I'm off to "the Rock"!

Like everyone with a passion to travel, these past 18 months with this pandemic have been a challenge.  My itchy feet and yearning heart are hardly satisfied with day trips or even the one or two overnight jaunts when they were permitted from my home.  As Europe is still not a guarantee for North American travellers, I needed to look elsewhere for an adventure and some new discoveries and experiences.

So, when my sister announced she was heading to the Maritimes for a vacation with a friend but would stay on by herself to spend time in Newfoundland, I was jealous.  Then one night after a couple of beers, she suggested that I join her for that part of her journey.  Not sure she seriously meant it at the time so was she ever surprised when I immediately leapt into action.  I booked a flight and started researching the Canadian province which is the farthest from the one I live in.  It is also a part of Canada that has fascinated people from all over the world because of its unique history and culture.  Of course, it gained prominence 20 years ago during the 9/11 tragedy.

My usual "stomping" ground is Europe (can't wait to get back there) but, in the meantime, I am sure exploring "The Rock" for nearly three weeks is going to be a special adventure like none other.

At the beginning of the Newfoundland/Labrador guidebook I am currently reading there is a quote from G. K. Chesterton which says "The traveller sees what he sees; the tourist sees what he has come to see".  The book goes on to explain that "tourists know what they are looking for long before they know what's really there.  A knowable, containable, and "packageable" experience.  But these are mere parts of the puzzle.  A traveller, on the other hand, seeks the truth of a place, the essence that can only be appreciated by seeing the puzzle as a whole."  

The book continues.  "Wildlife? Check. HIstory?  Of course.  Amazing vistas?  In spades.  And culture?  We speak more dialects of English than the English do.  This is a place where turquoise and green houses make amiable neighbours on steep city streets and in snug little harbours.  Where fresh air ripples freely through tiny gardens and sprawling barrens, finding its way to open windows.  Bringing with it a renewed sense of possibility as sweet as the air itself.  But these are only elements of what makes this place truly unforgettable. And therein lies the magic of this mysterious land.  To find what you are looking for, you must first be willing to let go of expectations, to really lose yourself.  And then, there you will be.  Lost.  And found."    

Over my many years of travelling, I have always tried to embrace the character of a traveller rather than a tourist.  So, I will head off ready to experience all that the most easterly Canadian province has to offer and, with any luck, have the chance to "kiss the cod" and become an honourary Newfoundlander!  The adventure starts August 18th and I am sure it will be a very unique travel experience. 

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