I
never imagined I’d be kissing
a fish, yet here I am.
“Is ye a Screecher?” asks
the master of ceremonies
at the Clarenville Inn on
Newfoundland’s east coast. I utter the
correct reply in my best Newfinese
English: “Deed I is, me old cock,
and long may your big jib draw.”
(Translation: Yes I am, my old friend,
and may your sails always catch wind.)
Proudly sporting a bright yellow
Sou’wester rain hat, I slam back a shot
of screech, an 80-proof local rum, and
pucker up to kiss an Atlantic cod. I
quickly press my mouth to his cold,
slimy lips and wonder if my fishy friend
will soon turn into my very own Prince
Charming. (Spoiler alert: He didn’t.)
Here, it’s not only considered okay to
kiss a codfish, it’s celebrated. I’m one of
nearly 50 people being “screeched in”
as honourary Newfoundlanders. I met
the hooting-and-hollering crowd just a
few days ago when we began travelling
The infamous cod kiss
28
Spring 2019
caa SaSkatchewan
across the province with WestWorld
Tours, Western Canada’s premier
motorcoach tour company. Tonight
is just one of several entertaining
evenings during our 10-day tour of
Canada’s most easterly province.
Our itinerary includes bucket-list
destinations: Cape Spear, Signal Hill,
L’Anse aux Meadows and Gros Morne
National Park. But we also partake in
quirky activities like a Viking feast and
a comedic performance by popular
local band Anchors Aweigh.
U
pon arriving from Saskatoon,
the first thing I discover about
Newfoundland and Labrador: It’s huge.
You likely won’t see everything in one
trip. (Don’t worry: Once you’ve been
screeched in, you won’t have to do it
again on your next visit—unless you
develop a taste for the potent libation.)
Travelling by motorcoach is the
perfect way to get an overview of
the immense province. It’s also
surprisingly comfortable: There’s a
bathroom on board, cup holders and
a footrest for each reclining seat. I’m
delighted to find that the bus also has
110-volt outlets to keep my cell phone
and camera batteries charged up.
This mode of travel is incredibly con-
venient as well. It’s truly a luxury to
watch the stunning scenery—without
barrett &
In the driver’s seat in Newfoundland
the stress of navigating. Craggy cliffs,
pristine ocean and charming fishing
villages breeze past my window as we
cruise along the Newfoundland coast-
line. A road trip minus the driving
reveals little things I would’ve missed
behind the wheel: Acadian stars on
colourful saltbox houses, clotheslines
fluttering in the wind.
“Because both Newfoundland and
Labrador are primarily rock, there’s not
a lot of good topsoil,” says tour director
Kari Carpentier, as she points out
roadside garden plots. “But the soil in
the ditches in various areas can sustain
vegetable gardens.” Carpentier travels
with groups like ours to answer any
and all questions about local life.
I’m also curious about the wood-
slatted octagonal boxes at the end of
every driveway. Carpentier identifies
them as residents’ curbside garbage
bins: The design of the box is specific
for handling the intense winds that can
whip around normal trash bins.
While I appreciate our guide’s
seemingly endless patience for my
barrage of questions, the best part of
WestWorld Tours is travelling together
with a group and meeting new people.
On day one of our tour, I met Regina
resident Carol Mayes in the elevator of
our St. John’s hotel. We immediately
connected over our mutual love
of travel. Since we were both solo
travellers, we decided to explore
the streets of the provincial capital
together on a free afternoon.
A newly retired history teacher,
Mayes yearned to experience Canada’s
East Coast and visit some of her
bucket-list locations. “For a large place
like Newfoundland, I wanted to totally
immerse myself in the culture and not
worry about the organization of it all or
handling luggage,” she says, when I ask
why she booked with WestWorld Tours.
“I also love having an experienced
guide who knows where to go,” she tells
me as we wander St. John’s, snapping
photos of the city’s signature jellybean-
coloured houses.
As I get to know more people during
the tour, I realize most of us share her
feelings. Free of the tediousness of
travel planning, we’re able to connect
more closely with the people and
experiences in each destination.
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