Found in Newfoundland was created to share things to do, places to see and memories to make around the beautiful province of Newfoundland.  For the most part, I watch Twitter (https://twitter.com/foundinnl) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FoundinNewfoundland/) for posts from people about events, relevant articles, or suggestions on places that they recommend visiting and share them with my followers.  However, once in a while, I get to explore this incredible place myself.  So I am now reviving this blog to write about the places I’ve recently visited and why you may want to experience them for yourself.

We recently did a two-week journey through the central section of the island, covering mostly the Baie Verte Peninsula and the Connaigre Peninsula.  For the next few weeks, I’ll share our impressions and suggestions for your own explorations.  (Spoiler alert:  both are incredible areas well worth visiting.)

La Scie

Our first stop was La Scie, at the very end of the Baie Verte peninsula.  Like most of the towns we explored in this area, the houses are scattered around a harbour at the bottom of a bowl formed by the high hills surrounding a sheltered bay.  In fact, the town took its name from the shape of the hills, which resemble a saw (or la scie, in French).  The town was first settled as a migratory fishing station within the French Shore boundaries (More Than Just a Name, Byron A. Brooks, www.travellingnl.com).

The bowl

The hills shaped like a saw

We booked a room at Mom’s Place Bed and Breakfast (visit their Facebook page) for three nights, and we were very pleased with our pick.  There is a hallway containing four “hotel” rooms with ensuite bathrooms attached to a shared “main house” section.  In the main house, there are an additional two bedrooms that share a bathroom, and an “overflow” area downstairs with another bedroom and bathroom and small living room of its own.  There’s a large, well-stocked kitchen, and a large, yet cozy, living room with two couches, a recliner, and a large-screen TV atop an electric fireplace stand.  We were fortunate to have the entire place to ourselves for a couple of nights, so we just made ourselves at home.  Tina Foss is the owner and basically gave us free run of the house, including letting us store things in the refrigerator and deep freeze and offering the use of the washer and dryer and BBQ if we wanted.  The breakfast here is self-serve, but a large supply of breakfast foods is provided, including cereals, bread, eggs, bacon, ham, and toast.  You just get up when you want and cook your own, which worked well for us.  We kept thinking this would be an amazing place to rent with a group of family or friends – 7 bedrooms in all, two living rooms, and everything you could need at an incredibly reasonable price.

Our room

Small bathroom, but towels & amenities provided

Large kitchen

Kitchen from other side

Deck off kitchen

Large living room

We had supper the first night at Our Place restaurant, which had a menu that was typical of most small-town Newfoundland restaurants, but with good variety.  The food was good, the service was quick, and the atmosphere was very casual and relaxed.  I had the “mess,” which was ground beef and gravy over fries.  It also contained cut up wieners, which I saw on the menu in a few places in central but haven’t noticed elsewhere, so it may be a local preference.  My husband had the pork chop dinner, which came with potatoes or fries, and peas and carrots.  Both servings were plentiful and tasty.  It was a welcome treat after a long day of driving.

In the next post, I’ll tell you a little more about what to see and do in La Scie.