St. John’s sits right on the edge of the North American continent. Summer is the time to visit as the days are long and pleasant with lots of hiking and outdoor activities. Spring, when the whales and icebergs can be seen offshore, is when I am going back. Established in the early 1600s it has the charm of a New England seaside town with the ‘roughness’ of a port for both a large fishing industry and the oil rigs just offshore. Immigrants have been settling in Newfoundland from all over the world for the better part of two centuries and have brought their culture and their food with them leading to a very tasty and surprising food scene.

I was taken aback by the size of the deep-water port and bay at the center of St. John’s. The city seems to spill right into it. The cliffs surrounding the city make for a natural defense as well. This spot was heavily defended during World War II and Marconi sent his first transatlantic radio signal in 1897. Prior to that, it was a major English trading hub specializing in salting and exporting the vast quantities of cod available in the surrounding waters to the British West Indies in exchange for rum.

Travel tips for visiting St. John’s can be found at the end of this post.

Hiking around St. Johns

St. John’s is highly walkable, and the different neighborhoods from the brightly colored townhomes to the stately mansions from the 1800s, make for a great stroll. Further afield walking up to the Marconi Radio tower has some of the best seaside views I have ever seen. Deep blue waters and bright green mountains. The ocean seems to go on forever up here. There are many amazing hikes around the region that rise a thousand feet in elevation or dive deep into natural, nearly untouched forests. We hiked Father Troy’s trail from Torbay. The population is still small enough that blueberries can be eaten right off the trail. The moose and bear are plentiful on the trails further afield so keep your distance from them as well. Cod ‘jigging’ and being on or in the water during the summer months is a popular pastime but I have to say I didn’t go in.

Food and Drink

It is cold most of the year so hearty fried fresh fish is a go-to for the locals. I had mine at Leos. Also, the oysters served around St. John’s are the best I have had anywhere in the world so far. I love oysters and these blow away west coast B.C. oysters, the famed French oysters, and even the Scottish oysters (my second favorite). Subtle brininess with meat so tender and fresh. It tastes just like the surrounding cold waters. Don’t try to order these at your local oyster bar though as they do not have a substantial oyster population so you can only get them if you visit. They can be had at most fine restaurants around the city.

The best meal we had was Terre at the Alt hotel. Amazing fine dining with the freshest ingredients and the best whisky sour I have ever had. The larb dish, yes larb, found at Bannerman Brewing made with fresh cod is stunning. Essentially larb is a meat salad seasoned with fresh herbs. I ate lots of larb while living in Asia so I do know a good larb from a bad one. The Indian curries taste just like London and the Ramen noodles are also excellent dotted around the city. I could go on and on here, but as I said, they have a wide variety of food in St. John’s and very fresh ingredients, most locally sourced.

Duke of Duckworth is the place to hang out for a pint of Guinness direct from Ireland. This is about as local as a bar can get and highly recommended (they also have highly recommended fish and chips).

Screech In

I became an honorary Newfoundlander while visiting. Taking part in a ‘screech in’ is all it takes. We had our screech in at the same bar Anthony Bourdain went to for his, Christian’s Pub. Kiss a codfish, eat some Newfoundland steak (fried spam), drink the local Screech rum, and sing a song and there you go! I am not going to go into the history here, just do it and learn more about Newfoundland for yourself. Awesome fun!

Global Warming

This place felt like it was on the knife edge of global warming. When I was here it was warm and humid. Southern breezes provide damp warm air from the south warming the ocean surface where the icebergs float by every spring. I was even told a lost polar bear, stranded on an iceberg, had to be relocated by National Park authorities. Sea creatures, such as the Ocean Sunfish, are being seen in the waters here that haven’t been seen here often. Human population growth is happening here too as people find it more livable in the winter months with less snow and ice. Traveling is so important as I see with my own eyes the world around us and the effect we have on it in a very stark reality.

St John’s Travel Tips

• Bring clothing for every season and good hiking shoes. The weather changes rapidly.
• Apply sunblock liberally, you are close to the artic where UV rays are strong.
• Don’t eat fish and chips the whole time. The diversity of food is amazing.
• Newfoundland is much bigger than it looks on a map. Expect drive times to be long.
• Watch out for moose on the roads, especially at night. They are large and dangerous.