Hi everyone
It's about time I write another blog and tell you a little of what we've been up to the last week. I really have to do some catching up.
After leaving Red Bay we got on the ferry and crossed over to The Rock - Newfoundland - where we drove up to the Northeast tip of the northern peninsula. Just outside St. Anthony we found a great campground and we spent a whole week there. The drive along the coast was breathtaking and I just fell in love with this province. Love at first sight you might say since we only just had arrived here.
During our week in St. Anthony we explored more great sights and also experiences. We found out that the local Royal Canadian Legion is holding a "traditional Newfoundland food and music" event every Wednesday and since we had arrived on Tuesday, we just had to go there. What a great evening we had. The food was very good, prepared by people like you and me and we had live entertainment. On top of that they did a screeching in for everybody from outside the province who wanted to become a honorary newfie. Of course we signed up and are now in the possession of our certificates attesting to our being accepted into the "Royal Order of Newfies". The process is simple: you have to speak like a newfie, to eat like a newfie and to drink like a newfie. Then you get to kiss the cod. Once you have done all this, a dance is in order and you are made one of their own. It's great fun. Now you might wonder about those things we had to do. The speaking like a newfie is the hardest part. They really have a language of their own and I for one didn't understand a word. All I could do, is to imitate not the words but the sound. Lots of laughter from everybody but mostly the locals who really enjoy the screeching in. Eating like a newfie means you get to eat salted, dried capeling (smelt like fish in one piece, head and tail included), newfie steak (bologna) and bread with molasses. Finally you get to drink screech which is a really good newfie rum. All this one does while wearing typical yellow fishing gear including the Southwestern. I have to admit that when I met some people on the whale-watching boat who were going to be screeches in the next day and asked, I only told them the very basics including that screech "is not straight up sea water" as they might have heard.Let them wonder a little what's coming their way :-)
As I mentioned, I also went on a whale-watching tour but other than 2 fin whales and some dolphins, we were out of luck. The very next day while visiting the lighthouse we both got to see the whales right from the shore. There were two pods further out which, based on their blowing, contained 4 res. 5 whales. One of them would show his tail every time he came up. And then all of a sudden there was a killer whale swimming along the shore only a few meters from the rocks! What an impressing view!
It's about time I write another blog and tell you a little of what we've been up to the last week. I really have to do some catching up.
After leaving Red Bay we got on the ferry and crossed over to The Rock - Newfoundland - where we drove up to the Northeast tip of the northern peninsula. Just outside St. Anthony we found a great campground and we spent a whole week there. The drive along the coast was breathtaking and I just fell in love with this province. Love at first sight you might say since we only just had arrived here.
During our week in St. Anthony we explored more great sights and also experiences. We found out that the local Royal Canadian Legion is holding a "traditional Newfoundland food and music" event every Wednesday and since we had arrived on Tuesday, we just had to go there. What a great evening we had. The food was very good, prepared by people like you and me and we had live entertainment. On top of that they did a screeching in for everybody from outside the province who wanted to become a honorary newfie. Of course we signed up and are now in the possession of our certificates attesting to our being accepted into the "Royal Order of Newfies". The process is simple: you have to speak like a newfie, to eat like a newfie and to drink like a newfie. Then you get to kiss the cod. Once you have done all this, a dance is in order and you are made one of their own. It's great fun. Now you might wonder about those things we had to do. The speaking like a newfie is the hardest part. They really have a language of their own and I for one didn't understand a word. All I could do, is to imitate not the words but the sound. Lots of laughter from everybody but mostly the locals who really enjoy the screeching in. Eating like a newfie means you get to eat salted, dried capeling (smelt like fish in one piece, head and tail included), newfie steak (bologna) and bread with molasses. Finally you get to drink screech which is a really good newfie rum. All this one does while wearing typical yellow fishing gear including the Southwestern. I have to admit that when I met some people on the whale-watching boat who were going to be screeches in the next day and asked, I only told them the very basics including that screech "is not straight up sea water" as they might have heard.Let them wonder a little what's coming their way :-)
As I mentioned, I also went on a whale-watching tour but other than 2 fin whales and some dolphins, we were out of luck. The very next day while visiting the lighthouse we both got to see the whales right from the shore. There were two pods further out which, based on their blowing, contained 4 res. 5 whales. One of them would show his tail every time he came up. And then all of a sudden there was a killer whale swimming along the shore only a few meters from the rocks! What an impressing view!
Just as impressing is the Parks Canada site showing where the vikings had landed on Newfoundland 1000 years ago. We visited the site of the archeological diggings as well as a replica of the village where locals dressed like vikings show how they lived. The blacksmith with the help of a visiting boy made a nail from scratch. This became the boy's pay after the blacksmith had told him about trading labour for goods and how this would also apply at home where making his bed or cleaning his room could be considered as paying for shelter and food provided by his parents.Great experience, story and lesson for life.
The history here is so rich it is hard to comprehend. And I am sure we have only seen and heard a part of it all. It was good to travel to Gros Morne National Park and "take a break" from all the impressions. Gros Morne in itself is yet another fascinating place with a very interesting history. This history is more about geology and how the island of Newfoundland came to be. And of course it is as a protected area rich in wildlife. So did we see a moose cow with her calf only a few meters from us when returning to the car. The picture has been taken by our little camera - no telephoto lens.
André and Sue
Somewhere on the road in Canada
PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.
PS: Don't forget to read our other blogs (listed on the side) and to follow us on facebook and our Google Map. You can also check our web site for new pictures.
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