We were supposed to fly back home early in the morning, so we arrived at the airport, returned our rental car, and headed to check in—only to find out that our flight was delayed until the afternoon. With five unexpected hours to kill, we decided to make the most of it.
We went back to the car rental desk, explained our situation, and to our surprise, they gave us our car back for free until 11 AM. With a few extra hours and no fixed plans, we decided to visit places not too far from the airport.
Our first stop was the Ocean Sciences Centre. Unfortunately, we were too early, so we couldn’t go inside, but we walked around the building, which had an interesting design—like a mix of a submarine and an octopus. Outside, there were a few aquariums facing the walkway, allowing us to see fish, starfish, and sea cucumbers up close. But the best surprise was spotting two seals in the outdoor seal tank. We hadn’t expected to see them, so it felt like a fun little farewell gift from Newfoundland.
After watching the seals for a while, we walked around for a bit but with the morning drizzle turning into steady rain, we decided to jump back in the car and drive to… Costco.
It might seem like a strange stop, but it’s a family tradition to visit Costco in different provinces or countries just to see how the selection compares. This one was larger than usual, and the pack sizes were even bigger than what we were used to.
Back at our bed and breakfast, our host had told us how grocery stores are scarce in small Newfoundland communities, and the closest big store is this very Costco—two hours away. She makes the trip once every two weeks, stocking up on essentials. It made me realize how much we take for granted. Living in a big city, we have shopping plazas in every neighborhood—if we need something, we just walk or drive to a store and are back home within 30 minutes. But for people in these remote towns, grocery shopping requires planning, patience, and adaptation.
Yet, they have something we don’t—the ocean view, the sound of crashing waves, the silence, and the slower pace of life.
Finally, it was time to head back to the airport. As our plane took off and I looked down at Newfoundland from above, the island reminded me of Swiss cheese—its rugged surface dotted with thousands of lakes.
Newfoundland wasn’t exactly what I had pictured before the trip, but I wasn’t disappointed at all. It had its own unique, rugged beauty—one that I won’t forget.