Cape Spear

We are currently parked at Celtic Rendevous in Tors Cape, Newfoundland and this is what we see when we look out our front window. Breathtaking and hopefully the perfect vantage point to observe the so far elusive Puffin. I am beginning to think I am the only person who has travelled to Newfoundland and not seen a moose, iceburg, whale or a puffin. Oh well there is still hope...we have about a week and a half left before we head to the mainland again.


Today we visited Cape Spear which is the most easterly point in North America. The scenery was breathtaking and you could litterly feel the power of the ocean as it slamed against the shore.

You can also see the heavy gun batteries and magazines built in 1941 to protect the harbour during WWII.

Cape Spear is also the home of this 1835 refirbished lighthouse which is the oldest lighthouse in the province.

To get to Cape Spear we drove through Petty Harbour, a picturesque little village perched, as so many are, on the edge of a rocky shore. With its NARROW streets and houses built practically on the street it makes driving through the village a job for a small vehicle ... very glad at this point that we didn't bring the motor home but opted for the jeep instead.

St. Johns

Today we decided to explore St. Johns. We had heard many stories about the disarray of the streets and overalll confusion in the downtown area. We discovered that the stories are true!

We did however muddle our way along and were able to locate Signal Hill. Originally known as the Lookout by the 1700s it had become known as Signal Hill. By the 1900s cannons were fired to announce the time of day and flag signals were used to warn of the approach of ships.

On December 12 1901 Guglielmo Marconi recieved the first wireless signal sent across the Atlantic Ocean.

We were also able to find the famed George Street and although it was pretty calm today we were able to see the potential for a huge street party!

Along the way we saw many brightly coloured row-houses.

L'Anse aux Meadows

We ventured north from St. Barbe along the breathtaking shores of Newfoundland past some of the most beautiful and amazing terrain.

On our way we saw many garden plots along the highway....some many kilometers away from any settelment. When the road was constructed the residents decided to take advantage of the already cultivated soil and plant their gardens there and the idea caught on. In actual fact in many areas that is the only soil available on the barren terrain.

We stopped at the Cape Norman Lighthouse just outside of Cook's Harbour. It is the most northern point of Newfoundland Island. The landscape is amazing and here the sea is furious and beautiful.

We then went to L'Anse aux Meadows, a National Historic Site, where Vikings landed and settled over 1000 years ago. It is believed that the settlers were led by Leif Eriksson, son of Erik the Red. We got to see the ruins of three halls and five smaller buildings that were built by the Vikings. There were also life size replicas of what the buildings would have looked like as well as the tools and equipment that would have been available to them.

Somehow I can see the Vikings arriving to this place and in fact in some ways you can still feel their presence...or is it just ghostly images in the mist?

Labrador

We boarded the ferry at St. Barbe and headed on a trip to Labrador for the day. We landed in Blanc Sablon, Quebec and headed up the coast of Labrador as far as Red Bay. Although we didn't have much time till our return ferry (about 4 hours) we were determined to see as much as possible.

The town of L'Anse au Clair is the gateway to the Straits and southern Labrador. It is the beginning of the Trans Labrador Highway. It has a restored 100 year old church which houses the Gateway to Labrador Visitor Centre.

The Point Armour Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada. It was built in 1855 and stands 109 feet tall. It is still acitve and helps aid navigation through the sometimes treacherous Strait of Bell Isle.

This ancient burial ground in L'Anse Amour was built by the Maritime Archaie people and marks the grave of a child about 12 years old who died about 7500 years ago.

This picture was taken near L'Anse au Loup.

We were amazed by the stark beauty of the landscape. From pools of water dotting the land far above sea level, to the huge boulders scattered in fields which were covered in a spongy tundra-like vegitation.

The town of Red Bay was first used as an outpost by the Basque whalers in the 1500's and today marks the end of the paved highway in Labrador. After taking a few pictures, admiring the scenery and mailing my postcards we head back to catch the ferry to St. Barbe.

This is a section of beach just outside of Blanc Sablon, Quebec.

Waiting for the ferry to take us back to St. Barbe, Newfoundland. It has been a busy but very rewarding day.