Over coffee this morning, Ed and I were joined by one of our fellow campers, George. He was a fascinating individual...full of great stories (including his career as a trucker hauling liquid arsenic). Before we knew it, he was handing over a "jar" of moose...it's what we would call "canned" (e.g., mason jar), but here they call it bottling. And George's wife gives us her recipe for moose stew.
Our plan was to drive straight to Terra Nova National Park today...about 250 miles. But George lives on the Bonavista Peninsula, and he's telling us that we really need to see that.
So...around 9:00 or so, we're off. We stop for lunch along the way at "Meaghan's"...famous for fish and chips...my fish is excellent, and Ed has a plate of "Poutine"...French fries covered with gravy and cheese curds...good, but filling.
The drive up the peninsula is beautiful...many little coves, fishing villages and pretty views. In the town of Bonavista, we stop for a beer, and immediately make friends with the bartender and the owner. They're disappointed that we're just "passing through". Newfoundlanders love the place that they live with great passion. They have something wonderful here, and they want to share it with you.
The drive back down the other sid of the peninsula is even prettier than the way up, but it's slow going through all of the little villages.
By the time that we reach Terra Nova, it's 7:30...so we have to rush to set up camp and get dinner ready before the sun goes down.
While we're finishing off the last of a great bottle of Shiraz, another camper, Gary, joins us for a beer. He is yet another great guy...friendly...and he loves his Newfoundland. I'm relating the story of my arthritis and the "miracle cure" that I discovered last summer in California. And...wouldn't you know it...Gary also has an arthritis problem, and he's brought along some medicine that came all the way from Afghanistan...which he is happy to share with Ed and I. Our arthritis now "in check", we linger late into the evening over conversation and cold beer. It's not raining, but it's pretty cloudy and getting colder by the minute.
It's after 1:00AM by the time I crawl into my sleeping bag. Another great day in Newfoundland...another friend...another wonderful experience.
1 comment:
Hi guys,
Glad your trip is still going along well. Bill, can't believe you didn't do the Cabot Trail hike. :-)
Dan
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