Here are some things about Newfoundland that didn’t make into any of my other posts.

• As we traveled northwest we saw piles of wood alongside the road. When we asked about this we were told that neighbours would buy a tandem load of wood for $1000 and have it delivered to an accessible spot on the side of the road. There they would cut it, stack it and leave it to dry until they take it home. Some of the stacks were huge, and just left alongside the road. I guess people in the area can be counted on not to steal wood.
• On the same route we also saw fenced gardens alongside the road. They were not beside houses or anything. Just gardens full of potatoes, cabbages and onions in random places along the road. We asked about this and were told that where the houses were, near the water, wasn’t good for growing, both in terms of weather and soil. So people would find a sheltered, sunny spot with good soil more inland, clear it and plant.
• Large grocery stores in large towns had the selection of food stuff we are used to but the small towns had very limited items. We went looking for groceries as we had cooking facilities in one of our accommodations. We found eggs and bacon for breakfast but no fresh meat to cook or barbecue. We found white bread, and Italian-style white bread. We found cabbage, carrots, apples, oranges and bananas. No lettuce, tomatoes or cucumbers. We ended up buying a Kraft pizza kit and some pizza meat. We couldn’t find mozzarella so it wasn’t very cheesy. If you like fish, potatoes and white bread and don’t like a lot of fruits and veggies, then you’d love Newfoundland. By the end of our trip I was craving rye bread, peaches, corn on the cob, really anything fresh and not made with white flour.
• While the Newfoundland accent was present, we didn’t have any trouble understanding anyone. The accent varied from person to person and from area to area. The host at one of the B&Bs we stayed at did something that we heard no one else do – she added an h in front of words starting with vowels – heggs for eggs, himagination for imagination and so on. I have to say, I tried to get her to say words just to see how she would say it.
• Every restaurant we went into offered panfried cod. It became a favourite because it was delicious! And since coming home I’ve cooked it and it is still delicious. And much better than deep fried cod, no heavy batter so the deliciousness of the cod comes through.
• The history of Newfoundland is fascinating. I wasn’t aware of much of it before. The Rooms Museum in St. John’s was very informative. As Canadians we should know more.