The thing that most amazes me about the Newfoundland and Labrador tourism industry is the resourcefulness of the people. On a recent trip through Twillingate and Gros Morne, my partner, Steve, and I were pleasantly surprised by the abundance of pubs, cafes, tea rooms and restaurants we had to choose from. Most surprising however, was how the locals could turn just about any space into a diner's delight. At one stop, for example, we enjoyed coffee and a sweet on the wharf of an old converted fishing stage. As I sat back in the brightly colored adirondack chair, with the warm scent of salt water and creosote wafting past, I couldn't help but giggle at the conversation taking place at the counter behind me. "I think I will try one of your scones", said Steve (a born and bred mainlander). "Sorry, sir, we don't have any scones", replied the lady serving him. "Isn't that a scone?" he asked while pointing to one of several baked goodies. "No, me Duckie", was her reply, "that's a raison tea bun." You say tomato, I say toe-mott-o. At another stop, a lovely couple had turned their garage into a delightful tea room where tourists flocked for the assortment of baked goods and home-made jams. I could easily envision how, at the end of the tourist season, the space would once again be used to store the snowblower, lawn mower, and ATV. The best lobster roll ever to cross my lips was served in the back room of an old general store, appropriately named, "The Back Room." It was the type of general store where you could find anything, from catgut, to cabbages to condoms. The dining area consisted of a couple of chrome table sets with a stack of Downhome magazines to keep the customers entertained while they waited. I imagined that the back room converted back to Nan's craft room as soon as tourist season ended. Steve actually plans our road trips around coffee stops, so he was feeling kind of antsy as we drove through the northern part of Gros Morne Park with nar a cafe in sight. Then to our relief, we spotted a large green salt box house, with the door wide open and about a dozen people leaving and boarding their cars. "Perfect timing, Steve," I said, "looks like the tourists are just pulling out." I noticed that several of the cars had Alberta license plates. Once again, I smiled at the resourcefulness of the locals. To the untrained eye, this cafe could have passed for an ordinary dining room, except for the super-sized wooden table set with a total seating capacity of 16. As we seated ourselves an elderly woman emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands in her apron. "Can I help you?" she asked. "Just wondering if you have an espresso?" Steve cautiously inquired. "No, I'm sorry," she replied with a smile, "but I can get ye a tea or coffee." We both ordered a coffee, as she set out the table with a tin of carnation milk, a sugar bowl, thick slices of homemade bread and an assortment of local jams. I felt proud that Steve would get to experience an authentic Newfoundland "mug up." Unlike any other dining establishment we had visited, the matron actually sat with us and poured herself a cup of Tetley as she entertained us with stories about the history of her small town. What hospitality! "I got my crowd reared up now," she said, "most of them lives out west in Fort McMurray, but they are all home now for their cousin's wedding up in Cow Head. They brought back a bunch of their friends with them and they are staying here too." "Genius," I thought, "she has converted her empty bedrooms into a B and B!" "Is there anything else I can get ye?" she asked, as I wiped the last spot of bakeapple jam from the corner of my lip. "Just the bill,"Steve said. "The bill?" she looked at us with a blank stare. "Do we pay here or at the counter?" I asked. She burst out laughing, "No me love, this is not a restaurant, it's me home." Needless to say, we were super cautious about our dining stops for the remainder of the trip! About Florence Florence Strang is a registered psychologist and author who resides in St. John's. Her publications include 100 Perks of Having Cancer, Calm the F. Down! A Day in the Life of an Autism Mom, and her most recent book Soul Steps 52 Ways to Reconnect with Spirit. You can connect with Florence through her website www.florencestrang.com   Submitted By: Florence Strang