The misery started yesterday afternoon about 2 when I had cod one last time in Newfoundland and it was more grease and batter than fish.  We lined up about 10 pm for the ferry and just missed being put on an earlier one that had extra room.  When you book a ferry your arrival time is not provided on Marine Atlantic’s  website.  But I had checked and saw that the one we were taking (Atlantic Vision) had left Port aux Basque earlier in the day and only took 4 1/4 hours to arrive in Nova Scotia where the other ferries take a little over 6 hours.  We were in line all night with the tractor trailers and their engines running. They turn them off for the ferry ride so why do they have to torture people all night long where ever they are parked?  The ferry left at 6 am instead of 3 am.   We sat in the lounge and people had already grabbed the long seats and were snoring away.  My stomach was really queasy and my foot and leg hurt like heck and was swelling up. Then the snack bar attendant goes around and turns on all the televisions to those stupid loud shopping channels.  We had not even left and I was in agony every which way but figured we could tough it out for 4 hours.  Three and a half hours goes by and I overheard one of the crew say this trip was 7 hours long!  We went to the pursers desk and sure enough they told us that Canadian transportation laws require the captain get 7 hours sleep in every 24 hour period so this ferry’s speed was slowed down to comply with that law.  So in order that I not possibly upchuck in the lounge we got a cabin.  What cost $40+ during the day coming over costs $118 at night even though the ferry didn’t leave until 6 am but it was still considered a night crossing.  The good news:  The Atlantic Vision is plush like a cruise ship.  Really, really nice compared to the others that are ready for the graveyard. 

We arrived in Sidney, Nova Scotia about 12:30 pm NS time and drove all afternoon to Antagonish Walmart to spend the night.  By the way, on June 25th Nova Scotia repealed the no overnight parking law and word must have gotten out because for the first time we have other RV’ers for company.

PS  Eight weeks today on the broken leg and sprained ankle and I have lost my patience. 

is much larger than I imagined with several new suburbs built around the edges of town.  We’ve explored the pretty area and haven’t minded the wait to leave. The ferry port is right in town and we are sitting in a little pull off watching the activity.  Our ferry is going to be late with a departure time of 4:30am.  It’s a fast one though and we have already seen it come and go twice since arriving here yesterday.

It’s Welcome Home week in Port aux Basque.  Many towns in Newfoundland set aside a week in the summer every few years or so for residents who have moved away to visit at the same time.  We see celebration banners in yards and Welcome Home signs everywhere.  This is such a good idea and our new Canadian friends said this is unique to Newfoundland. 

I read this very true quote in the Codroy Valley Tourist Guide.  “The moment you lose your faith in people, I recommend you save up your pennies and take a trip to Newfoundland.” 

 

 

 

Rose Blanche is a little fishing community at the end of highway 470 about 25 miles east of Port aux Basque.  Towns further on east can only be reached by ferry.  The topography along this route is what I had always pictured Newfoundland to look like.  In actuality we have found that throughout Newfoundland the landscape changes constantly and dramatically.  Not kidding:  I have looked down to preview pictures on the camera and looked up and the scenery changed so much I wondered if I fell asleep for a while and didn’t know it.

The granite Rose Blanche Lighthouse was built in 1871 and was the first lighthouse in Newfoundland to be designated a Registered Heritage Structure.  Steve walked up to it in very windy conditions and took a few pictures. 

We attempted to go to the Friendly Fisherman Cafe in Rose Blanche but couldn’t park the RV.  This little town in a secluded cove has maybe 4 streets (really lanes) that are not much wider than a car and have buildings right up to the street.  It’s a really picturesque town and I liked it as well as any village we had been in.  People drive all the way to the cafe from Port aux Basque so it’s a shame we couldn’t eat there.