NL #7 All around the circle!

Waterfront View

We spent a few days among the beautiful waterfront views of Fogo Island. This one is the best (from our campsite at Brimstone Head):

Day 16 July 6

The song goes “Fogo, Twillingate, Moreton’s Harbour, all around the circle”. And we went all around it, too!

But first, we left Harbour Breton. The road crew that will repair those last 30 kms of the highway started to arrive and were coveting our water and electric site! They left at 5:30 this morning, and we weren’t far behind.

It was a dull day, but a good one for that long drive. I think I cast aspersions on those Moose the other day, because we saw nothing on our return. But we do have that Caribou memory!

We got to Lewisporte, got propane, diesel and some groceries and headed for the 3:30 ferry to Fogo Island. It was smooth sailing to this lovely place. We even got to go on the bridge before we started:

Fogo

We went straight to the Brimstone Head Lions Club RV Park and took site #11 ($30 water and electric) and had the best view of the cove for the next couple of days:

Day 17 July 7 (my parents’ anniversary)

We were up and out early on a chilly morning for a 10.5 km bicycle ride through Fogo. It’s a beautiful town with its Fishing Coop, old houses, stages, churches and HILLS!!!!

I have never seen so many Pitcher Plants in one spot:

After lunch, I climbed Brimstone Head. And here’s proof I made it to what is believed to be one of the Four Corners of the Earth (according to the “so-called” Canadian Flat Earth Society):

People were moving in in RVs (one woman from Pennsylvania started to wash her rig within minutes of arriving). We chatted with another couple from South Carolina. It’s rare for us to see Americans here in Newfoundland

I rode back in to town for ice cream (it had been a big day of exercise!) and met a woman from Niagara Falls. When she heard we were from near Peterborough, she said she has a brother who used to own the Simplicity Hair Salon there. Small world. Her brother, Stan, and my friend, hair stylist and owner of Locks, John, were once partners, and I met them both more than 30 years ago!

Before dinner, we followed a trail along the cliffs and saw a Life Bird, a Spotted Sandpiper:

…and beautiful clusters of Irises among the rocks:

After dinner, David suggested I check the beach for glass (I hadn’t bothered since it was so rocky), so I went and found this huge collection in minutes:

It was a glorious day.

Here’s the view of the View from above:

Day 18 July 8

It was a windy but clear and quite warm morning. We decided to leave the park and head across the island. Our first stop was the Flat Earth Coffee Cafe in Joe Batt’s Arm:

We met the owner two years ago waiting for the ferry! The coffee was good. We took a peek at the Etheridge’s Point Park for a possible place for the night, and I compared my foot with the Witch’s Foot (it’s an impression in the rock that sort of looks like some toes):

Next stop was Tilting and its lovely Historic District. The place remains the same through all our visits here, in fact, likely much the same for more than 150 years, with its old Salt Box houses, fishing stages, church and “feel”:

We stopped and talked with these four men who were stripping the “rind” off logs that will be used to repair the “flakes” at the Dwyer Premises, a former house and fishing stages. Here’s the “before”:

…and the after:

One called himself the Rind-stone Cowboy when we laughed about the term used for bark. They told some tales, maybe some tall ones, and we had another great moment.

We also had another chance to use the RV Dumping Station right on the road!

We drove around, hiked up Turpin’s Trail and saw an iceberg:

…then visited the Irish Cemetery, and found the oldest headstone (1799) to mark the death by drowning of Thomas Burke and his brother:

Next stop was the Knights of Columbus Park on Sandy Cove Beach where we thought we might stay. We walked some and it seems all the young Moms and kids were hitting the beach at 2:00 PM.

So we went to Growler’s back in Joe Batt’s Arm, for homemade ice cream (oh my, the chocolate and caramel) and drove down a few more roads:

…almost always with the Fogo Island Inn in view:

Instead of heading back to the beach, we went to the Etheridge’s Point Park, spoke with the Park Manager, a lovely woman who is a singer at the Etheridge’s Point Seaside Fest and at the Brimstone Folk Festival in Fogo, and she told us we could stay in the park tonight for free, though she DID convince me to buy a $5 souvenir bag from the area’s Coming Home weekend from a while ago! She was adorable.

We walked the trail that starts here and checked out the Long Studio (not sure if its a gallery or a space available to artists, but it was very empty:

On our way back, we saw another Spotted Sandpiper, an immature one:

It was a great day. Here’s the view from my chair:

And, by the way, the family of one of the fishermen on board was waving goodbye to him from their car, parked beside us. Sweet moment.

Day 19 July 9

We left early and passed all the workers heading for the fish processing plant in their overalls, hairnets and rubbers boots. On our way to the ferry, we passed the RCMP Station which has a cannon in its front yard!

On the ferry, we talked with the people from South Carolina, Rhoda and Les, who experienced OUR Healthcare System last night when he was seen in Emerg and by a Doctor and diagnosed (nothing serious) for $200. Can you imagine what that might have cost us in the States?

Twillingate

We drove north, looking for whales and icebergs. Kind of “in between” seasons, but we did see this “bergy bit” in Durrell:

…had Fish and Chips for lunch at D&T’s in Twillingate, and saw the lighthouse in Crow’s Head (and watched as a guy fussed over losing his cowboy hat onto the rocks in high winds; he actually was heading down a 3.5 km hike to see if he can find it; the three women he was with who had to wait were not impressed):

Moreton’s Harbour

We took a quick drive to Moreton’s Harbour to mail a postcard and complete the circle:

It was early but a good time to stop at Dildo Run Provincial Park and enjoy a sunny afternoon by the water. David and Mandy guarded the house, and I took a 3.5 km hike. Yep, there were a lot of these:

…and though we would like to see more Moose, I was happy that these were dried up, since I was alone in the bush:

Another great day in Newfoundland. Here’s the view from my chair in Site #29 ($17.90 with electricity):