It felt like the flying took all day because of the five hour wait I had in Toronto but I made good use of the time, getting a bite to eat and blogging. When the flight was coming in to land at St. John’s I purposely put my book down to look out the window and get a big dose of blue sky, knowing that this would be my last taste of it for the next few days.
I was astounded to see that the tarmac was only a few meters below the cloud!
I opened up my bag the minute I picked it up and put my down jacket on with my beanie and scarf, it was bloody freezing outside. It wasn’t long after that I saw a familiar brown car pull into the curb. The traffic director didn’t have control of the situation so I let myself into the boot, threw my bag in then said a big hello with a hub to Rob and waved to Theo in the back seat.
Rob took us the round-about way home, taking me on a tour of his new neighbourhood and I just loved the architecture. It was similar to Boston’s multi-level homes but these didn’t have the balconies, a lot of them had basement units, they were on bigger plots of land and they had so much more colour!
It was a very pretty place and a gorgeous neighbourhood for his young family. One with a lot of history too! His great grandfather was responsible for building many of the confusing roads in the area and the house his mother grew up in was only a few blocks away. The best improvement over their last place in Kelowna? The quiet street they lived on.
After a quick scooter session at the end of a cul-de-sac for Theo, we pulled into a long driveway and we found Teresa and Simon inside a beautiful home. Teresa was in paint-mode, putting some beautiful color throughout the house, working in the living room and Simon was enthusiastic to see me again.
Theo gave me the tour and I was so stoked for my friends to have found such a great place with plenty of room for them to spread out.
I’d landed just before 6pm and the evening was getting away from us quickly so after the tour was done, we walked the short way to the shopping complex for dinner at Pop’s Diner which had beautiful bright décor and the kind of milkshakes you see in movies. We had a lot of catching up to do and Rob and Teresa caught me up on their move from Kelowna, the eclipse while the kids made a happy mess of the place.
After meeting “Pop’s” son who was a similar age to Simon, it was closing time so we got out of there and went home to relax. The parents put the kids to bed, then us adults stayed up until near-midnight catching up. A lot had happened in their lives in recent months and they were able to laugh about the things that had gone wrong and appreciate the wins.
An Avondale Adventure
Rob had a list of things to do on his phone so I knew we wouldn’t be sitting around idle for the half-week I was visiting and he wanted to get us off to an exciting start! Having only been establishing in St. Johns for a month or so, they were still making friends and one of those friends had offered to take us on a short hike near their place in Avondale.
Teresa was geared up for a day of painting so the boys and I loaded into the Billy car and drove through the countryside to the next inlet west. Once we left the town of St. Johns, we were on the highway and surrounded by trees. The pine forest was thick and Rob pointed out that what looked weird about it was it’s stuntedness. No trees could grow much higher than what I was seeing because of the fierce winds that often plague the island.
Once we started driving through Avondale, my heart warmed and the beautiful properties of at least an acre with lovely big sheds and barns detached from spacious homes and many a chicken-coup.
We were welcomed to Fouad and Jessica’s home by Sally the neighbourhood beagle who was at our doors to say hello as soon as we opened them. Fouad came out to meet us and he started the tour of his property at the chicken coup.
He was close to our age and he and his wife had decided that the city life wasn’t for them thanks to the crazy housing prices so they’d bought this place sight unseen for less than $300,000 and left everything behind three weeks later. They fished every day they could in nearby Bacon Cove and still hadn’t eaten all the fish they’d caught last year. The pizza truck they’d once run for fun was now their main income source, along with their barn they’d converted into a gorgeous AirBnb and their basement unit that had fulltime tenants. Wow, how inspiring.
Inside, we met Jessica who was equally enthusiastic about the country life they’d been living for the past two years and was curious learn about us. When their 18-month old Zayne was up from his nap, the boys played together while we had a cup of tea and swapped stories.
Now it was adventure time. Fouad fired up the quad, us visitors loaded into the Billy car and Jessica, Zayne and Spetzy, a big husky-style dog loaded into their truck.
It was only a five minute drive through the dispersed neighbourhood but unfortunately there was some drama when Jessica’s truck and a local going the other way on a narrow road clashed mirrors. We all went back with Fouad to deal with that, him talking to the other party and then strapping the now dangling mirror of Jessica’s truck to the door. It put a bit of a downer on the day, but you could tell our hosts didn’t want it to bring down the mood.
We parked up at the trailhead with a lot of mud, rock and a babbling brook running next to us. Here we discovered that Theo didn’t have his shoes, we’d left them back at the house! Fortunately, Zayne’s cute little hiking boots fit Theo just fine so we were good.
I was stoked to carry Simon in the backpack while the other boys loaded onto the quad for a ride through the river. Fouad was in his happy place, Theo maybe not so much – it looked like he was holding on to Fouad for dear life.
The rest of us crossed without getting our feet too set and we started up the trail climbing through the forest. Fouad parked up the quad shortly after and put Zayne in his backpack letting Spetzy lead the way. It made me miss Cleo seeing him dip in and out of the forest chasing bunnies and squirrels.
I was happy for the steady incline and the weight of Simon because it kept me warm and the way was beautiful. It’s very obvious that “The Rock” is a very moist place, keeping most of its residents in a constant cloud or some form of salt spray most of the time. It meant that if the ground wasn’t covered in roots, it was coated in a very soft moss that tore apart easily with a gentle tug.
When we came out of the forest, Fouad pointed out the view of the ocean behind us and we stopped to take it in. He pointed out Conception Harbor and his fishing spot in Bacon Cove. Good thing we stopped to look because that was the last view we’d get thanks to the clouds closing in.
We clambered the last quarter mile up some exposed rock mixed with mud and moss and were all happy to reach the peak then find a spot out of the light wind to lay out some snacks.
The kids chowed into the plethora of food options the parents had brought while Spetzy kept watch through the mist. He was helpful enough to even clean up after the boys who left many a scrap on the soft mossy floor.
Back down the hill, it was easy going and I enjoyed hanging back to see my mate on an adventure with his son.
I hung back with Jessica as the boys went ahead and asked her more about her life in Avondale and life as a mother. I could tell she was happy and they seemed wealthy compared to a lot of the people I’d met in the Bay Area. I was inspired by what I heard but confessed to her that the mother-bit wasn’t a part of my plan.
We all came back together as we waited for Theo who was slowing down not because of tiredness but because of his sudden desired to walk exclusively in the water running down the trail.
Any hope of his feet being dry was gone and we couldn’t do anything but laugh as he stubbornly contorted his small body to navigate the uneven wet ground. At one point he completely fell over and got the side of his head wet but he wasn’t phased! As adventurous as his Dad already and only three years old.
Back at the cars, we thanked Fouad and Jessica profusely for the adventure and as an added bonus, got to talk briefly to a local on a quad carrying some firewood as Rob went off for a quick spin on Fouad’s machinery. Rob had warned me about the “Newfie” accent and he hadn’t been exaggerating. If he hadn’t said anything, I would have assumed he was some mix of Scottish and Irish but it didn’t matter, none of us could pick up more than every fifth word or so. I could barely contain my laughter.
Back at the Avondale homestead, we were invited in for a lunch of chicken nuggets and chips which we couldn’t refuse. Rob was aware that Simon had been away from his nursing mother for most of the day but he’d been such a good sport so he felt it was doable. I’m glad he did because we had a blast hanging out in the kitchen. Fouad taught me about the Arabic tradition of drinking beer in a glass with salt to bring out the flavour, we got to meet the house chick Lily who’d been rejected by the other hens and of course the boys made chaos.
Jessica had cooked up some delicious food but shortly after lunch, it was time to head out. We thanked our hosts for such a fun day and I got Fouad’s info so we could all meet up some time in the future in vans and campers.
Since this was Rob’s first time on this part of The Rock, we could do a bit more exploring so checked out the Shipwreck in Conception Harbor, reading a bit about the history and finding out it had run aground in the 60s along with two other boats right next to it that were hidden by the dark blue water.
At Bacon Cove, we drove through an even more remote town along the coastline and even did a bit of off-roading down a narrow stretch of road that seemed like a gateway to some secret hideaway.
As we drove back along Conception Harbor, we couldn’t resist the temptation to pull over at a small marina where a few groups of people had parked and were all looking at something in the water. Theo had to pee anyway so we de-boarded and I inquired what everyone was looking at. They’d spotted the hump of a whale just breech the water not long ago so they were hoping for another sighting. We kept our eyes peeled but called it after ten minutes and carried on.
One last stop before home once we were back in St. Johns, we drove down to the famous Battery to see Nanny’s house. Rob’s Mom wanted to be close to the grandkids so had bought a quaint little home right by the port. It was a lovely spot but the kind of place you’d want to rent, not buy. The foundation was failing and there was a big hole at the rear where some sewerage problems had eroded the ground from underneath the house. As we stepped inside, it had the feeling of a small country home with low ceilings, uneven wooden floors and staircases that weren’t even close to being straight. It would definitely be an adventure for Nanny and if it remained upright, a lovely home with a beautiful view of the active port.
At home, Teresa was still hard at work painting but she stopped to enjoy a pasta dinner Rob made for us. Once the kids were in bed, Rob gave me a much-needed tour of his shop and it made me green with envy! Rob makes some beautiful and creative things out of wood in a style completely different (and probably much better) than mine and he always did so with whatever space he had. Well now, he had a great space and hadn’t wasted any time making his mobile cutting station complete with integrated table saw, flip-up drop saw and vacuum system. And the best thing? He was only just getting started. I was very impressed and I’d like to think that he was impressed that I was impressed.
For the rest of the evening, Teresa and Rob tackled their new appointment as remote landlords for their house in Kelowna with spreadsheets up on laptops and many a phone call going back and forth to their home state. The 5.5 hour time difference from this coast to the other made the evenings an opportune time for productivity. I left them to it, wishing them success but glad that my landlording days are over.
Quidi Vidi
We had a late start to the day and after running to the store for eggs to make pancakes and a belated breakfast, the Dad, the boys and I piled into the Billy car for the day’s activities. It was pretty low-key by normal standards starting with a quest for crickets. Rob’s chameleon Waffles was getting hungry so we were looking for a good pet store with sustenance.
The first place had what we needed, but not the bright blue exotic bugs that waffles really liked. They also only had one cat for sale and we were all interested in having the typical pet store “zoo” experience so we made our way over to our second option, Critters and Things. Rob gave up on Google part way there, explaining that the convoluted roadways and lack of data meant that Google Maps often got confused with directions.
When we passed by a playground they’d visited before we had to stop for some scooter antics and we stayed about an hour, Theo scooting around and Rob doing the same on his longboard while Simon and I spectated and tried out all the swings.
Theo was becoming a speed demon on his scooter and the biggest challenge I had when Simon was on the ground was keeping rocks out of his mouth!
At Critters and Things, we found a unique staff who charged exorbitant prices for their withered-looking worms but at least they had a tortoise!
Back home, after feeding the animals, it was time for an adventure with the whole family. Teresa got out of her painting gear and we suited up for a walk to Quidi Vidi. This was Theo’s second outing on his balance bike and I immediately regretted not bringing a scarf to help him learn his balance. We made-do with a zip-off piece of Teresa’s jacket, but really, it was a bit hard.
Once we’d walked down the hill to the river, we were on a lovely gravel path and the sun came out! While Teresa and Theo went onwards, me and Rob jerry-rigged a controlling stick for the small bike using a busted power cord Rob had in his pocket. The concept was sound but it was not a success.
The river led us to Quidi Vidi Lake and we could start to feel the cold of the evening setting in. We’d already seen a lot of senior runners out and about and now we saw the same demographic on 6-person row boats! So much enthusiasm from the locals!
We walked along the lakeside and when we came to the boathouse, had a quick chat with some local elderlies who were waiting for the row boats to come in so they could house them safely for the night. Again, we picked up every fourth or fifth word.
At the end of the lake, we turned up the hill and when we crested, we might as well have been in a different world. We had reached the sea and a modest little port complete with a boat ramp and some small homes and shacks with structural challenges across the water.
We wandered along the boardwalk and Rob pointed out the Quidi Vidi Brewery which was our final destination. What a stunning little place with character bursting at its seams. There was even a block of land for sale. “Don’t tell Nanny!” Rob said.
When a man working by his shack saw us walk by, he invited us in to warm up and we graciously accepted. It was past 7pm in the evening and yes it was still plenty light out, but it seemed late to be outside working with his chainsaw. The man must have been at least 80.
We sat inside by his fire while he worked and Rob helpfully moved a smouldering piece of wood further away from the stove so that it wouldn’t set the place on fire. Outside again, we learnt a little bit about his freshly painted boat and his preparations for the Summer tourist season. He told us he’d be out on the boat every day for the next few months.
We made our way to the brewery and I’ve never seen such beautiful, big, shiny vats. What an entrance!
Upstairs, we found our place at a table on the outside deck sheltered by plastic sheeting to keep the ever-increasing cold out. Because of the no-kids-after-8:30pm rule, we only had 45 minutes to enjoy a round and some delicious food but enjoy it we did!
The live band played next door to us with a good mix of classic pub songs and Newfie-style jigs. The atmosphere was just brilliant and for a Friday, the place wasn’t a complete zoo.
When 8:30pm hit, it was time for the logistics to begin. We’d walked 3.5 miles here and now that it was properly dark, a walk home wasn’t appropriate. Rob got into a cab while the rest of us waited in the entrance hall downstairs with the illegal children. Thankfully the acoustics were great from the band so Theo and I entertained ourselves with dancing while Teresa bounced along with the beat to keep Simon asleep in his carrier.
After a quick tree-pee for Theo outside, Rob and Billy car arrived to carry us home.
Theo was quick to bed but we stayed up quite with Simon thanks to his huge sleep which meant we got to chat into the wee-hours of the morning.
NL MTB
I was enjoying the household norm of getting up late and waking up late and today was no different only this time Teresa hadn’t been up until 5am painting, she’d called it around 2am. That meant she had breakfast with us before our grown-up activity.
Poor Theo is so used to hanging out with Dad all the time, we had to make sure we kept his spirits up. After strapping Rob’s bike onto the Billy car, we reversed out the driveway to the sight of Theo spraying himself with the hose in the background. He was going to be just fine.
To everyone’s surprise, the sun was out with only blue skies above us. I hadn’t dared hope for anything but cloud and on a day like today too with mountain biking on the cards!
We drove out of town and over to a new neighbourhood with big lots covered in grass and big homes to Malcolm’s place. A friend of Teresa through med-school, he’d been on The Rock for nearly two years so was a fast friend to the newly-arrived family. We were going mountain biking close to Rob’s place but we opted to meet here because Malcolm had quite the shed and we got straight into it. He had six motorbikes of the dirt and street variety and at least that number of bicycles too.
He was fully embracing country life and was excited for his dirt-biking Summer tour across the island in a few months with two good friends. We shared a love for old cars as his weathered Dodge truck in the driveway showed so as Rob got his new chain installed we nerded out over carburetors and diesels. Malcolm showed me around the 24”/26” mullet I’d be riding and I was stoked to have a go on machinery completely unlike anything I’d ever ridden. He called himself a downhill dirtbag and the travel on his bikes proved it.
With Rob’s bike demoted to the roof and two bikes on the back, we drove to the opposite side of Quidi Vidi lake that we’d been on yesterday, parked up and suited up. Despite the beautiful sunshine, I was dreading the cold. I’d lost my voice almost completely by now and my throat just wasn’t clearing up but I kept my mouth shut, dropped a layer and slapped a smile on my face.
Malcolm lead the way and we rode through a plethora of rocky, rooty and muddy trails.
There was a lot of hike-a-bike and trail-hunting for this wasn’t a regular spot for him but he’d chosen it for the ocean views and my goodness had he done the right thing. After trekking along a gravel fireroad for a bit, we crossed a field, climbed up some more roots then came out onto a peninsula in front of the big blue.
The views just got more and more breathtaking the closer we got to the water and the trails became a little more groomed. The boys were hooting and hollering all through the trees but I wasn’t ashamed to be taking it easy. This bike was heavy compared to Scottie!
On a particularly steep climb, I was pumping hard just as Rob dropped his chain and only moments later, I stopped hard having broken my chain. Oh dear. Rob and Malcolm got his chain loose while I stripped the chain off my ride and walked it to the viewpoint for some chain-breaking. I must admit, it was a pretty good place to be stuck.
As we rode back down, we discovered that Rob’s problem was worse than a broken chain with a seriously bent hanger but some Malcolm muscle soon had it functioning and we were off again with Rob having hand-tightened his rear axle.
It didn’t slow him down. The boys rode bravely while I shameless walked a tonne not only because it was too technical for me but because I was happy to appreciate the views.
When we came out of the last patch of forest, we rode on rocky terrain right by the water and uttered many ooh’s and aah’s, not only at the weather and the scenery but at Malcolm’s gnarly downhill bike control.
We lingered a long time at the peak of the ride to take it all in and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have such a great pair of guides.
After mucking around a bit trying to find our path off the top of the rock, I watched in awe as Malcolm and Rob rode down some sharp angled rock and made it out clean the other side.
They cheered my on as I walked it, me taking the mickey out of my mad skills telling them to get out the Go-Pro.
We were laughing the whole way down still with an abundance of views to appreciate then we were suddenly jettisoned out into the Quidi Vidi inlet, right across from the brewery where the fresh water poured into the ocean by the boat ramp. So stoked!
From there, we regrouped and had a steady climb out on some fireroad during which everyone’s chains held out.
We were fist-bumping and hi-fiving at the car grateful for such an awesome ride and I was pinching myself at the company.
It felt like it was getting dark as we drove home but it was just the cloud taking over since our riding was done. Theo was excited to see us and Teresa was happy that she’d got some major painting work done. Simon was asleep so we had some cake and a cup of tea while we waited for him to rise so we could go on our next adventure.
I learnt all about Malcolm’s residency as a psychiatric doctor and we all talked Newfoundland, cars and doctoring together. When Simon just kept snoozing, Theo volunteered to wake him up and then Teresa put her painting gear back on and the rest of us were off to Signal Hill.
Poor Malcolm was still in his riding gear so he froze his arse off while I’d put on extra layers and we explored the spot where the first radio signal was sent across the ocean. It was a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. You could tell them apart because the locals didn’t get out of their cars while us idiots did.
Theo and I hunted for cannonballs in the many WWII-era guns on display and we took in the views both out to sea and over the Battery.
We lingered to watch a big ship approach the port but eventually bailed when it got too cold excited to pick up some lobster for dinner on the way home.
Unfortunately (fortunately for me), the lobster shop closed early on a Saturday afternoon so it was the supermarket for steaks and salad instead. Malcolm and I were happy to be onboard the Rob fun-train as we schlepped the kids through the aisles.
We all went to work in the kitchen and whipped up a glorious dinner in the space of an hour while Teresa continued her work in the living room. With the food spread out on the table and all of us crowded around, we touched our glasses in cheers and dug in, feeling very much like a big happy family.
East Before Back West
I was flying out in the afternoon, and that only meant one thing – we had time for one more adventure! Another with the whole family, after we had breakfast, we were all in the Billy car headed to Cape Spear, more commonly known as the Easternmost point of the North American continent. Rob and Theo had ventured out to this very point only a few weeks before and they’d barely been able to see their own feet due to fog so with my recent weather-luck, we figured it was worth another shot.
The blue skies of yesterday were long gone, but it was a still day and the clouds were above us so visibility was quite good. The tourist-level was similar to that of Signal Hill with cars coming and going and people roaming all over.
We wandered along the boardwalk, me taking in the scenery, Teresa reading signs for Theo and Rob pushing along a sleeping Simon. It was a beautiful piece of sea shore and it was a great vantage point of the peninsulas where we’d had such a fun time together.
Rob got a token photo of me at the sign then we explored the old WWII bunkers and stared down the barrels of the rusted old cannons that sat pointing out towards Europe.
We were short on time so didn’t venture up to the lighthouse but it looked like a welcome beacon of safety as they all do in its white and red paintwork. Teresa explained that last time they were here, the fog horn blew loudly to warn ships of the shore multiple times per minute. I’m sure it gets a lot of use throughout the year, especially during the winter.
And so I had my last taste of Newfoundland and we made our way back through St. Johns to the airport. Without trying, Rob had been the perfect tour guide thanks to the inconsistency of Google Maps. Somehow, we ended up along the wharf near the battery on a road we’d never been on before so I was still taking in new things.
My affinity for a purple house was cemented and we found my absolute favorite on our last drive through town. It was a deep purple with black trim and quaint windows. All it was missing was the red door.
We got to the airport all too soon and it was time to say goodbye. Theo gave me a huge cuddle and I spun him around a bit, I gave Teresa a big hug and wished her well for the start of her new job, Simon got a jiggle in his car seat which earnt me a smile and then I said thanks and see you later to Rob. What a friend he has always been to me, we’ve been through so much fun together and now I get to watch him be a Dad to a pair of wonderful kids. Until next time mate, thanks for a wonderful adventure!
15 – 20 May, 2024