Thursday, June 28, 2012

Bonavista

Woke up this morning to fog and a bit of leftover rain but quite a bit warmer.   We decided to get out and see what was outside in Bonavista.  The brother of our B&B operator is a great photographer and we were discussing how to bribe a puffin to pose for you - with a capelin.  We decided that since we  now knew where we could find more puffins, we would.


First try.  "Oh, no, m'dear, you won't be seein' puffins this day in the fog"  said the man who was cycling down the road in this end of the town.  "Besides, they will be on the other end of town." And he promptly cycled off.  We jumped in the car, stopped at a visitor center and got directions to Bird Island. 


This is where we ended up. This is Elliston which just happens to be the Root Cellar capital of the World.  This is a sample of some root cellars.We're not sure why they have so many or why they have them and other towns don't.


Perhaps a visit here could help?





Now this is what we came for.  I'm on the trail of the wild puffin.



And there they are.  You can see how comical they look in the air.  True, they look comical everywhere.The island at the end of the trail is just  out of reach but the puffins were so close.  The wind was blowing furiously and it felt wonderful to be standing on a cliff on the edge of the Atlantic.  Almost as though I could fly away myself.

A side trip to see the Dungeon...


Before we got to Cape Bonavista lighthouse.  We have tons of photos of this  place.   Because it was foggy - horn every  30 seconds - we decided to opt for indoor photography.  In fact, all are of  the rooms lived in by the lightkeeper's family.  I'll do a post when I come home with just the hooked rugs from here. 


And now back to town to do some museum stuff while the rain storm blows over.  I learned how to split


and gut a cod.


Here's the real thing.  Mine was much easier - and cleaner, too.


Outside the rain has stopped and we do some more exploring on foot.There is a replica of the Matthew which is John Cabot's ship which 'discovered' Bonavista. Right  now it's in winter storage but we had a quick tour.  This wasn't the berth of an ordinary seaman of the day.  In good weather most of the sailors slept on the deck.  In rough seas, they went to the hold and bedded down on the boulders and gravel ballast.


We find a tern  using the wind to hover above a promising-looking fishing spot.











Old Day's Long Pond is a marshy area which is protected by a boardwalk around the whole pond.  It's about a kilometer around.  A walk around the Boardwalk in the wind was a perfect ending to the day.





10 comments:

Catherine said...

Hi Stephanie, I loved your post on Newfoundland! What a great time you're having there, it seems cold and bleak and colourful, is that where The Shipping News was filmed? I loved that film and book. Btw do you know that there are lots of descendants of Waterford people in Newfoundland as many fishermen went over in the mid-19th century to there, and they are supposed to still have a lot of the Waterford accent? That's flat vowels and a kinda nasaly drawl. There are many musical and other cultural links between our county and Newfoundland, they come here often for events. Must try to find out more, it's fascinating! I love that you got to hook a bit of a rug too. Hope the knitting continues across the continent!
Catherine xxx

Ginny Hartzler said...

Wonderful, wonderful!!!! Stalking The Wild Puffin!!!

Rose said...

I must be behind on blog reading! Didn't realize you were on the East Coast! Love your photos, you are visiting an area on my short list! Also love your Wingspan. I'm half way through mine and really enjoying the pattern. Looking forward to more tales from the tour.

Anonymous said...

You really have a good time, and the changing weather gives you extra experience!

Mimi said...

Lol re the first encounter of the day! again sounds like something you'd be told here, so Catherine's comment is very interesting too!
Again, the scenery is very beautiful, and what a lighthouse! Wonder what brand of paint they use!!
Look forward to the rug post, and now I'm off to check out root cellars.
Enjoy your holiday, and thanks for some great armchair travel! (seriously, you should write a book.)

J.G. said...

Much as good weather is appreciated on a vacation, having some less-than-perfect weather sure gives a place atmosphere, doesn't it? Looks like a fabulous time!

Sassafras and Winterberry said...

What a lovely post...full of beautiful pictures! The scenery is gorgeous! Enjoy!
Hugs,
Courtney

Rudee said...

I'm so glad you're not letting the weather deter you from your adventures. I've always wanted to visit there, and you only cement that desire!

Empty Nester said...

Stunning! Gorgeous! Beautiful! OMG- y'all have found THE place to visit! Or live- I would move in a skinny minute! That place is lovely! And the puffins- so dang cute! I'm so glad you're 'taking' us along!

Tanna said...

Oh, it does look like such a good visit you are having... and the sight of you wearing a jacket sure looks like more fun than the 100+ days we are having... though I can't complain since there was a nice breeze blowing for us today as we walked 18 holes of golf. I love those smooth rocks... they are something my grandson, Alex, would treasure. So glad you found the Puffins!! blessings ~ tanna

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