May 28, 2006

May 28, 2006

Bonavista to Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland

YEAR 2 DAY 345

 

Last night's "blizzard" blew itself out overnight. This morning was cloudy and cold. The afternoon was sunny and cool. The evening was cloudy with light rain.

When I woke this morning my backache was about 90 % improved. It remained that way throughout the day. I guess that back ache medication worked. I'll take more tonight at bed time.

This morning we departed Paradise Farm Trailer Park, drove into and through the town of Bonavista, then up to Cape Bonavista. We drove along a gravel road to the "Dungeon", a collapsed sea cave with an archway carved by the sea. The drive along the gravel road was through pastures filled with cows, horses, and sheep. Bo liked it a lot ! Next stop was right at the cape, where John Cabot landed in 1497. I think there was a question about that on the grade 6 history exam ( that I failed ! ). We drove back down and into the town of Bonavista.

We spent the rest of the morning, and half the afternoon visiting Ryan Premises, a restored 19th century industrial salt fish complex of warehouses and a proprietor's house on Bonavista harbour. It's a multiple building historical museum operated by Parks Canada. It was the fish processing, warehousing, and merchant businesses, and residence of a Newfoundland entrepreneur by the name of Mr. John Ryan .We learned a lot about cod fishing, and small town living, and small town commerce in Newfoundland in the late 19th century. We learned that we were closer to Ireland than we were to Thunder Bay, Ontario. We took a lunch break part way through, and had lunch at Skipper's, a restaurant adjacent to the National Historic Site.

We finally got to experience some traditional Newfoundland food in a restaurant, where we could get some guidance and explanations. We started with Newfoundland Pea Soup With Duff ( a large dumpling ). I had salt cod cakes. They're made by mashing salt cod with potatoes and onions, forming them into patties, and frying them. The salt cod cakes were accompanied by pickled rhubarb. For dessert we shared a piece of Bakeapple ( a wild berry ) Cheesecake.

We listened to the National Parks tour guide whining at some other tourists about the moratorium imposed by the federal government on cod fishing in 1992 that resulted in the closure of the fish processing plant that she worked at. She considered herself fortunate that after 5 years of unemployment, she finally found work with Parks Canada as a tour guide at Ryan's Premises National Historic Site. Many of her friends are still unemployed, waiting for the cod stocks to replenish. It's been 14 years, folks ! Get off your asses ! We have, unfortunately, formed the opinion that some of Newfoundland's social reputations are well deserved. Most people here seem to think that, if they are employed, employment means working for 3 to 5 months per year, then collecting "pogey" for 7 to 9 months. There is no forestry industry here, despite the obvious natural resources. There is no aquaculture, just constant whining about the depleted natural fishery stocks. Their tourism industry is very weak, despite much to attract tourists.

We finished touring Ryan Premises National Historic Site and left Bonavista about 3:00 P.M.. We drove southwest along the northern coast of the Bonavista Peninsula on Hwy. 235, then Hwy. 233 back to the Trans-Canada. We drove north along TCH 1 to Terra Nova National Park. We arrived about 5:30 P.M. and got settled into a campsite at Newman Sound Campground.

I rested, and had a cup of tea. I was feeling a bit run down because I have a cold. I started working on today's journal entry while Joanne took advantage of a lull in the rain to take Bo for an obedience session. I did today's accounting. We went for a walk around the campground, but it started raining. While Joanne prepared supper, I downloaded and processed today's photos. After supper I did a monthly backup of all computer files to CD.

DSK