#maevaflavedoeshelsinki

I am home from a 13-day trip to Helsinki, Finland visiting my best friend John.  The trip was incredible and - as always - I must blog about it!  I've learned that the best approach to a post-trip blog post is to try to consolidate the information as much as possible.  So, here are the top 10 highlights of my trip - not really in any particular order.

HELSINKI ITSELF & WANDERING THE CITY:
I very quickly felt comfortable navigating Helsinki.  I took the tram a lot and got to know the city centre especially well.  It's a very beautiful and clean city; an appealing combination of old European charm and contemporary architecture.  I loved wandering along Pohjoisesplanadi and Eteläesplanadi, browsing stores (see "SHOPPING") and people-watching.

Pohjoisesplanadi

I went for a great walking tour one day from my Lonely Planet Finland travel book.  Some highlights from that include the bustling kauppatori in the harbour, the Senaatintori (Senate Square), the Tuomiokirkko (Lutheran Cathedral), and Temppeliaukion Kirkko, a modern church hewn from solid rock.

Senaatintori with Tuomiokirkko in the background

Vendors in the kauppatori in the harbour

Tempelliaukion Kirkko

Before I go into my absolute favourite sights (which deserve their own highlights), shout-outs to the following sights - Kansallismuseo, Linnanmäki, Ateneum, and Uspenskin Katedraali.

Uspenskin Katedraali

KOTIHARJUN SAUNA:
When you think of Finland, one of the first things you think of is saunas.  I am a huge saunaphile to begin with (sometimes my only reason for a work-out is an excuse to go to the sauna), so it was at the top of my list to visit a traditional Finnish sauna.  My travel book recommended the Kotiharjun Sauna, so my friend Katie (who came from London, England to join me for part of my trip) and I walked from John's place to get there.

It was divine!  It was 12.00€ for an adult sauna and you could stay as long as you wanted to.  The locker room was clean and because it was a weekday afternoon, we had the place to ourselves.  There are separate saunas for men and women, and you get to the sauna right from the locker room.  Then, there's another shower room that connects to both of those areas, too.  The sauna itself was lovely and did seem very traditional.  We did a long first round, and then just spent the next 90 minutes or so going back and forth from the sauna to the shower room, rinsing off and going back for more.  We also got big buckets and filled them with cold water so we could refresh ourselves without leaving the sauna.  After we were done, we got some bottles of water downstairs and then went to a nearby park to continue the relaxing and enjoy some sun.  I highly recommend the experience to anyone visiting!  It was so amazing and rejuvenating!



KIASMA:
Helsinki has its fair share of museums, like any major city, but I didn't expect the museums I visited to necessarily be highlights of the visit.  Kiasma was the exception!  Kiasma is Helsinki's modern art museum, and I don't know if we were there for some exceptional exhibits, or if it's always that good, but I loved it!  The three exhibits we (Katie & I) saw were Alfredo Jaar (amazing video piece on Kevin Carter), Kiasma Hits (classic Finnish contemporary pieces, famous international artwork, and recent acquisitions), and an exhibit called Kimpassa / Together, which brought together the biggest names in Finnish contemporary art, design, and fashion, specifically artists and designers who'd worked with Kiasma and/or the fashion line Marimekko.  That was actually something I saw a lot of in Helsinki: a natural collaboration between people.  Marimekko designed napkins for Finnair, for example.  It seems like collaboration vs. competition between artists and companies happens a lot in that country, which I loved.  Kiasma was a great example.  Best modern art museum I've ever seen!

TALLINN, ESTONIA:
As you know, what brought me to Finland in the first place was one of my best friends in the whole world: John.  I've known John for around seven years now, and I've been hearing about his many Finnish adventures since the beginning.  One of those typical adventures - also highlighted by my travel book - is a trip to nearby Tallinn, Estonia.  So, it was a foregone conclusion that we'd take a trip there during my visit.  John booked us tickets on the speedboat to Tallinn in advance of my trip, and on the Saturday that I was there, John, his boyfriend, and myself took the 90-minute or so journey there!

John described Tallinn as the place Finnish people can go to act like American tourists; they can assume everyone there speaks their language - which in Tallinn, they do! - they can get cheap food, booze, cigarettes, and pretty much everything else.  Alcohol is one of the dominant reasons for the journey though, which is clear from the trolleys you can buy on the boat with the express purpose of packing them with cheap beer, wine, and liquor.  In fact, you can drink on the boat itself.  We had a beer on the way back, but even on the way there - at 10:00 am - our fellow passengers were getting right to it!

The visit to Tallinn was amazing!  My favourite part was the old town (see the photo below).  We wandered the cobblestoned streets, explored churches and little stores, stood at some beautiful points up the hills to stare down at the town and more modern parts of the city, too, and then browsed the market square where vendors sold souvenirs and other goods (including cinnamon-covered almonds, which were another highlight!).  After some lunch and exploring, we went shopping in the city, and then returned for some dinner later in the day (more on that in "FOOD").  Around 6:00 we headed back to the harbour to get our 7:00 pm speedboat back, and ended up having one of the best nights out of my life.  More on that in "FINNISH PEOPLE (& GOING OUT WITH THEM)".

Old Town, Tallinn

SUOMENLINNA:
One of the must-see sights in my travel book was Suomenlinna, and fortunately John and his friends agreed that I couldn't leave without seeing it.  Suomenlinna, or Sveaborg in Swedish, is an inhabited sea fortress.  I was so excited to just walk around it, and we were lucky enough to have beautiful weather, so we hopped on the ferry at the harbour and took the 15-minute ride there (which I could use my transit pass to pay for!).  With the sun shining, we grabbed some beers at the grocery store, and just wandered around.  It was beautiful (see below).  It was on one of my last nights, too, and it was just John and I, so I soaked it in.

SHOPPING:
People who know me know that I don't like shopping.  In fact clothes shopping is one of my least favourite things in the world.  However, when you've set aside a budget for gifts for yourself and others on a trip you've diligently saved up for, shopping suddenly feels more fun (rather than indulgent)!  I still wasn't interested in clothes, but I had a lot of fun browsing - and buying - in the stores I visited.

My favourites include Marimekko where I bought a number of gifts (and was lucky to be in Finland for the 50th anniversary of their Unikko pattern [see below]), Aarikka where I bought a lot of Finnish-made jewelry for family and friends, the Moomin store for all Moomin-related merchandise, the beautiful Akateeminen Kirjakauppa book store where I wandered aimlessly, Stockmann (a.k.a. Helsinki's Holt Renfrew, or at least The Bay), and - my favourite - the Iitala / Arabia outlet store where I splurged on Moomin mugs!!!

Marimekko's Unikko pattern

Shout-out to Emmaus where John recommended I go on my last day.  Apparently visiting Helsinki without going to a flea market is sacrilege, and I'm glad I went.  I picked up some really random goods there, but I'll always think of my trip to Helsinki when I see/use them.


FOOD:
Food is always my favourite part of travelling!  Food brings me joy on a daily basis, so trying new foods in new places is my idea of heaven!

Restaurant highlights included Alppitori for some traditional Finnish fare, randomly Monte Etna for what turned out to be an amazing spaghetti and meatballs, Café Ekberg hit the spot one morning with a Croque Madame (and bottomless coffee, which is a rare find in Helsinki), Vapiano for pasta made right before your eyes, Eat in Tallinn for pelmeni, Hesburger (Finland's McDonald's equivalent) for their version of a Big Mac (also in Tallinn), BLNIt for Russian food, and Zucchini for some vegetarian food in the city centre.

Alppitori - salmon soup with dark bread, followed by meatballs over
 mashed potatoes covered in brandy gravy with a side of jam

Café Ekberg - Croque Madame

Hesburger - their version of a Big Mac, in Tallinn

BLNIt (great Russian food) - blini with sour cream, red onions, and roe

But here's the thing - more than just looking forward to eating in Finland, I looked forward to eating John's cooking.  I lucked out having John and our other bestie Waleed as friends in my undergrad.  They were the only undergrad students I knew who at any point in time might have a delicious cut of meat marinating in their fridge.  They are master chefs in their own right, and I was spoiled having them cook for me so often back in the day.  I missed John's amazing cooking, and was spoiled once again while staying with him in Helsinki.  He cooked me all sorts of things, including some classic Finnish fare.  Below are some of my favourite meals he cooked.  Thanks, John!

Potatoes, salad, smoked trout, and pickled herring

Salad with chicken, pistachios, blue cheese, and beets with a side of
cracked wheat with sun-dried tomatoes and red onions

Dessert that evening; a funny hybrid of bread and cheese as
well as sweet and savoury, topped with jam

A sisters sausage soup with dark bread covered in cream cheese on the side

Arguably the best meal of the trip - roasted chicken
on top of a beet risotto

My favourite! Karjalanpiirakoita - a rice-stuffed pastry topped with egg butter.

FINNISH PEOPLE (& GOING OUT WITH THEM):
One of the best things about visiting a friend in another country (aside from free accommodations!) is meeting real people from that country.  You might run into a few locals while travelling solo, but being introduced to people who are really important to someone who's really important to you is really special.

I got to meet John's boyfriend, and really get to know him, and that was a real treat.  He's a wonderful man!  I got to be reunited with John's friend who came to visit us during our undergrad; it was amazing to see her again, laugh about our amazing three weeks together five years ago, and see how she's grown up.  I got to meet a friend of John's who he met through his boyfriend, who I partied with (more on that in a sec) and realized was my Finnish soul twin.  We live across the ocean from each other, but we had an instant connection.  And finally, I got to meet one of John's closest friends, who I've heard about since I met John, and who I've had as a Facebook friend for quite a while myself.  Meeting her in person was incredible; she has such a warmth to her and positive energy.

In fact, she had a dinner party while I was visiting, which was another major highlight.  She and her husband hosted us in their beautiful home, and I think there were about nine of us in total.  We were all speaking English (lucky me!), but almost everyone was from a different place.  There were three from Egypt, two of whom were raised in London UK and another who was raised in Sweden.  Three from Finland, but all with different backgrounds.  And then two Canadians (I'm not sure where the ninth was from).  We were all so different, and so many of us were strangers to each other, but there was such an ease to conversation, and it was such a nice night (including more delicious food!).  That's the kind of experience I love to have when travelling.  I was really lucky.

I enjoyed Finnish people so much in general.  I don't want to generalize, because I know everyone is different, but there were some common elements, I found.  Finnish people don't have a big fake smile on their face, even in service industries.  There's no fakeness, small talk, or over-the-top friendliness.  But there's also not snobbery or rudeness; people just are who they are.  There was a definite sense of more introversion than I find here in North America, but people are very kind... they're just more real.  I liked that; it was really refreshing!

But like I've already said, I was able to really connect with a number of people, and I loved all of John's friends.  We had one really great night out that I mentioned before, the evening of the day we went to Tallinn.  We'd been up really early that day, but we were armed with cheap booze from Tallinn, and we had to go out.  The evening started with a long karaoke session at John's boyfriend's place, which was a blast!  Then we went to a gay club called Hercules, which was amazing!  Great music, lots of people, and so much dancing!  Here's one of the most surreal moments of my trip: we left the club at 4:00 am and it was totally light out!  Finland gets a lot of light during the summer; maybe even 22 hours of it at certain points.  It was 4 am, yet it looked like noon!  Very bizarre; you don't really want to be illuminated by the sun when you leave a club at 4:00 am, but it was a great Finnish experience and a great night out!


CHILLING:
Going into my trip, I was grateful for the length, because it meant I could see lots of sights, but also have lots of time to relax, rejuvenate, catch up with John, and just chill.  Sometimes that was as simple as spending a few hours in a café - traveller's guilt free - writing postcards, journalling, and plotting out what sights I would see next.  On my first full day there, I spent 2+ hours on a hill in a park near John's place, reading and soaking in the sun.  It was so nice to have that luxury and not feel guilty about wasting time.  I was seeing a new city, sure, but I was also on vacation.  I wanted to relax!

Chillin' on a hilltop

I loved having lots of time to hang out with John, too.  A few days - especially after great nights out - it was nice to just laze about his apartment... cook and eat food, and watch lots of TV.  We watched season two of "Bad Girls Club" while I was there (high-quality TV), as well as season one of "RuPaul's Drag Race", and also "Orange is the New Black"!  John and his boyfriend were half-way through season one when I got there, so I watched that with them, and then we watched all of season two together which I hadn't seen yet.  Major highlight!  Downtime on a trip is important, and I took full advantage.


JOHN:
You know what the #1 best part of the trip was though???  Seeing John!  Reuniting with one of my best friends was the thing I was most looking forward to, and it was the #1 highlight without a doubt.  John and I used to spend every day together in our undergrad, so it's been hard not seeing him in the flesh for nearly two years.  Reuniting was incredible!  It's like we picked up where we left off and nothing had changed... but so much has changed in our individual lives, so that's even better!  Even across the ocean, we're growing separately but not apart.  And seeing him in his element, in a city where he feels his best, was so wonderful.  I got to see how happy he is, and how much he's thriving, and as a best friend, that's all you could want.

Thank you, John, for your love, food, and hospitality!

Another trip for the books!

Helsinki!!!

Helsinki, here I come!!!

I've mentioned before that one of my best friends - John - has been living in Finland for a while now, and likely will live there forever.  It's hard not to have someone so close to you physically close to you, but it was inevitable and we manage to stay in each other's lives regardless. However, since Finland is so important to John and he loves the country so much, it was also inevitable that I visit him there.  The time has finally come.

I've planned to go to Helsinki this spring/summer for a while, but today I actually bought the tickets and so it's official!  I depart Toronto on June 8, arrive in Helsinki June 9, and don't return to YYZ until June 20.  Approximately 12 days to spend with John, see the sites of Helsinki, eat delicious food, party with John's friends, and maybe take a few side trips (Tallin [Estonia] and Stockholm are on the menu).

I can't wait!!!

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)

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.