Newfoundland Sunset
From the time our ferry landed at Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, life was one big adventure. Newfoundland is a vast, windswept, majestic place, rocky and rugged with countless bays, coves and inlets frequently occupied by small fishing villages. Traditionally cod fishing has been the main industry here, and has defined the way of life for generations. But in the 1980's the cod began disappearing, and in 1992 the Canadian government placed a moratorium on cod fishing, throwing many fishermen out of work. The moratorium was meant to be temporary, just until the fish could bounce back from over-fishing, but sadly that hasn't happened, and still today cod fishing is tightly controlled. Life is not easy here and the people are resilient and tough, but friendly and wickedly funny. And they have a fierce love for their homeland, which they fondly call "The Rock", celebrating its beauty in song and verse which they love to share with visitors.
Harbor at Little Port
We took a boat ride in the park up the fjord called Western Brook Pond, which was spectacular with its steep cliffs and deep blue waters. Up here everything is called a pond, no matter how big. In Newfoundland, Lake Washington would be called Washington Pond.
Western Brook Pond
Almost all the houses in the tiny towns are painted white, and most are what they call saltbox style - simple and rectangular. The white towns contrast beautifully with the blue sea and sky, and the green of the hills. The Long Range Mountains stretch up the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland . . .they're actually the northernmost part of the Appalachian Range.
Rocky Harbor
We joined a Park Ranger for a hike in the Tablelands area of Gros Morne National Park. This area is so unusual geologically that it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Natural Site, because here tectonic plate action caused the earth's mantle layer to rise to the surface, ending up on the surface of the earth over the crust. There are very few nutrients in the soil of the mantle, so vegetation is sparse, and the rocks are a distinctive red color due to iron content. It was a fascinating lesson in geology, and also quite beautiful!
One day we took the car on a ferry boat over to Labrador on a one day expedition. Labrador turned out to be even less populated than Newfoundland, and even more rugged and windswept - magnificant in its own way . . .
Labrador from the Ferry
L'Anse Amour Lighthouse in Labrador
We drove up the rocky coast to the town of Red Bay where we visited a memorial to the Basque whalers of the 1500's and enjoyed the immense and beautiful landscape of Labrador.
Red Bay, Labrador
On another day we drove up to the northernmost tip of Newfoundland where we first visited the town of St. Anthony, with its stocky little lighthouse and the waves pounding on the rocks below. We even spied some whales spouting out in the Atlantic just off shore, and countless seabirds wheeling and soaring in the wind.
St. Anthony Lighthouse and Rocks Below
At St. Anthony Lighthouse
We also explored the site where Lief Ericson landed at L'Anse aux Meadows in 1000 AD - the settlement has been excavated and re-created by Parks Canada to show how they lived. Their houses were made of sod and were many times more insulated than our current homes, and it's a good thing, because the winters there are harsh!!
L'Anse aux Meadows - Viking Site
Our base camp for these northern explorations was in Port au Choix, in a campground right on the ocean - a beautiful spot!
Oceanview Campground
After leaving Port au Choix we journeyed back down the peninsula and then east to the north coast town of Twillingate - the most picturesque fishing town you'd ever hope to see, and one of our favorite places. Our campground here was only a block from Back Harbor, a small bay with just a few fishing stages on the shore, and a few row boats, and one wrecked boat . . .
Old Boat at Back Harbor
Scenes of Twillingate
One day we took the car on a ferry over to the tiny island of Fogo, where we learned what life is like on a small island ice-bound in winter.
Town of Tilting, Fogo Island
On the ferry over to Fogo we met a local man who had written two books about the town of Tilting, where he currently lives and where his ancestors were among the first settlers hundreds of years ago. We ended up going to his house, where he kindly signed a copy of his book for us . . .a very interesting description of the life of fishermen and their families in days gone by. (He was an old guy - our age!!!)
Roy Dwyer, Author
Fishing Stages at Back Harbor
Twillingate Sunset
Back Harbor from Up On Barracks Island
In Newfoundland, like Nova Scotia, the churches often feature cemetaries right outside the door, the better to keep in mind the important things . . . .this was a particularly beautiful church, in a very lovely spot.
Church with Cemetary at Newtown
We were sad to leave Twillingate, but excited to see the rest of Newfoundland. We decided to go to St. John's after all . . .we were going to skip it, but thought better of it and changed our ferry reservations so we could leave Newfoundland from a city near St. John's instead of driving all the way back around the island - 909 kilometers! As we headed south we stopped to explore the area around Terra Nova National Park on the eastern shore of Newfoundland. The historic and beautiful Bonavista peninsula was first on our agenda, beginning with Trinity, a very old town which in the 1700's competed with St. John's as the center of culture and wealth in Newfoundland. Its buildings are old and picturesque, planted right on the edge of the winding lanes with great names like Church Road and Water Street. Of course it's a harbor, very protected and with a lighthouse on a small peninsula. We hiked up Upper Gun Road to a high vista point from which we could see not only Trinity but all the coves and harbors and bays of this rugged coastline. From there we drove to Elliston where we hoped to see puffins, but sadly they had recently decamped for the open North Atlantic where they spend the fall and winter. In June they return to build their nests, lay their eggs and raise their young. Disappointing to have missed them . . . .
Trinity
Harbor of Trinity
Churchyard in Trinity
Trinity from Upper Gun Hill
The larger town of Bonavista was our next stop. This harbor city is thought to be the first landing spot of John Cabot in 1497, although no one knows that for sure. In 1997 a replica was built of his ship, Matthew, in honor of the 500th anniversary of his sailing. We took a tour of this ship and learned many interesting facts about Cabot, like he was from Venice, but sailing under the English flag by the patronage of King Henry VII because Spain had already invested in Columbus. After Cabot's successful voyage he set out once again for Newfoundland, but this time disappeared without a trace. In Bonavista we had lunch at a harbor restaurant - seafood chowder again . . . .we're on a mission to find the best seafood chowder in the Maritime provinces. So far the honor belongs to the little chowder house at Neil's Harbor on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia . . . .
Harbor of Bonavista
On to St. John's - the capital city of Newfoundland, with about 100,000 residents. It's built on the hills above a perfectly protected harbor, guarded by a fort with a lighthouse at the narrow entrance. The houses here are different - not the white of the rest of Newfoundland, but bright colors, climbing up the steep hillsides above the harbor. St. John's is said to be the oldest city in North America, as John Cabot is believed to have also landed here in 1497, only 5 years after Columbus "discovered" America. It's a vibrant, lively city with an attitude, and a love for fun and music. On George Street they stack the bars for two or three stories, each with live music of some kind, mostly Irish. Party animals that we are, we were down there two nights in a row enjoying singers, fiddlers, guitarists, pipers and drummers - fabulous!
Downtown St. John's
Old Fort and Lighthouse Guarding St. John's Harbor
George Street
The Battery is the name for an area of St. John's where many of the houses are built on stilts and climb steeply up the hillside - and are painted every color of the rainbow!!
Not far out of St. John's is Cape Spear, the easternmost point of North America. So of course we had to go there . . . .
Lighthouse at Cape Spear
We're the Farthest East!
Moshi and Kibo have been fantastic travellers - hardly ever complaining, and finding ways to amuse themselves in a small space!
It's so hard to stay in shape on the road!
We're Still Best Buddies
Ah, the Sun!!!!!
For the most part our new motorhome has been a delight - smooth, quiet ride; lots of room; etc. etc. . . . . HOWEVER, we've been plagued by problems with one of the slide-outs. It first broke weeks ago, but Bob and Mark were able to patch it back together . . .but it kept breaking, and they kept fixing it, til at last it not only broke the bolt but got wedged in sort of sideways, making it very difficult to get back in even after they replaced the bolt. So we benched it . . . it now stays in all the time, giving us a bit less room but more peace of mind. We have an appointment to get it fixed when we get to Maine - I'm counting the days!
Bob and Mark Working on our Rogue Slide
We loved Newfoundland and hated leaving, but it was time to go . . .Leaving Newfoundland behind, we sailed on the SS Caribou from Argentia, Newfoundland to North Sydney, Nova Scotia on September 11. It was an overnight crossing, 15 hours across the sea . . . there were no staterooms available, so we courageously signed up for a "cubicle" - 2 bunkbeds in a tiny room with no door and only partial walls in a dorm-like arrangement. We were dreading it, but as it turned out it was fine - we slept like babies!! Ever Onward - stay tuned for Prince Edward Island . . . . .
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