Back from the Rock

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Friday 28th August
The reservable ferry spots for today are all taken, so we have a day in the park.

Last time we were here Carol was not up to hiking and I had a recovering knee. Not this time. We’re both in shape to complete the trail I had already walked.

Found these strange berries and was going to ask a local what they were but forgot.

The trail ends up at the ocean where there is a typical Newfoundland barrier between the ocean and an inner ‘lake’.

Saturday 29th August

A short run to the ferry terminal, breakfast in the parking lot and then 6 hours back to “Canada”.

Close to Sydney is Boularderie Island where our good friend Sarah’s (Richard H’s wife) ashes are buried.  We couldn’t come to Cape Breton without visiting the grave.

She’s buried next to her parents in a beautiful setting.

Another pleasant place to spend eternity.

We had an overnight in a campsite near Baddeck which was swarming with people and didn’t really have a whole lot to recommend it to people with no kids in tow.

Sunday 30th August

In one shot we are back to Carol’s sister and husband’s place in Quispamsis NB.

Monday 31st August

Loading Windows 10 - not a seamless procedure.

Tuesday 1st September

Buddy gave us a sleepless night, coughing and obviously in distress, so it’s off to the vet first thing.  As suspected, his heart murmur getting that much worse making it time to start him on heart medication (ad a diuretic, to boot).

Wednesday 2nd September

It’s a long time since we walked round the Irving Nature Park

The trail follows the shore all around the edge, a good hike with lots of ups and downs.  Here’s a Group of Seven inspiration.

Thursday 3rd September

Jean is off to the UK for 15 days and Tim is driving her to Halifax airport so we’re left to our own devices.  Jean’s friend Carolyn is over to look after Harlow (Jean and Tim’s adopted dog) and watch Jean’s TV so we head off to the movies: Mission Impossible, Rogue Nation - Enjoyable nonsense.

Friday 4th September

Off to Teddy (Jean and Tim’s son) and Kim’s in Moncton.

Saturday 5th September

Teddy and son Nathan are joining us for Labour Day weekend camping in Kouchibouguac National Park up the New Brunswick coast near Miramichi.

Here are father son doing that father and young son thing on the beach.

A popular spot with a never ending beach

Sunday 6th September

Happy campers

Richard McConnell’s place in Bay de Vin, that we’ve visited more than once, is not far away and he came with his grandson, Zach, for a day with the campers and another trip to the beach.

As you can see, Zach has the divil in him.  Two young boys together is more than double trouble.

Monday (Labour Day) 7th September

Camping weekend over so it’s all packup and go, call in at Teddy and Kim’s to say goodbye to Kim and then back to Quispamsis.

Movie at the movies: ‘Holmes’ - split decision but I thought it was a lovely little movie (Carol not so much – a little of “Gandalf” goes a long way.)

Wednesday 9th September

A last trip round Irving Nature Park.

I took lots of shots put couldn’t get one with all heads poking through the holes.

Time to head west, so after much packing we’re on the road.  Couldn’t resist stopping for lunch outside this museum

I actually walked around inside.  Just as fascinating as you would think.

St Basile Camping

Friday 11th September

Lunch stop at La Pocatiere with a view of mountains across the St. Lawrence.

Arrive at John and Rejeanne’s in St.Jean Chrysotome

Saturday 12th September

Movie of the day: John Wick - rather violent but Keannu’s generally watchable.

Sunday 13th September

Hardware store shopping with John

Another visit to Crevettes Plus that wasn’t up to the usual standard.

Movie of the day: 47 Ronin Sukiyaki Samurai Western - what the hell was that about?

Monday 14th September

Movie of the day: The Passenger - High expectations, big disappointment.

1/2 Movie of the Day: Enemy - reserve judgement for second half.

Tuesday 15th September

Down in Florida, Bob and Maxine used to own Sea Fox.  They sold the boat, bought a big Class A RV and seem to travel full-time from their home in B.C.  Coming back from out east, they stopped by for a visit.

Movie of the Day: 2nd half of Enemy - forgettable.

Wednesday 16th September

Onwards via Montreal to pick up the Subaru and a few things from Ken and Cheryl’s and then on to Dennis and Madeleine's in Orleans.

Thursday 17th September

Bought a tablet with a big screen and good battery life.

Then on Richard Hayward’s.

Friday 18th September

Abortive attempts to get my new tablet to connect to my Google account.

Saturday 19th September

Back to Factory Direct with my tablet and get one that works followed by a trip to Robert and Shirley Datars.

Sunday 20th September

When I left Factory Direct by mistake I took the tablet home with me that didn’t work, so it’s back there to pick up the correct one.

Monday 21st September

Off to Fifth Depot Lake and Sandy and Ellen’s

Movie of the day: Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - as good as the first.

Tuesday 22nd September

Carol and I took a walk down the lane to the road and some curious cattle.

On the walk through the woods Carol wondered if there were any bears around and I assure her they would keep away from the laneway.

Sandy and I did some carpentry.

Movie of the day: Inside Llewen Davis - Not the Coens’ best.

Wednesday 23rd September

Carol and Ellen went with Debbie (good neighbour) to Westport for a shopping trip.

More carpentry.

Movie of the Day: The East - Well meaning I guess.

Thursday 24th September

Helping Sandy and Ellen move firewood logs up near the road.  As I walked back to the house alone, what should I meet trotting towards me on the path but ... a bear!  I THINK he was more scared of me than I was of him.

Movie of the day: The Counsellor - Rather excessively violent, but good.

Friday 25th September

With borrowed solar panel onboard, it’s off to an outdoor 3-day concert - Neat In the Woods.

We had reservation #1, not that that did us much good.  It was tough to find a level spot and the organization of the RV parking was well, shall we say sketchy.

Here we are early in the game.  Now you see us.

Now you don’t.

Watched Mr and Sister and Terry Tufts acoustic performers.

Saturday 26th September

Awake at 2:30 with people talking and playing bongos and guitar, I guess this will be the norm.

Carol crosswording while Buddy looks on.

Standout performers: Ben Caplan and Casual Smokers 

Richard and Cheryl arrived for just the day.

Wine outside the camper with live music playing - hard to beat.

Two bands were on our list to watch: Monkey Junk with Tony D - outstanding.

For me though, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings rule.

The headliners The Trews did nothing for any of us.

Sunday 27th September

After chatting to would-be RVers and sailors we headed to Richard’s to pick up the Subaru and then drove the camper to Rideau Heights Campsite.

After much needed showers it was over to Leitrim storage to connect the batteries and fire up the fridge in the fifth wheel.

Then a visit for supper to Nancy Cornforth’s where we watched the lunar eclipse.  Unfortunately the pic came out neither eclipsed-looking nor red.

Monday 28th September

Over to Leitrim with the camper for the ‘orrible process of moving from one living space to another.

Detach the camper and attach the fifth wheel and back to Rideau Heights with that.

Avalon - Not Just a Roxy Music Song

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Wednesday 19th August
Our easterly progress is coming to an end as we enter the famed city of St. John’s.  Pippy Park is a massive natural park not far from the St. John’s centre.  In the middle is a camping/RV park where we’re booked in for a couple of nights.

There are several Ponds (lakes) within the park and we walked round Long Pond that is close to the Confederation Building, Newfoundland’s Legislature.

On the walk we heard what sounded like random music.  It was produced by children playing with this interesting feature.

Each instrument produces a pleasant xylophone-like sound.

Thursday 20th August
The weather is kind of cloudy and cold again but it’s time to hookup with more sailing friends, met down south.  We’ve spent time with Vic and Marilyn Greeley in a couple of places in Florida and even the Bahamas.  They were in town for a speech by one of their daughters and offered to pick us up and show us the sights.

First stop - Signal Hill a well known St. John’s landmark.

From the top there are panoramic views of the harbour entrance;

and the city (note the cruise-ship that had disgorged 5,000 tourists into the city that morning).

Carol and Vic.

After a tour of the tower commemorating Marconi’s first transatlantic radio transmission it was onto Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America.

Picture courtesy another tourist.

From the headland you can see Signal Hill and the harbour entrance in the distance.

By now it’s lunchtime and Vic suggests fish and chips in his home town.

Petty Harbour hosts Chafe’s Restaurant who have, justifiably, a high rating for their fish and chips - Outstanding!  How is it possible to make batter like that?

Petty Harbour is another picturesque Newfoundland fishing village where Vic says, that when he grew up, the Catholics lived on one side of the harbour;

the Protestants on the other.

And never the twain did meet - that’s all changed.

On our walk round Long Pond the previous day we passed a building called the Fluvarium.  Vic and Marilyn told us that was worth a visit so when they dropped us off we took a gander.

Looks like an aquarium, right?  It’s actually a view into a brook and the fish are free to go wherever they wish.

They also had wildlife in and tanks and this one is a dead ringer for Moe from the Simpsons.

Friday 21st August

Time to leave Pippy Park and visit more Newfoundlanders in their habitat.

Vic and Marilyn live in Greens Harbour and we parked in their back garden.

That night we walked up the road to Vic’s daughter Joanne’s place.  She has a free library on the road outside her house.

We had an evening round a camp fire, Vic and I talked to Terry (Joanne’s partner) while Carol talked to Joanne (the electrician) and her two visiting friends about women in the workplace and men’s bad attitudes (and behaviour) towards them.  Joanne played guitar and sang a few songs.

Saturday 22nd August

An absolutely gorgeous day and just as well.  Marilyn was involved with a garage sale on behalf of their church.  I lent a hand setting up (and taking down) and Carol did some selling.

Sunday 23rd August

When people you meet tell you about a ‘must see’ then you should.

St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve is on a peninsula south of where we were.  On the way down couldn’t resist driving through this place.

It's just another fishing village.

When we got to St. Mary’s it was quite foggy and although we hiked out to Bird Rock visibility was limited.

Sheep in the mist.

I’m not usually into rocks but I thought these lichen covered beauties were worth a pic.

I took a walk with Buddy down to the lighthouse.

Apparently they have fog most days here where the warm Gulf Stream meets the cold Labrador current.

In hope of a better day on the morrow we stayed overnight in the parking lot listening to the foghorn from the lighthouse every 30sec.

Monday 24th August

The following morning the fog lifted some.

I took another walk out to Bird Rock.

To get there you walk along cliffs that are 300 metres above the Atlantic.  This is looking back at the Interpretation Centre where they have knowledgeable park people, a movie, pictures and description of the bird life. 

The building on the headland is the Interpretation Centre where we were parked.

You can hear the birds (and smell them) before you get to the best vantage point to see Bird Rock.

The white speckles are birds.

The rock looks a little crumbly.

And to get the best view of The Rock, the path leads out onto a promontory with a staggering drop on either side.  

However, you can get really close.

 

The birds you see on the top are all gannets but way down below there are strata of other birds, murres being near the sea as they’re not great fliers.

Fluffy chicks are everywhere.

The noise is cacophonous and the smell is not good.

Moving on through Placentia and Argentia (where the other Nova Scotia ferry leaves from) we made it to Bellevue Beach leaving the Avalon Peninsula.

Not obvious from the pic but over the cliff edge behind us the surf was pounding on the beach and made a fabulous lullaby. 

Tuesday 24th August

Back on the Trans Canada and to Notre Dame Provincial Park where we stayed before.

Wednesday 25th August

Back to the infamous Howley but this time to the right campground.  What a difference this place is.  Friendly, lovely washrooms and site with a lake view out of the side window.

When we were in River of Ponds I went for a swim in the lake.  I lasted about 30 sec - it was frigid, so when the campground owners told me their lake was quite warm, I didn’t believe them.  I had a go anyway and swam across the lake which apparently is 90km long.

Tuesday 25th August

Last leg to Port Aux Basques for our Saturday ferry sailing.  A stop in Corner Brook for odds and ends and then back to the J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park where we started our Newfie adventure.