We Leave Newfoundland

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 8)

After learning about Vikings exploring L’Anse aux Meadows, we decided to do some exploring of our own (kind of). 

We left Oscar in NF and took a two hour ferry voyage across the Strait of Belle Isle to Labrador.

Part of the Canadian province of NF and Labrador, Labrador extends almost to the North Pole and is nearly three times the size of NF.  It is sparsely populated with 26,500 persons compared to more than 500,000 in NF.

Florida is a little more than half the size of Labrador with more than 21 million residents!

Our ferry arrived in the small town of Blanc Sablon, in a remote corner of Quebec.  All of the signs were French-English.  After a short drive, we crossed into Labrador and the signs were English-French!

We drove along the coast to Red Bay, site of a long-abandoned settlement where, in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, whale oil was produced and shipped to fill the lamps of Europe.  Over time, the whale population declined and production ended.

We hiked a short loop trail on Saddle Island to see the faded relics of the oil production.  There were mounds where stoves rendered the oil and where barrels to hold the oil were assembled.

Portions of the trail were littered with what appeared to be egg shells.  Closer examination revealed they were actually dried sea urchin shells.  Nearby, seagulls were dropping live urchins on the rocks, eating the contents and leaving the shells to dry in the sun.

A bit further, we met Jennifer, a Labrador native, who showed us her half-full bucket of yellow-orange bakeapple berries.  Getting enough berries to make jam is a lot of work considering each bakeapple plant produces only one raspberry-sized berry.

In case you are wondering, bakeapple jam is very tart!

Later that afternoon we climbed 132 steps to the top of the Point Amour Lighthouse.  At 33 meters, the lighthouse is the second tallest in Canada.  It is historically significant to the south Labrador seacoast as one of four lighthouses that guided mid-1800s ships sailing through the ice flows and strong currents of the Strait of Belle Isle.

Unlike many lighthouses we have climbed, we were able to enter the very top of the lighthouse, where the light and lens are located. The view below was amazing!

The coastal route we followed eventually connects with the 750-mile Trans Labrador Highway that continues west across Labrador to Quebec.  Because the highway is very remote, you are provided a satellite phone in case of problems.  We considered driving the highway, but with up to 300 miles between gas stations (our range is 225-250 miles towing Oscar) and uncertain road conditions, we decided on an overnight visit to Labrador instead.

We spent the night at Grenfell Bed and Breakfast in Forteau.  The B&B was originally a nursing hospital built in 1946 by the International Grenfell Association.  The association was founded by Wilfred Grenfell, a British medical missionary who devoted his life to improving the health of residents of coastal communities in Labrador and NF.

After a restful night, our host, Peggy, offered a spread of breads and pastries, homemade jellies and jams, and other items for breakfast.  (BTW, if you are interested in operating a B&B, Peggy says the B&B is for sale!)

We ferried back to St Barbe later that day, where we were reunited with Oscar.  That night we boondocked in a pulloff next to the ocean near Gros Morne NP. We continued south the next morning on the Northern Peninsula and then east toward central NF.

Two whales
Several small squirrels
Ravens and seagulls

Next week: something’s fishy in central NF!