Icebergs!!!

Tue June 26 - Yesterday was reasonably warm as we walked around the Viking village. And wouldn't you know, today, when we have a boat tour booked to see icebergs, it is near freezing. Oh well, bundle up and let's go.

48 brave souls boarded this boat for a 2 hour tour. Our new friends from Markham joined us on the tour. The skipper passed out blankets to the passengers who could not fit in the cabin. It was near freezing as we left port. The tour guide told us that this is one of the coldest days he has seen this late in the season. He was very informative. Icebergs can take up to 2 years to reach Newfoundland from Greenland. Then they break up and melt in only 4 - 6 weeks.

We did see some spectacular icebergs. Little Red Dog didn't let the cold weather bother him.

We also looked for whales, but the tour guide said it is a little early for the whales. In a couple of weeks there will likely be daily sightings. Our guide was very knowledgeable about marine things. As well as seeing icebergs we learned a lot about ocean life, cod fishing, whales and living in northern Newfoundland. 

On our way back south, we stopped at what would be a beautiful beach in the middle of summer. But was a little blustery today.

When we checked into out B and B, our hostess told us about a kitchen party at one of the bars in town so we decided to check it out.

We were expecting a band but one guy with a guitar and synthesizer showed up. It was not exactly what we expected. But it turned out to be some fun. Better than sitting in our room. 

They had a Skreeching in ceremony. About 12 more people are now honorary Newfies. We decided to wait until we get to St John's and maybe get Skreeched with Jordan & Rebecca.

We met a couple from Lakeside Ontario. Everywhere we go, we meet people from Ontario.

We're going to see the Vikings

Mon June 25 - Today we headed for L'anse aux Meadows at the very northern tip of Newfoundland. A 4.5 hour drive. Not much to see all day except rocks and trees. About the only interesting thing was this unique rock formation known as The Arches.

L'anse aux Meadows National Historic site
is the first known evidence of European presence in the Americas. The small encampment of timber and sod buildings that was originally built more than 1000 years ago has been restored. Costumed interpreters tell about the life and times of the Vikings. Interesting misconception - Norse people are only known as Vikings when they are out on raids. At home they are known as Norsemen and Norsewomen. And women were not allowed to be Vikings.

We watched a 17 minute documentary about the Norse people migrating from Scandinavia to Iceland to Greenland and finally to Newfoundland. Then we joined a guided tour that went out to the rebuilt village. The buildings have a frame made of logs and the walls and roof are sod and peat moss. The walls can be as much as 6 feet thick. Very warm and cozy inside.
There were costumed interpreters in the buildings to share stories of how the Norse people lived.


There is also a nice hiking trail along the shore. From here we could see Labrador across the Strait of Belle Isle. It is about 9 kilometers across the strait at this point.
And you'll never guess who we saw. That's right. The family from Markham.

Another full day ...

Sunday June 24 - Our B&B looked a little sketchy from the outside. Dated decor and furniture. The kitchen was a little messy. But the bed was comfortable and the shower was great.
The breakfast room was on the south side and had large windows, so it was very bright and cheery. Jean, our host, greeted us with fresh coffee. There was another couple from Germany already at the table. They are in Canada for 3 weeks - two in Newfoundland then a week in Nova Scotia. The couple from Manitoba joined us a little later.
There was a fruit cup and yogurt and Jean served a freshly cooked breakfast burrito.
We headed out for a very busy day.
Our first stop was the Bonne Bay Marine Station, a marine ecology research and teaching facility. It offers services to students, researchers, educators and is open to the public. Jessica, a graduate of Memorial University gave us a 45 minutes tour of the facility, explaining the local geography and waters. There are several tanks containing various species of sea life. The only other people on the tour was a family of 4 from Markham Ont. 

We even had a chance to see barnacles feeding. They stick their little feeler out to grasp the tiny organisms in the water. 

The Marine Station also had 2 very rare specimens - a blue lobster (1 in 2 million) and a yellow lobster (1 in 30 million)

After the tour we had a chance to play in the "touch me" tank and look at the other displays.

Next stop was the Western Brook Pond boat tour. From the parking lot there was a 2.5 km hike to the boat dock. As we sailed to the far end of the fjord, the 3 tour guides pointed out and explained the various rock formation and water falls. The vertical seam in this picture is where the mountain split apart and molten lava from the earths core was forced up and hardened a few thousand years ago.

Little Red Drop was particularity interested in Pissing Mare Falls.

One of the tour guides was Carter (wearing the hat) from Barrie Ont and another was K.J. (without a hat) an aspiring musician. He has recently released an album. Carter was a real character. Joking with the crew and guests. When Carter saw my Little Red Dog he joked about making a moose. So I did.

 On the return trip K.J. grabbed his guitar and a real down east ceilidh broke out. Carter passed around the spoons and tambourines and got everyone involved.

Next stop - Lobster Cove Head lighthouse. The tour guide here was from Lindsay Ont. I'm beginning to think that half of Ontario is out here. After looking at the displays and learning a little about the history, we did a hike around the property.

Last stop of the day was Broom Point fishing display. This is a restored house and fish store that housed 3 families during the summer fishing season. There is a photo album of the families showing how they lived and worked. It certainly was not an easy way of life.

Finally on "The Rock"

Sat June 23 - We made it. We are in Newfoundland.
We boarded the ferry last night around 10:00 pm. We decided to splurge for a berth. Since it is an overnight ferry we could either try to sleep sitting in a chair or get a good night sleep in a real bed. Bed sounds good to me. The berth had 2 single beds and a washroom with a shower. We wandered around the boat for a bit then hit the hay. It was a very calm journey across the channel. I woke up a couple of times and felt the gentle swaying of the boat. Then back to sleep. They made an announcement around 6:00 am that we would be docking in about an hour. So we got up, got dressed, grabbed a coffee and went out on the deck to watch as we arrived.

About a kilometer from the dock is a Tim Horton's. I guess most people head there for breakfast. The parking lot and drive through was jammed. We had a coffee on the boat and some snacks in the car so we headed on up the road. We stopped in Cornerbrook at McDonalds for a breakfast sandwich and pee break. Then off to Gros Morne National Park.
At the Discovery Center there was a short documentary film about the park and surrounding area. Next, we headed to the Table Tops area for a 5.7 km hike. Very nice trail, out in the open and extremely windy.

My Little Canadian Sherpa

It was not very cold but still it was nice to get back in the car out of the wind.
Onward to our B & B in Norris Point where we met a couple from Manitoba. It was warm and calm so we had some relaxing conversation on the patio with a beverage.
Maryann had reserved some tickets for a stage show called Newfoundland Vinyl in Cow Head, 45 minutes up the road. Shallow Bay Motel, restaurant & theatre are all housed in one complex. There does not seem to be any other businesses in this small town. The show featured 3 women and 3 men playing a variety of instruments and singing songs by Newfoundland recording artists. Most of the artists and songs were not familiar to us, but they ended the show with 2 songs from Great Big Sea that we did know. All in all it was a pretty good show for a small town.
Driving back in the dark was a little stressful as we were warned about moose on the road at night. Fortunately, no such encounter.
Since we had woken at 4:30 am Ontario time the bed felt good after such a long day.

Almost at the ferry

Friday June 22. So ... our last day on the mainland. We will boarded the ferry to Newfoundland tonight.
It was a nice drive across Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island. We had lots of time since the ferry sails at 11:30 pm so we decided to take the scenic road along the coast instead of the 4 lane super highway through the middle. At Tatamagouche it was time for a break so we stopped for a stroll and visit to the craft brewery. Then off to Pictou for a fish and chip lunch by the wharf.

We arrived in North Sydney in plenty of time for the ferry so looked online for a nice restaurant for dinner. The Lobster Pound and Moore popped up and had good reviews. The outside of the building looked a little sketchy but inside it was small and nicely appointed. After we were seated the chef  (and possible owner) came out to welcome us. He was quite a character, talking to the guests and joking with the servers. I had to make him a balloon lobster.

The meal certainly lived up to the reviews. Stomachs satisfied we headed to the ferry.

On to Moncton

Back on the road. For lunch we stopped for a sandwich and were set upon by a mutant lobster. Fortunately, Little Red Dog was there to hold it at bay.

At one of our rest stops we saw this sign on the back of a washroom door. Anyone know what it means? We're thinking that it might be "Jump for joy that you made it without soiling your pants" But I really don't know.

A couple of months ago I read an article about the best tavern patios in Canada. Well, wouldn't you know it, one of them was in Moncton. So after we checked into our hotel we went looking for The Old Triangle Alehouse. Turns out it was only about 2 km from our hotel. The Old Triangle is a lovely Irish pub inside but the patio is just a fenced off area on the side walk of a very busy street. Hardly what I would call "The best" Since it was a little cool and the patio was noisy, we decided to eat inside. And to our surprise there was live music for us to enjoy while we ate. A woman on guitar and an unusual man on drums. He had an interesting technique. They played a good selection of classic rock tunes.
And so ends another day on the road.

I'm back! And in Newfoundland.

Sorry about the delay in posting something new. We've been driving a lot and been very busy. But we are in Newfoundland now. I will try and get you up to date.
I made a nice bouquet for the breakfast table and after a wonderful breakfast at our B and B (they are called gites in Quebec) we headed for Freeport Maine. When we left, our hostess came running out to the car with the balloon. She thought that we had forgotten them. Funny, how sometimes people don't realize that I make the balloons for them.

 

We drove through VERY rural Quebec following our GPS. Over a hill and around a corner in a village and much to our surprise, right in front of us were cement barricades and big signs saying that this is an international border. Big warnings that crossing here was illegal. But no border guards of surveillance cameras that we could see. We could not drive around the barriers but we could easily walk up a laneway for about 200 feet and cross over unencumbered.  But we chose to turn around and drive a couple of kilometers east to a proper border crossing. The border guard did not find our story very amusing, but did not give us any hassle about crossing legally.

For lunch and a break we stopped at this lovely park and waterfall. Of course, I had to climb to the top for a different viewpoint. Freeport is a quaint little town. But it revolves around the L.L. Bean store and outlet. There are several other outlet stores from major retailers here as well. Looks like they are riding on the coattails of L.L.Bean. We had a delicious seafood dinner at the L.L. Bean restaurant.

I was hoping to get a pair of L.L. Bean boots. I've heard that they are good quality and very warm in the winter. Unfortunately, they only had 20 XL.




After a strenuous day of shopping it's off to bed. Another big day of driving ahead of us tomorrow.

Little Red Dog wants to kiss the cod!!

So, Little Red Dog is on his way to Newfoundland to visit my son Jordan and his wife Rebecca. Jordan is a librarian at Memorial University in St John's. He started in March. Rebecca is also working at Memorial. She is in communication for the medical faculty.
They are renting a lovely house across the harbour from Signal Hill. Wonderful view but it is very windy on the edge of the ocean. We're really looking forward to spending some time with them and touring Newfoundland.

The drive through Ontario was uneventful. Hwy 401 is soooo boring. We  checked into a terrific B & B in Bromont Quebec then had a nice burger and a beer at Brouemont Micro Brewery.

Then a tour around town and of course I had to go check out the huge IBM manufacturing plant.








Now, off to bed. A big day ahead of us tomorrow. We'll be in Freeport Maine so Maryann can drop some cash at the L.L. Bean flagship store.