2021 - Newfoundland and Halifax

 We spent the last few days of our trip in Halifax which is where my sister started her vacation in the Maritimes about 7 weeks ago.  In spite of the somewhat gloomy day, there were some sites here we felt compelled to see because our family has a strong connection to Halifax.   Our maternal grandparents arrived in Canada from England in 1914 when our grandfather was transferred from the British Navy to the Canadian Navy.  Our mother was born in December, 1916, and they made their home there until she was 6 years old when he was transferred to Victoria.  One of the most significant and tragic events in the history of Halifax is the explosion which occurred here on December 6th, 1917, 5 days before our mother's first birthday.  I remember Grandma telling me when I was little how the explosion blew out the windows in their home and shards of glass fell onto Mom's crib which was near the chimney.  Luckily, the our family all survived.  Before I ...

Friday, we took the ferry from Port aux Basques to N. Sydney, Nova Scotia.  This marked this end of our journey through Newfoundland.  It was everything we expected and more.  The following photos are of Port aux Basques as we were leaving on the ferry. So, as a matter of "putting a bow" on this trip, I thought I would add a few random musings.   First off, we were a little disappointed not to find as much live music as we had hoped for.  Clearly, those infamous "kitchen parties" are held in, just that, kitchens.  We heard live music on George St. in St. John's - although the musicians we heard didn't play songs from Newfoundland.  The guy on the boat on Western Brook Pond certainly sang famous Newfoundland music.  As well, we saw the "Anchors Aweigh" show in Rocky Harbour.  That band showcased a lot of famous Newfoundland songwriters and singers.  It was really good.  I have since found out there is a "kitchen party" show at t...

I have been lucky enough to have seen some of the world's most amazing sites - albeit only those in North America and Europe.  Some of my favourites have been the calanques on the south coast of France between Bandol and Cassis; the Grand Canyon in Arizona; the Canadian Rockies, the Grand Canyon du Verdun in Provence, France; the Swiss Alps, and Santorini's Caldera.  The scenery at Western Brook Pond in Gros Morne Park in western Newfoundland ranks right up there with all of them.  Before leaving for Newfoundland, I had watched a number of YouTube videos about this province and had learned about this place and the wonderful scenery there.  So, needless to say on Wednesday, I was excited at the prospect of being able to experience it.  The weather the previous day had been horrible so the tours that day had been cancelled.  We were very happy to read on the notification board when we arrived in the parking lot that our tour was a go.  The lot is located...

Port au Choix, where we spent the night on our way north, is well known because of the national heritage site here.   The town was incorporated in 1966 and has a rich history and thriving fishery.   There is a modern shrimp processing plant, a large fishing fleet, a Parks Canada Reception Centre, and various tourist-related services.   The population is about 900.    The following italicized text is info from the Internet about the National Heritage Site here: The Port au Choix National Historic Site consists of two exceptional pre-contact archaeological sites where the Port au Choix and Point Riche peninsulas jutting into the Strait of Belle Isle are joined by a narrow isthmus.  Constructed from approximately 4,400 BCE to 1,300 BCE, both sites are located on long, flat raised terraces running beside the water. The designation refers to both a Maritime Archaic cemetery in the form of a burial terrace overlooking Back Arm and also the Phillip’s Garden Palaeo...

After leaving Twillingate, we drove south and west.  We overnighted in Deer Lake before driving Route 340 toward Norris Point and Rocky Harbour with our destination being Port au Choix, further north up the coast.  Not quite an hour into our journey, we entered Gros Morne National Park. The western coastline of Newfoundland has been called The Viking Trail because there is plenty of evidence these legendary explorers sailed along this coastline around one thousand years ago.  I think we saw the first sign we were on this route just south of when we crossed the border into Gros Morne Park.  As an aside, Gros Morne Park is a must-see if you visit Newfoundland.   The park's website has this description:   Soaring fjords and moody mountains tower above a diverse panorama of beaches and bogs, forests and barren cliffs.   Shaped by colliding continents and grinding glaciers, Gros Morne’s ancient landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   Wander...