Whenever I waver about going out for sunrise at home, I remind myself that some of the best sunrises are mornings where I don’t have high expectations. Such was the case this morning when I saw a wall of clouds heading toward the horizon around 5AM. But I gamely threw on some clothes and headed to the top of Signal Hill, where I was treated to the sun lighting up that cloud deck and turning the sky a gorgeous pink. My pictures aren’t the greatest because there was too much contrast between the dark clouds and bright sun, but I’m glad I decided to go.
The rest of my day was spent driving part of the Baccalieu Coastal Drive on the northern part of the Avalon Peninsula. My destination was the Small Point/Broad Cove area, where my stepmother’s family hails from. The weather turned overcast and rainy by mid-morning so I only made a few stops along the way. There are a number of small peninsulas to explore, not unlike the coast of Maine or the coast of Ireland. I chose one that looked appealing on the map and headed toward Port de Grave and the Green Point Lighthouse. The road was winding and provided plenty of views of the coast along the way. I thought maybe I was in the wrong place following the signs to the lighthouse, as the road turned to gravel, then climbed up a hill that looked like it would drop right off into the ocean. It did not, and soon I was at the end of the road looking down at the red and white striped lighthouse.
On the way back to the main road, I decided to stop at the harbor to take some pictures of the boats. I parked the car and was heading down the road to the harbor when I saw dozens of seagulls circling around one of the docks. And there were two fishermen fileting the morning’s catch of fresh cod. I walked over and struck up conversation for a few minutes. I will say it again: Newfoundlanders are the nicest, friendliest, and kindest people you can possibly meet. Neither one minded as I asked questions and took pictures (with their permission).
My next stop was in Freshwater, where I found the graves of my stepmother’s great-grandfather and great-great grandparents. The little village of Freshwater was charming, but it was raining so I only grabbed a couple of pictures and then kept going.
From there, I headed north, where the four small villages of Small Point, Broad Cove, Blackhead, and Adam’s Cove form one town (population: 400). I didn’t find any more graves, but I felt like I had a reason to drive the little roads off the beaten path. The towns are set up on the rocky cliffs of Conception Bay where the wind was whipping and the waves were crashing. By the time I was done driving around and taking pictures, it was late afternoon and time to head back to St. John’s.
After two failed attempts for dinner tonight, I ended up at The Little Sparo (which I assume is pronounced “sparrow” since their logo is a bird sitting on a branch). It was far and away the best meal I’ve had here. I started with the fluffiest, tastiest, thick-cut sourdough bread with whipped herb butter and had rigatoni bolognese for my main course… a delicious end to the day!
Traveling with Laura 