07.09.10 Our first full day in NL reminded us very much of traveling through the northern areas of the western Canadian provinces with the mountains, black spruce trees, no traffic for miles and miles, one main road and the side roads gravel (when they do appear), a restaurant/gas station every sixty miles or so, etc. We did stop in Port au Port West at the largest wooden building in NL, Our Lady of Mercy Church: standing 100 ft. at the steeple, stations made of carrara marble and framed with travertine marble then shipped from Italy, seats 1000, and took eleven years because of the volunteer builders so as not to incur a debt. The Church was built 1914-1925; the parish rectory next door was built in 1952 and is a museum, craft shop, and tea room: Paul and I had tea buns with partridgeberry jam – oh, so good. Then we went on to the Gravels Rest Stop where we could look back at the Abbott and Haliburton tin shop, the oldest firm on the west coast of NL begun in 1898, and today mostly in timber production but still owned by the same family. Our stop for the night was Corner Brook.

07.08.10 Arrived Newfoundland at 10:45 pm on MV Caribou; checked at the visitor center (open and friendly) and drove to the Provincial Park just down the road, also open and friendly and waiting for us – and several other campers – to arrive. The six hours across Cabot Strait was comfortable and relaxing; we highlighted “must see” in NL, ate, and listened to the three movies that played in the adjoining area. When we returned to Cruiser, the refrigerator had defrosted, too (I put that off as long as possible).

07.06.10 Cloudy all day but only a few drops of rain as we walked for five hours at the Fortress of Louisbourg. The French came to Louisbourg in 1717 and quickly became France’s most important stronghold and seaport. It was captured by the English in 1745, returned to the French three years later but once again captured in 1758 by Wolfe and subsequently demolished in 1760. About ¼ of colonial Louisbourg was reconstructed in the 1960’s to the 1744 period; the largest reconstructed 18th century town in North America. The costumed interpreters are very knowledgeable and friendly: www.pc.gc.ca/louisbourg We snacked on a soldier’s whole wheat biscuit made in the ovens of the military bakery; enjoyed stories of the fisherman, seamstress, gardener, and various soldiers. Another memorable day on the road.