Our Kiwi Friends Mary and Alan

One last note to tell a great story.  We met Mary and Alan from Tauranga in New Zealand at the B & B in North Sydney the night before we got the ferry over to Newfoundland.  They are the consumate travellers, well seasoned, and have been on many, many trips - several times to Canada alone.  We first saw them in the kitchen of Arron's Dove B & B having their supper - a very healthy salad and trimmings from the local grocery - a great idea while on the road.  The next morning we all had breakfast together.   Off we all went to the ferry - spending time with them on the cruise over.  Said our farewells - and if you can believe it - we met them again and again - Rocky Harbour, Twillingate, Trinity, St. John's, and if you can believe, we were booking into the same Ark of Avalon B & B in Ferryland.  Never planned!  That night we spent many hours around Shirley's table talking, again the next morning at breakfast - and then it was really, the final goodbye.  They were heading off to the ferry back to the mainland and we had a few more days to explore.  We loved the meetings and the sharing of "what have you done" and "where have you been".  It got to be hilarious - each time we caught site of each other.  Sometimes standing in the drenching rain - sometimes overlooking a gorgeous scene - great to meet you - you two Kiwi's - Mary and Alan.


Alan, Mary, Kathy and Marlene at Shirley's in Ferryland - what a memory



North Sydney - Docking in 1/2 hr.

Here we are - docking - sunrise in Nova Scotia

Sunrise in North Sydney, Nova Scotia

Placentia - Canada Day and our final stop

After St. Mary's, we head north to Placentia.  We are booked into the Rosedale B & B.  Along the way, apparently a beautiful drive - the fog was pretty thick so we'll have to take their word for it - we stop and beachcomb - there are amazing rocks.  Two locals stop and ask us if the capelin are in???  Who knows,  we are tourists, we say.  They stop and chat - and we get more stories and insights - one fellow is back after working for 21 years in Hamilton. 

Placentia is a good town.   We drive up to Castle Hill for the Canada Day celebrations.  All along this trip, we have arrived at a particular place just in time for whatever is happening - except for the fossils, when we arrived 10 min. too late.  We arrive on the hill at 1:30 - the party starts at 2:00.  We are given flags, pins,whatever we want and head up the trail to the party site.  Dignitaries speak and the littlest girl with the biggest voice stands up to sing O Canada - then the group signs This Land is our Land - our hearts swell - it is wonderful to share the holiday with such sincere folks - here we are thousands of km. away from home and we connect with fellow Canadians.  We stayed for a few sets of local groups singing in the Folk Festival.  Then we move on to our B & B - the Rosedale Manor.

Canada Day in Placentia - Folk Singers



Our hearts swelled with the raising of the flag and singing O Canada.


Rosedale B & B

Meet Linda and Phillip:

Linda is from Victoria - met Phillip there  more than a few years ago.  Phillip is a long haul driver.  He is also an accomplished Pastry Chef.  He studied with Michael Smith on PEI.  Linda and Phillip run the Rosedale B & B and also Phillip's Cafe, just over the bridge.  They do both extremely well.  Linda tells us the town is booming and growth is coming.  Inco has a huge mine just up at Long Harbour and there are many workers coming into the town.  A new harbour dock is being built right across the road from the cafe. 

The Rosedale Manor is lovely - an old mansion right on the arm of an inner harbour at Placentia.  We watch the tide either coming in or going out strong - it  passes through a very narrow opening to the sea - under the bridge and around - and the momentum and current is incredible.  Our room is perfect.  We go over to the cafe to get our key and have a great chat with Linda and Phillip.  We are offered whatever treat we want from the counter, plus tea, coffee or other drinks.  A very generous welcome.  Back over to our digs and Phillip is in the garden looking after the fountain and watering the hanging plants.  There is warm sun coming into the garden and we find a cosy corner to have our happy hour - hmm - lovely after so many days of cool, wet weather.  This place is so well positioned for exploring the area.  Linda has done many renovations to the building - there are 6 rooms - all beautifully decorated.  There is a common room for visiting, TV watching or reading.  There is a dining area, and the kitchen is open 24/7 for tea, coffee, etc. 

Phillip Meade - Pastry Chef Extrordinaire - he captured our hearts, and Linda's

In the Rosedale Manor Garden in the SUN !!  hmm..

Rosedale Manor B & B - For Sale

The cafe is upscale, modern and the food is incredible.  Phillip does all of the baking - from enormous muffins, to several kinds of quiche, to pastries, sandwishes, fudge, cookies, homemade break - tea and coffee - all is done with health in mind - organic, quality ingredients, with a flare for unusual parings.    Linda and Phillip are selling the B & B - it is for sale in a town that is set to explode with opportunities.  They want to spend more time with family in the west and to focus on the cafe 6 months of the year. 

Linda Grimm and Phillip Meade in their Phillip's Cafe - just over the bridge in Placentia

Off to the Three Sisters for supper.  WE FOUND IT!!  The best chowder - a big 10.  It is amazing.  Our dinner consists of chowder and the house salad. 

Today, our last day on the rock.  July 2.  We are scheduled to be at the ferry at 1:30 but we want to be there by 1:00.   We do some sightseeing and then head to the Three Sisters for one last bowl of the incredible chowder.  It doesn't disappoint.  Again, a 10.



Three Sisters - Placentia - Best Chowder - 10



Finally - Found the Perfect 10 Chowder at Three Sisters, Placentia - see the 2 mussels on the shell in each bowl - yum!

Off to the ferry, we are boarded quickly and spend the time before sailing hanging out on the upper open deck chatting up other cruisers and watching the doggies get bundled into the kennel.  Off we head into the fog.  The sun breaks through later.  The seas are calm and we are having a wonderful cruise back to the mainland - we will miss the rock - we loved it - we have mixed feelings as we sail toward North Sydney.  It is 8:30 - time for bed in our cabin - a luxury we are thrilled to have.  A nice quiet place to get horizontal before the long drive west to our peninsula.  We won't dawdle this time - making fast tracks to home - have had a good time with each other  - great bonding experience to share this beautiful land.  But...our heads are already home - thinking about family, friends, sun, warmth, gardens, swimming, kayaking.drumming......see ya on the Bruce in a day or two.  Love ya.   Hugs,  K & M

ps  It's 4:40 a.m. Atlantic Time - will be in port in just under 2 hours.  Great sleep - great cruise - see ya soon.



Let's take a cruise



Homeward Bound in the fog - why change now - See ya soon........hugs K & M - (Thelma and Louise without the cliff)

The Irish and Shore Loops of the Avalon Peninsula - Whales and Birds

After leaving Sean and his crew, we head south along the Irish Loop – every local person sounds like we are in Ireland.  We meander into all of the outports, cruising the harbours and heading further down to Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve at Cape Race.  We arrive just a little late for the guided hike out to the oldest fossils in the world – darn – we find that many attractions are not publized and the signage to parks and points of interest are scant – to say the least.  Not to worry, we toured the Information Centre and moved on, moving along the last bit of the Irish loop and moving on to the Shore Loop. 

It couldn’t have worked out better.  We are driving through intermittent showers and trying to avoid the potholes in the road and at the same time watch out for moose.  We arrive at St. Vincent and start down the hill into the village.  Kathy spots a whale spout but we’re not sure.  We pull in to a viewpoint and a fellow jumps out of his car and comes over – in the rain, getting wet.  He tells us there are lots of whales right in close after the capelin and he tells us about a gravel road to get up close.  We dash off, park, and scramble down the steep pebbled beach to the shore.  What an amazing sight.  There are thousands of gannets and gulls (we think) out on the water.  The gannets are diving – straight in head first – into the water after the little fish.  There, no more than 20 feet off shore is a humpback – moving back and forth, corralling the fish and having his feed.  We stand there (we were in too much of a hurry to put on our rain pants) in our coats, in the rain, watching for an hour.  Another has joined in the feed.   It is amazing to see these great creatures working the area.  Soaked from the waist down, we head for the car and continue on to St. Bride, our night accommodation.

Trust us, it's a humpback

Moving in

He was breaching - the camera is too slow

There, almost got him in full breach - maybe it's the photographer

Here we are at Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve.  We had met a couple from New Brunswick way back in St. Anthony who told us this is a place that must not be missed.  Hmmm, we are up early – just a bit to eat before heading out – Oh no, the fog is rolling in.  We drive the narrow, but good, road in to the reserve, park and head to the Visitor Centre.  We are told this is a good day – most days you can’t even see the parking lot from the VC.    The trail out to the bird is lovely – so many iris and other sub-arctic plants growing along the way.  We hear them before we see them.  At the end of the trail are thousands of sea birds - gannets, common murres, thick-billed murres, black legged kittiwakes, razorbills, and black guuillemots – gannets have the penthouse on the very top of the cliffs.  We stand on the edge of the extremely high cliffs – and look across a chasm to Bird Rock, a 100 metre all sandstone bank where the birds congregate; photo ops abound.  There they are, unconcerned about us a stone’s throw away from their nests and roosts.   Thousands of others are in the water, other species are situated at their specific place on the cliffs.  Again, we sit on the rocks and watch for an hour.



Bird Rock




A predator got this egg - hmm, we saw a horned owl earlier




Approaching Bird Rock




Gannets at Bird Rock



Fishing at Ferryland

Shirley tells us Sean is expected in the habour with his catch at 11:30.  We head down there and spend about an hour parked front row and centre waiting.  We listen to 3 fishermen unloading their crab baskets and miles of rope onto their trailer.  We may as well be in Ireland - the accents of the people on the Irish Loop is amazing.  We love the banter and stories as we eavesdrop.  Oops. we find out Sean is down the road at the other dock.  Down we go to find crates of his 30,0000 lb. load being forklifted to the inspection  station.  Apparently, 5% of every catch is inspected.  A woman chats with us as she measures and  inspects each crab.  Perfect ones are thrown into that box over there - ones with lots of barnacles are not so perfect and are thrown over in this box.  Each of the 5% is checked - this determines the pricing for the entire load of crabs.  She comments that "sometimes she's not so popular" - "it's a crabby job".  Some stats:  A crab fishing license is bought from someone retiring from the business and costs around $500,000 - with quota attached.  The boat is worth another $500,000.  Fishermen are brave souls on the sea and at the bank.

Sean's crab fishing boat

Hi Captain Sean

A perfect fella - Ray's dream



Ready for the pot?



St. John's and Beyond

Well, we did the city of St. John's and are now on the Avalon Peninsula in Ferryland.  Back to St. John's.  Found our very good Extended Stay Deluxe hotel - there didn't seem to be any B & B's available.  It worked out great though.  Wandered down to Water St. to Velma's for dinner the first night - So So.  Up the next a.m. for a city tour with Dave -recommended by our hotel desk clerk.  We wanted to get the feel for the city with some good background before doing our own thing.   Well..........it was a whirlwind swing through the sites - Cape Spear in the fog, Petty Harbour - very pretty, Signal Hill, a swing past Danny Williams Mom's house, and then Danny's digs - hmmmmm - not bad - a gorgeous house.  We were dropped off at Dave's recommendation for lunch - it brought new meaning to the phrase "greasy spoon".  Never mind, it was a slice.  We then headed across the street to The Rooms - which was a very informative and impressive display of Newfoundland natural history and history in general.  We enjoyed the hours we spent there.  From The Rooms, we wandered Duckworth and Water Streets, checking out the shops.  Dinner was at Oliver's - the best for value so far on the trip.  We agree, we are done with the city.  Off to the Avalon.

Cape Spear - Still all bundled up - what can we say

Petty Harbour - the sun is coming out - well almost - yea!

We dawdled along the coast, checking out Bay Bulls, Witless Cove.  Joy has told us about a great hike into La Manche - a bridge and remains of a settlement.  The story goes that a rogue wave hit the coast many years ago, wiping out the bridge and settlement.  In 1966 the bridge was rebuilt, a very substantial swing bridge over the river emptying into the cove.

Swing Bridge at La Manche

We did two small parts of the famous East Coast Trail

Wednesday, June 29 dawns with sunny skies and warm winds.........and there is a kayaking outfit in Cape Broyal back up the coast that does trips.  We sign on and are scheduled for the 2:00 p.m. tour.  But before that, we head down to the Avalon Colony archeology dig and an extremely well done presentation.  Our guide takes a full hour to exlain the many dwellings on the site and we see 4 young people actually working on the dig, meticulously scraping dirt away from what is explained as a very large dwelling.  One brings down a very small clay pipe and hands it to our guide - found  just an hour ago.  A backhoe and dumptruck are hauling away the dirt excavated.  The truck driver gives us some stats - he has hauled 14 full loads of dirt and small rocks away from the site since last fall - all scraped and dusted by hand by the excavators.

Stan - kayak guide serving sea urchin - yummy

Kayaking at Cape Broyal

The kayak trip is a dream come true.  Blue skies and the bluest of seas (2nd. day with full sun on the trip).  There are 10 of us in 5 double kayaks - and 3 guides.  Along the way we are treated to the taste of fresh, raw sea urchin hand picked and presented by our guide - many star fish, a waterfall and then a crossing of the bay at the narrows to follow the north shore back.  There we are invited to take our boat - one at a time - up the 'devil's nostrils'.  It is actually 2 very long narrow caves extending in about 70 or 80 feet - side by each - hence the name.  We are instructed to stow our paddles under the bungie cords and use our hands to guide the boat in and back out.  Well......the surge of the sea did it for us .......pushing us at a pretty good speed in and then sucking us out real fast - the 'devil's nostrils sure had a good blow - and Kathy saw the most amazing fossil on the cave wall as she sped past - no time to stop and gaze.

Evenings at Shirley's B & B are a fun, sit around and have a drink and chat - kind of evening - with snacks brought out around 10 - Shirley's generosity and care will be remembered.

Meet Shirley and Sean Maher in Ferryland.  Ark of Avalon B & B.  Sean is a crab fisherman; he has a license to fish crab and is allowed out from April to Aug. At times he goes out 200 miles off shore.  The crab business is good this year - plentiful and good pricing.  There aren't any restaurants in the town that don't do deep fried something so we got our own dinner at Foodland and Shirley treated to ice cream and teabuns for dessert.  Breakfast was huge - bread pudding, 2 slices of toast, scambled egg, ham, yogurt.  "I'm used to feeding fishermen." is Shirley's response to our gasps, holding our stomachs after breakfast.  Lovely, generous Newfoundlander woman.  Shirley and Sean have 2 daughters and a son - one daughter is still close to home in Bay Bulls, their other daughter is in Cold Lake, AL, their son is apprenticing as a millright - wants to go west.  It is a different generation, the young people are migrating away from home - many west - to the lure of good money and more stimulation than they can find in a small fishing village.

Trinity for 3 days

What a lovely, typical quiet little village.  We start to draw our breath in as we navigate the rough, potty road (at the moment not knowing why)  - hard to keep your eyes on the road and the unbelievable scenery.  What are all those big plastic pots doing floating in the bay - lobster traps?  a course of some kind?  Winding our way through the coves and inlets we come round a bend and there below is the picture perfect Newfoundland village we have been seeing in all the ads.  We arrive at the Maidment B & B nestled down in the middle, welcomed by Karen, Eric and baby Benjamin.

  Oh, BTW, the roads have been repaired after Igor roared through last September.  The rains devastated many of the roads and several of the houses in the surrounding villages.  We see the new culverts, the new roadbeds, the new gravelled shoulders.  Trinity, Dunfield and Trouty were especially hit hard in the area.  Stories abound:   Several families lost everything - house, land, all of it.  One fellow found his deck across the bay with the BBQ still on it - he remarked "I tied the BBQ down - forgot to tie down the house".  Neighbour helping neighbour - where there were trees blocking the road a relay system was put in place - you would drive your car to the next downed tree, leave the keys in it for the next person - hop the tree - get in the next car where keys were waiting - and so on down the road - over one downed tree to another.

 "What are the pots in the bay" we ask.  Karen's quick reply "It's a cemetery - the blue ones are boys....."  - just kidding.  It is a mussel farm.

Meet Karen, Eric, Benjamin, Tony (Opa), and Fred:

It is Sept. 12, 2001 - remember that date?  Karen and Eric meet in the village.  But, let me go back a bit.  Karen grew up in London, ON.  Karen is working for a Canadian Airline.  Remember the turmoil in the airline industry - Canadian, Air Canada, etc. etc.  Karen's father has a friend that runs a B & B in Trinity.  Karen has a stopover in St. John's and comes to Trinity for a visit.  She is frustrated with the uncertainty of her career.  She falls in love with the village and dreams of coming here to run a B & B.  Over the next while she opts for St. John's when she has a choice of routes. 

Eric, a tall, quiet spoken, and gentle, intelligent man is running his own business renovating old homes,  building new homes that fit the village design, including the most beautifully designed moldings and framing.  We saw examples of his workmanship in the renovations of their home and B & B.     He has a commercial logging permit and spends his winters, among other things,  harvesting the wood for his sawmill and home building business.  Later, Karen is there working alongside him - before Benjamin. 

Karen has decided to take a leave from the stresses of the airline business for a few months in the summer and return to Trinity to work in her Dad's friend's B & B.  Eric wants to meet this beautiful young woman new to the village.  It is Sept. 12, 2001 and he figures the world as we know it could be ending and what the heck, he has nothing to lose.  He comes aknocking at the door and the rest, as they say........is history.

Karen and Eric have a 5 month old son called Benjamin and run one of the best B & B's we've been to.  If you want to feel completely at home, relax in the living room, linger over delicious breakfast, chitchat with the family, then this is the place for you.  Fred is retired from the mainland to island ferries after 37 years.  His last 18 years on the ferry was in the galley.   With a 5 month old son, Karen needs help for breakfasts and we find Fred here every morning at 7 preparing gourmet breakfasts for the guests.  We are well taken care of.  Fred works efficiently and quickly in the kitchen preparing this morning's breakfast, all the while making me feel at home as I hunt out another cup of tea.  Opa is Karen's Dad Tony- he comes every summer and has a house here.  He spends alot of time with Benjamin - they go for coffee every morning together.  If not out socializing with Opa, Benjamin hangs out in the sling around Mom or doing the 'guy' thing with Dad.  He and Mom went to the opera in Bonaventure yesterday.  Ah, life is good here in the village.   Karen is managing a very successful B & B, retains her affiliation with her career in the airline industry while on maternity leave, and shows a warmth, love and understanding for her family and guests.  Another very remarkable Newfoundland woman.

Fred, Karen, Benjamin, and Eric - Feel the Joy?

Fred - Best B & B Gourmet Breakfast

Maidment B & B, Trinity, Newfoundland

We have had 2 full days here.  Day 1 we head up to Elliston to see the puffins - thousands of puffins right up close - we don't need the binocs.  And the root cellars are dotted all over - it is the root cellar capital of the world.  On to Bonaventure and touring of the Ryan Premises and the Matthew exhibit of the John Cabot landing.  Day 2 and the SUN shines beautifully.  We did the Skerwink Trail - I can't find the words to describe the vistas and lookouts without sounding mellowdramatic.  Blue still seas, capelin in shore, Minke whales surfacing after the capelin, birds singing, lookouts that take you to the brink of the cliffs.  We took 4 hours to do a 2 hour hike - 5.3 km.  Thanks to Joy for suggesting it.

Quote of the day:  The cafe in Bonaventure across from the Visitor Centre - can't remember the name.  When ordering we ask "How's your chowder?"  Response from the waitress, making a face:  "Don't know, I don't like it - ugh - all that milk and fish".  We don't have a warm fussy about the coming chowder - turns out it is delicious - would rate it an 8 (thick with fish not sauce, tasty, filling, homemade) as we continue our chowder rating across the province.  Will publish our chowder ratings later. 

Thanks to Karen for suggesting that day 1 be spent in and out of exhibits north of us and saving the Skerwink for the sunny day.  After the hike, had an excellent wholesome lunch at 2 Whales in Port Rexton and then down south to New Bonaventure for a tour of the Random Passage re-created fishing village where the mini-series was filmed.  The story was brought to life very well by Dora, a woman that lives a few minutes up the road.  Dora is a tour guide in the summer, chainsaws her own wood and snowmobiles in the winter, works a fishing boat and is just an all round capable Newfoundler woman. 

Skerwink Trail - Trinity East



Skerwink Trail - Sunshine - No coats - Yea!



Pink Ladyslippers on Skerwink Trail

 Today, June 26 we are headed to St. John's to see 'the city'.  More later.