Sunday, June 6, 2010

Newfoundland...or Bust!

After two failed attempts to get to Newfoundland on our transatlantic cruises, we figured the only way we were going to get there was to go on our own. So we decided to take the ferry and spend three weeks travelling around the province. Well, that was Plan A...

Plan B came into effect when an appointment with the doctor who is doing my jaw surgery in Halifax popped up for June 16. So we decided to fly from St. John's to Halifax and back to continue our trip.

OK...enter Plan C. After my last appointment with the orthodontist, I found out I have to see them before I go to Halifax. I'm beginning to think I'm not supposed to go to Newfoundland!! So Plan C has cut our trip short. We'll be spending 9 days instead of 21, but that's OK. We'll see what we can and hopefully come back another time.

So with Plan C in action, we set off and drove to North Sydney in Nova Scotia to take the ferry to Port aux Basques in Newfoundland.

Entering Cape Breton...neither of us has been here in many years.

I love how the signs start appearing in Gaelic...

Aberdeen! Now that's fitting for us living on Aberdeen Street. I haven't a clue how to pronounce it.

Cape Breton is beautiful...

We might head around the Cabot Trail after my appointment with the surgeon if the weather is nice...that would be Plan D.

It would be wonderful to go through here in the Fall. The colours must be spectacular.

Here's the B&B where we stayed in North Sydney. It was very nice. We arrived to find a note on the door saying come in and make yourselves at home. It's so nice when people are so trusting...

Jim settled in with two of his favourite things...a beer and the computer!

I headed into the hall with a magazine and a cup of green tea...very quaint. Oh...and quite chilly! Where did summer go?

We went down to the waterfront for dinner...still hadn't seen the owner of the B&B. Two of the Newfoundland ferries are in port...the one in the foreground is the one that will be doing the run from Argentia, but it isn't in operation yet.

After a great sleep, we had breakfast and I went for a quick walk around town. Lovely old homes and every single person I met on the street said hello or good morning. That is so nice...

Lots of happy ducks even though they're sitting on gravel!

Yay! We're getting on the ferry. Looks like we're driving into a huge mouth!

Goodbye to North Sydney...sadly, like many small towns, it's suffering...

The ferry was very quiet. What the heck...not a person around. A lady Jim talked to said she couldn't get a reservation on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. But on Sunday, there was lots of room!

The ferry ride is 6 hours not like the one from Argentia which is 14. Passing another ferry...

And here we are...arriving in Newfoundland. I am excited! We're here at last!!

Tomorrow we are heading towards Gros Morne national park. I hope the weather improves. Right now it's cold and rainy...brrrrr!

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