Day 22: Cape St. Mary's and leaving for home

Today unfortunately we had to pack up and say our goodbyes to Patrick.  We enjoyed our time with Patrick at the cabin immensely so we really didn't want to leave.  Leaving Patrick's cabin meant we were at the start of our long trip back home and the end of our vacation.  Our agenda for the day was to head out to Cape St. Mary's.  The bird sanctuary at Cape St. Mary's is the 2nd largest colony of Northern Gannets in North America.  On our last visit to Newfoundland we tried visiting the site but it was raining quite heavily so we never did see the birds.  We crossed our fingers that this time we'd have better luck.  After visiting the bird sanctuary at Cape St. Mary's we'd travel on to Argentia to take the evening ferry back to the mainland.

I really didn't know what to expect we arrived at the bird sanctuary.  From the visitor's center you need to walk about 1 km to the site of the bird colony.  The colony is situated on some coastal cliffs which tower about 300 meters above the sea.  As we walked to the site I noticed that the cliffs appeared to be white on top and there were what appeared to be flies nearby.  As we got closer it became apparent that what I saw were birds - thousands of them.  As we got even closer there was a load humm which was the collective noise from the thousands of birds that were nesting on the cliff!  It was quite an amazing site to behold and something that I had never seen or experienced before.  We spent a few hours at the bird colony taking pictures and enjoying the view from the clifftop.

Atty and Patrick at the cabin

Me and Atty at Patrick's cabin

The view from Patrick's cabin

On the way to the birds at Cape St. Mary's

A closer look at the Northern Gannet rookery

Another view of the bird colony

Yes that's Atty near the edge of a cliff taking pictures

This gives you an idea of the numbers present

A Northern Gannet in flight

If you look closely you'll see the chicks.

Another shot of the birds in flight

A view of the cliff (about 300 meters above the sea) by the bird colony

Day 21: Tinker's Point Path

Today we had the opportunity to meet one of Patrick's close friends, Mike.  We started out first by taking a hike on the East Coast Trail with Mike and his four legged friend Spongy.  The trail which we hiked is called the Tinker's Point Path and is about 5 km long.  This hike started off damp as it was drizzling.  However, the drizzle soon stopped and then it just stayed foggy which is fine for hiking.  Mike charmed us with his esprit de corps, his sense of humour and his accent (although I'm sure he'd say it was Atty and me that had the accent...).  In spite of the weather this was a beautiful hike from beginning to end.  We hiked through wonderful treed areas which hugged the shore, walked along the beach in sections and had some beautiful views of the coast.  Mike made a point of stopping periodically and explaining items of note along the trail.  At the end of the hike we headed back to Mike's home to meet his wife Alice and son Chris.  Alice cooked up a feed of fresh fish and chips followed by a wonderful dessert.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Mike and his family who charmed us with their hospitality.  They say that one of the measures of a man are the friends he keeps.  I don't think Patrick has anything to worry about!

Atty blending into the background.....

A view from the trail of what appeared to be a typical Newfoundland day

Mike, Atty and Patrick

Another view from the trail of what appeared to be a bleak day

Me, Atty and Patrick

A view from the trail down on the beach

Spongy our four legged companion on the hike

A view of the beach we crossed near the end of the hike

Atty, Alice, Chris, Patrick and Mike

Day 20: Hike from Cape Spear to Maddox Cove

Today we hiked the East Coast Trail from Cape Spear (the most easterly point in North America) to Maddox Cove which is about 11 km.  The group (Gil, Ruby, Catherine, Patrick, Atty and me) assembled at Gil and Ruby's place, crammed into Gil's pickup truck and headed out.  Our starting point for this hike was by the lighthouse at Cape Spear.  The day was overcast with some fog but fortunately it never rained.  This afforded us a different hiking experience compared to what Atty and I experienced 4 years ago when we hiked the trail last.  The trail was for the most part wasn't too bad but it did have a few tricky sections near the end where the footing was challenging.  The hike was a lot fun in large part because of the company present!

Gil and Catherine

Gil and Atty following the foggy trail

Our stop for lunch

The trail had boggy sections which fortunately had a boardwalk

This solitary tree stood out

Another seaside view from the trail

A section of the trail littered with rocks

Atty traversing a stream

Taking a break

Another view from the trail.  Inspite of the fog the views were still stunning.

Gil taking a break

Day 19: Day trip in St. John's

Today's schedule was simple as we had to contend with some typical Newfoundland rain.  So we spent the afternoon in St. John's checking out a few galleries on Duckworth Street.  Later on we got together for dinner with Patrick and his children. We met his daughter Nancy and her husband Chris and also Patrick's son Michael.  We thoroughly enjoyed chatting with them over dinner.

A cute St. John's resident

A typical St. John's neighbourhood

Nancy, her husband Chris and Patrick

Day 18: Boat Tour and Bon Fire

Today with help from Catherine we were able to secure some discounted tickets to a Boat tour to see whales and puffins.  The tour took us along the coast and the captain was able to navigate the boat close to shore after spotting a whale.  Thank god for Gravol as between the waves coming into shore and the reflected waves returning back the ride was choppy to say the least.  The crew repeatedly advised passengers to hold on to prevent falls which was good advice.  We were able to see a young humpback blow and do a jump out of the water but unfortunately with the movement of the boat taking a photo was pretty well impossible.  The view of the humpback whale was quite impressive to say the least.  We then doubled back inland a bit to see the bird colony where the puffins were to be found.  Although the boat was still pitching in the waves I was able to get some photos this time.  Towards the end of the Boat Tour unbeknownst to us Catherine had conspired to have us "Screeched In" by the crew.  Among other things during the ceremony we had to kiss a puffin's rear (no not a real one - fortunately we didn't have to kiss a cod fish as is sometimes done), take the shoes off of one foot, dunk the other foot - shoe and all into a pail of salt water, recite a Newfie expression and finally down a shot of Screech (rum).  Marching off the boat with sodden feet Atty and I left as honorary Newfies.  In the evening Patrick, Wilfred and Catherine came over to the cabin.  Patrick arranged to have a bonfire down on the beach.  I soon realized that it had been too long since I last sat in front of a fire.  It does ones' soul good to sit in front of a fire and and look into flames as the wood in the fire crackles away.

Puffins

Gannets

Puffins

Treetops as seen from the cabin

Wilfred, Catherine, Me, Atty and Patrick with the cabin in the background

Day 17: St John's - The Rooms and Rennies River TrailClic

Today was rainy so the plan was to visit "The Rooms" museum in St. John's and take a walk along the Rennie River trail weather permitting.  The museum houses not only historical artifacts but also art.  Although we only spent a few hours there it was interesting.  We learned that a large portion of the Irish that emigrated to Newfoundland came from one county in Ireland, Waterford.  The weather held out for us long enough to do a section of the Rennie River trail which runs through St. John's.  Walking through some sections it's hard to believe you're in the middle of a city.

A view of The Rooms museum from the inside

Downtown St. John's looking towards the narrows from The Rooms

Signal Hill as viewed from The Rooms

Atty and Patrick on the Rennie River trao;

A view of the Rennie River trail

Me and Atty on the Rennie River Trail

Click on this picture to see a panoramic view of St. John's from The Rooms

Day 16: East Coast Trail - La Manche/Doctor's Cove hike

On our last trip to Newfoundland (4 years ago) one of the hikes we did was to an abandoned fishing village called La Manche.  The village was largely destroyed by a bad storm Jan 28, 1966 with many of the buildings and infrastructure washed away.  We found both the hike and the site interesting.  Little did we know that we'd be doing the same hike 4 years later but with a difference.  In the interim Atty had met Patrick while teaching English overseas in the Sultanate of Oman.  It so happened that Patrick had a friend (in Newfoundland) Catherine, whose family lived in La Manche before it was resettled!  It's funny how through a series of unrelated events people become linked together.  Anyway, the plan today was to hike from Catherine and Wilfred's home to the trailhead and then do the trail.  As such the invitation was extended to have breakfast at Catherine and Wilfred's home before heading out on the hike.  Let's just say that Catherine out did herself and we definitely left the house full after breakfast!  The hike for the most part is not that difficult but there is one steep hill at the beginning of the trail that is a killer.  Once we got to La Manche Catherine showed us around and explained how the site looked when she was young and the village was still being used.  We were taken to the foundations of her grandmother's home, to where the school was located and other sites.  It really was fascinating to hear her accounts of life there as it brought the ruins back to life.  It was a treat having her and Wilfred share their memories of the village with us.  I was able to locate some photos of La Manche before it was resettled to show you how the village originally appeared.  On the way back we took a small side trail to Doctor's Cove and had a rest stop there.  It's a beautiful location where you can observe the waves come in to rock formations along the shore. 

Wilfred and Patrick

Catherine and Atty

Wilfred taking in the view from the suspension bridge

A view of the La Manche site as it appears now

A view of La Manche when it still was a working fishing village

The La Manche suspension bridge

Catherine (afraid of heights) crossing the bridge at La Manche....sorry Catherine but I had to show this!

Looking out towards the Atlantic from La Manche

Catherine and Wilfred standing on the ruins of Catherine's grandmother's home

A view of La Manche in the early 60's before the storm

Wilfred, Catherine, Patrick and Atty

A dragonfly that landed nearby to sun itself

The new boardwalk leading into La Manche is located higher up the rocky shore than the original

A view of the entrance to La Manche as it appears today

A view of the entrance to La Manche as it once was

Waves crashing in at Doctor's Cove

Atty taking a break at Doctor's Cove

Catching a break at Doctor's Cove

Walking back to Wilfred and Catherine's place