Our only Caribou, Fogo Island, September 2015

There are more than 200 caribou on the island. We went looking for the caribou -- and eventually saw a juvenile happily munching on the soccer field opposite the Fogo Central Academy. And then saw him several times. 

Tilting, Fogo Island, Newfoundland, September 2015

The town of Tilting is one of the oldest locations on Fogo Island. The town has Irish roots that go back to the 1750s. We met Ron Dwyer, a local author, on the ferry across to Fogo. He is also a story teller of some renown. Fogo is one of many lovely harbors on Fogo.  

The oldest building still extant. From 1780s.

Zita Cobb's artist's studios on Fogo Island, Newfoundland, September 2015

 Zita Cobb's first major exercise with the Shorefast Foundation was to build four artist studios, each designed by Todd Saunders. Fogo Island Arts is the vehicle used for this project. Each of the studios can only be reached by foot and we hiked to each. They are truly amazing. There are no words to describe this initiative. You just have to visit to see.

I have yet to load photos from the Long Studio which were taken with my Nikon rather than the phone.

Squish studio at Tilting --- the most striking location

Squish studio

Squish studio

Squish studio

The Bridge studio.

The Bridge studio.

The Bridge studio.

View from the Tower Studio

Rear of the Tower studio

Tower studio

Fogo Island, Newfoundland, September 2015

In Banff we attended a talk at the Banff Institute by Zita Cobb and Todd Saunders architect who have been instrumental in the development of community activities and a new hotel on Fogo Island. The Island is the largest of Newfoundland's offshore islands. We were so taken with the talk that we decided to put Fogo on our travel plans. We were not disappointed and loved our time on the island. There is only one RV park on the island, at Brimstone Head in the town of Fogo. The Flat Earth Society designate Brimstone Head as one of the corners of the known world. 

Boarding the Captain Earl Winsor to Fogo Island

The end of the earth!

Looking at Fogo Bay from Brimstone Head

The RV park at Brimstone Head

Boyd's Cove Beothuk Interpretation Center, Newfoundland, September 2015

On the road from Lewisporte to Twillingate is the Beothuk Interpretation Center. This is the site of a major settlement of the Beothuk people. The beothuk were a First Nations people who lived in Newfoundland for perhaps a couple of thousand years prior to Cabot's discovery in 1497. Following deaths that came from European diseases such as TB and from violent interactions with settlers, the last of the Beothuks died in 1827. A very sad story indeed. Archaeologists from Memorial University in St John's discovered the site in 1981 after extended surveys looking for likely sites. Sure enough, this was a very active site in the 1600s as subsequent work of the archaeologists demonstrated. The province has preserved the area and built a well imagined interpretation center. 

A recent development is to build a spirit garden near the cove. The rangers provide shells, cloth and twigs for visitors to attach to the trees at the spirit garden. They believe this was close to Beothuk spiritual practice. I left a remembrance for my deceased parents. I am not a spiritual person but could certainly feel the power at the garden.  

The center

Inside the center

Spirit Garden

Spirit Garden

It's berry time, Twillingate, Newfoundland, September 2015

Our GPS unit took us on a rough road as a short cut back to the main road. The road became pitted and much too rough to be pleasant and we turned back to more established routes. We saw a family picking berries and they showed us where there were wild blueberries growing in abundance. We picked quite a number for our own needs. The local family were going to make preserves and had taken a couple of buckets. The wild berries are very sweet indeed. We have never eaten as many different types of berries as we have found in Newfoundland. 

Oh, and of course, the bears just love all types of berries. 

There be berries here!

And here they are! Wild blueberries.

Twillingate, Newfoundland, September 2015

A day trip from Lewisporte took us to Twillingate, well known for access to the icebergs in Spring and early Summer. Of course, we were too late for this. A fishing village, now very much dependent on tourism. Twillingate is actually an island, now connected by causeway to the main island of Newfoundland.

Looking from the Long Point lighthouse to the West

Long Point lighthouse

Twillingate Harbor

Twillingate Harbor

A picture post card. Newfoundland at its best.