Side Trips
The second destination on our road trip is Fleur de Lys on the Baie Verte Peninsula. It is pouring rain when we leave Port aux Choix, and continues along most of the 4 1/2 hour drive. We were ready for the hydroplaning, pot holes and wandering moose and experience all three.
The lady at the Baie Verte visitor centre suggests we drive to Seal Cove to see ice bergs. The road is under construction (with good reason!), but we are not disappointed.
Grounded at Seal Cove
Kim is waiting for us at Woman of the Sea Hospitality Home and she has our dinner in the oven. We tell her we were at the Fleur de Lys wharf last summer but good weather kept our visit short so we missed a few things we know the area is known for. She is also the harbourmaster but unfortunately was away during our visit by boat.
Her home is modern and beautifully decorated; every object has a story. The large single-pane church windows hanging in the dining area are from a local church; she retrieved the windows from the demolition site. The rustic wooden door against the wall was from a friend’s fishing stage. The snowshoes were her father’s.
Our dinner of braised ribs and vegetables is followed by Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake. Kim enjoys conversation with her guests so we are happy to ask her questions about her life in Fleur de Lys and about the sights we will visit in the morning.
The rain lets up just in time for a short walk to the harbour after our fulfilling meal. We spend the rest of the evening reading and editing photos.
Kim greets us Saturday morning with fresh coffee, eggs, bacon and homemade blueberry jam for our toast. As we say our good-byes, she is busy preparing crab for some guests coming just for lunch. We will be sure to contact her if we get to the harbour this summer.
We drive out to the Ocean View Trail, 0.8km hike, rated “easy” but still to use at our own risk. It is drizzling as we make our way along the narrow trail between rocks, trying to avoid the mud and stepping over the broken boardwalk slats. Hmmm….easy, maybe for caribou. But we persevere and are rewarded by the foggy view of the open Atlantic, floating bergy bits and a small cove across the strait which is totally blocked with pack ice.
Fortunately, we are familiar with the tragic story of Samantha Walsh before we visit Samantha’s Saltwater Joys for a light lunch and a wander through the building - bright purple and yellow and a tribute of gratitude for all the condolences bestowed upon her family following the 17 day search for Sam, only 14 years old when she was killed in 2000. It is not just a memorial, but a place for people to meet, relax, have a cup of tea and a bowl of soup and chat with whoever else sits among the sympathy cards and mementoes of Sam’s short life. There is a defined peace about the place and a very sincere “thank you” from Sam’s mother who comes to see us off, expressing her appreciation for our visit.
It is raining again as we drive the short distance to the Dorset Soapstone Quarry. This was an important raw material for many aboriginal peoples of Newfoundland between 500 BC and AD500. They would carve out bowls, cooking vessels and oil lamps from the rock face. The hollowed out areas are apparent and we are in awe with the knowledge of what has gone on here before our arrival.
A quick stop in Coachman’s Cove confirms there is still too much ice in the bays of this beautiful peninsula. We are hoping it leaves by the time we begin our northern journey.
