Our first port of call was Cap-aux-Meules, located in the Madeleine Archipelago of Quebec. After our short tender ride, we boarded local school buses to take the ride to La Grave, a small historic village located on a nearby island. The island, accessible by roads, extended along a very narrow peninsula of sandy beaches. The bus took us as far as it could go, and we could have walked to the end, if we’d wanted (or had time) to see where they hold the sand castle competitions. (You know – the ones we later see in picture on the Internet!)
Instead, we walked through the picturesque village. Most of the industry revolves around lobster fishing, but the season has just ended, so we were able to see piles of lobster traps. Also important is the tourist industry so the one main was lined with small shops. Outside one shop was a man beginning to build a sand castle. He spent some time explaining how to get the detail and how to make sure the castle didn’t easily fall apart. At least that’s what I’m assuming he was telling. I didn’t take time to listen, and the Quebecois French accent isn’t easy for me to pick up. I did enjoy watching the process, though.
On the way back to Cap-aux-Meules, our guide told pointed out the enormous wooden church, explaining that it was the second-largest in North America. There was quite a story behind the wood they used for the church, and it involved trying to get wood from Canada to England that kept getting shipwrecked on the island. After the third attempt to bring wood (and third shipwreck), they gave up, blessed the wood, and built the church.
It was a short and easy excursion, but we enjoyed it. When someone asked our tour guide how long she’d been giving tours, she told us that we were her very first tour! She did a great job for being brand new! Not only that, but we were the first cruise ship of the season to visit Cap-aux-Meules; they only get about two ships a year visiting their area so we felt we were fortunate to be able to visit.
As mentioned earlier, we had used school buses for our tour. Later we learned that the children were given a day off from school (in late July!!!) so that the buses could be used for the tours the community provided. Obviously the arrival of a ship is a really big deal to everyone here!
At lunch, we heard a real horror story! Someone at the table next to us commented that there were people on the tender who were arriving with their luggage. They had flown from Arkansas, through Chicago, to Boston, and because of the storm in Chicago, they arrived in Boston late, just a half hour after the ship had sailed. So they had to manage to get themselves to the tiny island of Cap-aux-Meules. The tour guide had told us that there was something like one flight in and out a day! We considered ourselves very fortunate to have gotten out before the storm created more havoc!
Tuesday found us arriving in Woody Point, at the edge of Bonne Bay, Newfoundland. It’s a pretty little village that’s considered the gateway to Gros Morne National Park. Our arrival was heralded by mummers dancing in the streets, accompanied by Santa Claus! At this port we opted for a scenic cruise of the bay. Our cruise took us along the shores of rugged countryside with Gros Morne as a highlight in the distance. One set of jagged rocks was nicknamed Tenerife by Captain James Cook when he visited the area in the 1700s. (He certainly did get around – he was highlighted on our South Pacific cruise in 2009, and now here he is again, in Canada in 2011!)
Across the bay the terrain was less populated – by humans, at least! We managed to spot a few bald eagles. While not nearly as prevalent as they are in Alaska, they are a common sight here in Newfoundland. Our guide said that they usually appear in pairs. Later, as we turned into a smaller arm of the bay, we had a wonderful view of a waterfall, which the guide claimed they were trying to tout as competition to Niagara Falls. He told us that there was someone scheduled to go over the falls in a barrel this afternoon. We got a chuckle when we saw the gentle falls – no more than 10 feet high! They certainly have a sense of humor. As we watched the many kayakers in the water, we were startled by a minke whale. I’m sure glad I wasn’t in one of those kayaks, though it didn’t seem to bother them – or the whale! Apparently minkes are loners and don’t surface for very long or in a very dramatic fashion. We got a few glimpses of backs and a small dorsal fin, but that was it before he did a deep dive and went on his way. On our way again after our whale siting, we saw a very impressive geological formation – many strata of rock nearly perpendicular with the water – an old sea bed pushed to the surface after millions of years. The cruise certainly afforded a variety of interesting sights!
Back in the village, we wandered the main street. The people were very friendly and thrilled to have a ship come in. We heard that this was the first decent weather they’d had. The last time the Maasdam was here (two years ago), it was pouring rain, so the community was very pleased to put their best foot forward, both as hospitable people, but also with very hospitable weather – sunny and about 70°! We also had a warm greeting from a Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as well as Chap, the chocolate Labrador retriever. (The province is Newfoundland & Labrador, and we were told we’d be greeted by a dog, but we thought it would be a Newfoundland!)
We took a short walk to a quaint little lighthouse overlooking the bay and were afforded a beautiful scenic view of the bay, the town, and the ship.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been in Newfoundland, and I have to admit that the lsat time wasn’t the most thrilling! We made a fuel stop in Gander when I was flying home from my semester in France back in 1970! I remember getting out at the airport and not seeing much at all other than the airport itself. This visit was much more pleasant!
Barb
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