Newfoundland 4 - Islands ~ Islands ~ Islands

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Twillingate, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Islands Islands Islands

Delighted that we had hit the highlights of western part of NL and after visiting with the Vikings, we headed south back to the TCH 1 (Transcontinental Canada Highway 1 … runs all the way east/west from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean). Then we turned east toward Norris Arm about midway across central NL, and then north from there on Hwy 340. The target is Twillingate and the maze of Islands. That region is composed of hundreds and hundreds of small islands connected by lots of causeways, bridges and ferries.

Beothuk in Boyd's Cove

Boyd's Cove lies in eastern Notre Dame Bay on an island of Newfoundland's northeast coast. It is situated at the bottom of a bay and is protected by a maze of islands that shelter it from waves and winds. The cove is beautiful. 

In Boyd’s Cove is the Beothuk Interpretive Site. Found in 1981 during a survey to locate Beothuk sites, a now-extinct people with a unique language and culture, who thrived on the rich resources of the land and sea: seals, birds, fish. The center had an enlightening film about these indigenous, extinct peoples. Outside there was a spirit trail … leading to the cove. Locals had created this meditative space for quiet reflection. Many of the trees were hung with shells or feathers and mementos of lost ones or special times.

Summerford

Another Island that wasn’t going to be one of our stops, became one suddenly. As we drive along, I see something and shout "stop". Well, it’s not that easy, so Dan has to find a turn-around place and go back. This happens frequently! This is Summerford Walking Trail.

I spied it as we sailed down the road and we had to go back. This is the most inviting and striking trailhead we have ever seen. In fact, we hopped out and set out on the trail. It was such fun, so stunning as it looped around a small lake. Then we enjoyed lunch here. And … we found a geocache in there.

Twillingate

Twillingate and Crowhead are at the tip of the peninsular series of islands that nose their way into Notre Dame Bay. The village offered intriguing roads winding around the cove. This is the middle of November and we found flowers everywhere. A lighthouse and phenomenal views abound. The lighthouse is Long Point Lighthouse on Crowhead at Twillingate. The views from that point are exceptional … (I’m running out of special adjectives here.)

We went to a comedy play in Twillingate … mediocre. Maybe we were just tired.

Leaving behind some of our love with the islands around Twillingate and the New World, we headed south. Destination: go to Lewisporte for Sunday Mass.

Next … moving on eastward. St. John’s is the capital of the Province … that’s the next objective.

Newfoundland 3 - Unique and Unusual

Friday, September 16, 2016

Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Much in Newfoundland is unique to the Island. This tour guide and map are SO helpful in finding it all. They are as good as the Milepost for going to Alaska and better than the AAA tour guides.We found them at the visitor center after we disembarked the ferry.

Thrombolites

This one is the most unique … Thrombolites … critically endangered microbial structures … 650 million years old.They resemble the earliest forms of life on earth. They are the growth of millions of tiny algae and bacteria. These unicellular critters have left a good size trace of their existence in the fossil record. They are 650 million-year-old fossil structures. These are found on the shore of Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland ... in Flower's Cove.  Science/Ecology: Fact: These structures are very, very rare. There is only one other place in which they grew. Query: Where is that other place? Answer: Lake Clifton, Western Australia.

Woodpiles

All along the secondary highways we noticed many piles of wood … not near any villages or homes. What we found out is that residents are allowed to cut up to 8 cords of wood free and then stack it near the roads for a year to allow it to dry. The trees are fir and spruce. Hundreds of these wood piles are along the secondary roads. Most interesting is that everyone knows whose stack is whose and none of them disappear over the year.

Little Boxes

Another distinctive sight in the villages is little boxes at the end of each driveway. Each a little different from the last … all had slats for air and are never square. Think really high winds, glacial ice, deep snow, hungry animals, and dreadful humidity. These boxes are perfect places to stow your large black trash bags for the waste collector so snow and ice would not pile up, they would not rot, be carried off by the wind or be strewn about by animals. Ingenious!

Other fascinating dis & dat … (We saw a store labeled "dis & dat")

·      The clouds don’t always fly aloft … check out these late afternoon lazy ones we saw leaving Gros Morne heading south.

·      We Boondocked a lot. This night we headed for a visitor center at Hawke’s Cove… which was closed for the season … which didn’t stop us from staying overnight in the parking lot and catching this sunset at Hawke's Cove.

·      The metric system is now how we think … after four weeks in Canada. We caught our speedometer in both modes … 100,000 kilometres is equal to 62,137 miles … proven!

·      The time is also out of the ordinary. We are 3 ½ hours different from home. Yes, that half hour is correct. So 7:00 p.m. here is 3:30 p.m. at home. So calculate MST + Central time +Eastern time +Atlantic Ocean time +a half hour more for Newfoundland.

·      The wind blows all the time … sometimes gale force, sometimes a gentle breeze … but never absent.

·      Colors! They explain … “They are a bit outlandish, but other cities are mostly brick, not wood. And because our world can be so grey, we like to add bright strong colours.”

·      Note the sign on the side of the building. We know a Pollyanna.

 Next: Heading east to Central Newfoundland

Newfoundland 2 – Fjord and Vikings

L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Thursday, September 15, 2016

The boat trip up the fjord was marvelous. In this map, the top left corner shows the two mile trail (solid black line) to the boat dock. Then we took the boat down the center of the fjord. The comment made was that this was much like the fjords in Scandinavia. There were numerous cliffs and waterfalls and lots of wind funneling down the canyon.

The dotted line a hiking trail, which we did not do. Pictures may speak better than prose here.

Note the tiny boat in perspective to the size of the fjord mountains. 

 

  

 

This squirrel at the dock loved all the tourists … he kindly posed for pictures.    Note in this picture the wind blowing a waterfall up.

Science question. Given: water conducts electricity. Fact: the water in the Western Brook Pond/fjord will not conduct electricity. Query: Why? Answer: The water is so pure and because of lack of electrolytes and low ion content or minerals in the water, the water will not conduct electricity.

Traveling North to L’Anse aux Meadows

The next day we started the long trip north up the Northern Peninsula … 227 miles. Along the way we stopped several times to dip in and out the shoreline. Dark Tickle was one such place … they had two museums in one; the world's only museum on interpretation of wild berries and an exhibit of a French explorer Granchain who actually circumnavigated Newfoundland. before heading down to Boston and the East Coast of the U.S.

In the town of St. Anthony, they were startled in 1984 to see a polar bear wondering along its shores. It just fell and died right there a taxidermist and his son had a grand time producing this guy … 715 pounds and 7 feet tall.

Our destination was the northern tip of the peninsula … L’Anse aux Meadows: the site of the Norse Vikings (from Scandinavia originally via Greenland) who were the first settlers of North America.

Leif, son of Erik the Red was born in Iceland and settled in Greenland. Around the year 1000 he sailed to Norway and then back west to North America. He discovered the northern tip of the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland and settled with his crew in what he called Vinland. There were about 90 Norsemen in the settlement. About 9 of them were women. The pictures are of a replica of the settlement … and wow! We found some Vikings.( not statues but actors, they shared their adventures).

It seems (based on legends) that there were a few separate attempts to establish a Norse settlement in Vinland, including one led by Þorfinnur Karlsefni, none of which lasted for more than two years. The disbandment of the small Viking colony probably had several causes. Disagreements among the men about the few women that followed on the trip, and fighting with the skrælingjar (Native Americans) already living on the land.

Typical Village along the west coast of the northern peninsula of Newfoundland.

Next on Newfoundland 3: Heading back south and then east to Twillingate.