Nature Friday - Last of St. John''s

 Our third day in St. John's Newfoundland was the quietest one. 

We started with a boat tour. Unfortunately, we missed both the whales as close to the city and the icebergs. We did enjoy 2 hours on the Northern Atlantic. In my next life I will live on a boat. 

Can you spot the bald eagle? Mom and Dad were out of the nest which has young this year. 

After our ride, it was time to try fish and chips. The Man can't eat fish and I don't usually eat fish, but we found a place with gluten free fish and chips (batter was salt and vinegar chips) and was not bad. The cod was very moist. 

Then it was time for the Newfoundland tradition of getting screeched in.  This is a tradition where tourists pay a small fee to become honourary Newfoundlanders. First you have to talk like a Newfie (I know I did not say anything like what I was supposed to). Then you eat like a Newfie, having a piece of Newfie steak (aka a piece of baloney). Then you drink like a Newfie and take a shot of screech (the name given to the local rum because it use to be over 100 proof and when Americans were stationed in St. John's during WWII and tried it, they would screech). [They do offer a alcoholic alternative as well]. Then you have to kiss like a Newfie, which means kissing a frozen cod. 

After this fun, we went to the cat cafe and hung out with some kittens who were awaiting their forever homes. 

Dakota

Tommy

We ended our day with a nice dinner at our hotel.

Our last morning, as our flight was early afternoon, happened to be Regatta Day. Regatta Day is a flexible holiday in St. John's. If the weather cooperates it is the first Wednesday of August, if not it is the next week. All non-essential businesses must be closed. At Quidi Vidi Lake, amateur teams race up and down the lake, surrounded by food trucks and a carnival. 50 000 people visit the oldest consecutive sporting event in North America. 2026 was the 208th. 

I hope you enjoyed our visit to St. John's. I am excited to write that I will be going back for a few days at the end of September with some friends for a girls trip. Should be fun!