Friday, May 7, 2021

Newfoundland


I miss travel. The pandemic really hampered that. But, now with the vaccine, I'm starting to imagine new trips.

One place that sounds interesting is Newfoundland, a big island off the east coast of Canada. Amazingly it didn't become part of Canada until 1949 -- 1949! Three quarters of its inhabitants don't identify as Canadians; they still consider themselves Newfoundlanders. Culturally it differs from everywhere else in North America.

The first Europeans to visit North America arrived in 1000 AD, led by Norse explorer Leif Erikson. Later Europeans came from England, Ireland, Scotland and France. They built a society unlike the ones they had left which also differed from other new settlements in the North America. Newfoundland developed distinctive customs, beliefs, stories, songs and dialects that sound fascinating.

Have you been there or heard of it? I'm collecting information. There are no bridges or tunnels connecting Newfoundland to the mainland so you have to take a long ferry to reach the island. It looks very scenic.

One of my motorcycling friends rode there twenty years ago. His pictures of that trip further inspire me to visit. Here are some of them.






11 comments:

  1. I hope you've seen "Come From Away"! But watch the CBC documentary "You Are Here: Come From Away" first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTNDRvUqVQA - it's about how the Newfoundlanders took in all the diverted flights after 9-11. It's absolutely wonderful and so very much about the Newfoundlanders.

    I have not been but it's on my bucket list - our friends Nick and Karen went there.

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    1. I saw that musical on Broadway. Very engaging story with percussive music.

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  2. Sounds like a wonderful place to have on your bucket list, Ally. I do miss travel too! xxx

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  3. A place I've heard of, but not much! Still it definitely sounds like a bucket list-worthy item.

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  4. If you have the time available plan on a few more days and take a trip to Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, France just 20km off the coast of Newfound Land. https://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/trip-ideas/travel-stories/top-tips-for-a-visit-to-saint-pierre-and-miquelon

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  5. Being able to Travel again will be something I'm looking forward to, the Pandemic really hindered so many things we took for granted being able to just do.

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  6. Newfoundland & Labrador beckon to me as well. One of my life goals is to visit each Cnd province and territory at least once. As Newfoundland sits on the exact opposite side of country to BC, getting there will be quite the trek indeed, but that just makes me all the more determined to step foot on "The Rock" at some point.

    I likewise sincerely hope that a trip up that way is in the cards for you, Ally, and that you have a grand time visiting Canada's most easterly province.

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. I hope you get to visit (and everywhere else). Your country is so full of great places to visit.

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