A last taste of Newfoundland

We decided we needed to see the Official Jellybean Row before we left St. John’s, so we asked Apple Maps for directions and set out to explore one last time.

I’ve noticed a couple of unusual things in Newfoundland – they seem to love Pepsi and there are a surprising number of payphones in public places (even on the street). I didn’t get a photo of a payphone, but I did find a good Pepsi sign.

The meat market was just across from what Apple Maps says is the real Jellybean Row (King’s Road at Cummings Street), although many sources say that there is no “real” row. Whether it’s official or not, it was wonderful to see.

The OFFICIAL Jellybean Row according to Apple Maps

I happened to see a housepainter working on a house across the street from the ones in the photo and asked him if people were required to repaint in the same colours – he said that some houses, like the ones in the photo, have agreements with the city to stay the same, but everyone else has a free choice.

On our way back to the hotel, I stumbled across another colourful place…possibly a little away from its natural habitat, though.

We’re at the airport now, ready to board our plane. We took advantage of the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge to finally try to screech-in as Newfoundlanders! There wasn’t a cod to kiss, so it may not be official, but we tried! (See photo at the top of the blog post).

Off to Montreal!

Morning ship sighting

We’re going home today, leaving St. John’s at 2pm, so we didn’t have to set the alarm this morning! When we opened the curtains after getting up, there was a large cruise ship (the MS Amera) entering the harbour, accompanied by its pilot boat.

The big picture from our hotel room

There are a couple of giant heaps of salt at the edge of the harbour, and the birds love it.

Birds love salt!

If you ever stay at the Sheraton Newfoundland Hotel, ask for an even-numbered room; the view is much better than it was in the room we stayed in when we started this trip!

We’re going to wander around town for a couple of hours and then head to the airport; we have a three-hour layover in Montreal, which should be enough time to clear US Customs and Immigration for our flight to SFO.

It’s been a good trip, but I’m ready to be home.