NL #8: Island Changes

Roadside View:

Here we are, icebergs and all:

Day 16: June 30, 2017

Not sure where the sunshine and 70F of the last two days went, but here we are!

We headed to Tilting for our ritual of RV dumping and taking on water, essentially in the middle of the road!

We stopped at the Dwyer Premises to check out the flakes we saw the men making the last time we were here. We went into the museum (it’s a 1920’s era house, “stores” and “stage” that has been restored). Natasha, our teenage guide, was so sweet with her Newfoundland/Irish lilt!

We hiked up the hill for a view of more icebergs (and an iceberg-inspired cabin):

and stopped at the “oldest Irish Roman Catholic cemetery outside Ireland”:

Next stop, Fogo and more and more icebergs:

some Fish and Chips and a decision to stay at the Brimstone Campground we love. We got site 7A ($30 E/W) and enjoyed the view:

We hiked a little higher and were stunned by even more beauty:

Frankly, any locals we talk to are not as thrilled about the icebergs as we tourists are. They represent a particularly difficult winter. Also, since tomorrow marks the start of the three-day Family Fishing time for Cod, the cold seems to have kept the fish away. and there were no seals this year. And there are no whales. So, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Day 17: July 1, 2017

Happy Canada Day!

It was a foggy start, but Elvis-berg appeared around the cliffs:

Oh, and later, we saw Loch Ness-berg:

We drove to the two villages we hadn’t visited before. First was Deep Cove:

then Island Harbour:

We headed to Seldom then Stag Harbour for a church-bell-side lunch (yes, David rang the bell):

and were entertained by an Immature and an Adult Bald Eagle:

We dropped into the Canada Day celebrations:

and left with some yummy baked goods, including a Partridge Berry pie!

We took a few more iceberg shots on our way back to Joe Batt’s Arm (it’s irresistible):

then decided to hike the trail. It was COLD (and, yes, it’s JULY FIRST) but invigorating and, good for some glass at Mickey’s beach:

Here’s our increasingly foggy view from Joe “Cat’s” Arm! There WERE fireworks from the Fogo Island Inn. I heard them, but it was cold, late and super foggy. Too bad!

Day 18: July 2 (Happy Birthday Mom!), 2017

Okay, just two more bergy shots (we keep trying to capture the “blue” and got a hole in one this time):

We got space on the ferry easily since we were heading to Change Islands. But, another back off!

This is a new spot for us. It’s only 14 kilometers from tip to tip, so you can see things quickly and easily. It’s a very pretty place:

We stopped at a trail and were joined by a “summer local” (his wife’s family is from there; his from Trinity Bay). He told us why these were called Change Islands.

English settlers chose the wooded side of the Main Tickle to build their houses. But, when it was time to fish, the shores opposite were better. So they built stages first then summer homes. Thus, they “Changed Islands” with the seasons!

We then visited the Olde Shoppe Museum we were directed to by someone on Fogo. The curator, Pete Porter, spent 30 or more minutes with us, explaining every one of the hundred, maybe thousands, of artifacts he has collected. His banter was wonderful and his knowledge was great. He finishes the tour with a song on his button accordion and one from his vintage jukebox. Do not miss this if you ever come. You will learn a lot about life in outport Newfoundland:

We drove down every road, stopped at the Newfoundland Pony Sanctuary:

and decided to get the 5:00 ferry (yep, backed off again!). By the time we landed, it was raining quite heavily, so we drove along the Kittiwake Coast and stopped in Carmanville at the Interpretation Centre and Wetland Nature Trailhead for the night:

NL #8: The Road to the Isles

Waterfront View

Ah, the one shot of us both together. AND it’s in front of water and icebergs in Twillingate!

Day 11: June 25, 2017

Nothing like a couple of icebergs to start your final day in Labrador:

It was sunny with blue skies…okay, and a little fog. We headed to the ferry. At a coffee stop, the guy driving behind us said the road from our campground to the ferry (paved!) was worse than the gravel Labrador Highway! Poor residents of these pretty towns.

We had to hang out for first come, first served spots on the ferry and were lucky. While waiting in line, the woman ahead of me solved the ambulance/family mystery from a few days ago. A young man, 58, I think, died in Labrador when his truck rolled back on him. The people we saw were his family gathering (there were 55 of them for the church roast beef dinner) for the funeral. Granny had been in St. Anthony after falling and was being transported to her young son’s funeral, a real snapshot of family life here.

It was a choppy ferry ride, but we arrived to 20F warmer temperatures and sun! We got to The Arches in time for a cobbled beach walk:

and a beautiful sunset view from my chair:

Day 12: June 26, 2017

We had a great sleep with the windows open to the sound of the ocean. I saw whales spouting way in the distance and then we saw Moose #7 and #8, a cow and calf:

We stopped in Norris Point and decided on a spontaneous boat trip  on Bonne Bay. Since there was a bus tour on board, we got the benefit of the funny and informative banter of the crew, four Bald Eagles, a Minke whale and the Screeching In of the bus people (it would have cost us $10!):

Next stop, the Baie Verte Peninsula, Moose #9, and the campground at La Scie we found years ago. Beverly, the operator and a real character (she said “I likes the way you talks” and I returned the compliment), set us up in site #7 ($22 E/W) overlooking the cove.

Here’s our view from my chair:

Day 13: June 27, 2017

Wow, a sunny AND warm morning. I walked up Lookout Trail then we chatted with Michel, a neighbour. He’s retired from the military and travels in a Class A with his rescue dog, Nina. We discussed life, politics and religion…

David and I then followed the series of trails into town:

Inspired by this (some of you will know why):

we stopped for this (oh my):

and felt like this:

and, fortunately, had to continue the hike back home (total 2.7 miles).

Back at the campsite, we relaxed in the sun, then watched as the Coast Guard ship cruised the harbour and lay down some buoys. A couple of weeks ago, a boat had been sunk there after hitting pack ice (we remembered hearing this and didn’t relate it to where we now were). The crew was rescued (no one was hurt) via helicopter and the boat sunk. Apparently, the boat held crab pots and there was worry that the pots and ropes would begin to float and cause troubles for other boats. Very exciting to watch:

We met Ted and Sandra (from Oshawa, my hometown, now Newcastle) who are in the next site for a month. They met people from La Scie a few years ago and return often.

After dinner, they took us for a Jeep ride to several small villages: some abandoned, some busy, one inhabited by one man each summer. We saw some amazing sights:

Ted and Sandra are great storytellers and tour guides, and Ted is an excellent and FEARLESS driver, so we had the best evening!

The last stop saw an incredible sunset and even a Fox!

Here’s another view from my chair:

Day 14: June 28, 2017

It was time to move on. But first a second stop at the Dorset Soapstone Quarry:

and a few other bay-side sights:

No Moose on the Trans Canada, but a Mama Duck and five ducklings crossed that busy highway, safely, just in front of us! Jeesh.

It was a long driving day after busy yesterday, so we headed to Dildo Run Provincial Park and settled in for a quiet evening.

Here’s the view from my chair (nice “cabins”!):

Day 15: June 29, 2017

Yay, the sun was out! We headed to Twillingate but first drove up some roads to iceberg hunt (not a hard task):

On our way to the Crow’s Head Lighthouse, we saw these (so hard to get that blue with a camera):

At the lighthouse, we saw these:

and they were everywhere!

Wow.

We decided to head to the ferry for Fogo Island. We got there in time, but were victims of the “new ferry” trials and tribulations. One is in dry dock after having been damaged by ice a few weeks ago. The rear ramp on the other (these cost millions and are brand new!) has malfunctioned, so people have to enter and turn around onboard, or, like us, have to enter then back off at Fogo. It was a fast and beautiful sail and a harrowing disembarking, but we got here safely and headed to our favourite boondocking spot at Joe Batt’s Arm. The icebergs on the way were unbelievable, and breath-taking where were parked.

We walked the little beach:

met Laura and Jim who own a home beside the little park and chatted about how people are retiring to Fogo or choosing to build here, some because they visited the Fogo Inn and fell in love with the setting. We liked the free spot we have, and here’s our almost sunset view: