St. John's

Newfoundland's capital St. John's is North America's oldest and most eastern city. It was both our final destination on the road trip through the Atlantic provinces as well as the last stop on our world trip before returning to Europe.

Walking through this cozy city, it is easy to understand why Newfoundland is considered Canada's most colorful province. Wooden houses in all imaginable colors makes you feel like you are walking through a fairytale. On top of this, the city is beautifully located in a sheltered bay surrounded by bare cliffs.

In the small village of Quidi Vidi, just outside St. John's, we visited a micro brewery and got to try beer brewed with iceberg water. The beer might have been a bit pale but it was still an interesting experience.

Unfortunately the weather was not on our side the following day when we visited Canada's most eastern point at Cape Spear. Instead of hiking along the cliffs trying to spot whales, the rain made it an easy decision to head back into town to return our rental car.

Bonavista peninsula

We reached the turn off to Gros Mourne national park as the rain was pouring down outside. With the weather report not predicting any change for another three days we altered our plans. Instead of visiting the fjords of western Newfoundland we opted for a marathon drive across the island heading for the Bonavista peninsula.

First stop on the peninsula was the little fishing village of Trinity. We visited a replica of what a typical isolated Newfoundland fishing community looked like 400 years ago before hiking the Skirwink trail. The hike is rated one of the best hikes in North America and with the scenery provided it is easy to understand why. Even though it is only five kilometers long it took us several hours to walk, there was just so much to see. As if the spectacular scenery overlooking the ocean from the cliff shore was not enough in itself there were eagles flying above us and whales playing in the waters below.

Before making our way to St. John's and the Avalon peninsula we also had time to visit the beautifully located Bonavista lighthouse. As promised, it turned out to be an excellent place for spotting both humpback whales and puffin birds.

Taking the boat to Newfoundland

After a long 7 hour ferry ride we arrived in Newfoundland. Most ferries run during the day but we opted for the overnight ferry so we should not lose a day of traveling time. All the beds were booked out so we were left with sleeping in chairs in the common areas.

The sleep was surprisingly good and the next morning we were ready to start our drive across "the rock".

Cape Breton National Park

Cape Breton national park is located on the northern part of Nova Scotia. It is famous for its abundance of wildlife both on land and in the water and its stunning coastal scenery.

When walking though the forests at dusk it did not take long until we encountered a large moose on the pathway. On the second day in the park we boarded a small zodiac and set out on a whale watching tour. It was fascinating to see the pilot whales jumping out of the water just a few meters in front of our small boat.

Halifax

After crossing the confederation bridge we were back on the mainland heading to Halifax. Nova Scotias provincial capital is the largest city in the eastern provinces and has one of Canada's largest ports.

Halifax has a beautiful and lively waterfront filled with restaurants, pubs and little shops. The Scottish heritage is not only found in the name of the province, it is also present through the streets. To experience the local culture we spent an evening listening to old Keltic rock music and drinking locally brewed beer.

When Canadians picture Nova Scotia they often think of the red and white lighthouse and small fishing village called Peggy's Cove just outside Halifax. Despite all the tour buses that arrive here daily, there is still a genuine and authentic feel when walking through this beautiful village.

Lobster fishing

When the lobster fishing season is over, local fishermen Mark and Cody take tourists out on their fishing boat. They teach you about lobsters in general and the lobster fishing industry in particular. At the end of the tour we got to sit down and enjoy a wonderful lobster dinner cooked according to traditional PEI style.

During the few weeks when lobster fishing is allowed no fisherman would be taking tourists out on their boat. They only have four weeks to try and fill their quota.

We got to learn quite a few interesting lobster facts. A lobster never stops growing and any body part that is damaged or lost can be regrown, including organs. No one knows how large a lobster can grow or how old they can get. The largest lobster ever caught weighed over 44 pounds and was over two feet long.

When Mark and Cody's grandfather bought his fishing quota he paid less than one dollar. Back then lobster was considered poor man's food and was often used as fertilizer on the farm fields. In the prisons it even got to the point where they had to limit the number of days per week that they were allowed to serve lobster.

PEI

Our first maritime destination was Prince Edward Island. This is Canada's smallest and flattest province and is therefor a popular biking destination. It was the first province to complete the part of the trans Canada bike trail.

With it being an island in the ocean everything here is connected to fishing. The restaurants are almost all seafood oriented and most of the tours bring you out on the water.

Our three highlights in PEI were a day on our bikes, eating a seafood dinner at the "world famous" Water Prince Corner Store Restaurant and enjoying fresh lobster on a small fishing boat.

Home sweet home

After eight months on the road, 131 different beds and 13 countries we arrived in Toronto. Our trip might not be completely over yet but it is slowly coming to an end. Throughout the last four weeks we have been settling into our new home (Erika's brothers house). It has given us plenty of time to catch up with family and friends despite spending most of the time filling out immigration forms.

The weather has been unbelievably hot, so our day trip to Wasaga, the wold's longest fresh water beach, was a nice way to cool off and still enjoy the sunshine. For the Canada day long weekend we packed the RV and set out on a three day camping adventure.

We are now packing our backpacks again and are heading to the maritime provinces for a two week road trip.

 

Okanagan Valley

Thanks to it's micro climate the Okanagan Valley is one of Canada's most famous wine districts. The southern tip of the valley is sometimes even regarded as the northern end of the Mexican desert.

Crossing the mountain pass leading into the valley provided a spectacular view of a long narrow passage filled with lakes and vineyards, all surrounded by mountains.

Despite the coldest summer temperatures ever recorded in the valley we followed through with our plan and rented bikes. The Kettle Valley Trail is an old railway that has been turned into a bike trail. The trail winds its way through the wineries with a beautiful view of the Okanagan lake.  After a number of wine tasting stops we did not ride our bikes as effortlessly as we did when we set out in the morning.