Forgot to post the miles driven in Labrador-163m(263k)
July 23 Thursday 2009 St Barbe to Gros Morne
sunny but cool 50'(10) We retrace our steps down the straits of Belle Isle, the west coast of Newfoundland . We make one turn off to Port au Choix a natural Historic site. Here after an archaeological dig They found evidence of occupations of four aboriginal cultures- the Maritime Archaic Indians, the Groswater and Dorset-Palaeoeskinos and recent Indians. It goes as far back as 5,400 years ago. Interesting stuff. Their museum had a good collection. We drive down to Point Riche lighthouse and have our lunch trying to spot whales , not a one. We move on and finally stop earlier than we planned as a lot of our driving today was on road construction .We settle for the Koa in Grose Morne where we were last time they have good WIFI. I luck out again as Bill tries to make reservations at Twillingate but they are full because of a festival so we book into Grand Fall Windsor for 2 nights and get 3 nights in Twillingate after the festival. We traveled-169 mi (272k) short run but tiring
REMEMBER- To live a creative life we must lose our fear of being wrong.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
July 22 Wednesday 2009 Labrador to St Barbe. After breakfast we stop at another craft store and buy one more carving, then we head West to the Quebec side. Our first stop is at a viewing site (with free telescope) to see the puffins on Persoquet Island. Hundreds of them I can even see them with my binoculars. We drive as far as Middle Bay where the pavement is about to end. Here is another interpretive center entitled the five cultures of Middle Bay-Innu,Inuits, Basque, French and English. Mush smaller then Red Bay but still very well done. We decide to take the 1pm ferry back and are the last ones on. We luck out again . Otherwise we would have to wait until 6pm.
Looking back on Labrador-Except for a few small fishing villages(which are dieing out quickly, (some with only 3 people as young people not staying) Houses are left abandoned. Really sad to see. The land is very unforgiving mostly uninhabited. Trees and plants are stunted from wind and cold, mountains are worn down by glaciers. Seashores are pulverized to miles of sandy beaches. There is a saying here – God made Labrador in 6 days and on the 7th he threw rocks at it. One should come just to say you have been there but one day is enough and save the cost of a hotel as the ferry is cheap enough and then one can bring your pets with you.
REMEMBER-A truly great person is the one who gives you a chance.
Looking back on Labrador-Except for a few small fishing villages(which are dieing out quickly, (some with only 3 people as young people not staying) Houses are left abandoned. Really sad to see. The land is very unforgiving mostly uninhabited. Trees and plants are stunted from wind and cold, mountains are worn down by glaciers. Seashores are pulverized to miles of sandy beaches. There is a saying here – God made Labrador in 6 days and on the 7th he threw rocks at it. One should come just to say you have been there but one day is enough and save the cost of a hotel as the ferry is cheap enough and then one can bring your pets with you.
REMEMBER-A truly great person is the one who gives you a chance.
July 21 Tuesday 2009 Bill turned 63 today. St Barbe to Labrador
We board the Apollo for our 90 min. Trip between St Barbe and Blanc Sablon Quebec. We pay $26 for the truck and us combined. Weather overcast. We sit up in the crows nest all the way only saw 1 dolphin no whales. When we land we check in at the hotel ,our rooms are not ready yet as they have a bus load of people whom I met on the ferry . They all owned Winnabegoes.(sp????/ moter homes and where going across Canada in a caravan. We decide to drive to Red Bay 38 miles North , the end of paved road. This was the worlds largest whaling port in the 1500. Sixteenth century Basque whalers from England,France and Spain were attracted to the Strait Belle Isle by the once plentiful right and bowhead whales. Whale oil became a high commodity in Europe. They say the whale oil from Labrador lit the lamps of all of Europe, until the war between England and Spain reassigned the whaling ships to work in the Spanish armada. An orientation center video describes how underwater archaeologists raised 3 galleons and several small boats. We marvel at a 450 year old chalupa whaling boat. There were many artifacts to view . The sun comes so we have a quick lunch ( I have caribou stew) then take a 3 minute boat ride to Saddle Island where one of 20 early Basque settlements ruins are . We walk the whole Island with well marked signs to tell us what was once there. This center is really worth going to. Plan on spending 2-3 hours here. Next we head back but stop at L'Anse Amour burial mounds, North America's oldest funeral monument about 7,500 years ago almost 2,000 years before the Great Pyramids were constructed. An amazing find. We do the Point Amour lighthouse , Atlantic's tallest. Here we see a huge whale feeding close to shore. Finally back to the Northern Light Inn. A drink ,shower and dinner in that order. I find out WIFI does not work in our room Boo hoo. Our room at the hotel was $106. The only wild animal we see here are marmots
REMEMBER- Wringing your hands only stops you from rolling up your s
We board the Apollo for our 90 min. Trip between St Barbe and Blanc Sablon Quebec. We pay $26 for the truck and us combined. Weather overcast. We sit up in the crows nest all the way only saw 1 dolphin no whales. When we land we check in at the hotel ,our rooms are not ready yet as they have a bus load of people whom I met on the ferry . They all owned Winnabegoes.(sp????/ moter homes and where going across Canada in a caravan. We decide to drive to Red Bay 38 miles North , the end of paved road. This was the worlds largest whaling port in the 1500. Sixteenth century Basque whalers from England,France and Spain were attracted to the Strait Belle Isle by the once plentiful right and bowhead whales. Whale oil became a high commodity in Europe. They say the whale oil from Labrador lit the lamps of all of Europe, until the war between England and Spain reassigned the whaling ships to work in the Spanish armada. An orientation center video describes how underwater archaeologists raised 3 galleons and several small boats. We marvel at a 450 year old chalupa whaling boat. There were many artifacts to view . The sun comes so we have a quick lunch ( I have caribou stew) then take a 3 minute boat ride to Saddle Island where one of 20 early Basque settlements ruins are . We walk the whole Island with well marked signs to tell us what was once there. This center is really worth going to. Plan on spending 2-3 hours here. Next we head back but stop at L'Anse Amour burial mounds, North America's oldest funeral monument about 7,500 years ago almost 2,000 years before the Great Pyramids were constructed. An amazing find. We do the Point Amour lighthouse , Atlantic's tallest. Here we see a huge whale feeding close to shore. Finally back to the Northern Light Inn. A drink ,shower and dinner in that order. I find out WIFI does not work in our room Boo hoo. Our room at the hotel was $106. The only wild animal we see here are marmots
REMEMBER- Wringing your hands only stops you from rolling up your s
Monday, July 20, 2009
July 20 Monday 2009 St Anthony to St Barbe
We wake up to sunshine. Maybe the 3rd time lucky. We drive to Burnt Cape ecological reserve only to be told they were not doing the walk today either as they had a school group coming at 10am. I wine and moan and finally one ranger says she will take me on a private tour for 1 hour. Hooray. We drive out to the Cape- pretty barren looking. The preserve is part of the Strait of Belle Isle Barrens. We see amazingly tiny flowers. I was sure glad I finally got to do this. I see a whale at the point real close to shore . We didn't have time to go down to the marine caves known as the big oven or the round holes in the limestone known as cannon holes. we see more moose. We go back to the RV and hook up and drive to St Barb where we take the ferry to Labrador tomorrow. The hotel across from where we store our Rv has free WIFI. I forget my notes in the RV so will finish this latter. I try bakeappleberry pie (also called cloud berry ),it taste like raspberries. The RV park was $20 a night we book 3 nights as Bill needs to keep the fridge going to protect his insulin while we are in Labrador.
REMEMBER- Sometimes, instead of climbing over barricades, you got to walk around them.
.
We wake up to sunshine. Maybe the 3rd time lucky. We drive to Burnt Cape ecological reserve only to be told they were not doing the walk today either as they had a school group coming at 10am. I wine and moan and finally one ranger says she will take me on a private tour for 1 hour. Hooray. We drive out to the Cape- pretty barren looking. The preserve is part of the Strait of Belle Isle Barrens. We see amazingly tiny flowers. I was sure glad I finally got to do this. I see a whale at the point real close to shore . We didn't have time to go down to the marine caves known as the big oven or the round holes in the limestone known as cannon holes. we see more moose. We go back to the RV and hook up and drive to St Barb where we take the ferry to Labrador tomorrow. The hotel across from where we store our Rv has free WIFI. I forget my notes in the RV so will finish this latter. I try bakeappleberry pie (also called cloud berry ),it taste like raspberries. The RV park was $20 a night we book 3 nights as Bill needs to keep the fridge going to protect his insulin while we are in Labrador.
REMEMBER- Sometimes, instead of climbing over barricades, you got to walk around them.
.
July 19 Sunday 2009 St Anthony
It pours rain all day so I do not go on the ecology walk. We go and buy both carvings we saw yesterday. On the way we see 2 moose raiding one of the roadside gardens. Bill drives to St Antony for the ATM machine. He also makes reservation at Northern Light Inn in L'anse au Clair in Labrador for Tuesday. Jacque Cartier (1534) proclaimed St Anthony a haven with it's landlocked harbour near the tip of the Northern peninsula. St Anthony has provided shelter for vessels ever since with it's horseshoe-shaped harbour.
REMEMBER- What you did is not important. What you learned from it is.
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