Bucket list — check!

Back in 2002 I put “visit NFLD” on my bucket list. Well I turned the bucket over and voila there I was standing at the St. John’s airport. My wife had said to me we have a millisecond to use up our air miles before they fly away from us with enough points to fly to St. John’s without our kids.

Seeing as the past twelve years has had us into Europe, America and on the high seas with our two boys we jumped at the idea of a second honeymoon.

Being the brilliant organizer Kate is she had us booked into a number of locations up the Avalon starting with a day at Roots, Rants and Roars. What a day and night. I haven’t laughed and frolicked like that since my college days. We wined and dined with Newfoundlanders from all over NFLD. I soon recognized that was where the real history of the country was to be found — with the stories from the people!

If I could describe a word picture of NFLD I’d say: warm loving people, welcoming, fun, laughter, sadness (think 1914 Sealing disaster), full sky, full ocean, brilliant colours, tantalizing food, George Street half full, no empty glasses, hard life, faith, moving experience, grabbing, tasty, no lukewarm allowed, alluring, magical, challenging history.

And as our new found friends shouted: “Come back soon!”

We will ... this time with our boys!

Dave Battaino, Sudbury, Ont.