A new found love of Newfoundland

I was very fortunate to be offered a short work trip at the beginning of July to Newfoundland in Canada. We were a group of five agents, one representative from the tour operator and two Newfoundland tourist board representatives, and we all got along really well from the start.

Newfoundland is a large island linked to Nova Scotia in mainland Canada by ferry. It is carpeted in pine forest but has a rugged and, at times, wild coastline.  It is also happens to be just a five hour flight away.

We flew into the capital, St John's, and immediately had an afternoon’s driving tour of the city, stopping to admire the colourful houses of Jellybean Row before walking down to the little fishing village of Quidi Vidi, where we sampled locally produced Iceberg beer, made with 10,000 year old iceberg water. We ended on Signal Hill with its far reaching views of the St John’s and the ocean. 

The next day was Canada Day and the whole city was decorated with flags and bunting, with most people (including us) wearing red and white. We drove out of St John’s for about half and hour to Bay Bulls and Witless Bay Ecological Reserve and took a Gatheralls boat trip out into the open ocean to view whales and the largest Puffin colony in North America. The ocean swell was about six feet which I thoroughly enjoyed, but at least half a dozen people spent the entire trip clutching their sick bags! We did see Humpback Whales but from some distance, then cruised slowly along the headland watching literally thousands of breeding Atlantic Puffins and Murres.

After lunch, we headed back to St John's where half the group visited the city's museum while the rest of us were driven back up to Signal Hill from where we hiked, very steeply, back down along a narrow coastal and cliff path for about three miles in the mist, stopping at the bottom at Pearcey's Twine Store listening to marine tales from Mr Pearcy (I presume!) which was very interesting and entertaining before continuing back to the hotel. 

The following morning we checked out of our hotel to drove three and a half hours north along the Trans Canadian Highway through miles of pine forests to the pretty little village of Trinity. After a picnic lunch outside the Anglican church, we drove another twenty minutes or so on to Princeton for another whale watching trip, as the ocean around Trinity was very foggy and visibility would have been severely limited. On arrival, we were kitted out with survival suits under which we wore our own trousers and fleeces. They were far too big for us, very heavy and bulky, but more importantly they were warm and waterproof, although it was not an attractive look at all! They certainly did the job though. We boarded a RIB with our group and three other ladies and set off twenty miles out into the open ocean at high speed. It was exhilarating and soaking, but highly enjoyable. We saw Humpback, Finn and Sperm Whales up close and a pod of White Beaked Dolphins playing alongside the boat. After being out for three hours. it was an incredibly fast journey back which was very enjoyable, if a little bumpy at times! We drove back to Trinity for a hot chocolate and a wander amongst the pretty pastel painted houses before a lobster dinner and a night at the incredibly beautiful and peaceful family owned and run Fisher's Loft Inn, where the sight and sound of the ocean lulled us to sleep.

Heading back towards St John's the next morning, we stopped at Elliston Puffin viewing station. The sun was shining and it was much warmer than the previous two days, making the North Atlantic look beautifully turquoise. A short walk over a rocky headland brought us to the cliff edge and there were Puffins everywhere. We could get to within ten feet of them, and it was fantastic to sit watching them closely. They have a sad expression and yet are so comical as they rush around, and it was an amazing experience. We spent quite some time there before driving on to Cape Bonavista, stopping and rushing out of the minivan on the way to watch a Humpback mother and calf feeding in the bay below us. Surrounded by wildflowers and the deep turquoise water, it was unbelievably beautiful, warm and peaceful. Four of us walked on to the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse where there was another, smaller Puffin colony on the cliffs behind. The Lighthouse was picture perfect and very interesting. After lunch, we drove all the way back to St John's, stopping to see the Hope and Heartbreak memorial to the 251 men who lost their lives in a 1914 sealing disaster. 

Our final stop was Cape Spear; the most easterly point of North America. The ocean was a lovely deep blue and by then we could spot whales by the tell-tale white spume of the whale blow. It was very gratifying to see so many of them just off the coast. The sun was shining, it was warm with a gentle breeze; just a glorious spot to relax in and a lovely way to end the trip. After a delicious steak dinner and a chance to say goodbye to our lovely hosts at The Keg in St John's, we began our journey back to the airport for our late flight home. It had been a wonderful trip with a lovely group, lots of laughs and some truly unforgettable moments.

Feeling alive in 2025

Well, these last couple of months have been a little different for us. Have completed our Wainwright challenge and after 15 years or so of winter evenings spent planning routes, plotting which fells or mountains to climb, working out the best places to stay, booking accommodation, upgrading, updating, cleaning and repairing kit and gear, we have suddenly found ourselves with a little more spare time on our hands.

It's a slightly strange and mildly unsettling feeling. After so many years of knowing where we would be holidaying and what we would be doing on those holidays, we wondered how we going to fill that Wainwright shaped hole in our lives and keep fit, active, interested and motivated in 2025, so to that end, we’ve made some decisions and thought about some simple alternatives.

Decision One : We’re not going to start a second round of the Wainwrights.

The Reason : We know a lot of people do and we really can see the attraction, but anything we do climb in the Lakes will be specifically selected to get the views we missed the first time round, or simply because we want to revisit it. I can’t imagine visiting and not climbing something!

But then…. Setting yourself a challenge can be a good way of motivating yourself throughout the year to keep fit and active and keep getting you outdoors.

Decision Two: We're not going to tackle another long term challenge.

The Reason : People ask us what’s next and whether we’re going to start on the Munros, but we feel we had the perfect challenge for us which we thoroughly enjoyed. I admire those who climb the Munros tremendously, but I don’t think it is something we’ll undertake. Instead, we will try a few things in a much looser way. We have signed up to Country Walking's Walk 1000 miles this year which will give us purpose and impetus on our daily walks from home. We have done this several times before, and to be honest we walk over 1000 miles most years anyway, but it will still be fun to do in a slightly more official way.

But then…. A challenge doesn’t have to be anything huge or long term, it could simply be aiming to walk 10 miles by the end of the year, swim 50 lengths without stopping, or seeing if you can go for a short walk every single Sunday of the year. We’ve done lots of the Conqueror Virtual Challenges which are fun, or you could sign up to a Park Run or charity event.

Decision Three: We would like to start visiting the Peak District a little more often.

The Reason : We have a slightly half formed plan to climb some of the 95 Ethel tops of which we've already done 10. It would be lovely to see some different parts of this beautiful area, just as the Outlying fells afforded us differing views of Lakeland.

But then…. Getting out and about wherever you live is the important thing, not necessarily always visiting a National Park. We only spend our annual leave in those beautiful places; the rest of the year is spent walking within a 10-15 mile radius of home, and that’s Berkshire with no national parks!

Decision Four: We would like to visit other areas.

The Reason : As much as we adore the Lake District, there’s still a lot of the beautiful UK to explore. Scotland, Northumberland, Wales and more of the Yorkshire Dales are top of our list and, whilst we have been to all these areas before, it would be lovely to know them in more depth. Other ports of call such as the Isles of Scilly, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides are on our list, as are one or two foreign destinations.

But then…. The New Forest is our nearest national park at just an hour and a half’s distance, yet we visit perhaps once a decade, so it would be lovely to get to know it a little better. Exploring your local area can be just as interesting and exciting. We made it our mission to visit all the National Trust properties, gardens and parks within about a 20 mile radius of home which has been lovely, and we’ll extend that range this year.

Decision Five: Inject some culture.

The Reason : I feel it can’t (or perhaps shouldn’t) be lakes and mountains all the time, and we need some mental stimulation and interest as well, so we plan to visit London more often. It’s a mere 40 minutes away by train away and we used to go more regularly, but rarely go these days. Museums, exhibitions and galleries are always of interest. It’s good to have a range and balance of interests I think.

But then…. London doesn’t have the monopoly on culture, interest and history, so we will also try and visit some of our other fascinating towns and cities.

Decision Six: Increase our cross training.

The Reason : We have started running again, but this is in addition to our daily walks and there's no real target to aim for, other than to increase our distance gradually and comfortably. I do regular yoga and Bro cycles using Zwift, both just to try and keep supple and build strength. We plan on getting out on our mountain bikes more and are hoping to get another dog towards the end of the year. 

But then…. Any form of gentle, differing exercise has to be a good thing on a regular basis. Even if you can’t get out, there are lots of exercises that can be done in the comfort of your own home, or sitting at your desk.

In Summary: I think and hope this year will be just as invigorating despite us not having a long term challenge or a specific set of targets and goals to aim for. By balancing out our physical activity with some mental stimulation, we hope to have an equally interesting, active and enjoyable 2025, and hope you do too!

A short break in Oslo

In May we decided to take a short break to Oslo. I'd been to Norway before to the Fjords, but Bro had never been. 

We stayed near the National Theatre which turned out to be a slightly quieter area than the more centrally located hotels, although there was a fair bit of revelry on Friday and Saturday nights as people enjoyed themselves. On our first day, we visited Bygdoy - an area of the city reached by water taxi and where there are a number of museums clustered quite closely together, so, you can visit as many as you wish without travelling too far between each one. We went first to the open air Norsk Folkemuseum with its 160 traditional buildings including a beautiful stave church which was the highlight for us. A quick bus ride (all included in our Oslo Pass) took us to the Fram Museum about 10 minutes away which we found absolutely fascinating and has been voted the Best Museum in Norway; certainly one of the best we’ve been to. Telling the history of polar exploration, The Fram was the ship in which Nansen explored the Arctic and Roald Amundsen took to the South Pole in the race to beat Captain Scott. We then crossed the road to the Kon-Tiki Museum which has Thor Heyerdahl's bamboo raft and details of his Ra and Kon-Tiki expeditions which was also fascinating. Finally, we explored the National Maritime Museum and saw wonderful Viking longships.

The next day we decided to have a walk in a proper Norwegian pine forest, as it's something we've always wanted to do and love them in this country. We took a metro train up to Nordmarka, the vast forest of the northern wilderness, where we found ourselves in thick snow! It wasn't cold, so we followed a path through the pine trees on compacted snow, surrounded by local cross country skiiers. It was stunning, with views down over the city and out across the Fjord. The afternoon was spent by the busy harbour and exploring the Akershus Fortress and grounds.

Our third day saw us up and out early to take a wonderfully smooth, quiet and relaxing two hour cruise round Oslofjord on an amazing electric boat. On calm, blue-green water we saw hundreds of tiny coloured summer houses dotting the shoreline, with lovely views back to the city. It was so peaceful and soothing that we almost fell asleep!  On our return we walked all the way round to the Oslo Opera House and went up and onto its amazing (and quite steep) roof for wonderful views. After an hour or so, we followed the water line all the way round to the harbour again, visiting the Civic Hall with its Norse mythology carvings, then up to Royal Palace and wandering round the pretty parkland. 

Our final morning was spent in the Vigeland Sculpture Park, home to the largest collection of sculptures in the world by a single artist (Gustav Vigeland). It was lovely and warm and quiet, with hardly anyone around that early, apart from a few commuters speeding along on their bikes.

Oslo is a beautiful fresh, light, bright, clean and ecofriendly city. Most of the cars, buses and boats are electric, scooters and bikes are the preferred mode of transport and everyone speaks flawless English. It is expensive, especially to eat and drink out, but you can find places away from the main drags where prices are more reasonable. 

STAVE CHURCH

THE FRAM

WALKING IN NORWEGIAN PINE FORESTS

CRUISING OSLOFJORD