| Bound Down for Newfoundland |
| We were getting hungry but decided to push onward to Heart’s Content, across to the Trinity Bay end of the little peninsula where Carbonear sits. We stopped at a local diner for food and enjoyed conversation with our waitress. She was very personable, as are most folks in Newfoundland and we were practically members of the family when we left! She was quite young, about 21 and trying to figure out what to do with her life. She had no desire to leave the place she loved and was looking for employment opportunities locally. Tonight was her first scuba diving lesson. The first of many which she hoped would eventually lead to a cool job she could be excited by. There are plenty of wrecks and places to explore around Heart’s Content, she informed us. We spoke of not wanting to do University and what people do in the winter to stay sane. Music, cards, crafts we were told. She referred us to the Craft Store next to the Cable Station in Heart’s Content when I expressed an interest in crafts. But first things first. We climbed down to the beach and saw the exposed cables from the first transatlantic cable laid under the ocean. How communication has changed so much since then! Vic and I are able to speak with friends in Antarctica and in Newfoundland on the same hand-held radio we use to talk to people 10 miles away. It boggles the mind. I know they knew what an important breakthrough the cable was when they laid it. What a historic place! |
| After the picture taking, we visited the craft shop. God bless Vic. He doesn’t even complain! In fact, he likes to go in and see what he can find. The lady was wonderful, allowing us to just browse to our “Heart’s Content.” Sorry about that – I couldn’t resist. A Newfoundland musician’s CD was playing great music and I picked a box covered with shells and a painted scene of the local coast. I was immediately drawn to it as soon as I walked in. Vic was still browsing, so I stood and chatted with the lady, telling her the girl down at the diner had recommended this place, and what a good time we had talking to her about life. “Are you sure you want this?” she asked me, picking up the box. I assured her that I wanted it as soon as I walked in and how it caught my eye. There was just something about it that drew me to it...“The young lady you talked to at the diner crafted it,” she winked with a knowing smile. Wow! I really WAS connecting to the spirits up here. Weird, very weird. |
| The lighthouse was old and closed and windy, as lighthouses tend to be, but had a certain charm. I had a bit of a time walking down the trail next to it. I had wanted to go to the beach but the trail was too twisty and rocky and uneven and I was afraid I’d break my very fragile ankle. So instead I took some pics of the flora at the lighthouse. When I had finished, some people came up from the beach and pointed out an iceberg across Trinity Bay. We are not quite sure where it was situated but it was out toward Random Island I think. It was pretty far away and must have been fairly large for us to see it that clearly from Heart’s Content. What a thrill! My first iceberg! |
| On the way back we took a wrong turn and ended up in Old Perlican before we realized we were headed the wrong way. So it was back from whence we came, because it was getting towards the time we’d be driving into St. John’s in the dark. We were tired form last night’s partying and we headed back. I did manage to grab this photo of the sign to Dildo. *giggle * |
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| I asked her if we could get out to the lighthouse, since I have a “thing” for them and she pointed out the best way. Told us to try and get as high as we could because the name of the town came from the shape of the harbour – like a heart. But you can only see it from above. We thanked her and started off for a little adventure. |
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| By the time we got back to St. John’s it was just starting to get dark and we weren’t hungry yet. Guess where we went? Signal Hill! I took shots of the harbour as dusk turned to night. I really need to live here. I must have lived here before. I KNOW this place in my heart and soul. Dinner at Ches’ – but we are sick of fries. What else do restaurants serve with meat? Mashed potatoes in Newfoundland are dry and lumpy. Nothing really entices us. And Internet time is not to be had – the Library is closed. Argh! We go back to the hotel and vegetate. I worked at uploading my photos into the computer and editing them as much as I could. Vic played Ham Radio and we got a good night’s sleep. |
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| We took the same road back but met with a detour thru Harbour Grace. But what started out as a tiresome detour ended quite differently. As we drove slowly down the detour road what should we see, big as life, right across the harbour, but AN ICEBERG! I can’t describe my excitement to be THIS CLOSE to a real iceberg. What a thrill! Two in one day!!!!!!! |
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| Iceberg across the bay |
| Delivery boats to the Hibernia Oil Platform off the Newfoundland Coast |
| "Day is done Gone the sun From the lakes From the hills From the skies..." |
| "All is well Safely rest. God is nigh." |