July 9th - Another Day at L' Anse aux Meadows

Tonight I'm staying at Marilyn's Hospitality Home and Marilyn is now in the kitchen preparing traditional Newfoundland (Northern Newfoundland) cod dinner.

(after dinner) - Dinner was great.
 

Bed and Breakfast lodging is my preferred way to spend the night.  You meet interesting people and the homes are spotless.  Most motels are overpriced and not all that clean.  The building in the picture to the right is a typical motel.

On the ride up here from Flower Cove - I stopped to take a picture of one of the many small plots of cultivated gardens that you find along the way.  Every mile or so you will see these.  Also along the road you will see cords and cords of neatly stacked winter fire wood along with hundreds of lobster traps sitting waiting for the start of the next lobster season. 

I found out yesterday from our guide at the Viking site that the gardens along the road were used because the soil is better and since the land belongs to the "Crown" anyone can use it for growing vegetables.  They also don't worry about anyone taking traps or wood because it's a small community and anyone caught taking anything would be "shamed." 

A short distance from L' Anse aux Meadows is the town of Saint Anthony.  We spotted Julia and her father making the trek on their Honda Cubs to raise money for "Because I'm a Girl."

Bill and I took a hike out on the point overlooking the very small town where Marilyn's home is (population 32) and I spotted one of the 60 types of small orchids on Newfoundland. 

Marilyn said that she was one of 13 children and was born and raised at L' Anse aux Meadows.  When she was growing up, they had no electricity, no running water, no inside plumbing and all cloths were hand washed by her mother on a wash board. 

What is amazing to me, on the trip, is that even in a town as completely remote as this one, they have high speed internet.  I have not been any place in Canada where high speed internet is not the norm. Also of note - I'm still looking for the disgruntled Canadians over their health care system.  I have not met one person that does not feel okay with their system.  All Canadians, that I have talked to about this,   think it could be better, but ask them weather they would rather have their system or the US system - and they laugh. 

After dinner we went to a local "pub" (the only one - it also doubles as a convenience store) for some traditional Newfie music and where the "Newfies" celebrate integrating new-comers into the local festivities.  Required for anyone participating, is the drinking of Screach - a rum based drink, the eating of some salted fish and the kissing of a cod fish along with some words of seduction.  You also need to recite a sentence or two in traditional Newfie English.  Marilyn, from the B&B, got out on the dance floor and really put her stepping skills on show with a traditional Newfie jig.

When you first meet Newfoundlanders - you have to pay very close attention to their speach because they can be very difficult to understand.  After listening a while and getting into the rhythm of their style - you can begin to understand what they are saying.  Newfoundlanders are very welcoming people.  They are friendly and will go out of their way to be helpful.  The night before, when we stayed in Flower Cove at the B&B, Maggie our host, told us that because it was raining we should leave the bikes in her garage and use her van.  She didn't know anything about me.  They are just trusting - and oh, by the way, don't try to pay them when you arrive.

July 8th - L' Anse aux Meadows - Newfoundland

Yesterday I could not go much further north on Newfoundland - I reached my trip goal at L' Anse aux Meadows - the only recognized site in North America of where the Vikings had an establishment.  The Vikings lived on and off at the site for about 8 years. The site was uncovered and verified as a Viking site in 1960 by a Norwegian explorer and his archeologist wife.

The mound behind me is an exact recreation of the living quarters site.   And yes - that is blue sky in the background.  My schedule was not to be at the site until July 9th or 10th but when I checked the weather  it looked like rain from the 9th through the 17th and so I decided to take advantage of the only clear day I've had on the island.

Our guide for a tour we took was very good.  He had no official higher education degree but he grew up in a small village of 62 people at the site and played there as a kid.  He said he was standing there when the site was officially discovered.  The green mound in the picture above, is the actual site of the original living quarters.  He had just turned 60 and experience along with working with the archeologists  from Europe, and North America gave him practical knowledge that would be hard to replicate in a pure academic environment.

It was a pretty emotional moment for me to reach this point on the trip and on top of everything - the skies parted and the sun came out.  Right now I'm in a bed and breakfast about 1 hour and 20 minutes from L' Anse aux Meadows but will be going back to the site today and spending the night at at Marylan's Hospitality House.  The pictures above and to the right are all from the town where I spent last night - Flower Cove.  In the background behind the light house is Labrador and if you look very close you can see a ship.  This is in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the beginning of what will later turn into the Saint Lawrence Sea Way.  If you look very close, in the picture below, you can just see a small white speck, in the gulf, and close to Labrador - that's an ice burg.

On the way back from L' Anse aux Meadows I saw my first moose along the side of the road.  Also on the drive back - slowing down from my more usual high clip, because it was getting late in the day, I spotted a moose about 100 feet in front of me and on the opposite side of the road.  I slowed to a stop but Bill started to go around me and the moose ran out in front of his bike.  It was just a little too close....

Living in Sonoma County, I am very spoiled.  Relatively speaking we have very few bugs.  In the late afternoon on a warm day we might have one or two mosquitoes and we go inside.  In Newfoundland and most of the Eastern Coast of North America - bugs are what you get in the summer.  Yesterday at the site there were so many black flies that it was hard to concentrate.  When the sun comes out - you get bugs.  Black flies actually take a small bite out of your skin to get to the blood.  Mosquitoes are not one or two but hundreds if not thousands and you either deal with it by putting repellent on and smelling all day and feeling greasy until you can wash it off or you get bitten.  Whenever I've mentioned anything about the bugs - I just get a blank stare - (yea - so?).  These folks live a hard life but - it's home and I'm sure they have the same reaction that I have to bugs over living in California with more people than the entire country of Canada, earthquakes and the constant worry of summer fires.  I guess home is home.

As I've said so many times - what has made this trip so remarkable for me have been the people that I've met.  Our host and hostest at this B&B are both retired teachers and one of the other guest - Charlie is a doctor from Halifax that comes over here every year to look for new plants.  Charlie told me this morning that there are over 60 different types of Orchids that grow in the bogs and along the road in Newfoundland.  He said they are very small and most grow very low to the ground.



Tomorrow morning will mark the start of my return home.  I hope to be back in Sebastopol by July 25th.  I'm sure I will continue to meet interesting people along the way even if I'm more focused on getting back home.

July 7th - Gros Morne National Park

Gros Morne National Park of Canada

I didn't take this photo - it came off of a Canada Park site.  Just looking at the picture means little - other than some rust colored dirt and rocks.  But - what is significant is the patch of ground was a part of the earth's mantel and was pushed up when the two continental shelves collided.  Also - nothing grows on it.  On one side of the road was lush vegetation and on the other side was this - with hardly any plant life. 

Gros Morne National Park of Canada was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It is an area of great natural beauty with a rich variety of scenery, wildlife, and recreational activities. Visitors can hike through wild, uninhabited mountains and camp by the sea. Boat tours bring visitors under the towering cliffs of a freshwater fjord carved out by glaciers. Waterfalls, marine inlets, sea stacks, sandy beaches, and colourful nearby fishing villages complete the phenomenal natural and cultural surroundings of Gros Morne National Park of Canada.

The above italicized paragraph came from the park's website also. The park is by far one of the most interesting that I've seen on this trip.  The mountains of Glacier National Park and Banff were amazing but the variation of the topography in this park makes you want to spend days here. 


Newfoundland is a richly diverse island that is so different than any other of the provinces that I've visited.  There are some population centers with all of the conveniences but it is also very sparsely populated. 

I'm dealing with the same issues of rain that I have been plagued with on this trip but I have seen so many incredible sites and met some great people that the rain is just a minor annoyance.  Bill - the 78 year old riding partner that I met on the ferry put it all in perspective when we made a stop, stating - "it's great to be alive."

 Bonne Bay - Gros Morne

  The little town on the right is Trout River, on the edge of the park.  It's home for 600 people with most of their income coming from fishing.  There is no doctor or nurse in town.  The closest hospital is 2 hours away.

Right now I'm in Cow Head, a town on the north end of the park. Bill and I have rooms in a small motel and stopped a little late in the day.








If you are not sure where Newfoundland is - on this map, it's the furthest part of Canada to the right - an island and I will be at the very northern tip on Friday.

July 6th - Port au Basque, Newfoundland

It was a dark and stormy night when I rolled off the ferry in Port au Basques in Newfoundland at about 11:00pm.  I am now 5 time zones ahead of California - well to be more precise - 4 1/2 time zones.

Prior to getting on the ferry for the 6 to 7 hour trip to Newfoundland I said my goodbyes to the number of new friends I met at Cabot Shores.  One of the guests came in to the lodge while I was packing up saying they saw a moose both that morning and the evening before.  I have yet to see one other than the road signs indicating they are a hazard. 

Eric and Jan live in New York. Jan works in human resources and Eric works for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, an organization founded by Pete Seeger to clean up the Hundson.

The staff of the lodge, mostly student interns were in a meeting in the recreation room, when I went down to let them know that I was leaving.  Paul and Barbara, originally from the states now make Nova Scotia and Cabot Shores their home.  They plan is to make the facility a major destination retreat.

Thanks all for a great couple of days. 

The ferry leaves from North Sydney Harbor with two ships for between 2 and 3 crossings a day.  As we checked-in motorcyclists were asked to wait for loading in one particular area.  While waiting, I met Bill, a 78 year old on the road from British Columbia.  I feel so young.  Bill is the one with less hair than me. 

Also waiting to cross were Julia with her father, Allan.  They are on a trek to cross Canada on Honda Cubs.  These are very small motorbikes with a top speed of maybe 40 miles an hour.  Julia's is a 1967 and dad's is an 84 - (she's younger)...  Julia just graduated from high school and told her father that the only way she would do the trip was if it was connected to a charity.  "Because I'm A Girl" - I told them I would put their link on my blog.  She wants to raise at least $10K. 

www.canadabycub.webs.com  and www.plancanada.ca/rideforgirls

After boarding the ferry - the next task was to tie the bikes down so if the seas were rough they wouldn't be tossed around.  Bill gave me a seasick pill but the weather didn't seem to be too bad until right before we docked.  We landed at 11:00pm and it was raining and blowing like crazy.  Both Bill and I had reservations at Caribou House B&B and it was a good thing.  There were no rooms to be had in town.  One couple sitting next to me only had about 50 miles to drive but said they couldn't find a room and were going to sleep in their truck.  I asked why they didn't just drive home - "moose."  The morning they came down to the ferry they said their were 23 along and on the road and you just don't drive at night.

I had lost the directions to the B&B but one of the ferry staff knew where it was and said it was only about a 5 minute ride from the dock.  Good thing - because by the time we got there both Bill and I were soaked.  The way we found it was Elizabeth, our hostest, was standing on her porch, in the rain waiving us down.  Now I don't know how old Elizabeth is but her husband is 80.  We are just a couple of adventures kids to these two....

Elizabeth said to make sure the bikes were secure because there was a strong "noreaster" coming in and they could get up to 120.  I hoped that was kilometers because 120 MPH might blow my bike into the bay.  Elizabeth said she loved bikers and she had been doing this for 20 something years.  She said the first time a biker road up - she was scared but now they are her favorites.

Bill and I just had breakfast, it's still raining, but I think we will be taking off soon.  Bill asked if I wanted to ride along with him for a while.  I said "sure."  (I need to keep an eye on this ole boy)

I don't know where I will be tonight and if they will have internet access but with the exception of campgrounds - every place I've stayed has internet.  If you are interested - I'm heading to the very northern tip of Newfoundland.  This is where the Vikings first landed in North America and built a settlement -L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland.

It's morning, still raining and blowing, but my bike is still standing - I'm putting off getting started... it's so comfortable in this nice warm dry home.

Fouth of July - Nova Scotia

I had a great night in the yurt.  There was a little bit of wind, clouds and a sweeping view of the Atlantic what a nice way go to sleep after good food and interesting people.

Meeting People at Cabot Shores -
Ela on the left in the picture is a city planner from Fort Lauderdale visiting her friend Amanda who lives in Nova Scotia teaching special needs children. 

Candice, our waitress for the evening, is roller derby queen for E-ville, a team in Edmonton.  Here's Grant and Candice with Candice both in and out of her "kick-butt" roller derby gear.

I spent the 4th traveling the Cabot Trail on Cape Britney in Nova Scotia and returned late in the afternoon for another good meal.

Monday I'll be leaving Paul and Barbara at Cabot Shores and heading in the direction of North Sydney where I will be catching the ferry to Newfoundland on Tuesday.  The ferry leaves at 4 pm and will get in port sometime around 10 or 11pm if all goes well.  If you ever get a chance to visit Nova Scotia - don't pass up the chance at the warm hospitality and excellent food and good company you will have at Cabot Shores.

July 2nd - Halifax, July 3rd - Cabot Shores

After getting new tires - I headed to Halifax for the balance of the day.  I got a good deal on a very nice hotel overlooking a major park - $74 for the night.  I spent a few hours walking around the city.  I could live in Halifax (during the summer).  Take all the cool things about Seattle, San Francisco and Boston and squish it all into a very small city and you have Halifax.

The city is clean, has a lot of history, the people are very friendly and it's beautiful.

This morning I was on my way to the Cabot Trail with a plan to stay two days at Cabot Shores, owned by Paul and Barbara.  Paul and Barbara are originally from Boston and purchased 50 acres here 6 years ago with a plan to build a retreat.  It's a work in progress.  I'm staying in a yurt for 2 nights.  There's a main lodge with music, great conversations with people from all over the world and super food.  This is my kind of place - little rustic which I'm enjoying.  For those of you that might be familiar with "Table Mountain" in Albion - this place is a cross between Table Mountain and a nice resort - leaning more towards Table Mountain.

Signs

I love interesting signs - mostly the ironic signs but there have been some prize winners along the route.  While I have the time waiting for my tires to be mounted - I thought I would share some with you.

This one you have to look close.  A paid for lighted sign stating "open" but a boarded up building.

I love the colors of this sign.

A food fest with 26 "world famous" signs.

How about this one with "dogs off leash" on the "Discovery Walk"  - this would be a good one for me.....




















The Mexican Rosas sign was in Moncton New Brunswick - California Cuisine......

This is my favorite - on the side of a church in Moncton.  It's actually two signs.  The one on the left reads - "Two places you are always welocme - grandma's and church."