Bermy Bubbles: Come Home Year Part II

As I sit here waiting for the full onslaught of Hurricane Gonzalo, I'm wondering why someone had the ironic idea to include a character from The Tempest in the named storm list this year. Clearly someone who is sticking pins in an effigy of Bermuda, or suffers from mild Asberger's and completely misses the idea of superstition. Not us Islanders. We examine the behaviours of clouds, gulls, crows, ants, spiders and shark oil when it comes to weather.

So now that we've battened down the hatches, it's back to Part II of Come Home Year.

If you are at all familiar with the CBC TV series, Republic of Doyle, you'll have to agree that the cinematographers manage to make old Sin Jawn's and the surrounding area look better than even my rosiest childhood memories. With tongues firmly in cheek, the writers have given it a decidely Townie Irish flavour; which gives some among the greater NL majority of Scottish descent enough bile to work up their own thoughts of independence now that 'we got de ayl'. But it was fun to see tourists posing for pics under the Duke of Duckworth sign. Little do they know it was once a den of iniquity called Dirty Dick's where many a nefarious plot was planned and nurtured. And that was only the '70's.

The weather after the St. John's Regatta on the first Wednesday of August is always unpredictable. During our two weeks before Labour Day, it varied between 48F and 72F.

Salmonier Nature Park

We had the full cycle of rain, drizzle and fog, and a couple of glorious days when the sun shone and the sky was that amazing big sky blue. I caught a cold and conjured the days of bronchitis and cod liver oil.

But one has to put away that rearview mirror and look at North America's oldest city with fresh eyes. Especially emigrants like me who left when Water Street was practically boarded up, and unemployment and interest rates were in a footrace to top 20%.

The whole town is humming with activity and newcomers associated with the oil and mining industries. Ships in the harbour whose purpose you can only imagine. Culture is on full display in live music, art galleries, concerts and sports. Fine dining establishments abound to the point that Raymond's boasts the title of best restaurant in Canada in 2014. (Though Ches's is probably the most successful.) The selection of fine wine and rums with eye-watering price tags at the liquor store sits next to inventories of quaffs sourced from around the world. Yes, St. John's is clearly in the 'have' column these days.

My favourite place for picking up 'souvenirs' is Bidgood's out on the Goulds highway. [Close to Petty Harbour too]. Clearly, Bidgood's caught the wave. It's now a big modern grocery store with [larger] sections given over to local products. I left there with rabbit pie, moose sausage, cod tongues, smoked cod, a tartan apron, partridge berry and bakeapple jams and lemon tarts. I left behind flipper pie, hand knit sweaters, scarves and mitts, and all the blueberry products. Here's a pic of hubby cooking up some of his presents.

It was so good to catch up with old friends who I am happy to report have mostly benefited from the boom. Once again, we talked and gossiped and drank while Chuck cooked us up one of his 'feeds' - which most of us were too tipsy to truly appreciate. But then, some things never change.

Bad selfie at Flatrock

My last day there was Labour Day. Kind of bittersweet after a lovely visit - with unpredictable weather that dictated driving rather than hiking.

So off we went on Marine Drive where a stop in Flatrock reminded me of how darned big the gulls are.

Then on to Bauline where we found the predictable lobster pots and a surprise in the form of La Ballena crafts and gift shop perched right above the slip.

Finally, it was on to Cape Spear and Petty Harbour and one more turn down the spectacular Waterford Bridge Road and around the Harbour Apron.