Songs, Stages and Seafood - What's Not To Like?

One of the best parts of any vacation? Why, it's the food, of course!
Who hasn't come home from a trip and begun to tell of all the tales of their travels far and near, and not ended the story by telling everyone of the little pub or café off the beaten trail where they found the best meal they've ever eaten? I still remember visiting Croatia as a small girl with my family and visiting the best bakery I've ever been to and the vanilla squares that floated off my plate and into my mouth! Now, that was a long time ago but it's funny how food memories are some of the strongest.

Now here's your chance to make some great memories.

Bay Roberts' 3rd  Annual Songs, Stages and Seafood Festival                                         June 11-14

Some of the best chefs that this part of Newfoundland has to offer, come together and make magic. 

The Town of Bay Roberts puts on a moving feast that has become more popular with each passing year. It takes place in different venues across the town. 
Some of the events taking place this year will be:

• Small Plate Evening with Live Traditional Music     June 12 7:00 p.m.
• Experience the Sea Luncheon - Live Music, Traditional Dance and Cooking Demo     June 13 12 noon
• Chef's BBQ Party with Live Traditional Music   June 13      6:00 p.m.       
• "Toutons, Tom Cods and Tunes"    June 14 1:00 p.m.                                                                                           ......and more!

Last year, we went to the "Toutons, Tom Cods & Tunes"
event with cod splitting demo and fiddle music.
It was held at the end of May last year and it was still a 'little' frosty. It took place on the popular Mad Rock Trail in the Red Fisherman's Shed, where they had the wood stove smokin' and the food served was deliciious! Mussels, cod, seafood salad and toutons served with molasses. We even had our own personal iceberg keeping an eye on the festivities.  










Where else could something like this happen, I ask you?





More events to be announced, so just check their website at
Songs, Stages and Seafood
Tickets are available for this event by calling the council office at 709-786-2126.

And an added bonus:    Book your stay at The Bayside for this event and get a 10% discount on your room by showing us a ticket for one of the events at this festival. There's still a few rooms available for that weekend but they won't last long! Just give us a call at
709-786-1500. 

Can't make it for the seafood festival but you can make it down to see us at a later date? Remember, you can always check our availability and reserve online using this handy link:
Online Reservations for The Bayside

Week #2 for What's In a Name: Food Edition
Enter here to win a trip for two to Newfoundland, sponsored by Air Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism
What's In A Name? Food Edition


Next time:  Ever been 'screeched in'? 

Who Likes Contests??

I miss my family and old friends. 
Now don't get me wrong. I love living here. I'm content, happy and satisfied. But, flying back to Ontario just isn't convenient whenever the whim surfaces. And, I don't expect family and friends to drop everything and just come here for a visit. So, when I heard about a contest--Win a Week for Two on this beautiful Island?? What's not to like about that!
Newfoundland Tourism is promoting a contest to get folks to see the beauty that can be found on our heavenly piece of the earth by getting potential visitors involved in some 'off-kilter' place names quiz.
Just about everyone that visits seems to be entertained by some of the names of fishing villages and towns that dot the landscape--Heart's Content, Blow me Down, Ha Ha Bay--you get the idea.

View from lovely Port de Grave

So how do you win one of four weeks for two?


Just visit this link:
Off Kilter Places
and play for your chance!
It's easy! 
Just wait for the page to load, (took less than 10 seconds for me) and play the little game they have set out. The contest actually started on Thursday. Each week, you have three chances to play for a different prize package:
Love, Food, People and Off-Kilter
This week, the Love Edition.
Winners will be announced on Newfoundland and Labrador's Facebook Page:
Newfoundland and Labrador Facebook
and other channels of social media.

Now, Air Canada is providing the air flight and different tour groups in Newfoundland will be providing the packages once you get here. Is The Bayside part of any of the packages? Unfortunately not, but a week just isn't enough time to explore our wonderful island. Stay awhile, and explore it a little further.
If you don't win, that's no excuse! Come and stay with us and we'll make sure that you felt like you hit the jackpot!

The Bayside Bed and Breakfast

Top Ten Reasons to Stay at The Bayside Bed and Breakfast - Part 2

#6
Next Door Neighbours to Beautiful Port de Grave

Nothing says Newfoundland more than a fishing village just around the corner. It's a quick, two-minute drive down the road, or if you need a good, cardio workout after that Bayside breakfast, it's a good hike up and down the hill. (Some days, it feels like you're only going up hill!)
Crab season is underway, but there's lots of activity going on right now with boats coming and going. Locals also use a section of harbour to launch personal crafts during the year. Our friend Robbie launches his boat from here and it's the starting point for us when we go cod jigging in the summer.

#7
Close to St. John's International Airport

The Bayside seems to be popular for our guests on their way back from touring the island when they're flying out the next day. Just an hour away from the airport, we're the perfect spot to end your Bucket List vacation. With our views, comfortable surroundings and relaxing atmosphere, end your travels on a high note and stay with us!

#8
Located on the Baccalieu Trail--and We're Mad Rock Crazy!

Looking for icebergs? Quaint fishing villages? Beautiful, scenic, ocean views? Photo opportunities galore? Looking to hike through fields of blueberries? I'm going to run out of room with suggestions! The Baccalieu Trail is a popular route that takes you along just one section of the Avalon. A 230 km drive takes you along some of the prettiest sights you'll see and you can start right in our backyard with the Mad Rock Trail. You can literally spend days exploring, tasting and photographing every little cove and beach. Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism even gives you an itinerary if you need a little guidance. Or, just drive and lose yourself! Don't try and rush it into one big day. Spend a few--there's just so much to see. You'll barely scratch the surface!

Scenic Touring Route for the Baccalieu Trail

#9
We're Open Year Round!

Visiting the island in the off season? Visiting family or friends and still want to experience a B&B? Are you here for business but would like something a little more cozier than a motel or hotel? Then look no further! The Bayside is open year round. Sure, we're busy in the popular tourist season, but there's more to Newfoundland than just staying in St. John's (and even that is only an hour away).

In the off-season, experience the warmth of a wood stove and a place to relax and recharge your batteries. 
Starting with November 2015, The Bayside will be offering a choice of evening meals that can be enjoyed without leaving the comfort of our B&B. Why go out when you can stay warm and toasty. We'll offer our home-cooked meals up until the end of April (with a few exceptions). I just love to cook!

#10
Our Hospitality!

Basil and I have been in the service industry for almost 50 years (combined, I'm not that old!), so we definitely know how to treat people. Opening a bed and breakfast was just the natural thing to do when we moved here and not a day goes by that I don't think about what a great move it was. In our former life, we loved to entertain our friends, cook up a storm and spend time in conversation with one and all. 
Everyone is welcome in our home, no matter who they are and we hope that you'll feel like a special guest. If you want to share a story, ask questions about the area or, just want to come and have a quiet time on your own, The Bayside can meet all of your needs.

So dear friends, these are my top ten reasons to stay with us at The Bayside Bed and Breakfast. 

What's your reason to visit?

Missed Part 1? Just click on the link below and see what you've missed!

Top Ten Reasons to Stay at The Bayside Bed and Breakfast - Part 1

Top Ten Reasons to Stay at The Bayside Bed and Breakfast - Part 1

#1
One of the best views on the Avalon Peninsula
As we're situated on the top of a hill, most times I can see cars driving into the lot, so I'm ready to greet our guests at the door. Once in awhile, they take so long to come in I wonder if they've lost their way or they've turned around and left! What's the reason? They are so taken by the view from our B&B that they'll stop and take pictures before they've even entered the door. I can't blame them. I live here and I still can't believe the beauty I see out my window every day.

#2
Beautiful Sunrises and Sunsets

Sunrise behind The Bayside

Sunset overlooking Bay Roberts

I just can't get over some of the colours that streak across the sky. I've been known to pull on my winter coat and rubber boots when it's cold just to get that perfect shot in the morning. Thank goodness we have no close neighbours that can watch me!
And at the other end of the day, I'll just jump in the car and stop alongside the road to drink in the evening beauty laid out on nature's canvas.
Speaking of  early morning sunrises, that leads us to....

#3
Breakfast- The most important meal of the day!
It's easy enough for me to see those early morning sunrises because I'm up extra early for my guests. There's nothing better than to wake up in the morning and smell something good going on in the kitchen and you'll find that here at The Bayside.

I love to bake and I have some favourites ( lemon-blueberry bread, best scones ever!, cracked-pepper cheese biscuits) plus I'm always adding to my repertoire. No one leaves hungry, but at the same time, this isn't your mom's house. You're allowed to leave some food on your plate ( but most don't!). I also serve a hot breakfast along with the fruit and baked goods. Chef's choice!

#4
A Good Night's Sleep
I had one guest tell me that I should include a crow bar in the rooms because then you could use it to pry yourself out of bed in the morning!
Egyptian cotton bedding, duvets, a pillow menu and a great mattress all combine for, hopefully, one of the best night's sleep you'll have in Newfoundland.

Grey River Room

Of course, it doesn't hurt that we're far enough away from any large city centre. Not isolated, but peaceful, just the way we like it.




#5
Business-Traveller Friendly
Some of our guests need to mix their pleasure with business. While work is the last thing on your mind when you step in the door, sometimes it's a necessary evil. We have excellent WiFi service with a copier/scanner/printer/fax machine available in our common area.

We also have a desktop computer available there for those travellers that need to check their itinerary or print off that report that needs to be submitted. It's been great to be able to offer this service and it's come in handy a number of times when there's been an unexpected monkey wrench thrown into a traveller's plans.

So, that's the top 5 reasons to stay at The Bayside Bed and Breakfast. 
Stay tuned for Part 2.

Online Availability and Reservations for The Bayside Bed and Breakfast

Just Another Dinner

Newfoundlanders are big on family. They have big families. Basil is second youngest of a family of 9 children.
Newfoundlanders are big on family meals. Family dinners (or lunch) are still an occasion down here and usually, the big family dinner is on Sunday.
Being just the two of us, we have family suppers every night. Our dinner (lunch), is usually prettty simple. So technically, once in awhile for our supper, I love to make a traditional Jiggs Dinner. And it's a big dinner.

For those of you who've never heard of a Jiggs Dinner, you're not alone. I hadn't heard of it either until I befriended a Newfoundlander back in Burlington, Ontario. And she wasn't even a native Newfoundlander. Silvana was born in Italy but emigrated to Ontario, and long story short, married a Newfoundlander and moved 'back home' to The Rock. And then back to Ontario. It was in her home that I first had a taste of a Jiggs Dinner. It can also be referred to as a Boiled Dinner, probably because your whole dinner consists of vegetables, split pea pudding and salt beef all boiled in the same pot.
Most families will also roast some meat along with this dinner, such as a chicken, a pork roast or the ever popular turkey. Silvana did a roast chicken.
Well, I can't say that it was love at first taste. It was 'different'. Living in a very culturally diverse area, I was used to all sorts of different foods, but this was 'different'.
Fast forward to the present.
Honestly, you develop a craving for this meal. If you're invited to anyone's home on a Sunday, chances are this will be on the menu. And you'd think that it would taste the same, no matter who made it. Wrong! Somehow, everyone manages to make it a little different. And every single one of them is delicious. And when it comes to the two of us, if I don't cook it often enough, I start to imagine the flavours in my mouth to the point where I have to make this meal, even if it isn't on a Sunday.
So how did this delicious excuse to stuff yourself get it's name? Well, I'm not old enough to remember, but apparently there was a comic strip called Bringing Up Father and the main character, Jiggs, loved his corned beef and cabbage. Hence, naming this salt beef and cabbage dish Jiggs Dinner. So, yes, cabbage is in it, as well as turnip, carrots and potatoes. Basil likes boiled greens. You can also make a pease pudding to boil along with it. Make a gravy. Serve along with pickled beets, mustard pickles, and voila! You have the makings for a feast. I've even made a steamed pudding to go along with it.





Here's my favourite--blueberry pudding.














Now you may say to yourself, why would I ever make so much food for just two people?


                             

The answer in one word:

 LEFTOVERS

                                                                                               
There is nothing better than taking all those delicious leftovers the next day, frying up some onion, adding a can of corn beef and smushing up all the ingredients to come up with a hash dinner.



And if you think I exaggerate, let me relate a short story.
When my daughter and son-in-law visited awhile back, I made a Jiggs Dinner for them. They 'liked' it. I don't think they 'loved' it.  But I made a huge hash dinner the next day with the leftovers. My daughter loved it so much, that she ate leftover hash dinner for breakfast for the next few days!


So if you have any Newfoundlander friends, beg them to make you a Jiggs Dinner. Or, ask to be invited for leftovers.

Better still, come and visit Newfoundland and develop a discerning palate for Jiggs Dinner. Yum!

That Sheila, What a Joker She Is!

Oh, dear. We have been the victims of a cruel joke!
How do you go from this--

To this?



This is what the Avalon woke up to this week, two
days after the first picture was taken at the back of
The Bayside.
Can you believe it?



One morning, I'm serving up three-berry baked oatmeal, cheese omelets, home fries and bacon, and the next, well, now that is a story.





It's not like we didn't know the snow was coming. Dire watches and warnings were broadcast all weekend. All of Newfoundland braced themselves for what was to be the annual Sheila's Brush, a cruel joke that seems to coincide with St. Patrick's Day celebrations across the island. Legend has it, Sheila (or Sheilagh), was a close relative of 'Pat' and she brushes out winter to get things ready for spring. But, she's supposed to appear after March 17th, so she was a little early this year. Or was she? Was she just pulling our leg and we've actually still got a really good storm in the near future or will we be spared and enjoy spring along with the rest of Canada. Only time will tell.
Which leads me to the second part of my tale. At 4:14 a.m., we were awoken with a bang and a ding dong. With all of Newfoundland asleep in their beds while the storm raged outside, and I'm not kidding, raged, Basil got up and found two kids at our front door. It seems that their friend's car could not make it up our hill so they decided to get out and walk. Walk! Needless to say, they didn't get very far and since we were the only house on the road with any lights on, they decided to take a chance and see if anyone was home. We were. Good thing too because they were freezing. When daylight came, Basil got out, cleared a path from the car to the road, and managed to get them home. Poor Basil. He was really hoping for a snow day and a chance to do nothing but vegetate in front of that fire and watch episodes of Alaskan Bush People  (there was a marathon, and yes, he knows it's fake). That's okay honey. Next storm.

If you're interested in some more information of the legend of Sheila's Brush, CBC News Newfoundland and Labrador has a great explanation.

What's behind the legend of Sheila's Brush?

Forecast for the weekend? Sunny and rain on the way.
Come on spring!

The Sounds of Silence

It was just the other morning that my husband brought it to my attention.
We had no guests the night before and I actually had the chance to sleep in. I was enjoying my second cup of coffee in bed. It does happen, once in awhile. Anyways, he turned to me and said,
           "Do you hear that?"
           "Hear what? I don't hear anything."
           "Exactly. Nothing. And it's nice."
Now, a little background information on Basil and myself.
Not too long ago, just a few years back, we used to live in southern Ontario in a place called Burlington. Burlington is a beautiful community on Lake Ontario located between Toronto and Hamilton, and only a short drive away from Niagara Falls and the American border. Life was good in Burlington. We had a beautiful home that we had worked hard to renovate in an older part of town. Lots of mature trees, close to the lake and only a short walk from a vibrant downtown that had great restaurants and shopping.
But we also lived close to a 'little' structure called the Skyway Bridge. Saved a lot of driving time for thousands of commuters who drove to and from the Niagara region to the urban sprawl of Toronto and surrounding area. But it was close. Very close. In the spring and summer months, the beautiful, mature trees hid it from view but at the end of fall and all of winter we could see it very clearly. But for twelve months of the year, 365 days of it, we could hear it. And I mean 24 hours a day we could hear it. Cars, truck, motorcycles--you name it, we could hear it. Now mind you, after living there as long as we did, we kind of didn't notice it as much but on a quiet morning when you would be drinking your coffee in bed, you heard it. Now, that was the price of living a fast paced life. And I didn't know any better until my husband brought me to Newfoundland for a visit. And that's when I got my first taste of the sound of silence. And you know what? I liked it. And except for the occasional call of the gull or a puff of air blown through their blow hole by a humpback whale, I'll keep my silence. Hope you don't mind the silence when you come for a visit!

Now what have I been up to since last week? Well, we took a drive with some friends to a small place called Broad Cove on the Baccalieu Trail. Even though we've had some freezing temperatures the last few days, the countryside still hasn't lost it's beauty.

Isn't this gorgeous? You can see that beautiful blue sky, just peaking out behind those clouds. And that's what it was like all morning. We even stopped at this spot and had a bite to eat. No one around except the occasional bird. And windy. Whew! But what else would you expect at the edge of the world?

Now, you may wonder, why would I take a picture of a two-seater that obviously can't stand up to a little wind. But, that's me. I love taking pictures of a great splash of colour in the middle of a remote spot.


Do we get guests this time of year? Who would want to travel around the island when it's cold and snowy and blowy? Well, you'd be surprised. Here at the Bayside, we get quite a few people who still like to travel across their own island to visit family, participate in sports, travel for business or just want to take a break.
And even when it's cold, there's those who turn their thoughts to the warmer weather and who look forward to visiting our beautiful island province this coming season. And they have been busy making reservations and plans. Don't get caught short! Our reservation calendar is slowly filling up. So if you are planning on a visit, don't delay! Click our link below and check out our website soon. Come and discover why Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the most popular bucket list destinations in North America.

The Bayside Bed and Breakfast