Ladies and gentlemen,

On the eighteenth day of my trip through Eastern Canada, I drove from Grand Falls-Windsor to Cormack, situated between Gros Morne National Park and Deer Lake.

Highlights: Newfoundland Insectarium was surprisingly beautiful with its butterfly garden, beautifully crafted main building and adventurous trails all around it. Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park with its waterfalls truly is a hidden gem that deserves more attention. Gros Morne National Park is so big that one could spend a whole week discovering it.

Curiosities: The road to Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park was the most adventurous, challenging and dangerous on my entire trip. I had to drive slowly and carefully to avoid big potholes that looked as if they had been made by dinosaurs. 

 Newfoundland Insectarium in Reidville

 On the ground floor of Newfoundland Insectarium

On the second floor of Newfoundland Insectarium 

 Humber River separating Reidville and Deer Lake

 Big Falls in Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park

 Tablelands in Gros Morne National Park

 The southern branch of Gros Morne National Park

 Trout River Small Pond

 North Atlantic Ocean as seen from Trout River Bay

 East Arm as seen from Discovery Centre

 View of Bonne Bay and its surrounding areas

 One of the highest peaks in the southern branch of Gros Morne National Park

 Ladies and gentlemen!

On my seventeenth day, I drove from Gander to Grand Falls-Windsor but I mainly drove north to Twillingate and Crow Head and back again.

Highlights: The boat trip in Twillingate was really informative and beautiful. I saw numerous amazing whales, beautiful landscapes and braved the stormy sea with a handful of other tourists. Afterwards, I ate a delicious moose burger in a seaside restaurant.

Curiosities: 

 Saint Peter's Anglican Church in Twillingate

 Smith's Lookout with Dumpling Cove

 Twillingate Adventure Tours

Downtown Twillingate on the east side of Shoal Tickle 

Downtown Twillingate on the west side of Shoal Tickle  

Burnt Island in the North Atlantic Ocean 

Long Point Lighthouse in Twillingate 

Whales around North Twillingate Island 

 Crow Head with Long Point Lighthouse

 Looking west towards the North Atlantic Ocean from Mutford's Cove

 Ladies and gentlemen!

 On the sixteenth day of my trip through Eastern Canada, I drove from Bonavista to Gander.

Highlights: The town of Bonavista is surrounded by splendid coastal nature. I walked through the city for hours and could have stayed much longer than I actually did. An unexpected highlight was the tiny coastal village Tickle Cove with its wonderful trail around parts of Tickle Cove Pond. Terra Nova National Park was also particularly beautiful and I spent hours walking wonderful hiking trails.

Curiosities: Most national parks have an information centre right at their entrances. I assumed this was also the case for Terra Nova National Park and headed for the first stop: only to find myself on an empty parking lot with a stylish restroom. I had to drive about half an hour to get to the actual information centre right in the middle of the park.

Bonavista Public Garden 

Bonavista Harbour 

Harbour next to Newfoundland Mockbeggar Plantation 

Looking west down the canal connecting the pond and the Atlantic Ocean in Bonavista 

 Looking east up the canal connecting the pond and the Atlantic Ocean in Bonavista 

 Pond in Bonavista

 Trail around Tickle Cove Pond

 A splendid view of Tickle Cove Pond

 Trail around Tickle Cove Pond

 Harbour in Tickle Cove

 Skeleton at Terra Nova National Park Information Centre

 Bridge in Terra Nova National Park

 Trail to Bluehill Pond in Terra Nova National Park

 Coastline of the Northern Atlantic Ocean as seen from Terra Nova National Park

 One of the numerous caves, lakes and ponds in Terra Nova National Park

 Bluehill Pond in Terra Nova National Park

 A spot to relax on the eight-kilometer trail

 A quail on the trail

 View of the stunning landscapes of Terra Nova National Park

 Observation tower in Terra Nova National Park

 Looking east towards the Northern Atlantic Ocean in Terra Nova National Park

Daylight Dies is an American quintet that combines atmospheric doom metal with melodic death metal stylistics in the key of Katatonia and Opeth at the heights of their careers. How come I had never heard of this band until recently? The answer is quite simple since the group hasn't released any new music in more than six years now. Dismantling Devotion is a timeless record however and has therefore aged quite well.

The key element behind this gripping record is its floating, gloomy and mysterious atmosphere. The riffs can be chugging, melancholic and slow at one moment but are then contrasted by much faster, meaner and more vivid passages. These contrasts also work well for the rhythm section that can be smooth and laid back at one moment just to accelerate and push rapidly into the foreground. The band also works with two vocalists. The band has a slightly bigger focus on the lead singer's passionate growls but the bassist's uplifting clean vocals offer some hopeful notes on a record filled with despair. The main focus lies on the instrumental work anyway that invites the listener to close his eyes immerse himself in a world of darkness to dream himself far away. Therefore it is useless to point out any particular songs since the sum is greater than its parts.

There are only two minor elements to criticize in my opinion. First of all, some tracks offer unnecessary fade-outs instead of leading fluently into one another which is something I have never appreciated. Secondly, a few songs slightly overstay their welcome and end up being somewhat repetitive instrumentally. Most songs could have been cut down by a minute or two to sound more diverifsied, efficient and fresh.

Still, if you like melodic doom and melodic death metal, Daylight Dies is a band you should be familiar with and Dismantling Devotion is rightfully considered a highlight in the band's career. The album was recently released again in a highly recommendable boxed set called The Candlelight Years with Lost to the Living as well as A Frail Becoming. If you're looking for a similar band of great quality that is still actively releasing music, give Black Crown Initiate a try.

Final rating: 90%

Bluebeard, obviously inspired the French folk tale of the same name, is a psychological thriller with many ups and downs that left me somewhat confused. Some parts of the movie were brilliant, others were underwhelming and even the resolution is partially satisfying and partially disappointing.

The story revolves around a young doctor who has recently been starting to work in a clinic in a suburb of Seoul that is infamous for its numerous serial killer cases. The young doctor doesn't seem to have the best relationship with his divorced wife, fails to bond with his progressively estranged son, has socially awkward behavior, is constantly overworked and lives in a very small apartment due to serious financial problems. One day, he overhears his anesthetized patient and landlord mumbling about decapitating a human being. When the torso of a woman is found in a river a few days later, the doctor immediately suspects his aged landlord and his awkward son to be partners in crime and a duo of dangerous serial killers. The young doctor starts investigating independently, thus putting himself in great danger. 

On the positive side, the movie oozes with a mysterious and almost surreal atmosphere from start to finish. The settings are sinister and at times claustrophobic. Lead actor Cho Jin-woong does an incredibly convincing performance as shy doctor who is gradually losing control of everything around him. The movie includes a few nightmarish dream sequences that are visually stunning and flirt with the horror genre. The simple but creepy soundtrack blends in perfectly. The story is intriguing enough to keep you watching until the lengthy resolution unfolds.

On the negative side, the film has a slow and sluggish pace. One expects the film to shift into faster gear at a certain point but this just never happens. Some of the minor twists are somewhat predictable, as most of them simply turn out to be nightmares which isn't too creative. The resolution overstays its welcome and tries to surprise with a double twist. This only works when a movie is thoroughly thought through like the brilliant A Tale of Two Sisters but Bluebeard is filled with incongruities and leaves you scratching your head rather than being amazed by a clever plot.

In the end, Bluebeard is worth your attention if you like slow-paced atmospheric psychological thrillers that challenge you to think along. However, the movie overuses its plot twists which end up being confusing or even nonsensical. Genre fans can give it a try but if you aren't too familiar with Korean thrillers yet you should watch A Tale of Two Sisters, Memories of Murder and I Saw the Devil before giving this one a try.