Vacation part deux

ok...here we go..Most of these photos were not taken this time around but were the best shots to get the feel of it.

Brigus South. This is where my nanny grew up and is not to be confused with the Brigus in my previous post. In the 60's the town was renamed Hillsdale to distinguish between the two but when local residents refused to acknowledge the new name it was officially changed back.

This place has one of my favourite views of the Atlantic but very scary cliffs. I remember the first time we brought Aiden here I was terrified he would fall off and ordered Marc not to let go of his hand. It is stunning though.

Ferryland. This is also one of my favourite spots with more breathtaking scenery. This small town has a rich history with new facts being discovered every year by the archaeological dig that is set up here. We only managed to go to the dinner theatre here this time around so these pics were taken the last trip. It was a perfect day with the sun making diamonds on the water.

There is a short hike up to an old working lighthouse. We sat in silence for almost an hour and watched whales frolicking on the coastline. It was one of those 'Thank god I'm alive moments".
Cape Spear. The most eastern point in North America (although Alaska and Greenland dispute this). The waves that come crashing in here have been known to carry a man to sea so don't stand too close!

The lighthouse here is the oldest surviving one in Newfoundland and Labrador.

So there you have it. What I have shared with you is only a small part of our many trips home and a teeny tiny fraction of what is to see and enjoy there. Pictures do not do it justice. I am so deeply in love with this island and so very proud to have roots here. To all my readers, go east my friends....GO EAST! You will never forget it and perhaps you too will miss it and yearn to go back as much we do.

What I did on my summer vacation

The people who are from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador know the pull this beautiful island has.The scenery, the ocean and the people make it a place one does not forget soon. For me and my family it is in the blood. With each trip we yearn more for it and for the family that we leave behind.

The small town of Brigus, famous for it's scenery and sea captains. A small cemetery overlooks a haunting view of the Atlantic. Marc says he wants to be buried here.

Cape Broyle, a small fishing town on the southern shore of the Avalon Peninsula that had a population of only 13 in 1696. A place where my grandparents were married, built a home and raised 5 children. I spent almost every weekend here as a child and a teenager and never appreciated the beauty or it's history until I returned as an adult. I remember going down to the wharf where my great uncles and my grandfather would come in from their catch. Their nets teaming with the days catch of cod or capelin.

My poppy showed me how to clean and gut a fish and taught me how to jig for sculpins off the same wharf. He is a kind, gentle man with the largest hands of anyone I've ever known. As a child his knee was where I climbed, begging him to tell me a story. He would never refuse and would have me in giggles every time. Now at 92 he is still a man that is happy to tell a story just to make you smile. My nanny's kitchen still smells like I remember. Every Sunday she would prepare a Jiggs Dinner for the entire family and we never left her house hungry. Homemade bread, raisin buns and tea and toast were served every time people came to the door, stranger or friend. She is famous for her cooking in Cape Broyle and no one ever left her house without eating at her table. At 88 she still takes such pride in her home and still makes sure you leave with a full belly.

St. John's the oldest and most easterly city in North America, this is where heritage lives. If you stand at the harbour you can close your eyes and imagine a time when it was brimming with fishing schooners. Visit Cabot Tower where military men guarded the shores in 1812, and Marconi made his first transmission across the Atlantic in 1901. From here you can look over the cliffs and watch the city’s Harbour and skyline spread out before you. We never did make the 90 minute hike from Battery Rd but it is on our list of the hundreds of things we have yet to do there.

Next post I will take you to Cape Spear, Ferryland and Brigus South (not to be confused with Brigus)