From Newfoundland to Quebec: An Unforgettable Trip
This week began among the colorful houses of St. John’s. It ended with an unforgettable encounter with a moose around a bend in the road at a national park in Quebec.
St. John’s: Watercolors, Shoes, and Spices
We visited St. John’s, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, where the unpredictable weather shifted from cold rain to blue skies and warm afternoons within just a few hours.
This time, we changed our routine. Instead of camping, we rented a room in a private home. The check-in instructions asked us to remove our shoes before entering. It didn’t surprise us—we had grown accustomed to the custom and had even practiced it in our own home (back when we had one).
We unlocked the front door with a code and stepped into a small entryway. From that very moment, we realized we were entering a completely different world.
Our hosts didn’t simply leave the shoes they had just taken off there—they seemed to keep their entire shoe collection in the foyer. As a photographer, I was fascinated. It’s amazing how much a pair of shoes can reveal about a person. Before I had even met the family, I was already imagining who they were.
As we opened the second door and entered the house itself, before we noticed the furniture, the artwork, or the colors on the walls, we were greeted by the rich aroma of spices and the soft melodies of South Asia. Martín couldn’t stop laughing when he saw our room—the bed was so high that I practically needed a running start just to climb into it.
Later, we met Mohamed and his wife, our hosts. Their kindness gave us a glimpse into the daily life of a Bangladeshi family. Inside their home, we watched them wear their traditional clothing, share meals around their table, and exchange stories from two worlds that seemed impossibly far apart yet somehow came together that evening.
When we set out to explore the city, we wandered through a historic downtown where traditional wooden architecture has been beautifully preserved. Unlike many North American towns, however, the houses aren’t painted white. Each one is a bold explosion of color. A single home might combine mustard-yellow walls, olive-green window frames, and a black roof. Next door, the house could be bright pink or fuchsia, followed by one painted cobalt blue or lime green.
We also visited several small coves where the charm of Newfoundland’s fishing heritage is still alive. Wooden fishing boats floated in the harbor beside cozy cafés and seafood restaurants. Everywhere I looked, I felt like I was walking through a watercolor painting.
The Iranian Restaurant (Or a Trip to Another Planet)
One of the many passions Martín and I share is exploring ethnic cuisine and discovering new flavors. We love finding simple, unpretentious places that stay true to their culinary roots.
In St. John’s, we came across a restaurant with a curious name: UFO Food. Despite its extraterrestrial name, it specialized in Iranian cuisine.
The moment we stepped inside, it felt as though we had traveled—not to another planet, but straight into the dining room of an Iranian family.
There were only two tables, creating an intimate atmosphere where customers quickly became friends. The other diners made room for us without hesitation, and before long, we were welcomed with a cup of tea. The meal was a feast.
Martín ordered a specialty from southern Iran: a spicy beef sausage seasoned with tomatoes, onions, turmeric, paprika, and black pepper. I chose a northern Iranian dish made with smoked eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, and eggs.
To finish, our hosts treated us to homemade baklava filled with pistachios and honey, along with a traditional Persian rice pudding flavored with rose water, almonds, and cardamom. Both desserts were absolutely delicious.
The Call of the Road
When the rain finally let up, we drove five hours north to Terra Nova National Park. The landscape welcomed us with sheltered fjords and a forest unlike any we had seen before, its floor blanketed by thick carpets of moss and ferns. Along the coastline and beside the road, the breeze gently swayed beautiful wildflowers. Although the nights were still cold, the warmth of the days gave us a glimpse of the summer waiting just ahead.
On Wednesday evening, we boarded the ferry back to Nova Scotia, marking the beginning of a new chapter in our journey: the long drive toward the Pacific Coast, more than 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) away.
Our first stop was Five Islands Provincial Park, a place so extraordinary it’s almost impossible to imagine. At low tide—one of the highest tidal ranges in the world—the sea retreats to reveal an enormous beach of soft pink sand stretching for dozens of meters. As the water pulled away, tiny streams carved shimmering paths across the beach, leading toward the turquoise waters beyond. Standing on the shore, I watched the five islands emerge through a veil of golden mist beneath the evening light.
Before nightfall, we spent two hours hiking through the forest. We walked beneath towering pines along a trail lined with wildflowers, where bright yellow dandelions glowed in the backlight and swayed gently in the breeze. That evening we cooked dinner over the campfire, and just before going to bed, we checked the weather forecast. A powerful storm was expected to arrive at six the next morning and last throughout the day.
At five o’clock, we climbed out of our sleeping bags, packed up camp in the quiet dawn, enjoyed one last hot shower, and set off once again.
The Leap into Quebec: Laughter, Gestures, and Dirt Roads
Our next destination was the province of Quebec. The cultural shift became obvious the moment we crossed the provincial border. English disappeared almost entirely from the road signs. Although we had visited Quebec before, we quickly discovered there’s a world of difference between traveling as tourists and arriving as road-trippers. Communicating along the way required plenty of laughter, hand gestures, and creative improvisation.
Faced with a language we didn’t speak, we not only had to rely on translation apps to figure out what to order—we also learned that in some local restaurants, meals were ordered directly from the kitchen rather than at the table. We patiently waited our turn, pointing, smiling, and hoping we’d understood correctly.
We soon realized that the clam chowders and cod dishes of Atlantic Canada were behind us. Here, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, freshly baked breads, and irresistible pastries had taken center stage.
We continued driving through the mountains, and after nearly twelve hours on the road, we finally reached Gaspésie National Park. At the registration office, we received some unexpected news. Only two campsites remained available—but they were an hour away, accessible only by an unpaved road deep into the park. Exhausted but determined, we didn’t hesitate.
“Yes,” we said. And that decision would lead to one of the most memorable wildlife encounters of our journey.
The Elusive Moose and the Fierce Mosquitoes
That rough road rewarded us with the most unexpected gift of the journey. We finally had the incredible luck of seeing the moose that had remained so elusive during our time in Newfoundland. It was thrilling!
They were young animals, curious and still without the enormous antlers that make moose so iconic. They stood right in the middle of the road and watched us for nearly fifteen minutes. From inside the Atlas, we were able to photograph and film them as much as we wanted, completely mesmerized by the encounter.
We arrived at our campsite exhausted but happy. We set up our tent in the middle of a full-scale battle against the fierce Canadian summer mosquitoes.
They seem to enjoy my blood so much that every bite leaves behind a small bruise. And their favorite place to attack? My white hair! Covered in a few itchy bites, but with my heart overflowing with photographs, memories, and landscapes, we say goodbye for this week.
Patagonia is still far away, but every kilometer brings us a different story.
Until next week on the road!
I would love to hear from you now: which part of this journey made you the most curious? I always enjoy reading your messages and discovering which places you would like to explore with me.
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