| Newfoundland 2005 |
| Bell Island is a different place, stuck in Conception Bay, exposed to the elements, a ferry ride away from the Avalon. In a time in the time when the pink, white and green flew over Newfoundland, it was a vital part in the effort to fight the Axis nations in Europe in World War 2. Bell Island supplied vital iron ore that was needed by Britain to build and maintain their fighting machines. It was such a vital link that German subs got through the security at the head of the bay and blew up iron ore boats several times. There is a memorial to those who gave their lives to the cause at Lance Cove. We took the photo at the memorial on our visit last year. |
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| We enjoyed the 20 minute ferry ride and found ourselves at Dick's in short order. We ordered fish and chips and they were good. That said, I'll venture a comment that I enjoyed the fish and chips at the Big R best on this trip. Not to say that these were bad, they weren't. If you are hungry on Bell Island it's a worthwhile place to eat. After filling our bellies, we went to Lance Cove to see where Jim spent his summers growing up. So where does someone from an outport community vacation in the summer? Bell Island! The sun was getting ready to go down as we raced around the island, past Lance Cove, to the western side. I saw some funny things on that ride, not the least of which was a street sign in the middle of a stretch of road with no intersections! I guess at some point there was a road there, but now there's no vestige of it at all. Shortly after that, I caught a glimpse of beautiful colors on the water through the trees. I stomped on the brakes (I think I scared Jim) and asked Lillian to run and get a photo before it disappeared! She hopped right out and Jim took the opportunity to have a smoke at the side of the road. This is what caught my eye. Thanks to Lillian for preserving the scene for posterity. |
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| On the way back, I saw a funny sight - Cows on the runway. Last year Vic and I had fun on the runway when we went down to one end and floored the gas pedal on the van to see how fast we could go before taking off. This is what it looks like from that perspective. And then there's the cows on the runway as the sun set. |
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| Note the numbers here |
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| I got slightly lost on the way back, but we stopped a young man and his dad coming back from fishing and asked directions. They directed us to our destination - the steep road below. Glad I don't have to do that drive in the wintertime! We took the ferry home in the dark and Jim did battle with iTunes trying to get his podcast listed on their site. The three of us tried to find our way thru the site without much success. Jim will have to call them for assistance tomorrow. |
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