Newfoundland, Canada - Part 1 - July 26 thru 28, 2006 (Re-run)

 Newfoundland is a large island in the North Atlantic, part of the Canadian province known as Newfoundland and Labrador, the latter being the mainland part of the province.  Some 94% of the population lives on the island, known locally as "The Rock".  There are two ways to get to Newfoundland: You can fly or go by boat.  Since we were in 65 feet of motor home/SUV combination, flying was out of the question.  Going by boat presents a choice, a 14 hour ferry ride from Nova Scotia to St. Johns on the east coast of Newfoundland or a six hour ferry ride to the village of Port aux Basques.  We chose the six hour trip, thinking we might take the longer ride on our return.

The most eastern part of Canada, Newfoundland has about 500,000 residents.  Although traces of humans on the island go back some 9000 years, it was "discovered" by Europeans when explorer John Cabot arrived in 1497.  (There is conflicting evidence that Vikings Erik the Red and Leif Erickson may have visited the island 500 years earlier.)  Various wars, mostly between the British and French, have been fought over this inhospitable land.  After many years of independence, Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949.

Pulling onto the huge ferry in North Sydney, Nova Scotia was the start of a great adventure.  The island and its people (they call themselves Newfies) are definitely unique.  Fun loving people, they make their own special entertainment, as we learned on the ferry ride.  Two Newfies played and sang much of the trip, making it seem shorter and less boring.

Arriving in Port aux Basques, we got a taste of what the weather would be like throughout our visit, cloudy and rainy...great for plants.  Everywhere we looked we found beautiful gardens and dazzling green fields.

The village of Codroy had the friendliest and most welcoming residents, as evidenced by their yard decorations.

The community of Cape Anguille had a modest but beautiful church, as well as signs of their seafaring heritage.  Fishing for cod is a major part of their history.  Tourists who go to local taverns are expected to "kiss the cod", so we stayed away from the taverns.

Mother and son?  Strange.

Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia - July 25, 2006 (Re-run)

 Cabot Trail is one of the most popular attractions in Nova Scotia.  In fact, it is the only reason many people come to Nova Scotia (which I think is very short sighted).  The trail, completed in 1932, is named for John Cabot, who explored this area in 1497.  The highway follows along the eastern coast and the many fishing villages there, goes through Cape Breton Highlands National Park, returns through forest and arrives back at Baddeck and Bras d'Or Lake, a trip of at least 180 miles.  Side roads can add a lot to the distance and time required.  We had made the loop once before, so didn't spend as much time on this visit.

The village of Ingonish is where many of the tourists end up, as it is home to the beautiful Keltic Lodge resort and the entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  In addition to tourism, fishing is a main source of local revenue.

 One of the side trips we took was to the remote point of land called Meat Cove.  Standing on that spot feels like the end of the earth.

The highlands area is said to be home to many moose and other wildlife, but we didn't see any on this particular day.  Our return to Baddeck continued along the coast for a while, but then moved inland.