The Cold Plunge: A 100-Year old Townhouse and a Haunted Hike

After four nights with Madeline and Cyril, I prepared to move on to the Airbnb I had booked in the St. John’s city centre.

Madeline gave me a lift to the property. On our way, we met with Jean, who had come to the country and gospel concert on Sunday night. We had also had lunch at her place the day before. I liked Jean and enjoyed her company. She was full of energy, had a wicked sense of humour and was great for a chat and a laugh. We had lunch together again at Bidgoods supermarket, and I tried Toutons, (pronounced tout-ens) a traditional Newfoundlandian dish of pieces of fried bread dough.

I then had my first experience at Costco. Although we have had a Costco in Queensland for many years, I never lived close to it, so had never been. It was certainly an eye-opening- and slightly overwhelming- experience.

Madeline then dropped me at my Airbnb, a 100-year-old townhouse on a hill behind the St. John’s city centre. I was warmly welcomed by my hosts, Jodee and Nicole. I had been excited to stay here, but never expected just how much I would fall in love with this property. It would be my favourite of my whole trip in Canada.

Stepping inside, I instantly fell in love, and instantly felt sad I would only have three nights there. I wished I had booked it earlier when there were more nights available. I caught my mind headed on a downward spiral of self-blame, and remembered the lesson I had learned a few days earlier when I had lost my poncho scarf. I was determined to enjoy this amazing property for the time I had there.

In my bedroom, there was an antique wooden desk in the corner by the window, and I couldn’t wait to sit there and write.

I had booked another room nearby for over the weekend. That afternoon, Jean checked with with me. She was also an Airbnb host, and offered for me to stay at her place at a discounted price including meals. She also offered to take me on some day trips and split the cost of fuel. I instantly accepted, and cancelled the other Airbnb booking.

Dating back to the 16th Century, St. John’s is the oldest city in North America, and full of rich history. A walking tour is an essential experience when visiting the city. A daytime walking tour of Downtown will have you captivated by fabulous architecture, fascinating facts, the best food and beer offerings, and warm and welcoming people. However, if you prefer your walking tours after dark, your might consider the St. John’s Haunted Hike.

There are two tours on offer, the Ghosties and Ghoulies tour and the Spirits and Sinners tour. I took both, Ghosties and Ghoulies first, and can recommend them equally.

As I walked into town, I noted the call of the seagulls flying overhead. They had a distinctly haunting call, like nothing I had ever heard from a seagull before. It matched well with the gothic undertones of the evening ahead.

I waited with the other participants at the meeting point outside the Anglican Church. We were greeted by our guide, in full character wearing a tricorne hat and cloak.

This tour took us to haunted hotspots around the city centre, including forgotten cemeteries, unmarked graves, and buildings believed to be haunted. Yet there was no mention of the Old Hag.

After the tour, I approached the guide and asked him if he had any knowledge of the urban legend to share. He personally couldn’t recall any stories about the Old Hag- while the legend is a prominent feature in local folklore, it is not considered a ‘haunting’ in particular, rather a psychological phenomenan. So it is understandable it is not featured on the tour. He did recommend the books of local author and founder of the Haunted Hike, Dale Jarvis. He asked me if, in my research at MUNFLA, had I come across information that suggested that men experienced the Old Hag more commonly than women. I had indeed read that men were more often affected. He shared he had a previous history in psychology, and that men tend to project their psychosis into an external entity, whereas women internalise their trauma. This insight was interesting- my main character is battling and unknown suppressed trauma, which is manifesting externally as the Old Hag. I was so excited by this new knowledge.

Later that night I learned from Jodee that the guest booked in my room over the weekend had cancelled. The cost of the room was covered by the late cancellation fee, so he offered me to stay the extra nights free of charge. My heart lept with excitement, and I accepted. This would take me through until Tuesday, when I was due to fly to Toronto. I went to sleep that night overjoyed- I would get to spend a whole week in this beautiful home.

The next morning I informed Jean that I had been given an offer I couldn’t refuse, and so would be staying at Jodee and Nicole’s place over the weekend. I was still keen to catch up with her, and she invited me for dinner on Friday night.

Here is the Airbnb listing for Jodee and Nicole and Jean’s properties. I highly recommend them both if you are considering a stay in St. John’s, Newfoundland:

Jodee and Nicole

Jean

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