St. John's

You don't immediately arrive in the coolest part of St. John's when you ride in. There are suburbs. Unless you're on a boat, you kinda come in through the back door. We did still have some Timmie's gift card to use up so we sat inside for a mid morning stop at the outskirts. 

The downtown heart of St. John's would be another hour ride and we rolled all the way through to the farthest East edge of town to have a ceremonial completing of our journey where Terry Fox had begun his cross-Canada run on April 12, 1980. 

We arrived at 'mile zero' at a little bit after noon, on September 26, 2025, forty-five years later. 

We've traveled 7,536 kilometres by bicycle to get here from 'mile zero' in Victoria, BC in 56 days of riding. 

"Dreams are made if people try." 

The moment was not anti-climactic in the least.  We hung out with Terry for a while as a few lookers came and went and some stopped to read the various plaques around the monument. For cross-Canada-ers this is a sacred place.   

We're done. Officially. We now transition to being regular tourists and we are REALLY looking forward to a week in St. John's.  

The timely update from Sophie's dad is that she has flown home to Vancouver and is walking around with the help of a wheeled walker. He sent a video of her touching wheels in the Atlantic at Shediac, and they had driven to Charlottetown for lobster before their flight home. It's warm comfort to see the ear to ear grin on Sophie's face as she devours the East coast cuisine.  She's gonna be alright.     

We're not quite done pedalling..... 

With barely a second thought, we decide to ride the steep incline up Signal Hill to see the view. We've got time before we can get into our room at the hotel and it's not raining yet soooo....why not.  It's incredibly steep near the top, and we had to work for it, but surprisingly we found ourselves pulling in to the upper parking lot without too much ordeal. Not exactly in race pace time, but c'mon we were born in the 70's and we just ripped up here for giggles with our fully loaded bikes.  

We're literally in the best shape of our lives. 7500k will do that I guess. It feels like a super power to be able to just ride up to the Cabot Tower on a whim. 

It's busy up at the top as there is a cruise ship in port and shuttle busses are running up and down the hill with visitors. We look pretty out of place and draw attention. Plenty of locals up here too for their regular hike and the hill climbers think we're pretty badass. We might think so too right now! This will work just fine for an awards ceremony. We bask.   

The view to the open Atlantic Ocean is truly something special. You literally forget to breath for minutes at a time as you take it in.   

The view back over St. John's is just as fun. We must've taken hundreds of photos up there.  

Local tour guide, Paul, was very happy to take lots of pictures of us too, like a wedding photographer. From atop the hill he pointed out the places we should visit during our week in the city:

• Quidi Vidi
• Cape Spear
• The Rooms Museum
• Basilica of St. John the Baptist
• there were others but Paul first we need to get to George Street asap for a beer(s), it's Friday night in St. John's!

Friday night was out to the pub on foot. We watched someone get....er....'screeeched in'... between the bands sets. Yeah that's not gonna be us. No.  

Saturday morning we moved over to Wade's place to set up for the week. Still can't get over how generous 'warm showers' hosts can be. He's got a spare room made up for us for the week and the fridge and pantry are full "Help yourself!" 

Raha, from Toronto, has also arrived and will be staying through much of the week as well. He's on a very different kind of bike trip from ours, and takes a much less deliberate approach to the sport. He has also ridden much of Canada but takes each turn as it comes, as the fancy strikes, whichever way the wind blows him, laissez-faire. Raha's "hashtag-bicycle-life" style is very attractive and we hit it off immediately.     

Our "routine" for much of the week consisted of tourism by day, and out to the pubs for live music at night. The local music scene is fantastic. The trad group playing on Monday nights at Peter Easton Pub provided some of the best accordion, fiddle and banjo playing we've ever heard, and the open mic at The Ship offered highly compelling entertainment as well.   

St. John's has a very high ratio of pubs to population. They're all busy, tons of fun, and pints are.... $11.60  YIKES! The affordable housing costs would get nullified in no time at this pace. Good thing we're only here a week.  

If you enjoy architecture (we do), there are other ways to appreciate the city. St. John's is the oldest city in North America and basilicas and cathedrals among the oldest of the buildings. 

The stained-glass windows shown off at the cathedral constitute one of the largest collections in one building anywhere in the Western hemisphere.   

A self guided walking tour of the churches encircling the downtown was a day well spent in the sun.   

...and indoors.  "Are you from the ship?" asked the tour guide. No ma'am. We arrived here on bicycles.  

A pleasant bike ride over to Quidi Vidi is also worth the hour and though we didn't partake, Raha reported the craft beers on his flight at the brewery there to be all "bangers".  

 

The roads in and out of the downtown core are very steep and tourism is best done as a pedestrian. The cars will all stop at even the hint that you might step into the road to cross as a jaywalker. Lovely! (Not as lovely for cyclists).     

Up every street is a new Dr. Seuss story with colourful characters from colourful homes. By looks alone, these people could be from anywhere in Canada. Until they start talking and remove all doubt as to their place of origin. Another week here and we might sound like locals too.  Yaaarr.     

A day trip by bike to Cape Spear, the farthest East one can go in Canada, was a 50km ride we had planned for mid week on rested legs. Wade suggested we go the long way through Petty Harbour and the extra hills and kilometres were well worth it.   

We met up with Raha en route as he had left some hours before and was doing his slow-mo tacking visit to the scenic village, chatting with locals and sailors as he went. We have much to learn from Raha.  

Cape Spear is an extraordinary experience regardless of how you arrive. The cloudy skies and crisp, salty Atlantic breeze is exactly how it should be absorbed.   

Canada ends here and nothing is further East but stray icebergs. 

We huffed and puffed our way over the hills back to the city. Did we get that out of shape in just 4 days? 

Let's pack the bikes up to send back. This is an excruciating way to travel! Yoy. Or, well...I mean....maybe we could reign in the wild cycle-travelling diet that we've been on. Apparently we eat donuts now. That could be an issue.....maybe it's the 5 bánh mì sandwiches we devoured at Three Sisters in the last 4 days. (In our defence, at $9.90 that is THE best deal on food in the country!) 

We are regulars now.  

Three Sisters Vietnamese Subs

After another sub we're back down to the harbour to visit the Newfoundland and Labrador statues with fond nostalgia and a tear. This city really is providing it all for us.  

The glaring exception being public access to the water. Wade looks at us as though we are aliens when we ask how to get to the beach. Beach is not an Atlantic activity apparently.    

Bikes packed for air travel, and we're on foot for the remaining days in St.John's downtown core. Wade's lovely home is a mere three blocks from the inner harbour and has been an incredible gift to us in terms of access to the local sights and activities, all within comfortable walking distance. 

An afternoon at The Rooms museum where Wade works offers insight into the history of Newfoundland. Canada's 10th province is a wacky place with wacky people in the best possible way, and we love it. There's more to these folks than political satire.      

The museum windows provide an additional breath taking view point over the harbour, and we stayed until closing to soak it in.  

Back at Wade's and our host has been preparing a jigg's dinner all afternoon and we are treated to this traditional Newfie feast. The local hospitality is the best anywhere.     

We've so thoroughly enjoyed the city of St. John's and the people we've met here. It was worth the bike ride from the Pacific coast just for this one week.  

We said our goodbyes to Raha as Wade took to him to the airport, where he would be flying to the West coast to ride South for the winter. I know that we'll continue to stay it touch with our new dear friend as we follow his adventure to the Baja.   

Nothing left for us to do but commemorate the endeavour. As Guillaume texted with pictures of his 10th and final Quebec flag patch added to his collection.  

"You have to make your own trophies" he says. 

We fly home tomorrow, unfortunately obliterating the ultra low carbon footprint we've left making our crossing. Rats. We're a looong ways from home. 

A last evening stroll about the city past a bike shop with an apt and prescient lighting display after hours. 

Perhaps our next challenge will be to slow down and enjoy MORE than just the ride.

READ NEXT:  St. John's to Victoria: Unravelling Our Way Home