Twillingate
We are moving eastward and yes; it is still raining. Driving on wet, pot holed roads is getting rather challenging for Greg but he keeps talking about how he loves the amount of traffic on the roads. There is none, really. We have seen a few buses but it’s not often that there is a crowd or even another car close by.
Folks keep telling us that this much rain is unusual and that things will get busier next week. Many venues are not fully operational, yet, and we’ve been at a few season openers for restaurants and attractions.
There was one traffic jam at the Tim Horton’s in St. Anthony, but it was because the power was out for half an hour and orders couldn’t be placed.
Icebergs
We’ve been chasing icebergs. The bits of ice we saw earlier were mere ice cubes compared to what we’ve seen in and around Twilllingate. It was impossible to get close to the big ones. There was a slab that had to be several hundreds of metres long and a couple of big blocks that were much, much bigger than your average salt box style house. We went up to a light house to get better views, but wouldn’t you know it, the fog rolled in as we driving up to it.
Fog
Speaking of fog, it has been suggested that Ken start a touring company for his typical exploits. Haleakala on Maui – impenetrable fog, top of the Great Smoky Mountains – fog, iceberg chasing – fog, just getting up in the morning – fog. He could use the same picture over and over in his promotional material.
Accommodations
On the way up to Twillingate, we spent a couple of nights in a hotel that that reminded Ken of his many work-related trips up to the northern parts of Alberta – tiny and a bit bleak. However, we had a lovely chalet style, loft cabin in Rocky Harbour that was perfect for preparing our impromptu lobster dinner.
The last two nights were in a Bed and Breakfast near Boyd’s Cove, which is halfway between Twillingate and the ferry to Fogo Island. Our hostess was very sweet, took great care of us and was eager to chat with all of us. Her husband is a ferry captain and has a two week on, two week off shift schedule over near St. John’s and she was genuinely happy to have people around. Accents are a little more pronounced up in these parts. ‘Boyd’s Cove’ was sounding a lot more like ‘Bide’s Cove’.
Dinner Theater
Twillingate offers up a Lobster Dinner Theatre through the summer months. The crew that cooks, serves and cleans is also the crew that puts on the after-dinner entertainment. The music was very good, the skits corny and we all shared some hearty laughs. A couple of the women kept cracking up, Carol Burnett-like during the skits. It came across as a fun shed party with your neighbours.
Fogo Island
The tourist season is just opening up on Fogo Island. The ferry ride to the island is about one and a half hours and we were able to make the round trip in a day. The very upscale Fogo Island Inn can only be approached by registered guests. From afar it looks stark when seen in juxtaposition with the local houses and businesses. An arts community has sprung up around the hotel.
We picked up a pamphlet on the ferry listing the local attractions. Unfortunately for two of the places we visited, the proprietors weren’t aware that a pamphlet existed and didn’t know that they were part of the tourist attractions. Both ladies were incredibly generous with their time and we had grand chats about ceramic classes and guitar making.
We’ve noticed that Ken’s guitar is sounding tinny now that his skills have improved so we are looking for a replacement. The guitar maker has a three-year waiting list and sells exclusively through her website and a shop in North Carolina. The ceramics artist owned one and happily let Ken give it a try.
Craft shops are a big draw, largely due to the presence of the hotel. We were able to visit with a group of metal workers who were getting ready to open up next week and saw a whole lot of quilts, knit goods, hooked wall hangings and other handmade items at the various shops. Nancy and I both bought small kits to work on in the fall.
Gander Airport
As we passed through Gander we had to stop at the airport to see their little museum covering the genesis of the airport before and during the World War II, the early years of commercial aviation and of course 9/11.
It’s a very touching display and clearly shows how proud people in the area are of the airport and its impact on the community and the world. How else could we have found out that Fidel Castro insisted on going tobogganing on a stopover or that John Travolta danced for some staff or that Bob Hope once put on a quick show while he was waiting for a connecting flight.
Bonavista Peninsula – Cod Fishery, The Matthew, Cabot
I have been astounded by the number of small towns across the island. Port Rexton, on the Bonavista Peninsula looks like just another collection of houses around a bay until you realize that one collection of the old buildings is a hotel/resort designed to fit into the local aesthetic. Their restaurant, bar and rooms have all been built into existing houses on a hillside.
Close by is a coffee house and brew pub that still look like the area has not been touched by modern styles. The brew pub, Port Rexton Brewing, is in an old school and was started by a nurse practioner and a lawyer from Britain. They bought the only building that was available when they came through.
They, like a couple of other places we’ve seen, have food trucks just outside their doors to look after those services. We’ve had incredible grilled cheese sandwiches and the fest fish in these places.
Bonavista
Parks Canada may not always have sufficient signage on their attractions but they do have many informative and engaging sites throughout NFLD. There are old fishery buildings, known as the Ryan premises, that have been converted into a museum that brilliantly described the processes and life of the fishing community.
The park guide was passionate about the subject. His accent and knowledge really made you feel like you were chatting with an old fisherman who missed the now defunct fishery. The buildings, pictures and equipment, right down to the local dentist’s tools, have been very well preserved. I wouldn’t have lasted long in the harsh environment.
John Cabot
Bonavista is where Giovanni Caboto, or John Cabot, the earliest-known European exploration of coastal North America first landed in the new world 526 years ago. To mark the 500th anniversary of his arrival a boat believed to be the same size and shape was built. It resides in a building on the harbour. We were fortunate that we were the only people there at that time so we got a chance to go onto the Mathew.
If this is an accurate representation of the ship Cabot sailed (and no one knows that for sure) then his journey across the Atlantic would have been a long cold miserable trip. The decks are open and the captain’s cabin tiny. We were unable to get down into the hold though as it is undergoing renovations.
Next Stops
From Port Rexton we are on to Brigus, the home of HDTV’s Rock Solid Builds and then to St. John’s.
That high class inn looks like a converted factory. Is that intentional? The ice bergs are amazing! I am glad you got to see some of the big ones.
The “high class inn” was built that way. It is original to the spot. We would have liked to have seen the inside, but the inn controls access. If you google “Fogo Island Inn” you can find a number of videos about the place.
Also, it was fun to see such big bergs!