NL July 27

Sorry, no chair view, no sunset. But this (scary, in my opinion) picture of Joey Smallwood overlooked us all night long:

Surprisingly, though we were so close top to the highway, it was quiet and we had a good sleep. But we left in thick fog which dissipated a few miles down the road.

We drove through Terra Nova Park and, again, no Moose.We stopped in Clarenville`s Sobey`s, and a worker recognized David from Fogo Island! Now THAT`S a small world.

While I was getting coffee at McDonald`s, David was getting these pics (reminiscent of an overnight stay in the states a couple of years ago):

We headed to new territory next: the Burin Peninsula. This was a different Newfoundland landscape, very similar to Northern Ontario. Rocks, mountains, lakes and trees (and fog today):

There are seven Viewpoints on the peninsula, small pitchouts with different geological and historical markers. Each has a sign about a kilometer before the site. The first was a picture of a Caribou and the words ``Feeling Erratic?`` The pitchout talked about the glacial formation of this landscape. AND this would be a great overnight camping spot.

Though the weather predicted 90% rain today, it only rained for a few minutes, really a sun shower, at noon.

The next Viewpoint sign was a picture of beets and the word “Uprooted”. Here was a house, now a museum containing period artifacts, that had been floated once 20 minutes down the road then brought to this resting place. It was a great display:

(yep, that’s another “Ugly Stick”):

There are many Salmon fishing spots along the road (complete with “unofficial” RV Parks). Poor Salmon have to swim here from the ocean; though it’s nearby, we’re at at least 300 feet elevation in many places.

Next Viewpoint sign depicted a sailor and the words “Dories to Drill Rigs” in Marystown. We got travel info there. The town is the commercial hub of the peninsula complete with Walmart and Tim’s!

Next stop, Burin. It’s an old fishing village, a little upscale, which now seems a little confused about what it wants to be. Parts are refurbished and contain shops and a cafe. Others are not-too-well-kept historical markers. When we got there, the fog was so thick that it was silent. We saw and heard nothing but some ducks (really):

But we chatted with some guys at the Coast Guard Station, and got a lesson in politics and economics in Newfoundland. Interesting:

As the fog lifted, more people appeared and we spoke for a while with a guy (looked like actor Robert Carlisle) who owned this beautiful house and had a different viewpoint on Burin:

He said a local, now with money, has bought many properties here recently. He has weatherproofed them and they lie vacant. Apparently, he has “big plans!”. Our new friend is quite cynical about this all. But there ARE some pretty sights:

We left there, drove further along and saw the sign wit a miner’s picture and the words, “Dig a little deeper”. And this Viewpoint is our free home for tonight.

Here’s a foggy view from my chair: