memoir was great - written interestingly, and she's lived about a million lives for my very meager one.

The Hour I First Believed: Oh Wally Lamb, how you totally nourish me.  His books just do things to me that no other books - except maybe John Irving's - can.  I was so delighted recently to hear that he's about to release another.  Anyway, THIFB was another brilliant one from him; a fascinating look at how the lives of those involved with the Columbine shootings were dramatically changed.  I highly recommend!

Onward: As a "fan" of Starbucks, it was very interesting to read Onward, the story of Starbucks, but more specifically the story of Starbucks during its trying times from about 2007-2010.  So yes, it was interesting, and interesting to learn about the development of certain products (Via, Clover...), but it was just so self-congratulatory!  I maybe learned a few good habits of a CEO, but... ugh!  Stop patting yourself on the back, Howard.  It's not becoming.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: Totally different than Onward, and refreshing!  I love David Sedaris, and SSC is his collection of the antithesis to Aesop's Fables.  They're stories of animals in bizarre and hilarious human-like situations.  A fun, quick read!

Quiet: This took me a while to get through; not because it wasn't interesting, but more because it was very heavy.  That said, it was fantastic!  It's about the power of introverts in a world that favours extroverts.  It's about how this came to be, and how introverts can best manage in the (North American) culture as it is today.  There's also this wonderful and moving section near the end on how parents and teachers can best work with introverted children.  There were some things that really hit close to home, and it was a wonderful and worthwhile book.

The Great Gatsby: I was assigned this during my undergrad but never finished it.  After a few false starts over the years, I finally read it, and I really enjoyed it.  I've heard it referred to as the Great American Novel, so I was really surprised at how dark and pessimistic it was.  Perhaps pessimistic is too harsh a word, but I thought it would be a lot more "rah rah America!" than it was.  That said, it was an excellent look at an interest time period in American history, and I really enjoyed the book and its many symbols.

I also went and saw Baz Luhrmann's movie adaptation of the book last week, with Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway.  I thought it was a great interpretation.  Very true to the book, a confident and consistent visual style, and it really brought the most memorable scenes from the book to life.  It also made some things make more sense, which is always a good thing.  I'm glad I finally got to reading it.

The perks of being a wallflower: I moved onto this next, which was a total change of pace.  TPOBAW was a re-read for me, and it was more intense and dark than I remembered... maybe I didn't get all of it the first time around.  Anyway, it really is a great read; I like an epistolary novel... mostly because it allows me to call back on my (worthwhile) English degree and use the word "epistolary", but also because it breaks things up easily, gives you a sense of the protagonist in a different respect, and definitely changes things up after The Great Gatsby.  Anyway, it's a charming and equally sad story, but I enjoyed it the second time around.

Please Sir, I Mean Ma'am: This book was totally different.  My Dad gave me this book to read.  It's a modestly-published (and unfortunately poorly edited) book written by a woman who taught for 30 years at the school where I work (and which my Dad attended back in the 60's).  It was an all boys' school back then and the woman who wrote the book (Marion Walker Garland) was the first female teacher.  It's fiction though, but I use that term loosely.  Names are barely changed, and circumstances are likely very close to the truth.  It's about her experience as a female teacher, the stories of the boys, and the general goings-on of the school.  It was enlightening as a staff member, and really just charming.  Not a great novel by any stretch, but a really enjoyable read.  I wouldn't recommend it though, because I doubt the charm translates if you have no connection to the school.

And so there you go!  My eight books so far in the year.  At this rate I could hit 16, but maybe I should take the rate up to the next level.  20 books in 2013 is in my sights yet!!!



Currently reading... The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton (and the most recent issue of Toronto Life)

Upcoming posts... How I intend to make life not consist of work and then laziness

My trip to Newfoundland

I recently spent 10 days (June 7-16) in the only province I hadn't yet been (through/) to: Newfoundland!  I haven't visited Labrador, but I gather neither has most of Newfoundland, so I feel okay about that.  (To be clear, I haven't been to any of the territories, and I haven't spent great amounts of time in Manitoba or Saskatchewan, but I've stayed a night in Brandon, Manitoba, and I've driven through Saskatchewan).

But I digress.....

As per usual, I feel it's most useful to break this post up into 10 categories, rather than share every detailed moment.  It won't be short, but hopefully it's still a good read!

Without further ado.....

My trip to Newfoundand


#1: The Conference
This was why I was in St. John's in the first place.  A professional organization I belong to holds an annual national conference and I applied to present at it this year.  My proposal was approved in January, and so began hours of work over the course of many months in order to prepare my 90-minute presentation.

It was one of the most academic things I've done in recent memory.  I convocated from my undergrad nearly 3 years ago, and I can't remember working so diligently on something indirectly related to my job since then.  It was a great thing to sink my teeth into, I prepared extensively, and on Friday June 7, off I went to St. John's, Newfoundland.

Bags are packed and ready to go.

Our first view of "The Rock" from the plane.

The conference began on June 8 and it was excellent!  The concurrent/professional development sessions they offered were so-so, but the keynote speakers were phenomenal; not always relevant to my work, per se, but fascinating and inspiring.  One of the coolest things about the speakers was the ease with which they moved from English to French.  The professional org. is bilingual, and I felt the speakers were so wonderful and graceful about accommodating for this.  As always, it made me wish I could speak French.  Maybe one day...

My presentation was on the final day, Monday June 10.  It could not have gone better!  The room was full, people were engaged and asked meaningful questions, I felt really good about my "performance", if you will, and the feedback I've received since has been very positive.  I'm really proud, and it was a great experience, personally and professionally.


#2: Rally in the Alley
Another great part of the conference was how well-organized it was.  This fact culminated on the final night (June 10) with the "Rally in the Alley".

There were a few social events on the other two evenings of the conference, which I attended, but I didn't go all out being that my presentation was on the last day.  On top of that, an old colleague of mine - T. - was at the conference and we spent a lot of time 1-on-1 together, which I preferred anyway.  Imagine that!  (For the record, I still made lots of great connections with people.)

Anyway, the last night I had the freedom to go all out, and I'm glad I saved it until then.  The Rally in the Alley was basically a concentrated St. John's experience.  The delegates at the conference were split into 3 groups with associated colours (mine was red!), and with a different musician leading each group (snare drum, bagpipes, and ours - bass drum).

Some of the "Rally in the Alley" musicians.

All of us were first led to Club One where we were treated to fish and chips (a.k.a. "fi' n' chi'") and live music.  I gather Club One doesn't usually serve food, but it was rented out for this purpose.

Next we went off with our groups to one of three locations.  Our group started at a pub - can't remember what it was called - where we watched three young women do traditional Irish line dancing.  They were great!

Next we followed the bass drum to a place called Rob Roy to get screeched in.  From my understanding there are only two places to get screeched in in St. John's, and I don't think Rob Roy is usually one of them, but again, for our group some special arrangements were made.

Anyway, for those who don't know, getting screeched in makes you an honorary Newfoundlander.  To do so, you have to repeat a phrase ("Indeed I is, me old cock, and long may your big jib draw!"), kiss a frozen cod, and then take a shot of screech (sort of a rum-like liquor).  I was determined to do this during my trip, and it was a hoot!

Me kissing the cod!

After getting screeched in, it was on to the last destination: another pub I don't remember the name of where we got to sing traditional Newfoundland songs.  I think that was my favourite of the three.  I love Newfoundland/east coast/Irish music, and it was a blast!

From there it was back to Club One where the tables were out of the way, a band was on stage, and the dancing began.  What a great night!


#3: Sightseeing in St. John's
I spent 5 full days and 4 half-days in St. John's, 3 full days of which were the conference.  Not a tonne of time and there's so much to see, but I made a concerted effort to see as much as I could, and I think I did pretty well.  For the record, it's beautiful!

On my first full-day there, Saturday June 8, I went to the St. John's farmers' market with my girlfriend K., our friend Lauren who I stayed with for part of my trip, and K's fabulous new friend, Erin.  The farmers' market was delightful and charming; it was basically a crowded portable, full of food, artisans, and other vendors.  We browsed, and then I got some delicious food, which I enjoyed with K. and friends outside in the sunshine, with a drum circle playing nearby.  A fantastic start to the trip!

Inside the "portable".

That same evening was the opening reception for the conference, held at The Rooms, a museum in St. John's I had heard so much about.  The exhibits were open, though I wasn't able to check all of them out, but I did take the view in, which was excellent!  It's definitely worth checking out; a gorgeous view of downtown, the harbour, and St. John's in general.

View of St. John's harbour from The Rooms.

On Tuesday June 11, my first day in St. John's after the conference was over, I was lucky enough to have my buddy T. with me for the day, and we set out to see the two things you really can't miss when in St. John's.

We struck a deal via the Delta Hotel with a cab driver who would drive us to Cape Spear, wait for 20 minutes while we looked around and took photos, and then drive us to the top of Signal Hill; all for a reasonable cost, we were assured by the staff at the Delta.

So off we went with Rick to Cape Spear, learning history along the way.  Cape Spear is the eastern most point in all of North America, which I think is really cool.  The weather wasn't bad, and we were dressed appropriately, so we enjoyed ourselves, taking photos and spending some time absorbing the fact of where we were in the world.

Me at North America's most eastern point.

From there, Rick drove us to the top of Signal Hill.  We climbed up Cabot Tower, learning about Marconi (who sent the first transatlantic wireless signal from Cabot Tower), and then taking in the fantastic view of the city.  It was really nice climbing back down the hill, too; a good (downhill!) walk with great views, and finishing with Mile Zero, where Canadian hero Terry Fox began his run across Canada.  That was quite touching actually, and amazing to think he dipped his foot in the water right there.

Cabot Tower.

View of St. John's from Signal Hill.

Terry Fox Memorial.

The last St. John's sightseeing highlight was on my last full day in the city - Saturday June 15 - when I went on a fantastic 90-minute walk with my friend Josh, Lauren's husband.  Josh and Lauren have been living in St. John's for a few years now, and they own a beautiful house on Garrison Hill.  Josh knows so much about the city and its history and I really loved seeing the beautiful houses outside of the downtown area, and learning about how they came to be designed as they were, etc.

Here's something I haven't yet mentioned about St. J's assuming you don't know this already: it's got some hills (understatement of the year).  If you're spending time downtown, you're gonna have to climb a hill to get home.  If you're staying with friends on Garrison Hill, that's a pretty intense hill to climb at least once daily.  And if you go on a walk with Josh, you may just turn red in the face while climbing some intense stairs followed by some intense hills.

Honestly though, it was amazing.  Beautiful sights, amazing insights and history from Josh, and a lovely time spent with him!


#4: Food!!!
More sightseeing and cultural experiences - and my favourite part of travel - happened by eating the food of St. John's and Newfoundland.

The first place I grabbed a bite was at Rocket Bakery & Fresh Food, which T. had seen on "You Gotta Eat Here" and K. had already been frequenting herself.  I ended up going there three times throughout the trip.  It's an excellent spot for coffee, a bite (I recommend the sausage roll), or some yummy baked goods.

Rocket Bakery.

On July 11 before we hit up Cape Spear and Signal Hill, T. and I had breakfast at the Bagel Cafe.  A perfect and delicious way to start the day.  I had the Cape Spear touton, which is a traditional Newfoundland dish, and is basically a deep-fried pancake.  The Cape Spear touton came topped with a fish cake and a fried egg.  Yum!

Toutons: mine is the one on the bottom, the Cape Spear.

The same day, after our journey down Signal Hill, we ended up at the Duke of Duckworth for a late lunch.  We had tried to eat at the D of D on our first night, but learned the tough lesson that restaurants and pubs don't serve food very late in St. J's.  As one of my new friends from the conference put it: "If you're in a pub past 8 o'clock in St. John's and you're not drinking, you have no business being there.  On my first night in town this realization resulted in a bout of hanger, a.k.a. anger as a result of being hungry.

But we got our second shot at the Duke of Duckworth on June 11, which I was glad for because I was told they had the best fish and chips (a.k.a. fi' n' chi') in town.  I felt I could probably tell since I'd already had fi' n' chi' twice at that point, and the Duke of Duckworth's fish and chips were by far the best I had in St. J's... and maybe ever (though nothing beats Penrose).  In Newfoundland, you can have your fi' n' chi' with d' n' g', a.k.a. dressing and gravy.  Delicious, and I highly recommend it.

St. John's best fi' n' chi'.

I should also mention Quidi Vidi beer, made in the Quidi Vidi brewery in St. J's.  I tried three of their brews but my favourite was Iceberg, made from the water of 25,000 year old icebergs.  Seriously.  It's excellent: cold, crisp, and refreshing.  Great for those who enjoy beers like Corona or Mill Street Organic; light and smooth.

That day was full of yummy food.  We capped it off with a big treat to ourselves of dinner at Bacalao; fancy, expensive, and totally worth it.  It's nouvelle Newfoundland food, with great service and atmosphere.  I had two glasses of wine, an outrageously delicious seafood chowder (huge chunks of mussels, scallops, and more!), moose bolognese, and a little cookie sampler for dessert with coffee.  It was decadent, rich, indulgent, and worth every penny.  Thank you to our server Tracy for making it extra special.

**This meal was too special to take photos.

On one of my days away I went to the Bonavista Social Club in Upper Amherst Cove, about 40 minutes away from Port Rexton (more on that shortly).  It had come very highly recommended by a lot of people, so I made the special trip to visit.  It was charming; in the middle of nowhere, with a fenced in area for their goats right outside the restaurant.  It also had a great view of the water!  They had a wood-burning oven and it was so cozy and lovely inside.  I had a pizza, preceded by an incredible parsnip soup.  Yum!  Well worth the trip!

If you look closely you can see goats in a fenced-in area.

On my last full day (June 15) I ate with K. at The Sprout, St. J's vegan/vegetarian restaurant.  I had the pad Thai and it was pretty darn good.  Definitely good value.

Aside from Rocket's delicious coffee, I also visited two other awesome cafes: Fixed and Post.  I spent a couple hours at Fixed in the morning before my 48-hour solo trip, and the coffee and service was delicious.  I visited Post twice and they have the most excellent espresso.  It's owned by a guy in his early twenties and is so cute and simplistic and - for lack of a better word - hipstery.  I loved it!

Coffee and a bagel with cream cheese and jam at Fixed.

My final favourite meal was on the morning of my last day - Sunday June 16.  K. and I got up early and walked to the nearby Sobey's to get some things for brunch.  We ran into our friends (Erin & Naomi) who were joining us for brunch, so we shopped together, grabbed some coffees to go at Post, and then went back to Garrison Hill to cook.  I made eggs, K. made guacamole, and Naomi made the most outstanding maple bacon.  It was a glorious sunny day out, so the four of us plus Josh and Lauren dined out on their front porch.  It was the perfect final meal for my trip.


#5: Fishers' Loft Inn
The Fishers' Loft Inn in Port Rexton was recommended to me by a few people, but especially my parents who had stayed there when they visited Newfoundland.  Also, they didn't recommend it to me personally, but I know for a fact that Dame Judi Dench and Kevin Spacey stayed there when they were filming The Shipping News.  If it's good enough for Dame Judi, it's good enough for me.

My plan was to spend 48 hours away from St. J's on a little solo trip, and the first night of that was spent at the Fishers' Loft Inn.  I rented a little car in St. John's and took off midday on June 12.  It was a 3-hour drive and very enjoyable.  I arrived at the Inn around 3:30 pm.  It was a beautiful day out, but I was tired from driving and excited for rest, so I decided to lay low and enjoy the Inn.

Along the drive to Port Rexton - blue skies and open road.

The view from my room at the Fishers' Loft Inn.

I was so happy when the first thing that happened was I got upgraded.  I don't know what my original room would've been like - lovely, I'm sure - but my new room was spacious with a stunning view.  The first thing I did was take a long bath while I read.  (I was reading The perks of being a wallflower at that point... I finished two books during this trip).  After my bath I climbed under the covers and napped for an hour.  Heaven!  Then I woke up, showered, got ready, and then went over to the building with the dining room in it and bought a bottle of wine to go with dinner.  But, I had a glass poured before so that I could drink it while sitting on a rocking chair on the porch, reading and staring at the ocean.

The quaint porch at the Fishers' Loft.

View from the porch.

Then dinner.  I chose to include dinner at the Inn with this category instead of with "Food", but this meal tied with Bacalao for the best meals of the trip.  It was a $55 set menu (not including wine), and I was lucky enough to be there for my favourite meal - and likely the best value one - LOBSTER!!!  There was soup to start, then salad, then scrumptious steamed lobster with melted butter, then cheesecake and coffee to finish.  I finished a book during the meal and moved on to another (The Great Gatsby), and just totally treated myself... yet again.

The next day I got up earlyish, and then had a simple breakfast at the Inn, and then packed up and checked out in order to go to the...


#6: Skerwink Trail
This is what brings many people to Port Rexton, and was another big recommendations from my parents and friends.  The Skerwink Trail is a moderate to difficult 5.3 km hike along the coast on high cliffs in many places.  Full of a good breakfast and energized from a great sleep, I was so ready for it.

I hit the trail at about 9:20 am and took my sweet time with it, finishing in about 2 hours.  I might say it was the best part of the whole trip.  The views were spectacular; I took tonnes of photos and soaked it all in myself, too.  I only once saw other people on the trail, and they were way behind me.  The whole time it was majorly quiet; just me, my breath, and my footsteps.  I loved it.

#7: Outside St. John's
So I already mentioned the Fishers' Loft Inn in Port Rexton, and the Bonavista Social Club in Upper Amherst Cove, but I did some other travelling outside St. John's.

After lunch at the Bonavista Social Club, I drove from Upper Amherst Cove to Placentia - a 3-hour drive.  My drive from St. John's to Port Rexton had been novel and exciting; the weather was incredible and I was amped up about it all.  My drive to Placentia, on the other hand, was rainy almost the whole way, and I was tired after a long hike, and just anxious to get there.  Driving is not always that much fun... especially alone.

But I got to Placentia around 4:30 and arrived at the Rosedale Manor, a relatively last-minute decision as I hadn't always planned to stay away two nights.  It was no Fishers' Loft, but it was full of charm.  When I arrived, no one was there, but there was a note to call the owner when I arrived, which I did, and she checked me in over the phone; telling me where to find my room and keys and what all the amenities were.  Very relaxed and a seemingly Newfoundland-esque approach.

I hadn't planned on going out to eat because I'd brought my leftover pizza with me from the Bonavista Social Club, but after a bath (third one!) and some downtime, I felt stir crazy and needed some fresh air and to see a bit of Placentia.  So I walked down the road to the Three Sisters Pub (hilarious! Their website has music!) for a drink and snack.  The service was subpar, but the atmosphere was authentic, and I enjoyed a cold glass of Iceberg there.  I also gave cod tongues a try; they were fine on principle, but despite only trying them for the first time, I don't think Three Sisters prepared them all that well.  Then it was back to the Manor for bed.

After a good night's sleep, I had breakfast at the charming Philip's Cafe; Philip is the husband of Linda, the owner of the Rosedale Manor, and they serve breakfast to guests out of his restaurant.  It was simple, fresh, and clearly homemade.  I was able to check out of the Manor there, too.

And then I was on my way to the...

Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve.  Yet again, this was highly recommended by friends, so I drove the 45 minutes or so from Placentia to Cape St. Mary's to see the birds.  The Ecological Reserve is home to literally thousands of birds, the likes of which you've never seen.  The most obvious - and the ones at the top of the hierarchy - were the Northern Gannets, and they were perched on Bird Rock, flying through the air, and making tonnes of noise.  I was totally transfixed; it was so hard to leave.  It was pretty spectacular!

To be clear, those white specks on the rocks and in the sky are BIRDS!!!  Thousands!

Same with those!  That's called Bird Rock and is covered with birds.

I headed straight back to St. John's after my visit in Cape St. Mary's, and the next morning - my last full day (Saturday June 15) - I went on a whale and bird-watching boat tour with O'Briens.  This was the one item on my itinerary that I hemmed and hawed about, but the prospect of seeing a whale made me go, and I did see a whale so it was worth it.  But, it was the one let-down of my trip.  For what I paid, it just didn't seem to have much value; we did see whales and puffins, but... it just wasn't all that much fun.  I have to blame that mostly on my queasiness on the boat, as well as the obnoxious fellow passengers, and the fact that it was my last day and I would've rather been with K.  BUT I don't regret doing it, and as I said, seeing a whale was pretty darn cool.


#8: Josh & Lauren's
In my blog post about my trip to France, I regret that I didn't dedicate enough attention to the hospitality of my host in Paris: Karen.  When I look back on the trip, that's one of the things I reflect on most: how at home Karen made me feel, how she never made me feel like I was putting her out, how much I enjoyed her company, and how she inspires to be as gracious and as hospitable a host whenever I get the chance to have someone in my home.

In St. John's, I had much the same experience.  As you can tell by now, I stayed with two friends named Josh and Lauren.  I had the pleasure of attending Josh & Lauren's wedding, and the two of them are just so warm and loving and giving, it's palpable.  Staying with them in their home in St. John's was yet another example of that.  They made me feel totally at home, had a fire going and tea brewing when I first arrived, made me feel comfortable, and most importantly, shared their space with K. and I, for which I will always be grateful.  They also cooked for me one night - moose stew, which was incredibly delicious!  And, they were great to spend time with and get to know better.  It was a really wonderful experience.  

Thank you, Josh & Lauren!!!


#9: Kate
Aside from travelling in order to attend the conference, I was also incredibly lucky because my time in Newfoundland was about in the middle of my girlfriend K's 6 weeks there for an opera program.  So, without a doubt, reuniting with her and any time spent with her were highlights of the trip.  We vegged out together, went to restaurants and cafes together, laughed and caught up... it was so nice to be with her.

Thanks to K., I also got to see an opera that her program was putting on: La Traviata.  I'd heard of this opera but knew nothing about it or its story.  It was wonderful!  The production was fantastic, the leads were amazing singers, and the story was so intense and sad.  I love opera, and need to learn more about it.  Thankfully I have the best teacher in K.


#10: Home is where the heart is
And that leads us back to where it always does: home.  My journey home wasn't exactly smooth, but the moment you walk back into your home - especially if you have a cat greeting you there - is always wonderful.  I always say that the best trips are the ones where when they're over, you suddenly feel so ready for home.  I was!  I missed my routine and my bed and my coffee and my cat!!!  But, I have the greatest memories of Newfoundland, and that's what travel is all about.