From Fundy we drove northeast several hours to arrive in North Sydney, Nova Scotia where we stayed for two nights before taking the ferry to Newfoundland. The guesthouse is a 145 year old Victorian which is chock full of antique furniture and sets of dishes. The owner used to run estate sales and the house belonged to her first husband. Both he and her second husband died from brain cancer. To go through that once would be devastating, but twice is unthinkable. She has kept herself going and survived the pandemic. Her breakfasts were gourmet and sustained us the rest of the day with only a small salad for supper.
The next day we drove the Cabot Trail, touted to be world famous and one of the most outstanding drives on earth. We found it sadly didn’t meet our expectations. I did enjoy seeing thousands of birch trees, though. There are a few spots to get an interesting view and we did see a moose as we were driving. It came out of the woods and abruptly turned around when our car approached its’ trajectory. If not, we might have gotten too close a look at it. I really would not recommend the drive. There are a lot of trails to hike which might be more interesting.
The 6.5 hour ferry ride was uneventful and did not have many people on board. It seemed there were more cargo trucks than cars. The wifi didn’t work well and was non-existent in the uppermost deck where we had reserved seats. At that time of year it certainly wasn’t necessary to have paid for those. Two decks down had better wifi at times and the seats there were much more padded and comfortable. With the time zone a half hour ahead of Nova Scotia, we were able to get supper just before the restaurant closed for the evening and then find our BnB.
The next day we had breakfast at Alma’s and then continued on to our next lodging. About a half hour from our goal we stocked up on groceries for the next two days. Once we got into Gros Morne National Park, the scenery was more interesting and there were a few lookout areas where we could safely stop and take photos. As it was a bit early to check into our BnB, we drove another mile to Lobster Cove to see the 19th c. lighthouse and coast. There used to be a community there which is detailed in a museum. It seemed to be a working lighthouse for a hundred years.
In the morning we headed off to our boat tour on Western Brook Pond, a former fjord. After parking in the lot by the road, we had a 3 km (1.8 miles) walk along a gravel trail across a bog to arrive at the agency. The temperature was about 48 degrees and very windy which made me keep pushing along just to get to warmth. There is dramatic scenery in the distance with Appalachian Mountains still retaining snow. As the reception area building was quite warm, we decided to wait outside for forty-five minutes so we wouldn’t overheat. The wind wasn’t too bad but by the time we were in line to board, we had used up our heat from the long walk and were getting chilled. Despite that, we chose to sit on the top deck in order to get the best views for the two hour tour. Over the open water the wind gusts were chilling but once we entered the old fjord, we were granted some protection by the towering mountain cliffs. Nine thousand years ago the water was closed off from the ocean and eventually the salt water became freshwater and so pure it does not conduct electricity. Scientists know it was formerly salt water due to the shells and whale bones found at the bottom of the pond. There were several waterfalls of various sizes and heights and even some faces to be seen on the cliffs; one felt to resemble the Tin Man of the Wizard of Oz and another a reclining man with a prominent nose. The scenery was photogenic, the tour guide informative, and we were treated to classical Newfoundland music (Celtic) for the last twenty minutes back to the pier.
As we were about to leave in the morning I noticed a bald eagle flying back and forth along the shore. I took a video with my iPhone and kept waiting for those readied claws to snag some breakfast and fly off. It finally did go down to the water but below the cliff and although I waited quite a bit, it never did lift off again. It must have dined on the shore out of view.
We made a few stops on our drive north of Gros Morne National Park. A shipwreck was of interest, a long rock with three arches, and finally we found some small icebergs. Although many caribou and moose reside along that route, we never did see any. Shortly before reaching our next abode, we stopped for a short cold and windy walk to see thrombolites which are only here and in Australia. After getting groceries, we found our way to the next BnB, this one an old house with family history. Right outside and across the one lane road is an inlet with a few icebergs. More are resting around the bend with a much bigger one in the far distance. When we checked-in, the owner’s cousin greeted us and before she left gave us a group hug! Her accent can be a bit thick and at times she had trouble understanding us which worked both ways.
Before the predicted rain came we drove north right after bacon and eggs. About forty-five minutes along we saw what I thought were white cows but were actually caribou! That was quite fun. They weren’t too sure about us but I was able to quickly get some photos and a video. Towards the end of the route we finally spied some sizable icebergs, one in particular was quite huge but way out from the shore. The Viking settlement was still closed for the winter but we walked to the top of a rocky outcropping to get an aerial view. A statue of Leif Eiriksson was nearby. The temperatures vacillated from 42 to 58 a few times due to the front coming in. On the way back I suddenly saw two large brown objects just by the trees and there were two moose! They stayed in place long enough to photograph and then one at a time retreated to the safety of the woods. Right after that the rain began and by nightfall it was heavy and quite windy. Morning brought cold, 37 degrees, and sunshine.
After more bacon and eggs we headed out for another road trip. We saw another group of caribou who seemed less skittish than yesterday’s. Just a bit up the road were the best/biggest icebergs which we hadn’t noticed the day before so it might have been the impending weather which hid them or the storm moved them along during the night. We also met a friendly older gentlemen who was born and bred in Newfoundland. He is one of 14 kids and only five remain. He shared that three died of cancer, a horrible disease. He has had open heart surgery but seems to be doing ok. He stated that the moose we are seeing are yearlings as their mother is now tending a new calf. The moose are decimating the forests as they eat the top shoots which kills the tree. We found him easy to understand as he speaks slowly and clearly. During the drive back home we saw two caribou crossing the road and a huge moose which watched us for a few seconds and then darted back through the bushes. Closer to home we spied some very distant massive icebergs.
The next day required well over seven hours of driving and with stops the trip took eight. We arrived weary in Twillingate where the BnB was a loft with an expansive view of the bay. We spoke a bit with Mike, the husband of the owner, who gave us some insights in their lives and Newfoundland. While they were living in the Vancouver area, which has the best climate in the world, his wife, Ann, found she had inherited her grandparents’ house back in Newfoundland. There was no changing her desire to move back to where she had spent her childhood. Mike said Newfoundlanders all want to live there forever and if they do leave, they always return to the end of their days. She had the house torn down and built a new one in its place with the same camber to the roof as the neighbors requested. Then they built two workshops and the loft of hers houses the BnB. Winters aren’t too bad and last year they had little snow. It is the winds that be quite brutal. Mike wasn’t pleased May is still chilly while in Vancouver spring has long since arrived. He said Newfoundlanders are very friendly, which we found to be very true. They say hello as they pass by and will start talking with if you seem you might be interested.
That night we went to Annie’s Harbour Restaurant for a lobster dinner only they didn’t have any more. I settled for a lobster roll which was actually more flavorful than the one I had had the other day. While enjoying it, Ann texted to say there would be no power the next morning from 9-noon. While I had her attention I told her about there not being any whole lobsters and asked if all the restaurants would be the same. After a bit she called me and said she phoned her cousin’s restaurant and they have them!! She offered to call them to reserve one for me the next evening but I said I would do it and thanked her. I called later that night to reserve a table and a lobster dinner. When we arrived they didn’t have my table but did have my lobster. Fortunately they weren’t busy and all was well. It was quite delicious but I noticed the melted butter had a different taste to it. It wasn’t until I was about done I realized it was laden with garlic, but more of a paste. Poor Bill could smell it on my breath all night and even the next morning when he got in the car after I had been sitting there a few minutes. Ooops! After prying and sucking out all the goodness, I had very sticky fingers but there was no moist towelette of any sort provided….not even a bib for while dissecting my crustacean.
The morning after we arrived we took a walk on a trail towards the lighthouse but had to take the road as the trail seemed to disappear into the steep wooded hillside. Even the road was steep and while trudging up it I received a text that our ferry the next evening might be delayed due to weather. Grrr. As we had built a buffer for the return before beginning the first pet sit we opted to relax and hope it would all turn out well.
That afternoon we had an iceberg tour reserved and the water was as calm as it can be. We were loaned heavy duty bib overalls and hooded jacket to put on which certainly kept us warm and dry. The temperature about 48F but cooler out there on the water especially as we sped along. We saw 8-10 icebergs, with ice 10,000 years old, which had left Greenland one to three years ago when they were 85% bigger. The best was saved for last and was a monster of a tabular style. Some of the bergs had small waterfalls as they melted and one had imbedded ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland. For the first time the captain drove through a tickle which is a shallow area between rocks. It is called a tickle as the bottom of the boat, in our case the zodiac, comes very close to the bottom of the sea, close enough to tickle it. Being a small world, the couple sitting next to me are from Wales, just a few miles from Pontypridd where we had a pet sit last summer.
Before heading home we stopped by a bakery and bought snickerdoodle bars, peanut butter/chocolate fudge bar, ginger molasses cookie, and a lemon partridge berry scone. All were delicious!
After another very long drive back down to the ferry, the last while being in rain, and a long wait until we could board, we finally were able to get into our cabin about ten. The captain had decided there wasn’t enough need to delay the departure so we were able to get several hours sleep in our warm single beds. The bathroom was tight but did house a tiny shower and the water was quite hot. We skipped that luxury as it was too much trouble and all we had done for the day was sit. Unfortunately, the person on the other side of the wall from Bill coughed much of the night. The people on the other side of me were talking until departure but after I knocked on the wall, I didn’t hear anything more.
Some observations:
While in a convenience store I mentioned to the cashier that I find that as someone from the States, I can either understand well what Newfoundlanders are saying or I have no idea. In talking with her I surmised that many speak very quickly and often with an accent, though not always; one sentence might be clear and the next is not.
We were told before our trip that locals pronounce the word for the island with the accent on the last syllable – New-Found-LAND. Although I didn’t hear it said that way consistently, our iceberg tour guide definitely did.
Some people on the island, and perhaps it is a newer trend, like the siding on their house to be cheerful – burnt orange, marine blue, bright yellow, deep red, soft pink, light lavender – and sometimes just the front door is.
Laundry is still hung out to dry for many, even when the temperatures are in the 40’s F. It was refreshing to see clotheslines in use.
Twillingate has a Blow-Me-Down Lane.
Retired and Living the Life Nomadic 
Another amazing trip! Love your photos. Now I need to go to Newfoundland!!