Most Romantic Place in Canada: Bauline East

When I travel, I don't really think about the romance of a place. Sure I've been to Florence and Venice, Quebec City and Paris, which according to some travel websites are v. romantic places. Usually when I book a trip someplace it's usually from a pure desire to see something new and experience life in a different space. Also with an eye on the cultural food.

So last summer when a good friend and I decided to meet in St. John's, Newfoundland (a half way point between Toronto and the UK). We spent a few days in the city doing a whistle-stop tour of the major tourist sites and some more hidden spots (totally fell in love with this place). As an added treat after spending time in the big city, I booked us into an Airbnb off the Irish Loop in an area called the Bauline East. We rented a vehicle and hit the road, taking a leisurely ride to our one night jaunt.

We knew we were staying in an old Newfoundland barn, a structure big enough to store supplies, hay and a cow for the winter, now renovated to comfortably sleep two with a seating area and small kitchenette. But when we arrived we were both hit with the romanticism of the colourful structures on the property, the proximity to the private cove, and the general setting and peacefulness of it all.

As we cooked our moose meat burgers, steak, scallops and roasted veggie meal--a veritable feast--on the barbecue provided, we kept turning to each other and asking, "Can you believe this?"

After our gourmet dinner overlooking the cove, we sauntered down to the beach where George (the super friendly host) had arranged a fire pit for us. It started to lightly rain, but we persisted and out lasted the weather as the moody clouds rolled in but rained no more. We made friends with our bunky neighbours and sipped Newfoundland blueberry-partridgeberry wine (I wouldn't even change this detail of our night if I could relive this experience). Eventually the fire died down and we slipped back to our barn for a deep slumber.

The next morning we awoke to gorgeous bright light and sounds of sea birds and waves hitting the rocky shore. For breakfast we sipped warm hugs of tea and munched on fresh summer fruit on our tiny porch facing the water and the August morning sun. It was here that I declared, "I've found it! This is where I'm going to come when I write my novel."

We were slow to pack our bags and did it quite begrudgingly, I might add. We drove further along the Irish Loop and did some sight seeing in the area while seriously discussing cancelling our flight back to Toronto and spending the rest of our lives in this precious barn. I would have done it too, if we weren't heading to the wedding of a dear friend back in Ontario.

Given an opportunity I would return here any day, just looking for an excuse...hang on, let me grab a pen and get started on that book!

At the beginning of each month, I like to take part in the monthly travel link up hosted on the incredible blogs by Angie, Emma, Polly and guest host Bejal at Be-Lavie. You can join in too by leaving a comment below, checking out other posts on the link up, or adding your own post to the widget now until August 7th.

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